CREATING HIGHER GROUND
Appalachian Bowhunter
Challenge
Three stages. One mountain. A mountain bowhunting competition built around the complete hunter — not just the shot.
SPRING 2027
NEXT EVENT | REGISTRATION OPENS WINTER 2026
WINTERPLACE SKI RESORT
WEST VIRGINIA
3 STAGES
NO SHORTCUTS
50 COMPETITORS
2026 FIELD
THE WHAT
Three Stages.
No Shortcuts.
The Appalachian Bowhunter Challenge is a mountain archery competition hosted at Winterplace Ski Resort in Ghent, West Virginia. The event was designed to mirror the demands of a real backcountry hunt. The mountain doesn’t care about your range score. The animals don’t care how fast you think you can run. Train for the challenge and find out how good you really are.
01
5K Weighed Pack Race
Competitors strap on weighted packs and cover five kilometers and nearly 1,000 feet of elevation gain. If you can’t get past the gravel parking lot, the rest doesn’t matter.
Fitness · Endurance
02
3D course shoot
A winding layout through mountain terrain. No rangefinders. Read the distance with your eyes, manage the angles, and make the shot — with everything already burning.
skill · precision
03
head-to-head bracket
March Madness style. Sandbags. Sled drags. One-on-one eliminations. Then step up and make the shot — breathing hard, muscles torched, heart rate through the roof.
composure · character
the why
Why Build Around The Whole Hunter?
As mountain hunters, we value strength, nerve, and skill — the strength to climb through rugged terrain, the nerve to venture deep into the backcountry, and the skill to make accurate shots under pressure. We’re committed to developing these abilities—and having a great time doing it. Come join us!
There’s a certain kind of weekend that sneaks up on you. You show up expecting a contest — targets, scorecards, a podium — and somewhere between the first arrow and the last campfire laugh, it becomes something else entirely.
The Appalachian Bowhunter Challenge was designed to test more than your shot. It tests the body that carries the bow, the mind that holds steady under pressure, and the character that shows up when the mountain takes something from you.
Whether you’re a first-time competitor or a returning champion, we welcome you to join a community built on skill, respect, and love for the outdoors. Come experience an event that’s as challenging as it is rewarding—where every participant leaves with stories worth telling.
This event is all about encouraging bowhunters from across our region to invest in their health and build the mountain-specific fitness needed to explore the wild, roadless places we love. Appalachia is home to some of the finest public land anywhere, and we hope this event inspires more people to get outside, enjoy that ground up close, and chase their fitness goals along the way.
Appalachian bowhunter challenge mission
why you should care
Test Yourself. Find Your People.
What we offer is an opportunity to test your mental and physical strength. More than that, we’re building a community.
Community is everything, and the Appalachian Bowhunter Challenge event planning has serious thought put into providing a medium to build our community . From the event competitor pairings to the group meals, every aspect and detail are fine tuned just like the gear we love to tinker with.
When you come to the ABC event, you will feel the energy, be the energy, and feed the energy. Be confident knowing you will be accepted and welcomed with open arms as you come to test your mental and physical toughness.
from the field – 2026 EVENT RECAP
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Higher Ground – The Inaugural Appalachian Bowhunter Challenge Event
Inside the Appalachian Bowhunter Challenge at Winterplace Ski Resort — where grit, gratitude, and a whole lot of heart turned 50 strangers into something closer to family. There’s a certain kind of weekend that sneaks up on you. You show up expecting a contest — targets, scorecards, a podium — and somewhere between the first…
2026 sponsors
MTN TOUGH
THE ARCHER’S EDGE
FLYING SQUIRREL FORGE
TECUMSEH TAXIDERMY
Are You Ready for the Mountain?
Registration for the 2027 Appalachian Bowhunter Challenge opens soon. Spots are limited — get on the list before they’re gone.