I\u2019ve been alpine skiing since I was 13 months old\u2014I literally learned to walk and ski at Mount Norquay in the Canadian Rockies simultaneously. But hiking uphill on skis? Hard pass for me. Until now.<\/p>\n
Still, as I booked my trip to test E-Skimo with founder Nicola Colombo, questions nagged at me: Was this an accessibility breakthrough, or a compromise of a sport built on the principle of earning your turns? If motorized skis could get someone like me into backcountry terrain with minimal effort, the implications felt bigger than a curiosity\u2014safety, environmental impact, and how accessible the backcountry should be.<\/p>\n
E-bikes faced similar scrutiny<\/a> when they first pushed into wilderness areas, accused of undermining the human-powered ethos that defines backcountry experience. Would E-Skimo spark the same backlash?<\/p>\n Just days after launch, freshly 60 and slightly unsure what I\u2019d gotten myself into, I met Colombo and Kathrin at E-Outdoors headquarters in the alpine village of San Bernardino, in the Swiss Canton of Graub\u00fcnden. The day before, on January 10, the first batch of e-skis had been delivered to buyers in Switzerland, Austria, Italy, France, and a pair to Utah.<\/p>\n For now, at least, E-Skimo isn\u2019t a grab-and-go rental; it\u2019s a guided experience. This winter, four experience centers in Switzerland and Italy (San Bernardino, Verbier, Saint Moritz, and Sansicario) offer instruction and half-day guided tours. The timing felt significant: competitive ski mountaineering\u2014skimo\u2014debuted at the Olympics at Milano Cortina 2026<\/a>, less than two hours from where we stood.<\/p>\n Is This the E-Bike Moment for Skiing?<\/p>\n I\u2019d watched videos of athletes competing in traditional skimo, gripping slopes with climbing skins, sometimes running uphill with skis strapped to their backs, pushing themselves to the absolute limit. I couldn\u2019t help but wonder\u2014for anyone inspired by the Olympics this winter, could E-Skimo, with its unique electric assist, offer a more accessible, and hopefully toned down, entry point into the sport?<\/p>\n Colombo held the Guinness World Record for the longest electric motorcycle journey from Shanghai to Milan until American Timothy Marchinda broke it in 2022.<\/a> While living in China, fueled by a passion for motorcycles, he decided to build an electric one after seeing e-bikes everywhere. He kept the patent from the motorcycle business he created, Italian Volt<\/a>, and brought the technology along with the company\u2019s CTO Ivan Mura.<\/p>\n But skis presented a new set of obstacles.\u201cThe main challenge was designing an electronic system that could work reliably in snow and ice, while people are literally walking on top of it,\u201d Mura explains.<\/p>\n During development of the e-ski, they collaborated with the Tecnica Excellence Center<\/a> in Austria to integrate the technology into Blizzard Skis. According to Mura, the collaboration was crucial: \u201cWe needed to cut openings in the ski to fit the technology, which could have weakened the structure or changed how it performed on the snow. Their expertise helped us avoid those problems.\u201d<\/p>\n A short drive outside the village, Colombo laid out our skis at the base of the San Bernardino Pass Old Road, a historic route with spectacular alpine scenery connecting two valleys, Hinterrhein and Mesolcina. Fresh powder clung to the higher elevations, but the newly revitalized ski area was waiting for enough snow to open. San Bernardino has received major investment, transforming it into an emerging year-round mountain destination. Fortunately, we were touring; so we could chase the snow wherever it was, and the route ahead didn\u2019t look too intimidating.<\/p>\n E-Skimo technology is sophisticated, though I didn\u2019t fully appreciate this at first. What I noticed immediately was the weight\u2014at 14.5 pounds\u00a0per ski, noticeably heavier than the roughly 6 pounds of a typical freeride or touring ski they otherwise resembled, thanks to the battery, motor, and belt mounted on each one. The tech driving my first clumsy steps included a six-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU) and GPS sensors monitoring each ski\u2019s position and the weight and angle of my heel.<\/p>\n Learning How to Skimo\u2014With an E-Ski<\/p>\n E-Skimo promises to cut the grind by 30 percent, meaning 30 percent less of a muscle workout\u2014while boosting speed by 80 percent, potentially extending range fourfold. In the moment, I felt the motors kick in as each ski slid forward. My initial inclination was to lift the skis rather than trust the technology to work for me, but once I did, the climb felt surprisingly, and maybe a little too easy as I focused on the sensation under my feet rather than the route ahead.<\/p>\n Remote control buttons built into the poles let me choose between modes\u2014eco, climb, and boost. There\u2019s a learning curve, no doubt. I relied on Colombo to choose the modes and reactivate the system when we stopped along the way, while I focused on the new sensation of skiing uphill with bursts of energy beneath my feet. An app can also control modes and track real-time data\u2014recording trips via GPS, monitoring performance metrics, and adjusting power output to help maintain a target heart rate.<\/p>\n Initially, I found the motor\u2019s hum somewhat distracting. Colombo says they\u2019re working on a quieter version for the next iteration. Still, the steady climb gave us time to assess how the skis actually performed.<\/p>\n As we hit our first winding turn, my friend Kathrin wasn\u2019t entirely won over. The skis were harder to maneuver, and she couldn\u2019t picture them handling the steep alpine terrain she was used to. She tours the high Alps\u00a0five to eight times a year\u2014technical routes where agility matters. But as we settled into the rhythm, something clicked. By the time we reached open terrain, she was genuinely impressed. E-Skimo shines primarily where traditional ski touring would feel like overkill\u2014gentle slopes, forest trails, rolling terrain.<\/p>\n These skis won\u2019t replace my friend\u2019s lightweight setup, but she saw the bigger picture. \u201cFor now, I\u2019ll still do traditional ski tours in the high mountains, but I can see E-Skimo as a way to keep enjoying the quiet winter landscape when I want something less demanding.\u201d It\u2019s worth noting: Kathrin is part of Switzerland\u2019s startup ecosystem. This European country consistently ranks as one of the most innovative and leads in deep tech. Her verdict on the system? \u201cIt\u2019s genius.\u201d<\/p>\n If You\u2019re New to Ski Touring, E-Skimo Makes Terrain Accessible<\/p>\n Before we knew it, we\u2019d gone almost three miles and ascended 1,300 feet of elevation, emerging from the forest into open alpine terrain with dramatic views of the Lepontine Alps peaks. Piz Uccello\u2019s distinctive pyramid-shaped peak rose into view as we hit our turnaround point and watched Colombo prepare our skis for the descent.<\/p>\n The batteries, motor,\u00a0and belt, are all removable. The opening where everything attached is filled with a 3D-printed plug. So once everything was packed in my backpack and I\u2019d clicked toe and heel into my bindings, it felt like I had my own downhill skis on. All I had to do was get used to the weight on my back and enjoy a gentle cruise down.<\/p>\n For me, new to ski touring, the appeal was immediate but somewhere along the way, doubt crept in. E-Skimo removed the uphill grind, but what exactly was I gaining access to?<\/p>\n What became apparent is that\u00a0this technology suits gentle slopes and forest trails, not the steep alpine terrain where real adventure lives. When my descent didn\u2019t deliver pristine powder or the thrill of dropping into truly remote terrain, I felt genuine disappointment. But there\u2019s the rub: with E-Skimo, expectations had to be managed. I was a dilettante to the sport, wanting a taste of touring without serious safety risks or physical demands. I wanted to feel like a mountaineer for a few hours, and, in a sense, I did. But it\u2019s not ski touring as the sport defines itself. Whether that\u2019s innovation or dilution depends on what you\u2019re looking for. It\u2019s ideal for visitors wanting a taste of alpine touring without the same safety risks or technical and physical demands.<\/p>\n For those wanting an even gentler entry point, Experience Centers now offer skis with universal bindings (similar to those on snowboards) for use with personal footwear on flatter terrain, so no downhill skills are required. While the E-Skimo system can be purchased for roughly $5,700,<\/a> Colombo explains their current focus is B2B expansion\u2014integrating their technology into existing ski brands, much like Bosch and Shimano do in the e-bike sector<\/a>.<\/p>\n The comparison is telling: those companies didn\u2019t succeed overnight, but they transformed the industry. They also faced fierce resistance. When e-bikes first expanded into backcountry areas, critics warned motorized assistance would bring underprepared users into fragile environments. E-Skimo\u2019s guided tour model on gentle terrain seems to sidestep such concerns, for now. But if the technology takes off and moves beyond experience centers, will users remain within safe boundaries?<\/p>\n As for me, E-Skimo answered the question those skimo videos raised: What if backcountry skiing didn\u2019t require serious fitness?? At 60, discovering there\u2019s still new terrain to explore\u2014literally and figuratively\u2014feels significant, but is that the \u201cright kind of revolution\u201d for the sport itself? That remains to be seen.<\/p>\n Where to Try E-Skimo<\/p>\n Currently, exclusive E-Skimo half-day guided tours can be booked through the E-Skimo website<\/a>. Or enquire directly with Mountain Air<\/a> in Verbier, Ski Service Corvatsch<\/a> in Saint Moritz, FullSki School<\/a> in San Bernardino,<\/a>and Couloir in Sansicario<\/a> in Italy. The cost per person for a half-day tour starts from \u20ac235 per person up to \u20ac500 ($278 up to $591)\u00a0depending on location and group size. At this time, only guided tours are offered.<\/p>\n In San Bernardino, stay at the newly renovated Brocco and Posta<\/a>, part of the village\u2019s ongoing revitalization.<\/p>\n![\"E-skimo](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Kathrin_Nicola-.png\"\/)
\u00a0Skiing with an extra boost. Testing the E-Skimo with its founder. (Photo: Courtesy of Kendall Hunter)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Klainguti_DSC_3117-scaled.jpg\"\/)
Nicola Colombo, the founder and CEO of E-Skimo, came up with the idea during the pandemic, when ski resorts were closed, and he found that not everybody enjoyed the difficult uphill sections of ski touring.\u00a0 (Photo: Courtesy of Nicola Colombo)<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Cervinia-4.png\"\/)
The E-Skimo helps alleviate the effort of going uphill, while allowing you to ski downhill as usual. Here, Nicola Colombo, the founder and CEO of E-Skimo, skis uphill on the e-ski. \u00a0(Photo: Courtesy of Nicola Colombo)<\/p>\n![\"E-Skimo](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Me_ESkimo-2.png\"\/)
Kendall Hunter tries the first E-Skimo in San Bernardino, Switzerland. (Photo: Courtesy of Kendall Hunter)<\/p>\n