Alperittet

Alperittet is an annual sporting event held in Stranda Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway, comprising both a telemark skiing (mountain telemark) competition held in late February and a mountain bike cross country race held in mid September. First held in 1995 the winter race has become part of the Norwegian telemark cup and hosted the Norwegian mountain telemark championship in 2006. The event is organized on a non profit basis, run entirely by volunteers.

History

The winter telemark competition was first held in 1995 and has taken place annually ever since, with the exception of 2002, when the race was cancelled out of respect for a competitor who died the day before the event. In 2004, Alperittet became a part of the Norwegian telemark cup, and in 2006 it hosted the Norwegian championship for mountain telemark. The summer mountain bike competition began in 2002, initially attracting only a small number of local riders. Its popularity has grown considerably since, with the event now drawing around 100 participant annually. The name Alperittet originally associated with the winter race was retained for the summer event.

Winter competition

The winter race follows a course is 6,200 metres (3.9 mi) in length, a figure that corresponds to Stranda's postal code. The route begins at an elevation of f 1,230 metres (4,040 ft) above sea level on the mountain Roalden, passing through canyons and forests, over farmland and through the streets of the town, before finishing beside the sea in the centre of Stranda, in front of the municipal hall.

Summer competition

The summer mountain bike race covers a course of 42 kilometres (26 mi). It begins at Strada's municipal hall, climbs in to surrounding mountains, known locally as "alps", before descending to the coast and returning to the finish line at the municipal hall.

External links

• Official website (in Norwegian)