Wait, wait, wait! Aren't the Swiss the most heavily armed nation on earth? I hear they're challenging the USA to a naval battle on Lake Geneva using a converted pedalo.
Wait, wait, wait! Aren't the Swiss the most heavily armed nation on earth? I hear they're challenging the USA to a naval battle on Lake Geneva using a converted pedalo.
Originally posted by bad_roo
Wait, wait, wait! Aren't the Swiss the most heavily armed nation on earth? I hear they're challenging the USA to a naval battle on Lake Geneva using a converted pedalo.
No no, that was a problem in the translation from the secret morse code message. It's nothing more than friendly submarine racing on the lake. It's a huge spectator sport in Switzerland. Though sources are saying that it is just a ploy to sell more pocket dive knives.
Damn right we are. I mean, they are. Not me. Nope. They don't employ overseas spies. Nope. No plans for world domination for them. Nope.Originally posted by bad_roo
Wait, wait, wait! Aren't the Swiss the most heavily armed nation on earth?
Really.
Ahem.
Good chocolate though.
Sick and ashamed and happy (and the cheese ain't bad either),
d.
bump for the promised "to be continued..."
Waiting on some pics to do it justice. Should knock it out tonight with some helmet cam video to boot.Originally posted by frozenwater
bump for the promised "to be continued..."
Just a quick pic - Roo following Ripzalot down under La Meije in some schweeet powder - more to follow, I promise
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This is all just a big TEASE!
Bad_roo demonstrates that man can fly...
Roo hucks a boulder just underneath the 'Beef Curtains' chair in Serre.
Truth gets out of his perpetual sick bed/baggage hell/wreck of a corpse to actually ski with me on the mountain. Not too many pics of truth, so it's good to see that he looks pretty loose & relaxed in the ones I did get Of course I haven't posted the one of him trudging down the hill to retrieve his skis...
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From the La Meije side - the obigatory shot of the pulsed telecabine thingy.
This is a face on view of the La Bannane Couloir - if you look, you can see a couple of skiers making their descent
Truth shows me how skiing in the woodwork is really done. Even with this exclusive one on one coaching, I still couldn't get it - you're supposed to ski around the trees?
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If you don't look, however, they're not so easy to make out.Originally posted by brownmonkey
This is a face on view of the La Bannane Couloir - if you look, you can see a couple of skiers making their descent
Originally posted by brownmonkey
Truth shows me how skiing in the woodwork is really done. Even with this exclusive one on one coaching, I still couldn't get it - you're supposed to ski around the trees?
Now that was funny...I was teaching nothing at that point, just glad to be able to ski off under my own power.
Last edited by truth; 01-28-2004 at 08:57 PM.
1/21/04 - 08:30
Pain. Mind numbing immobilizing pain. My left hip and the muscles that surround, wrap, bisect, traverse it were screaming in spasm as I tried to put on a game face to meet La Grave for the first time. Knowing that Glissuer and Mulletizer were hatching a plan to show off the goods only added to my dilema as the pressure of a ripping crew and the unknown always do. For the second time in less than a month I knew I was in over my head and visions of my gaperdom at Alta denied me breakfast. Boarding the gondy I knew I was in trouble and by the time we unloaded and reloaded at the mid station my worst fears were coming true. crammed in the car everything tightened up and the act of standing up straight was in and of itself difficult work.
Emerging into the bluebird at 3250m I followed Glissuer into the maw of La Meije. Within 2 turns he was 300m below me and a turn later I saw nothing but the contrails of the crew as I made tentative first turns. The snow was good carveable windbuff and the next 500m were spent chasing after the vanishing dot of Glissuer ignoring the issues every right turn presented. All to soon the joy was gone and it was survival skiing to get to the mid station.
After a beacon drill and an hour of coffee inside the refuge I called it a day and downloaded back to town for some ice and a bath. Bummin' that the body was not willing I did whatever I could to help ease the tension in my left side. A few hours and too many dollars spent on the phone with my better half later the call comes in from the crew. They had scored the Freaux Cooli and needed a lift back to town. After a struggle with the funky reverese gear engagement of the Opel I got is out of the drift it was parked in and made my way down the road a few clicks to the pick up.
Returning once again to the friendly confines of the "Swede" bar we enjoyed the truly unique atmosphere as regulars rather than strangers. Imagine a good friends basement where you can stash your ski gear and buy a beer while watching ski porn and swapping tales with a rag tag crew of international maggots. It's a good thing.
The day had taken it's toll. La Grave was all but hammered by sun, wind and ripping skiers. Ripzalot was bailing town as soon as he could get his car out of the drift it was parked in and Roo and Monkey were planning to drive to Alp Duez in search of gapers to terrorize. When Mulletizer confessed he had tweaked his ankle I knew I'd be skiing La Grave alone the next day.
To be continued
Last edited by truth; 01-29-2004 at 06:33 PM.
1/22/04 - 09:30
The chalet was silent as I took my sweet time with a long bath, a longer stretching session and some much needed mental regrouping. Mulletizer poked his head in and confirmed that he would not be skiing with me as he had socred alpine gear to help shuttle booze to a refuge 2000m up the mountian for a birthday bash later in the week. I geared up and assembled the helmet cam, a tricky and convoluted tangle of wires, cameras and battery packs. The body was feeling better but if I was not in La Grave I would not have ventured out.
In the gondy I ended up crammed in with a group of 4 40 something expat Americans and a dog. As the last one squeezed in the door jammed open and would remain so for the remainder of the ride to 3250m. Images of this pooch leaping to it's doom raced through my mind as we hovered 100m off the deck. Irony set in as I eavesdropped on the conversation. The women were bitching about a guy named Doug who was unsure if he should get off the mountain the day before to go join Emily who was in labor in a hospital in Grenoble. Word was they had the baby and Doug was in attendance.
Exiting at the top station I made the final preps to the helmet cam rig and pondered my options. I've skied alone at Jackson, Alta/Bird, Wolf Creek, T-ride etc, but nothing had prepared me for what spread out before my eyes. I had taken exactly one run from this spot following 9 seasons of collective experience and not paying much heed as to where I was. Having no idea where to go I chose the sunny side of La Grave and headed into the Chancel without a clue.
What followed was sublime. Staying close to the beaten path I found face after face of luscious crud basking in the sun. My body was working for the first time in days and I began to put my new B3's through the paces arcing faster and faster GS then super G turns across the endless canvass that only the Alps can provide. At each rollover or traverse I would bask in the sun, the view and the magic these mountains contain and then push on, further into the unkown.
An hour later I was 2200m below strapping my skis to my pack and hiking the 100m back up to town. I missed the easy exit and followed a back alley path that spat me out onto main street about a mile from the chalet. Strolling though town in boots with skis strapped to my pack I reveled in what was the most enjoyable decent of my life. It was not extreme in angle or exposure nor was it pioneering for anyone but myself. I had come halfway around the world to find the heart and soul of skiing and in this hour of solitude I had found it. Life is beautiful. Returning to the chalet it was time for a well earned beer. I was on a high and not even the 32 minutes of black silence recorded by the helmet cam could phase me.
Again we ventured out to the bar and for pizza and back to the bar, rejoicing in the aura of La Grave.
The trip was rapidly coming to an end and the realization was not a pleasant one at all. I needed more time, but that was just not in the cards. Hopefully the helmet cam and the light would co-operate tomorrow.
To be continued...one more time
Last edited by truth; 01-29-2004 at 06:39 PM.
Doood, you rock! Who are your spancers?
Awesome stuff. Putting a big smile on my face. Am really looking forward to the next time I ski with you guys and - after this - any other maggots.
Originally posted by Mulletizer
Doood, you rock! Who are your spancers?
more like...
So, The Coombs had a boy or girl?
Awesome, great TR. Makes me think I'm saving money (barely) for all the wrong things.
Please tell me you attempted some sweet-talk on the two girls at the bar??
Skiing, where my mind is even if my body isn't.
Sweet talk? Hell - we took them to dinner!Originally posted by CaddyDaddy77
Please tell me you attempted some sweet-talk on the two girls at the bar??
...and, they paid
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1/23/04 - 10:00
Brownmonkey and I head up the hill for some final turns.
Words no longer matter, I'll let these vids do the talking.
Download Vids Here!
Wreck Carnage here as well...seems to be working.
Last edited by truth; 01-31-2004 at 02:36 PM.
I love wreckage! In the meantime here's a few shots I found on the camera...
brownmonkey on the windswept pistes of Serre Chevalier
reflections on a beautiful inversion below Alpe d'huez
the flophouse for the next La Grave trip?
check out that for a cliff huck above the roof of the Vectra. That's definitely more than a 50 footer.
Jeez from your wreck footage it looks as if you stick the nut on your ski as you augur in!
Last edited by bad_roo; 01-31-2004 at 09:14 AM.
One more coming if I can find the server space...
That is some good shit. Makes the wanderlust of travel come back into the picture. That much more amazing cause it also involved skiing and travel. Great TR, pics, and footy. Speachless.
More fucked up than a cricket in a hubcap
Thanks...took the big one down...uploading a better version. Also just allocated more server space so a second run will appear later today.
Edit...It appears .mac accounts don't like large movie files, if anyone wants to host a few hunderd MB for me that'd be sweet! Until then you'll have to download them from my public server folder.
Last edited by truth; 01-31-2004 at 11:25 AM.
Allright...vids are up here. let me know if there are any issues.
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