Regulations

Pierra Creta Regulations:

Please pay attention to the race regulations, especially those concerning your personal responsibility, your personal data and the organizer’s responsibility.

  1. General: Pierra Creta is an open, team ski mountaineering race that takes place every two years in Crete. It consists of two routes, a route A with an indicative altitude difference of 1800 m and a route B with an indicative altitude difference of 900 m.
  2. Definitions: In the regulations listed below, the words noted here refer to specific terms.
    1. Race – to Pierra Creta
    2. Athletes – to the competitors, that is, those who have registered and participate in the race
    3. Organization/Organizers – to the organizing committee of Pierra Creta
    4. Race committee – to the organizing committee set up by the organization, responsible for the execution of the race and taking the decisions
  3. Team categories: The teams consist of two or three persons and can be divided into three categories:
    1. Women’s teams (ski mountaineering)
    2. Men’s teams/mixed teams (ski mountaineering)
    3. Splitboard teams
  4. Right of participation: Men and women aged 16 years or more on the day of the race have the right of participation.
  5. Registration, cost, benefits, payment: The cost of the race per participant is 100€.
  6. Cancellation policy: Athletes can cancel their participation up to 30 days before the race and get 75% of the amount they paid for their participation refunded. After that time, no refund can be made for any reason. The cancellation request must be sent electronically (e-mail) from the e-mail address given by the athlete in his/her application and must indicate the bank account desired to be credited for the refund. Each participation is personal and unique for each athlete and therefore cannot be transferred to another person.
    Also in case of cancellation of the event due to unexpected developments regarding the Covid-19 pandemic, the athletes will also be reimbursed with 75% of the amount they paid for their participation, in a bank account that will be shown to us within 30 days from the official notice of cancellation by the organizing committee.
  7. Compliance: Athletes are required to fully respect the rules outlined below. They are also obliged to obey the instructions of the judges of the race. When the judges of the race notice violations of the rules, they record them and inform the offenders. Apart from the judges, also persons authorized by the organization have the possibility to record offenses and submit them to the race committee.
  8. Obligatory equipment:
    1. Helmet
    2. Ski or Snowboard
    3. Ski Boots
    4. Mountaineering crampons
    5. Avalanche Transceiver
    6. Shovel
    7. Avalanche probe
    8. Gloves
    9. Sunglasses or goggles
    10. Backpack
    11. Whistle
  9. Athlete’s number and timing: Each athlete is required to wear the bib number visibly on the rucksack and on the upper part of the right thigh, as well as the electronic timing chip, throughout the duration of the race. Every athlete is obliged to return the race number and the electronic timing chip to the organization after termination or in case of exclusion or abandonment of the race.
  10. Disclaimer of organizer responsibility: The organizers and any other persons involved in the organization of the race in any way are exempt from any claims of the participants and their heirs in connection with the execution of the race and are not responsible for:
    1. the death, injury or any damage to health and, in general, the physical integrity of the competitors
    2. any loss or damage from any cause (action, inaction or negligence of certain persons) during the race or after
    3. an accident due to any reason, such as poor health or inadequate training
    4. theft or loss of the competitor’s items
    5. financial compensation in case of external assistance to any athlete
  11. Personal responsibility: Each competitor, by submitting the application, declares officially that he/she:
    1. Participates in the match with his/her full personal responsibility, being fully aware of his/her intention to take part in a sporting event taking place in a mountainous environment, with generally unfavorable conditions for the human body
    2. Has done all necessary medical examinations, such as cardiac tests, and his/her state of health allows him/her to compete in a race of the kind of Pierra Creta
    3. Personally assumes the responsibility to compete wisely and responsibly and not to place himself/herself or others in objective risk conditions
    4. Fully accepts the responsibility for any injury caused by a fall, accident or anything else that may be caused during the race, before and/or after it
    5. Finally, accepts the responsibility for whatever may occur from his/her participation in the race
  12. Personal data: Participants in the race allow the organizers to make use of the personal data provided in the event for the purpose of communicating and informing them about the race and the events taking place in the context of it, as well as for operational reasons.
  13. Copyright: Participants in the race allow organizers and entitled third parties, such as sponsors and the media, to make use of the photographs and audiovisual material produced during the race, in which they may appear.
  14. Marking and race route: The race route is marked with temporary marking by the organization and there are checkpoints along it.
  15. Instructions and programme: For the instructions, details and programme of the event, athletes are required to attend and be informed by the technical briefing that takes place the day before, at the venue and time that will be announced by the organization.
  16. Programme changes: The organizers reserve the right to change or even cancel all or part of the race if deemed necessary. In the event of the race being cancelled for reasons of safety or force majeure (bad weather, road blocking, strikes, prohibition by authorities, etc.), the participant is not entitled to claim the reimbursement of the financial contribution or other financial compensation.
  17. Team movement: The team cannot depart from the checkpoints if its members are not together. Team timing stops when the last competitor of the team crosses the finishing line. It is forbidden to pull another team member with either a rope or an elastic band within the first 15 minutes of the race, as well as in corridors, ridges or while skiing down.
  18. Prohibition of completion: The organizers reserve the right not to allow an athlete to complete the race if there is a related opinion of the medical staff of the race.
  19. Waste: It is forbidden to dispose of any kinds of items along the route, such as equipment or food packaging material used by the athlete during the race. Athletes are required to store them and drop them into the special bags provided in the finishing area.
  20. Prizes: The first 3 teams of the race, from each of the three categories will be awarded with commemorative prizes. (see regulation No. 3).
  21. Sanctions: A team may be disqualified or excluded in the following cases:
    1. Object missing from the obligatory equipment
    2. Departure before the starting time
    3. Not passing through a checkpoint
    4. Incomplete team for departure on checkpoints
    5. Shortcuts from the route
    6. Abandoning equipment or dropping waste
    7. Inappropriate or unsportsmanlike behavior
    8. Reckless behavior or serious mistake
    9. Failure to comply with the rules or the instructions of the organizers
  22. Objections: Any objection to the race must be submitted in writing to the organizers within 1 hour after the last athlete has finished the race. Decisions regarding any objections will be made in accordance with the Greek version of the regulations.
  23. Acceptance of rules: Every adult on his own responsibility, and every minor on the responsibility of his/her parent or guardian, who submits the application, personally accompanies the minor and receives the his/her participation number, declares that he/she has read and understood all the rules with the conditions of participation, the relevant information and instructions for the race, and unreservedly accepts their content as a whole.
  24. Modification of rules: The organization reserves the right to amend the rules of the race without prior notice.
  25. Ιnsurance: The Pierra Creta race is organized with the main focus on the safety of the participants, that’s why we offer to contestants insurance coverage on the day of the race. There is a management plan in case of a serious accident, to cover the cost of transport by ambulance and in exceptional cases, transport by helicopter. However, we would like to inform you and draw your attention to the fact, that due to legislative and regulatory changes we are only able to cover this additional insurance only for athletes, who are permanent residents of Greece regardless of their nationality. For this reason, we recommend those who will visit us from abroad to check, if in the already existing insurance coverage, there are terms that cover an accident in their home country, but also abroad (covering Greece). In case there is no such coverage, we suggest a supplementary travel insurance, which covers throughout their stay in Crete, but also when participating in organized competitions (skiing, mountaineering, etc.).