The Wetterhorn
On the train back to Kleine Scheidegg. That's twice from there to Wengen and twice to Grindelwald today along with sone messing up top. Think I'll ride the Red 21 back to Grindelwald a couple of times before having a wee cheeky at the tepee at KS before a twighlight decent back to base. Did the bottom half of the Lauberhorn twice this morning but was feeling a bit awkward with my boots so never ran it top to bottom. Tara is in for a hand done service today; base grind, gouges fillled, waxed and edges tuned to 88 degrees. Not cheap but I asked the guy to really spend some time and effort personally. He said he would do his best but feels the edges are to badly damaged to get perfect. Think I will write to Prior, the edges just don't seem as hard as on my other two boards. Assuming she is good enough nick I am gonna do time trails down the Lauberhorn tomorrow. Gotta say the last steep into the grandstand is somewhat of an issue!!
Building the Granstand
Even on Christmas Eve this place is quiet this year. I have noticed it everywhere I have been, just not as many skiers or snowboarders around. Must be a sign of the economy. It should mean there are deals to be had mind.
Well once over the snowboard-unfriendly top section of Red 21 it is an awesome run!! A wee bit slushy at the very bottom, but magic in the middle section through the trees. Down for the day and I've just picked up Tara. What an wonderful job the guy has done, he has restored the edges to just about thier former glory. The base has be filled and he has finished it with a micro groove (!?!?) to make it go faster alledgedly, we shall see tomorrow but I am thrilled with what I can see. She's going nowhere near any more rocks!! It cost 80 CHF which is about £50 but it's infinately better than the machine service I had done in Saalbach.
My goodness, it's 10.22pm, I've just retired to the smoking room after an 8 course Christmas dinner and a wonderful bottle of Chilean Cabernet. I had planned to find a wee bar and see in Christmas day with like minded souls, but I can not move!!
Taken a wander into town and ordered a large beer to see me through to midnight, but at 40 minutes from now I don't think I'll last. Everyone seems so young and energetic, I feel distinctly worn out, not to mention full. I have spent 3 months on the hop, working and snowboarding. Flip side is I have never been fitter, I can romp up a hill in boots with a snowboard in either arm and a fag in my mouth without feeling it. Ah I suppose we will see what the morning brings, I guess a few family phonecalls, around 50km of snowboarding, a few beers and a full belly. Merry Christmas to anyone and everyone!!!
Day 20 of 60. Christmas Day. A third of the way to my target. It rained at village level last night and it really is quite warm. Yesterday I didn't need my hat or goggles which is a marked difference to Saalbach a week ago!! Didn't set an alarm for this morning and enjoyed a little Christmas day treat, a lie in. Well it 10.30am and I'm on the gondola to Mannlichen, now I know this lift is slow but I am in no hurry today and want to do everything whilst here. However it's stopped for the 3rd time now and I am regretting my decision.
A sign of things to come
So Mannlichen was dreadful, icy underfoot and blowing a blizzard on top. Back over the top to KS and far more pleasant with powder on the piste. Down to Wengen and lunch at Restaurant Allmend. I have witnessed 3 helicopter rescues so far, it seems every corner I turn the bloody thing lands in front of me!!
A common sight
Yesterday I was on about the steep at the bottom of the Lauberhorn downhill, well I've just come down the slalom course (no slalom) and it's even steeper! I've now done the top section of the Lauberhorn following some skiers in visibility of 20ft, everyone bottled the middle section and I was not about to argue. Sun is forecast for tomorrow so I am gonna delay my full attempt till then. I don't mind ice, rocks, deep powder, slush, but bad light freaks me out.
So 4pm and having a Gluhwein at KS before riding out and having a quiet Christmas night. Christmas dinner was excellent again, and after acquiring a corkscrew and an adapter I had the chance to watch some British Christmas TV and update the Saalbach Hinterglemm section of my blog.
Day 21 of 60. Boxing Day.
A Lovely Day
Got up at a reasonable time this morning and headed for the sunny pistes of First. There is a big contrast to the KS area, far more boarder friendly but not as interesting. Flew around a while before taking the Bort Direct Black run back to Bort for a quick chicken and chips accompanied by a particulary cold pint of Coke. That is a great little run actually, one of those that you wait patiently for a break in the traffic then hurtle yourself down. This time I made a mistake and came round a right hand bend on my front edge, high and just off piste to avoid the exposed surface on the tight turn. Before I realised it I was committed to a 6ft drop onto a flat section of hard piste which was about 10ft wide. Thinking I might be able to clear it with a bit of thrust I committed the front of the board straight at it, sprang and aimed for the powder on the far side. Thinking I had made it I leant back for the landing determined to ride it out. Unfortnately the powder wasn't powder and the rear of my board connected with a large chunk of snow covered ice. Pushing my back leg forward with as much force as I could I got the heelside edge into the the slope and eventally ground to a halt, not before my backside took the brunt of a few jarring bumps over the uneven and hard surface. Oh well, no harm done and off to run the Lauberhorn top to bottom at last.
A lone Boarder on the First side
I am about to go all American again. AWESOME. What a run, that is simply magnificent. It has everything from very quick carving sections, jumps and tunnels to extremely tight bends followed by icy steeps. I watched this video of it last night but it doesn't really quite let you know how tricky some of the sections are.
My back leg is having a disco all by itself as I write this watching some experts fly down the last section and some not so experts falling down it. It's a shame but it's not a run you can stop and take photos on. I am tempted to go and buy a helmet only so I can put a camera on it and do that all over again :-) Simply magnificent.
I have a new idea for next seasons challenge which I will poll during the last third of this one:
IDEA 1: Ride the 2010/2011 European World Cup circuit.
Riding down from KS on the start of Blue 22 is always tough as there are 2 skinny flats where skiers seem to wait for one another totally unaware that the only way a snowboarder can get through is to keep thier speed and line.
Bit of a blockage
Well I had to stop for a group. Unbuckled and walked a few yards clipped in and set off again. Acutely aware there was lots of beginners around I got on my front edge with my back to a 30ft highly angled drop and started a controlled descent along the edge of the piste. Lo and behold I look up and behind me to see a skier sliding down the camber directly towards me, with no speed and nowhere to go I shouted to him to stop. Oblivious to what was about to happen he slid straight into me, outside ski first followed by the inside for good measure. I ended up over the edge and sliding down to another piste on my back and headfirst. Luckily I righted myself after about 20ft and stopped before the piste.......
Kleine Sheidegg Freeride
Anyway i digress, this forced me onto the New Eigerwand lift, and this is a great addition to the area. Loads and loads of freeride options and a good selection of pistes. So thanks to the skier who tried to do away with me, I may never have got around to doing that!!
Late off the slopes
Day 22 of 60. Maybe the last day of 2009 on the slopes. On the train to KS on what will be a short day, I have to be on the train back to Interlaken at 5.15pm, or I could get the 6.15pm but it's a more complex journey home. I only have one thing on my mind today. The Lauberhorn. It's so good I dreampt about it last night. Much colder today but not a cloud in the sky!! It's now 1.15pm and having a beer down in Wengen. Have done the Lauberhorn 3 times this morning and managed 6m41s on the third attempt which was the only one I timed. I was brought to an abrupt standstill twice by ski schools (adults) snaking around just over a brow, and lost my front edge once resulting in a rather undignified slide. Reckon I could do it in under 6m given a good run at it. Just finished messing around on the WC slalom at the bottom which is massive fun. I think I could spend a week on the Lauberhorn it's that good.
Lauberhorn Slalom Run, a wee bit steep
So bugger the 5.15pm train I will take the dodgy connection and ride out at 5pm, having too much fun.
Finished Joe Simpson's "Storms of Silence" last night which is a great lead into my book for the train home; Henrich Harrier's "Seven Years in Tibet". Simpson is a natural writer who is unafraid to let the reader know both his physical and mental limitations. I've read all his stuff after going to see "Touching the Void" at the beautiful Tyneside Cinema many years ago. In fact looking back that may be what started this obsession. I want to start climbing, nothing serious but my ultimate goal is to climb Mount Elbrus and snowboard down it.
Wengen
So all in all a great wee trip to Grindelwald and the Jungfrau region. Love the mountains here and the towns of Wengen and Grindelwald, but it's not quite the snowboarding resort that I need. I have come to like resorts with a lot of area, so I can just set off in one direction and see how far I can get. I guess a trip to France will have to be planned. As long as I can get the vacation a week in Morzine in February should be great.
Another great hotel: The Belvedere. I managed to get a late deal, fantasic 4 night package with breakfast, dinner and ski-pass included. The accommodation was not quite on a par with the hotel in Hinterglemm, but the food and service were top notch.
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