1258 Search Results for "photo"

• Five Ponds Valley Five Ponds Valley

  • From: peekay
  • Description:

    Five Ponds Valley - Dolina Pięciu Stawów

     

    Join a bunch of snowboarders as they take a hike to the heart of Tatra Mountains.

    Film by: 
    Piotr Kabat pkabat.com

    Narration by: 
    Wojtek Pająk

    Riders:
    Wojtek Pająk
    Michał Ligocki
    and
    Marek Ogień

    Also check the whole photo story by ogienphoto.com at ogien.ownlog.com/dolina-5-stawow,2368877,komentarze.html

    Music:
    "Longing" by Graveyard
    "Two Step" by Bear Mountain

  • 1 day ago
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• Sony Eye of the Condor 3 Previ Sony Eye of the Condor 3 Preview

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:

    EYE OF THE CONDOR 3 from La Parva on Vimeo.

    The final chapter of the saga comes to fruition for its third and final year. Ski La Parva is thrilled to announce that it will once again be host to the annual Sony Eye of the Condor – a weeklong film and photo competition set high in the heart of the Andes.

     

    This year’s event will showcase teams of skiers and snowboarders hailing from around the world August 2 - August 9. Discrete Headwear, and Icelantic Skis are among some of the teams returning but the competition will also feature some exciting new faces that will be making a first time appearance for the events third and final year. With all-star alumni featuring icons such as Andy Mahre, Pep Fujas, Sean Pettit, Tanner Rainville, Ingrid Backstrom, Rachael Burks, Seth Morrison, Chris Davenport, and more, you never know who will show up this year.

     

    “Sony Eye of the Condor has been such an important event to us the past several years, and we would love to see more events with this format, but all good things must come to an end and we have decided to put this trilogy to rest and look forward to what is next. To those teams out there thinking about making the trip this year, I am going to make you an offer you can’t refuse!” says La Parva Director of Marketing and Sales Rodrigo Medina.

     

    In addition to the competition, which will award cash prizes to the best video and photography portfolios, Sony Eye Of The Condor will present its annual forum discussions led by industry leaders examining the role action sports and media play in our society at large.

     

    The week of festivities will culminate in the booming metropolis of Santiago Chile for the second annual iF3 La Parva/Chile (International Freeskiing Film Festival). The film festival will play host to the Sony Eye of The Condor awards and will include a celebration of the global Freeskiing film community, complete with athlete autograph sessions, film screenings, vendors, and live music.

     

    The winning films and photos from Sony Eye of The Condor will be showcased not only in Santiago but also around the globe at the other iF3 events, including Montreal, Quebec; Annecy France; and Innsbruck, Austria.

     

    Eye of the Condor is presented with the support of Sony. Please address press and other inquiries to La Parva Team eotc3@laparva.cl

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  • 2 days ago
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• Sending It with Sage: Postcard Sending It with Sage: Postcards from Fantasy Camp

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:

    After returning home from his annual pilgrimage to AK, Sage Cattabriga-Alosa gave us a glimpse inside Fantasy Camp. Located deep within the Neacola Mountains, Fantasy Camp served as TGR’s staging ground this spring. Whether nailing first descents or documenting them, the TGR crew kept busy filming for Way of Life. As we gear up for the film’s release, we’ll be filling you in on what went down in Alaska.

    Words and Images by Sage Cattabriga-Alosa

    

    Todd Ligar and Ian Mac look down on a nice little spine wall we dubbed NHL. The wall earned this name because lurking just under a thin dust of snow was a solid sheet of ice that stretched from wall to wall. It made for some exciting attempts at hanging on—and some hockey stops. 

    

    Ariel views like this allow for quickly spotting multiple zones. I often go back through my photos, looking for areas where lines and zones might have been hiding on the first look. 

    

    The Land of Ice—seeing glacial caps and massive glacial fields is quite a sight. It’s cool to see mountains being formed right before your eyes.

    

    The ol' Look down.

    

    Ian Mac speeds out of a massive line in an icy world. The challenge on lines like this is dealing with an exit plan. Large bergshrunds littered the bottom of this wall and the snow was firm underneath the top layer. Needless to say, control—and a plan—was critical to getting out safely.

    

    House-size chunks of ice and snow make up this peeling glacier.

    

    This looks like a calm perch, but the area below is loaded with spince walls that branch out in almost all directions. Here, Ian enjoys a moment of calm before the storm.

    

    Tim Durtschi launches into a 360 off this natural spine flank. This was his first film line of the trip, and he came out of the gate hot!

    

    Mountain views for days.

    

    The glow of the sun reflects off the ocean in the distance. 

    

    Wind can be your enemy out in the alpine, turning glory pow into sastrugi moguls. Luckily, we found protected zones that held good snow through the end of our trip. 

    

    Tempting fruit. 

    

    A razorback. 

    

    Doug Brewer, a bush pilot, was the key to our success at Fantasy Camp. He flew us, our gear, our camp supplies, and fuel out in many different flights. In this photo, he is headed home after taking us on a recon flight in his Bush Hawk.

    

    GPS helps, but helicopters are fly-by-sight aircrafts.

    

    This is how we measure our time out in the helicopter. It keeps track of the amount of hours that we are pulling power, and how long we can fly. 

    

    Sammy Carlson flies out of the bottom of a fun line.

    

    The production team hard at work. Dutch Simpson shoots third angle, picking up the action, and reaction as we roll up to the group at the end of each run. And Tim D, who mostly shoots his Sony Action Cam helps out. 

    

    Dana Flahr lays some smooth tracks while killing time before our next set up.

    
     

    A zone that got away... always tons of options out there. And it feels good to have goals for the future. It looks like you could have a bit of fun with this one.

     

    Ice . . . 

    

    Ice . . .

     Baby.

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• Daron Rahlves: Sugar Bowl Amba Daron Rahlves: Sugar Bowl Ambassador

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:

    "Sugar Bowl Resort is my favorite ski area because of the terrain, snow and overall experience. The Bowl gets dumped on and is an epic playground stacked with terrain. I love the smooth flowing groomed runs any day, but get drawn to the open trees, bowls, tight lines and gullies. Now as a professional free skier the challenging steeps in Palisades is my training ground for big lines in AK. Fun runs and fresh snow, days after a storm are there so find me and lets go. If not, explore or find a local and you'll be fired up. For determined and dedicated youth in the ski world, the Sugar Bowl Academy (SBA) is dedicated to offering an environment to excel in academics and racing / free skiing. It's an amazing life path where I'm more than willing to pass on my knowledge of the sport since I grew up in a similar system. To top it off the resort staff are super friendly giving it that traditional ski experience charm, an important reason for my loyalty to Sugar Bowl. Come check it out and take a run down Rahlves' Run." Banzai!!! Sugar Bowl Ambassador - Daron Rahlves

     

    15 years on the US Ski Team, 4x Olympian and the most decorated male American Downhill and Super G skier in history. Daron won 12 World Cup races, had 28 World Cup podiums, 7 US National Titles, is the 2001 World Champion in Super G, Silver medal at the 2005 Worlds in DH and Bronze medal in GS. He was the winner of the legendary Hahnenkamm Downhill in 2003 and SG in 2004 along with 7 podium finishes in Kitzbuhel over 5 years. Ski cross became his competition of choice in 2007 and in 2008 Daron took Gold in Skier-X at ESPN's Winter X Games 12 and finished 3rd overall on the Jeep Skiing/48 Straight Tour. Currently he's on the Teton Gravity Research (TGR) team skiing big mountain lines and works closely with his sponsors to develop the best quality equipment and experience for those unforgettable days on snow.

     

    Video by Weston Walker
    http://www.westonwalker.com

     

    Stills Courtesy of Sugar Bowl

    http://www.sugarbowl.com; http://www.facebook.com/sugarbowlresort

     

    Race photo courtesy of Deven Hickingbotham

  • 2 weeks ago
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• Garywayne 2013 Review 2.JPG Garywayne 2013 Review 2.JPG

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:
    photo 5.JPG
  • 1 month ago
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• Rahlves' Banzai Tour Finishes Rahlves' Banzai Tour Finishes Strong

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:

     

    Truckee, Calif. (March 12, 2013) –Throughout the past two months, skiers, snowboarders and spectators alike have descended upon the Tahoe area to compete in and watch the rowdiest race in the Sierra. Rahlves’ Banzai Tour brought in tough competition from across the country to four renown Lake Tahoe resorts for the ultimate test of ski and riding skills.  The tour also entertained guests with quintessential pre and après ski parties, exciting results, and photo finishes.  

    Starting at Kirkwood Mountain Resort, athletes were challenged by “The Wall,” which proved to be one of the most challenging races to date, as competitors had to drop into an intimidating 20 ft. vertical wall right out of the gate. For the second tour stop hosted at Alpine Meadows, athletes were tested with fast and rough terrain, while spectators were entertained with the closest and most dramatic photo finish in Banzai history. With warm spring-like weather on the first day of the Squaw Valley tour stop, and formidable conditions on Sunday, Squaw tested the resilience of Rahlves’ Banzai Tour, as well as the dedication of tour participants. However, with fresh snow in the forecast, Rahlves’ Banzai Tour rallied for the final tour stop at Sugar Bowl Resort, home of the original Silver Belt Banzai.  

    The Sugar Bowl Final and Super Final concluded the tour in true Banzai style, complete with strong competition paired with music, barbecue, libations and the beloved Banzai atmosphere of camaraderie and healthy competition. Banzai veterans Johnny Bochenek, Kyle Coxon and John Lange took the top spots for men’s skiing during the Silver Belt, which also qualified Lange as the final athlete to compete in the Super Final. Men’s snowboarded Chelone Miller raced to first in the Silver Belt, while women’s snowboarder Kiana Putman and women’s skier Shannon Rahlves both secured the top spot in their respective categories. The men’s Super Final provided drama and a $5,000 paycheck to Salt Lake City skier Kyle Coxon. “The Sugar Bowl final and Super Final were awesome,” said Daron Rahlves. “It was a beautiful day, fans lined the course and the athletes delivered a great show. I wanted to be skiing in the Super Final, but instead was an excited fan like the rest watching and stoked for Kyle Coxon taking home the 5 grand. I will be back in the Super Final next year so those boys better start training now ha, ha.  I’m so grateful to my wife and kids for the endless support, all the sponsors, the fans and athletes for making this year’s tour the best yet. ”

     

    2013 Sugar Bowl Silver Belt Banzai Top Finishers Included:

    • Men Ski    1st Johnny Bochenek; 2nd Kyle Coxon;          3rd John Lange

    • Men Snowboard    1st Chelone Miller;     2nd Sylvain Duclos;     3rd Lucas Dehmlow 

    • Women Ski            1st Shannon Rahlves;  2nd Shelly Robertson; 3rd Hannah Jermstad

    • Women Snowboard    1st Kiana Putman;       2nd Macy Price;           3rd Carrie Hall

     

    2013 RBT Overall Top Finishers Included:

    • Men Ski          1st Johnny Bochenek;  2nd Kyle Coxon;         3rd John Lange

    • Men Snowboard  1st Chelone Miller;      2nd Lucas Dehmlow;  3rd Adam DeVargas

    • Women Ski        1st Shannon Rahlves;  2nd Shelly Robertson; 3rd Hannah Jermstad, 

    • Women Snowboard    1st Casey Lucas;          2nd Macy Price;          3rd Anna Weber

     

    2013 RBT total prize purse winnings:

     

    Men Ski

    •Johnny Bochenek$14,200

    •Kyle Coxon  $9,500

    •Jesse Maddex$3,900

    •John Lange$2,600

     

    Men Snowboard

    •Chelone Miller$8,150

    •Lucas Dehmlow$2,900

    •Adam DeVargas$2,150

     

    Women Ski

    •Shannon Rahlves$6,750

    •Shelly Robertson$2,000

    •Hannah Jermstad$1,000

     

    Women Snowboard

    •Casey Lucas$2,550

    •Macy Price$1,100

    •Iris Lazzareschi$750

     

    For those who are curious about the tour’s name, Banzai is a Japanese term expressed as an exuberant cheer meaning, “Long Life!” or “Hurray!”  An apt name for a high-spirited downhill ski and snowboard competition, the Silver Belt Race first took place in the 1940s at Sugar Bowl Ski Resort and was re-introduced with the head-to-head action by Daron Rahlves and Sugar Bowl in 2009. The race continued with one event for another year, and then Rahlves decided to take the show on the road, officially launching Rahlves’ Banzai Tour and expanding to stops at four of Lake Tahoe's premier resorts.

    The Rahlves Banzai tour is presented by Bank of The West. The Rahlves Banzai Tour is also supported by sponsors such as Red Bull, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Contour, CEP “intelligent sportswear”, North Lake Tahoe Chamber/VCB/Resort Association, Spyder, Atomic, Start Haus Ski Shop, Wend Wax, COAL, SVE/BOSE, The Bar Effect, World Cup Supply, Jagermeister, Snow Fest, Sports Insurance, Technical Equipment Cleaners, Resort at Squaw Creek, ZINKA, 101.5 Truckee Tahoe Radio, Tahoe TV, POWDER Mag, High Fives Foundation and CRUX Events, thereby creating an alluring $80,000 prize purse. For more information, to check out previous race results, videos and to register, visit www.rahlvesbanzai.com. For up-to-the-minute news, “Like” The Rahlves’ Banzai Tour on Facebook and follow @RahlvesBanzai on Twitter & download the free Official Banzai App on your smart phone at banzai.genzplay.com

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• photo 2.JPG photo 2.JPG

  • From: 40footer
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• Ben Koelker Beaver Creek Color Ben Koelker Beaver Creek Colorado Photo Mike Hardaker

  • From: drewrouse
  • Description:
    Ben Koelker Beaver Creek Colorado Photo Mike Hardaker
  • 2 months ago
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• Afghan Skier Photo James Rober Afghan Skier Photo James Robertson

  • From: kausarhussain
  • Description:
    Afghan Skier Photo James Robertson
  • 3 months ago
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• Afghan Skier Photo James Rober Afghan Skier Photo James Robertson

  • From: kausarhussain
  • Description:
    Afghan skier 2 - James Robertson.jpg
  • 3 months ago
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• Afghan Skier Photo James Rober Afghan Skier Photo James Robertson

  • From: kausarhussain
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    Afghan skier 5 - James Robertson
  • 3 months ago
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• Why You Should Ski In Afghanis Why You Should Ski In Afghanistan

  • From: kausarhussain
  • Description:

    

    Afghanistan.
    
    Just the mention of the word sends images into the mind. Military units driving through deserts, windswept mud brick villages and broken arid urban landscapes. When I mention the possibility of going skiing in Afghanistan it can get some strange responses. Forget about the risk, the first question is, “Is there any snow?”
    
    Whilst it is true that much of Afghanistan is desert or semi-desert and that it hardly ever rains, it does snow. In the mountains it snows a lot. The snow is the lifeblood of Afghanistan. As it melts, it flows through the rivers that fill the canals that irrigate the fields.  A good snowfall ensures that the people of small rural communities will have a good harvest and can feed their families and livestock. A poor snowfall often leads to a drought and a famine. However, the snow in Afghanistan is both a blessing and a curse. Heavy snow cuts off villages in the mountain and every winter people freeze to death or are crushed by avalanches.
    
    Families wait for the snow to melt hoping to survive the winter until they can reap the reward that the snow will bring in the summer. For thousands of years there has been nothing for the people to do in the winter except wait for the Spring....until now.
    
    This winter young men from the villages of Kushkak, Jawzari, Ali Baig, and of the valleys of Qazan and Dukani and Foladi will pull on home made skis, crafted from wooden planks, with edges made from flattened tin cans and with poles snapped from a nearby tree. Some will be selected for training to represent their valley in a competition to see which valley can produce the best skier. They will be given modern ski gear to use. They’ll be taught how to ski, and they’ll receive basic training in first aid and avalanche awareness — skills they can take back to their village and potentially use to save lives.
    
    A handful of young men from Bamian, in Central Afghanistan have already begun guiding foreign skiers - both ex-pats from Kabul and visitors from around the world who are trickling into the region to try out Afghan skiing first hand.
    
    
    
    So how did this happen?
    
    At the beginning of the winter of 2010 almost no-one had skied in the province of Bamian. The valley's chief claim to fame had been the giant Buddha statues carved into the cliffs overlooking the town of Bamian. Tragically the two statues – which were about 1400 years old – were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001 robbing the world of two of its most important ancient Buddhist relics, and robbing the people of Bamian of one of their key sources of tourist income. For Afghans, Bamian province was also well known for the lakes of Band e Amir  – a series of five lakes formed by natural travertine dams, that appear like a mirage in this high, arid landscape. In the summer Kabuli families come here to picnic and to escape the dust and heat.
    
    Bamian is also home to the Hazara people. The Hazaras are recognisable by their Mongoloid features. They’re Shia Muslims, unlike most Afghans, who are Sunni. In popular tradition they are reputed to be the remnants of the Mongol armies who came to the region with Genghis Khan. Historically they have been looked down upon by the ethnic Pushtuns and Tajiks who make up most of Afghanistan’s population. Some radical Sunnis — such as the Taliban — have seen them as heretics because of their Shia faith. Modern Afghanistan has always been ruled by Pushtun kings or Pushtun dominated governments who have tended to overlook the Hazaras. However, there have been important changes in Bamian since the fall of the Taliban in 2001. It is no Shangri-La —  there is little electricity, the province is one of the poorest in the country and by any standard it ranks as one of the least developed places on the planet. However, for the first time in decades there are signs of progress and positive change.
    
    Ten years ago, Bamian province had never had a hospital, a paved road, or a university. Now these all exist. There are still many problems, of course, but the Bamian valley is relatively secure and there is none of the anti-government fighting that plagues large parts of the rest of Afghanistan.
    
    An international development agency, the Aga Khan Foundation, saw the potential of promoting tourism in Bamian as a way of giving the people of the province an additional source of income. The Foundation has helped to develop guest houses, organise cultural festivals and provide information about the places of interest in and around Bamian.
    
    That’s fine in the summer when tourists come to the valley, but what about the winter, when guest houses lie empty? Well, the people of Bamian fall back on their timeless winter pastime of just surviving and waiting until the Spring.
    
    
    
    But taking their cue from other mountainous developing countries it was clear that any winter income was better than none so the Aga Khan Foundation began the Ski Bamian programme. With no infrastructure or lifts, the idea was to make the Koh-e-Baba mountains a new destination for ski-touring.
    
    In 2010 two American skiers were employed for the winter to map out potential routes. They brought only their own equipment so the Afghans had to get creative if they too wanted to ski along with them. Anyone with a small knowledge of Afghan military history will tell you that not having state of the art equipment never stopped the Afghans with competing with foreign powers.  Skiing with no ski equipment was not an insurmountable problem. Strips of wood with battered oil tins for edges were formed - - so, the bazaar ski was born.
    
    It quickly became clear that the mountains of Bamian were perfect for skiing and in 2011 a foreign ski trainer arrived to train the first batch of Afghan ski guides. It was early in 2011 that Ali Shah met Nando the Italian ski trainer at his village of Khushkak. Ali Shah was fit, young and spoke good English. Nando asked him what he wanted to be?
    
    “An engineer” said Ali Shah.
    
    “Why you wanna be an engineer? In Kabul there are a thousand engineers. You shoulda be a mountain guide. It's the best job in the world. You spend your whole life in the mountains with beautiful women.”
    
    It may not have been a textbook interview but Ali Shah is now Afghanistan’s best ski guide and Nando's singular teaching style set the basis for the success of the project.
    
    
    
    During 2011 and 2012 the annual Afghan Ski Challenge race (Rule number one — no weapons) was organised by a Swiss journalist and has became a focal point for the ski season (www.afghanskichallenge.com). With most Afghan Challengers having only one month’s ski training the Swiss organisers thought it an unfair challenge. They divided the race into Afghan and non-Afghan categories. The challenge is a classic ski touring route which includes skinning up as well as skiing down. They were right to divide the competition as most of the Afghans had finished before the foreigners had even got to the top.
    
    With donations from western organisations like gear4guides (www.gear4guides.com) there is now a well equipped ski rental shop in Bamian serving the local community and the ex-pat and international skiers that trickle in.
    
    My connection with skiing in Afghanistan began in 2009 when I bumped into a Scottish lad who worked for an Afghan aid agency. Ken was hiking with his girlfriend in the Wakhan region of Afghanistan in the far North East and I was leading a group of trekkers. The Wakhan region is the only other part of Afghanistan safe enough to consider these types of outdoor trips.
    
    He told me of a group of British and French skiers working in Afghanistan who regularly skied near Kabul in the winter and if I was serious about being an Afghan tour operator then I should be offering ski trips to Afghanistan. I said I'd join him on a trip that winter.
    
    On the first trip I made we took one of our regular drivers, Ali. For someone who has never skied it is quite hard to explain what we planned to do. Once we loaded up the poles and skis he had a rough idea of what we were up to and wanted to help. At the bottom of the Salang Pass, which crosses the spine of the Hindu Kush, Ali stopped at a small teahouse and ordered food for all of us. As any Afghan will tell you the best thing for breakfast if you are going to spend all day in the snow is Cow’s Foot. Boiled for hours, this gelatinous lump of bone, fat and gristle is never appealing to non Afghans and the French skiers particularly do not like it. We made a quick note that for the commercial trips, we wouldn’t let the drivers choose the dining options.
    
    But it was then that I saw how skiing was something that really appealed to all the Afghans who saw it. Standing next to Ali as we watched Ken fly down the slopes, he was awestruck. “He is a Djinn,” was Ali's response. Hazaras believe there are mountain spirits and clearly Ken was one.
    
    In the tea house where we stopped on the way back, Ali regaled the owners with the tale of Ken's exploits. Ken was described as a Djinn and I as a Boz (a goat). I hoped it was a way to describe my sure footedness in the mountains but I think it was more to do with my erratic skiing style.
    
    In keeping with Afghan tradition, the story was heavily exaggerated but it started a long discussion about skiing, mountains, snow conditions, avalanches and Afghanistan’s future.
    
    It was not only Ali who became a convert. I realised that, Cow’s Foot aside, this was an awesome way to experience Afghanistan in the winter. Skiing was something that was very foreign but the snow and the mountains was a common factor that could bring people together as it had done in that tea house. I also thought Bamian could be the perfect place for skiing.
    
    
    
    It has not always been smooth. A few elders in one or two villages are suspicious about the skiing fuss. They worry the young men will hurt themselves – preventing them from doing the hard farming work - or that skiing will be the thin end of the wedge and they'll get caught up in other foreign un-Islamic ways. This generally does not stop the young boys from hiking up the hills and skiing. “The only say it is bad because they don't know how to ski,” said one boy from Jawzari village.
    
    All the trailheads start from the villages and we have a code of conduct to help ensure that skiers behave properly. The Aga Khan programme representatives have discussed the skiing idea with all the local villages. We pay our respects to the village leaders and maybe take a cup of tea. There are many ways in which thoughtless skiers can cause offence, generally to do with women. In a country where the majority of people are illiterate and there is very limited access to the media, in these isolated rural communities, rumour is often taken as fact. If someone tells a man that the foreigners took a photo of his wife and put it on display in Kabul he will probably believe it. So Rule Number One is – Don’t take pictures of the women. Ever.
    
    Cultural sensitivity is key to the future of skiing in Afghanistan.
     
    When guiding a group of snowboarders last winter we spent a good hour discussing with the headman of one village what we wanted to do in their valley. The snowboarders were professional and were heading to a steep area that had not been ridden, so the villagers were suspicious. It took a great deal of persuasion until he agreed and let us pass around his village.
    
    As we walked around the village we were watched closely by the men on the rooftops, with no smiles or handshakes. We travelled far up the valley and soon the snowboarders were making jumps from the top of large cliffs. On the second attempt one of them failed to make his landing and crashed in a huge cloud of snow. Suddenly huge cheers rang out from the village below. All the village stood watching on the house rooftops. They liked all the action, but they liked the crashes best of all.
    
    On the way back down there was still staring and silence but we knew the ice had been broken.
    
    We went back to that area for three days and by the end we were inside drinking tea and joking with the local people.
    
    The key to a successful trip is that the Afghan villagers have  a positive experience as well as the visiting skiers.
    
    
    
    Afghanistan has always presented a contrast of lifestyles. An abiding memory of my first visit back after years away was of an old man and a young boy herding sheep down an unmade road. With his turban and billowing shalwar-kameez — a long, loose shirt and trousers, the man looked almost Biblical. A closer inspection revealed that his son was wearing a Megadeath t-shirt (presumably a charitable donation). The road they were walking along had a traffic calming feature – a half buried tank caterpillar track to stop cars speeding through the village. Introducing skiing to a small valley in the Hindu Kush seems to build on such contrasts.
    
    A typical night is spent in rooms heated by wood fire stoves called Bukharis. These are very efficient heaters. You fill them to the maximum before bedtime. It might be -25C outside but we would be sitting in our rooms in shorts and a t-shirt. As the night passes and the fire burns out the temperature plummets in the room and at dawn we'll be inside sleeping bags and the glass of water by the bed will have a layer of ice.
    
    Breakfast could be eggs or pancakes. Where we stay, the cook was trained at a US agency guesthouse. He knows exactly what hungry Westerners like to eat. Recently married, he returned to Bamian from working in Helmand province. The wages are much lower in Bamian but it is safer. In Helmand he always had to carry his ID card to get into the compound. However, if the Taliban stopped him and found this ID card he would be killed.
    
    On a very cold night the diesel will freeze in the vehicles used to take us to the mountains. We'll drink tea whilst a fire is built under the engine to defrost it, and perhaps watch the daily UN helicopter coming in to land at the Bamian military base, managed by the New Zealand army.
     
    Once in the villages at the top of the valleys, when we start to skin up we'll be invited in for tea by the village elders. Depending on the weather we'll either accept or continue uphill to make the most of the snow. I'll remind people that they should always remove their shoes when entering a house, never speak directly to the women -– and above all, no matter how serious their latest case of Kabul Belly, NEVER to fart in a room with their Afghan hosts. This is perhaps the greatest social faux pas of all.
    
    Often we'll be joined for all or part of the day by the local youths on their home-made skis. Making light work of skinning up and paying little or no attention to our avalanche warnings. they just laugh – “Inshallah” – if God wills it
    
    There is not much to do in the evenings. Alcohol is forbidden, but there is plenty of hearty traditional Afghan food and drink - kebabs, rice and hot drinks. With alcohol forbidden, we like to call this the Apres- tea scene.
    
    Skiing will not solve all the problems in Afghanistan. It won't solve the problems of Bamian but in a few small valleys in the Hindu Kush they are making a small positive impact to a handful of people and that is something worthwhile.
    
    Interested in traveling to Afghanistan, be smart and read up first.  Amazon.com has some grea books on travel and history throughout Afghanistan.
    
    
    •    Kausar Hussain is a guide and operations manager for Untamed Borders and arranges ski trips to Bamian every year. http://www.untamedborders.com www.facebook.com/untamedborders
    
    
    

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• Afghan Skier Photo James Rober Afghan Skier Photo James Robertson

  • From: kausarhussain
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    Afghan Skier Photo James Robertson
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• Afghan Skier Photo James Rober Afghan Skier Photo James Robertson

  • From: kausarhussain
  • Description:
    Afghan Skier Photo James Robertson
  • 3 months ago
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• Guide Training Photo James Rob Guide Training Photo James Robertson

  • From: kausarhussain
  • Description:
    Guide Training Photo James Robertson
  • 3 months ago
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• Avalancha Training Photo James Avalancha Training Photo James Robertson

  • From: kausarhussain
  • Description:
    Avalancha Training Photo James Robertson
  • 3 months ago
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• Pontoon Peak – TGR Bar Stories Pontoon Peak – TGR Bar Stories Episode 1

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:

    Pull up a chair, crack a beer, sit back and listen to a Teton Gravity Research Bar Story. In this episode, learn about the historic first descent of Pontoon Peak in Alaska’s Chugach Mountains. Located between Cordova and Valdez, Pontoon Peak is one of the prized ski descents in the range. While an iconic photo has lead many skiers to believe Trevor Petersen and Eric Pehota skied it first, let Jerry Hance and Michael Cozad tell you the real story.
    
    Bar Stories is a web series by Teton Gravity Research. With interview footage taken from TGR’s newest ski and snowboard movie, The Dream Factory, let the legends of skiing tell you how epic it really was.
    
    Order The Dream Factory
    
    Watch More TGR Videos

  • 3 months ago
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• Floating In Fieberbrunn With S Floating In Fieberbrunn With Sage Cattabriga-Alosa

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:

    Sage Cattabriga-Alosa gets ready to drop into deep Austrian snow. Photo by Dutch Simpson.
    
    “Oh man! Hehe, I got a Fieber brew'n!”
    
    Excitement was thick in the air after our first run, filled with insanely deep snow.
    
    We had arrived just hours before in the dark of night to Fieberbrunn, Austria, after a wrong turn led us up a snow-covered single-lane road. Once the realization hit that things were not right the crew, Tim Durtchi, Colter Hinchcliff, Dylan Hood, photographer Mark Fisher, cinematographers Dustin Handly, Athan Merick, the TGR production crew, and I, found that one of our vans was basically stuck.  The van was not stuck so much as it was ****ed, as it was overloaded, filled with bags on the inside, five ski bags on the roof, and equipped with non-snow tires and without chains.
    
    The steep, single-lane snow-packed road was slick, and the van became a toboggan. We literally inched the van back down the mountain in a full skid, using the crew as anchors dragging along each side, and back, keeping the van from gaining too much momentum and ending up in a creek, ditch or snow bank. The drive, which should have taken about an hour and a half, took almost seven.
    
    That was all behind us now, nearly forgotten, washed away with, as nearly all the crew described, the deepest snow that they had ever skied.  Our start to the day was a little slow, but as we made our way up the series of pod gondolas, the first glimpses of terrain revealed steep trees covered in a visibly thick blanket of snow. As soon as we clicked in and made or first turns, verbal excitement erupted in a chain reaction as one by one we dipped into the waist deep snow. Excitement was high, and we were eager to get right to work, capitalizing on the amazing snow, and capturing the phenomenon of really, really deep snow. Immediately we began identifying shoot-able lanes of powder and pillows that inspired us to break out the cameras, line up zones and embark on the blind ride that would start as soon as you began skiing.
    
    This storm was unique to our trip in Austria, it had snowed almost three feet in just over 24 hours, and was sitting on a soft base creating a bottomless, blower, layer of snow that covered the mountain. Skiing already feels like flying, and when conditions are like this, you are flying in slow motion, hovering down the mountain, suspended by a million feathery crystals, where the flying only ends when the fall line stops.
    
    We continued through the day stepping out small takeoffs, floating off pillows and linking turn after turn of blinding fun. The entire crew was glowing, in awe of the experience, and grateful to have made it to this powder paradise.
    
    Sage busts a cork 3 into bottomless pow at Fieberbrunn. Photo by Dutch Simpson.
    
    Charging 50 cm of snow. Photo by Dustin Handley.
    
    Deep, deep snow. Photo by Dustin Handley.
    
    Sage gets pitted. Photo by Dustin Handley.
    
    So pitted. Photo by Dustin Handley.
    
    Yes, yes it was deep. Photo by Dustin Handley.
    
    Field goal. Photo by Dustin Handley.

  • Blog post
  • 3 months ago
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• News: Team Europe Leads Swatch News: Team Europe Leads Swatch Skiers Cup 2013 After Big Mountain Competition

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:

    
    
    Zermatt, Switzerland -​ After the first day of competition at the SWATCH SKIERS CUP, Team Europe emerged with a commanding 11 – 5 lead over Team Americas, with Sunday’s Big Mountain event held on a heli-accessed face high in the peaks above Zermatt, Switzerland.
    
    The 2012-2013 winter has been full of snow in this part of the Alps, and deep, fresh snow coated the impressive venue. Organizers have just confirmed that the second day of competition will be held on Thursday, February 14, at Breitboden (Zermatt ski area) at 9 a.m. for the Backcountry slopestyle. Contest is accessible for the public from the slopes.
     
    “The venue we have for Backcountry Slopestyle is ideal – really good terrain for a variety of jumps and the incredible backdrop of Zermatt,” said head jump shaper and event judge Julien Regnier.
    
    
     
    
    Big mountain contest recap:
    
    The competitors had two runs each, one on each half of the venue. The conditions resulted in descents not typically seen in big mountain freeride competitions. The snow was so deep some competitors struggled to find enough speed to hit features and jumps as planned.
     
    Standout runs came from riders who took a higher speed, less technical approach, like Chamonix local Sam Favret. His runs had few airs – instead he shredded the snow spines and walls at full bore.
    
    “I’m influenced by snowboarding and skating, and I was really inspired by today’s venue to bring that surf style to the big mountain,” said Favret.
     
    Other highlights included Team America’s Tim Dutton nearly landing a huge double backflip, coming up the slightest bit short for the landing. Sverre Liliequist triggered a small windslab avalanche near the end of his run yet went on to stomp a backflip off his final air, skiing away with the slide at the tails of his skis.
    
    “I haven’t done a backflip since the first SKIERS CUP in Chile in 2011,” laughed Liliequist, “that felt so good!”

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  • 3 months ago
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