#ExtremeSnowboarding

[chrisjparke-blog]

Wilson Peak

As I worked my way through the tricky sections of the last 100 feet, my mind started playing some serious tricks. Up until now I knew what I was doing was risky, but now I was officially in the throes of the risk and it was staring me in the face. The climbing was mixed and loose, some holds would pop out and some were able to hold my weight as I carefully gained the knife-edge ridge that is the final pitch of Wilson Peak, 14,023 feet.

The day had started at 2:30 am and I was on the trail by 3. It was an early start but I knew I had a lot of trail to cover and it was going to be a warm day, so I wasted no time in booking it straight up into the basin. As I came out over tree line the sun was already rising, and I quickened my pace even more. At this point I was racing the sun. The last time I'd done this tour, we were late to the punch and spent 4 hours skinning 5 miles uphill in the heat of the day. This day was different. This day I had come by myself and so far was well ahead of the sun's dangerous and destabilizing glare.

As I finished my final few switch-backs, I took a short water break before entering into a tiny chute to boot pack up towards what I like to call my last moments in the comfort zone. From here on out I would be in the no-fall-zone, and I needed 100% of my attention. As I started up, my mind zeroed in. I love the simplicity of it, added with the exposure, to make for a most unique form of meditation that I’ve ever found. 

The final ridge to the summit were some of the scarier moments, loose rocks and crumbling snow perched above 400 foot cliffs. I let my mind settle into a calm, and took each step with utmost precision. Nothing I did was hasty or without careful and exact deliberation of every movement. Soon enough I was perched on the summit, looking out at the view of the world around me. The San Juans, the Uncompagres, the La Sals in Utah. Wilson is such a prominent Peak in the area that it takes the breath away, finally being on top. But there isn't any time for tea or yoga or any of that, it's almost 8 and the sun already is beginning to feel like it's doing some damage to the snow below me. I transition my splitboard over quickly and begin to pick out my route.

The North-East face of Wilson Peak is one of a kind, it’s absolutely stunning. There's a reason Coors Brewing decided to use the mountain on their cans and bottles. Full of fluted and frighteningly steep couloirs, right off the summit, this peak is not for the meek. Some of them are wider than others, and some just end in cliffs. I chose to go for the right arm, which was much steeper and tighter than the main gut I soon came to realize. Beginning to feel the fear again, I quieted my mind. Focusing on one turn at a time, I made my way down the 3k vertical descent of a fully sustained 54 degree pitch littered with rocks and cliff bands.

The sluff was moving quickly and required a lot of control and caution in such a skinny Couloir, especially with so much exposure still below me. But soon enough I re-entered the main Couloir and the pitch began to relax a bit. I rode large, sweeping turns down the final section before shooting out the small cliff band below, a cliff band littered with the skinniest and diciest of escape hatches out of the beast above and into the open basin below.

Looking back, it's hard to spot the line I took. One of the reasons this has always been a favorite mountain of mine is this face is just littered with rock, nothing but a maze of fear with infinite options for the clinically insane. The ultimate test piece. So much exposure, so steep, and as sustained as it gets. I let out a loud yahoo before starting the impossibly long traverse back to where I'd parked my vehicle, glad to have not only survived the day but to find something very unique and special out there on that day. Affirmation.

[pxwalls-blog]

Wallpaper Extreme snowboarding, winter, jump, snow, Sport https://www.pxwall.com/wallpaper-extreme-snowboarding-winter-jump-snow-sport-5/ #ExtremeSnowboarding, #Jump, #Snow, #Winter Extreme snowboarding, jump, snow, winter

[furkitek-blog]

Düğünlerinizde uygun fiyatla sınırsız eğlence için ünlü Piyanist Şantör Furkan Tekin i tercih edin. . . . . . . . . . . . Yaw Snowboard olm o ya Snowboard :))) . . #extremesnowboarding #extreme #fun #yolo #bolu #snowboard #snowboarders #kartalkaya #extremeboarding #sezonaçılışı (Dorukkaya Ski&Mountain Resort)

[keriaworkley]

Day 7: Into The Wild. Today Dad & I got way of course. Today I thought I might get eaten by wolves. Today I cried frozen tears and said a prayer out loud in a silent forest. #extremesnowboarding #boardswithwolves #lost #vail #fail

[thatpixelateddinosaur]

Terrifying, exhausting and amazing. Pictures from yesterday's run, the #Cunningham #Couloir from the #AiguilleduMidi in #Chamonix! Me and @prositt sure got a taste of #extremeskiing #extremesnowboarding. #jonessolution @jonessnowboards #nordicsurfersmag #norrøna #blackdiamond

[chrisjparke-blog]

Adventure Snowboarding

Hadn’t really been down here in this particular section of the creek before, so we were doing what I like to call adventure snowboarding. We carry a 70m rope, webbing, and wear a harness when adventuring. The recent snowfall had provided some good opportunities and I didn’t really want to let them pass up. Our goal is always to find a new way through without having to use the rope, but it doesn’t always go like that. So we’re always prepared for the worst and hoping for the best.

I suppose this is the reason a lot of people have been labeling me reckless, or worse. That’s fine. Sure, I’ve made some mistakes that have had very scary results. And yes, these activities are very dangerous and I can see how others would find them reckless. But to me it feels strangely comforting to be on the edge. To try and find a route through, sometimes with success and sometimes with adversity. It’s hard to focus in on the stresses of everyday life when I’m in the middle of the adventure, only one bad toe turn away from a really really bad day. It puts me straight into my own form of meditation, into the terrifyingly-relaxing lifestyle of an adrenaline junkie.

Because the truth is that the real world is scary to me. Bills and rent, picking out groceries, getting older and living in an ever-changing world where everywhere I turn is some kind of inconvenient truth coming at me. So should I post that picture to try and help cheer up the world? or should I just enjoy the adventure and keep it all to myself? Should I make a video out of this or should I just ride the line for myself and move on with my life? It’s so hard to tell. At first I had gotten a GoPro to be able to show my friends and family that “hey, I’m not just a college dropout. Look, I’m doing cool stuff.” Somewhere along the way though it changed.

It’s hard to tell sometimes where I fit into this world of Pro Skiers and Snowboarders and a world at the same time full of Business and Law, Politics and Professionalism. But what I do know is that snowboarding makes me incredibly happy. So in the meantime, I’m going to keep doing what I love and keep the adventure going. All of life is an adventure, the good and the bad, and that’s what makes it so great. Just always bring your rope.

[chrisjparke-blog]

The snow just keeps coming! I don’t quite know how we’ve had such an amazing January yet again, two years in a row, but here we are. It’s cool cause I scoped out all these fun places I wanted to explore and cliffs I wanted to try and fall off of last year, but didn’t quite feel comfortable enough yet even though the snowpack was ready for it.

This year the snow is back deeper than ever, and I feel like some of these lines are in their prime once again! I’m finally feeling ready and confident to try and do what I can with it. Welcome back, January. Oh how I’ve missed you. See you next year! Can’t wait to see what February has in store for us…

[chrisjparke-blog]

The Three Little Pigs

The Three Little Pigs and the True Revelation Bowl Telluride sidecountry, Colorado

Haven’t dropped the true Revelation Bowl before, and we definitely got some odd looks as we cut left out the gate, away from Nellie mine and into what I’ve always referred to as “No-Man’s-Land”. We followed the ridgeline across several large hanging snowfields, some of the lower cliffs probably nearing the 400 foot range. With the rope line still on our left, we knew we had some time to back out. But the snow was feeling stable and our cuts were holding, and so we slowly continued our descent into the unknown. As it rolled over, I could see the bottom of lift 15 and the platform far above us now. The powder was deep, but scary to play in, knowing that if anything went wrong there wasn’t really a plan B. The gully from Revelation Bowl ends in a 300 foot cliff and my beacon and partners are nice to have, but pretty much useless in an actual rescue mission in a situation like this if something were to actually go wrong.

As we came to our first traverse, the line started to finally kind of started to come into view. Scotty called it the Three Little Piggies, because it was a triple-link up of some very skinny and short couloirs. I asked him who the Big Bad Wolf was as he dropped into the first Piggie, letting out a squeal and an oink. In my mind, the Big Bad Wolf was the avalanche risk. We felt good about the snowpack that day, but the sun was starting to hit it and there was definitely some quick moving sluff from the new snow layer. I was really hoping we didn’t wake the wolf that day.

As we traversed from Piggie to Piggie, the exposure was glaringly apparent. Maybe the Big Bad Wolf was the massive cliff that was constantly staring us in the face the entire line. With no choice really but to continue our way across, the third Piggie came into view and we made our way over and out as quickly as possible. The ride out to the creek road from there was pretty easy, and I was glad to finally put what I had always thought was not possible to rest once and for all. When I looked up at what was underneath the Revelation Bowls all I saw was cliff, but to be able to pick our way through the cliff was something of a totally different experience.

We didn’t get in a whole lot of powder turns compared to the average run, but what we did get was a completely different look at the mountains than usual. This was clearly a billygoat of a line choice and nothing to take lightly. Things become completely three-dimensional all at once and there isn’t much of an option but for the mind to shut off and let the body focus on the task at hand. Like clockwork, we had worked our way in and out of the lower Revelation Bowl and the Three Little Piggies without waking the Big Bad Wolf. But as we rode down the creek road and back into town Scotty suddenly hooted from behind us that he was in fact the Big Bad Wolf! I do know that although we did just blow our way through the Three Little Piggies one by one, it’s hard to really know for sure what exactly happened on that day. I’m just always glad to be out safe at the bottom after a highly exposed line like that one, and lets leave it there for now…

[chrisjparke-blog]

Making the most of your ski trip

Ask anyone who to go to for skiing tips, whether it is big-mountain backcountry or beginner skier, and they'll all come to you with the same name: Warren Miller ski-film star — Scotty Kennett. I was lucky enough to meet this local legend, and together we've gone on countless adventures. When I picked his brain as to some tips for making the most of your ski trip, he had plenty to offer. As a ski instructor, as well as backcountry big-mountain skier, he has it all.

The Steps

First and foremost, he understands that most people who come to Telluride on a ski vacation are coming from "the city" and don't have the same oportunities, as those who live in the mountains, when it comes to pre-season conditioning. Scotty's favorite go-to? The stairs! Use the stairs instead of the elevator every chance you get, even if you're running late. A popular workout routine to get fit quick is to actually run up the stairs, two at a time if you can, all the way to the top. By the time you get to the top your legs are warmed up, and that's a good time for a quick stretch followed by some leg squats. Scotty recommends 2 sets of 20. And then the same with knee bends. Follow this routine for 2 or 3 weeks and your legs in killer shape for your upcoming trip.

Drinking lots of water

Most people are coming straight from sea level, arriving in town at night. And what do they usually do? They go out on the town, have a few drinks and stay up late mingling with the locals. The next morning they're not feeling 100 percent, so they grab a cup of coffee on the way to the lift, to only dehydrate even more their "deacclimated" bodies. And then of course, the best runs are at the top of the mountain, and next thing you know they've got altitude sickness for the week. Scotty recommends drinking lots of water, catching an early night of sleep, staying away from the coffee, and warming up on some of the lower mountain runs for your first day.

Focus on your skiing

During that first day, while you warm up, focus on your skiing. What do you need improvement on? What are you especially good at? The best way to take advantage of the expensive ski lessons is to spend a day warming up on your own, at your own pace, and signing up for a ski lesson on day 2. A private lesson is usually the best option, as you can have some one-on-one time with your instructor, to discuss what you learned about your skiing on day 1. This way you can use the rest of the week to focus on the tips your instructor gives you.

Enjoy the mountain

Remember, you're here on vacation! To make the most of your ski trip, sometimes the  real joys can be the most easily overlooked. It's not about who gets the most laps or who has the biggest air. It's not about who rode the hardest run on the mountain or who had the best spa experience. It's about relaxing and enjoying the moments, every single little one. How often is the whole family together these days? When the children get older and the days feel shorter, just getting everyone together is a truly magical experience in and of itself. Forget about your goals of conquering that double-black run off the top of the mountain and remember to take some fun runs with the family. Those are the memories you'll cherish forever, and that double-black will still be there tomorrow when everyone else is wiped out and sleeping in.

Pack your own lunch

Ski resorts can charge an arm and a leg for a decent burger, and you could spend over an hour dealing with the lines. Scott’s favorite move is to pack a sandwich in his pack and cram it down on the lift. This way he can maximize the runs on the mountain. This can seem confusing to someone who might not be acclimated yet, as lunch is often a time to let the legs recover and scarf down some much needed oxygen as well. Sometimes with friends from out of town we love to find a nice secluded spot on the mountain and enjoy a picnic. It’s hard to beat the feeling of cracking open a box of fresh Sushi and a travel-size champagne from the local market surrounded by mountains and beauty. Some of the richest people in the world don’t get to live like us. We might not have a lot of money, but we live a lavish lifestyle that most can only dream of. 

[pxwalls-blog]

Wallpaper Extreme snowboarding, winter, jump, snow, Sport http://www.pxwall.com/wallpaper-extreme-snowboarding-winter-jump-snow-sport-4/ #ExtremeSnowboarding, #Jump, #Snow, #Winter Extreme snowboarding, jump, snow, winter

[pxwalls-blog]

Wallpaper Extreme snowboarding, winter, jump, snow, Sport https://www.pxwall.com/wallpaper-extreme-snowboarding-winter-jump-snow-sport-3/ #ExtremeSnowboarding, #Jump, #Snow, #Winter Extreme snowboarding, jump, snow, winter

[pxwalls-blog]

Wallpaper Extreme snowboarding, winter, jump, snow, Sport https://www.pxwall.com/wallpaper-extreme-snowboarding-winter-jump-snow-sport-2/ #ExtremeSnowboarding, #Jump, #Snow, #Winter Extreme snowboarding, jump, snow, winter

[pxwalls-blog]

Wallpaper Extreme snowboarding, winter, jump, snow, Sport http://www.pxwall.com/wallpaper-extreme-snowboarding-winter-jump-snow-sport/ #ExtremeSnowboarding, #Jump, #Snow, #Winter Extreme snowboarding, jump, snow, winter

[chrisjparke-blog]

Afterthoughts on Closing Day

I woke up a little after 8 am, late as usual. It was closing day at Telluride Ski Resort and while everyone else was getting their costumes on I was still scrambling to find mine. After managing to grab everything I needed, I shoved it into my pack and ran my way the 2 blocks to the chairlift. I got a few funny looks as I loaded the lift, as most did showing up on closing day. When I got to the top of the lift, my partner was already there waiting for me, pointing at his watch.

“I know, I know. I overslept but I’m here so let's just get a move on.”

As we rode down to the next lift we passed countless banana’s on snowboards, chickens on skis, and the always welcomed crew of females skiing the double black bumps dressed in the ever appropriate bikini. Once we unloaded the highest lift at over 12,000 feet, we departed to the right and began our hike. This is when the banana’s and the bikini’s started to dissipate. My closing day costume, along with my partner, was a splitboard, crampons, Ice Axe, Avalung, and backpack. Soon we were all alone on the ridge, and we dropped out of the access gate and into our long traverse around the Bear Creek Valley backcountry. Following his traverse track, I tried to take a higher line. I pushed and jumped on my track to see if I could get it to settle or move to indicate poor snow cohesion, a red flag for sure that avalanche conditions wouldn’t be ideal, but luckily everything seemed to be holding solid.

Once on the skin track, we made quick time. Our pace was quick and precise, we had no time to waste. During the spring the snow can warm incredibly quick under the strong southern Colorado sun and the longer we took the more danger we were in. Several hours later we found ourselves donning our crampons for our final push up the icy ridge. The banana’s and bikinis were nowhere in sight by this point as the festivities of closing day pushed on, far away from us. We were now completely isolated without another person in sight, alone at 13,359 feet and quickly switching our gear over to snowboard mode.

I popped my partner a quick grin as I finally felt it coming together. There was a lot of reluctance on our mission today. Closing day is always a weird day to go for something big and new, but it was a tradition for us at this point. Our own celebration to the end of another incredible season. And to top it off, we were now standing on a line that no skier or rider had ever touched. This would be the first descent. It was a sandbag of a line for sure because from where we were standing it looked like heaven. A hallway through the rock, filled to the brim with the freshest, driest, most luxurious powder known to man. But we had studied the line enough to know that it was a sandbag, and just around the corner was exposure large enough that a fall would result in a help-evacuation a best, and a body retrieval at worst. We knew that just around the corner was a pair of cliff bands, the first one probably around 30 feet with the second drop nearer to 60. We had determined that our safest exit through this zone would involve a lot of dangerous traversing in heavy avalanche terrain as well as billygoating through some very rocky sections. If when traversing, something ripped, we would both be swept off both bands of the cliff, likely to our death. If we made one wrong move picking our way through the billygoat section, a fall would most certainly result in a similar tumble right off the edge.

We played a good old game of rocks papers scissors to decide who gets first turns, and of course, my partner won. So strapped in, he slammed me a high five and dropped down into the rock hallway below. The snow looked great and after several turns, he flew through the choke and came to a safe stop out of the way of the chute so I could ride down to him and we could evaluate our next move together.

 After riding down to him through the chute, my heart sunk. It was an incredible ride down and the snow was spectacular, but now we were standing over what looked like just massive cliff faces and no real way down. He suggested maybe we consider hiking back up, but I thought it was worth getting a closer look. On top of a cliff band, or any steep run really, it is nearly impossible to see what is below you. That’s part of the excitement. So I made several careful and deliberate turns down toward the first cliff band as that feeling of dread crept over my whole body. The feeling is best described as a feeling of blood rushing from your body. I don’t know where it goes, probably to my muscles, but it was rushing from my head and I started to feel dizzy as I tried to peer into the abyss below us. I yelled up to him,

“There might be a way we can goat our way through this section over here. It’s a little dicey and if we lose an edge we’re gonna go down, but there are decent handholds and enough of a platform of snow that maybe, just maybe we could work it.”

He followed down to me and we made our way through our first crux. Halfway through, my handhold broke off in my hand and I almost fell, but somehow kept my footing. Looking back, the width of my board put my heels almost over the 30-foot drop, and so I stayed on my toes and carefully crept along. Halfway through, we reached an impasse and had no choice but to drop down. Luckily by this point, the drop was only 15 feet, but how often do you drop a 15-foot cliff with no room for error? Any fall would send us careening off the next cliff, the 60-foot cliff was only 30 yards away. He said he didn’t like it, but at this point climbing back up would be more dangerous. If I spent any more time thinking about it I would freeze up with fear so when I felt the moment of confidence hit me I jumped. The landing wasn’t graceful, but I was okay. I’d have been ecstatic if I was home free, but I knew my partner still had to make the jump and we still had another cliff to navigate. I traversed out of his way as he jumped behind me.

We began to traverse back the other way, deciding to traverse as far as possible to see what options there were. To our amazement, the cliff began to shrink into something we could definitely manage. Careful not to let our confidence and excitement trick us into just heading right into it, we worked to keep our cool as we managed the next cliff band. We both picked our drops, sent it and make some arching turns down into the basin below. Laughing and hugging and eventually falling back into the snow, we looked back and marveled at our line. 

I decided to call it Afterthoughts because going into it we had no idea what we would be getting ourselves into. Everything always looks different than it does when you’re riding it, and although we knew there were cliff bands to navigate below, the entrance looked alluring enough to fool any young and dumb snowboarder or skier into it. As we rode back down to town, we hopped on the lift and joined our friends in the traditional pond skim and plenty of beers. Another closing day for the books, I’d have to say. Until next year, Telluride!

[furkitek-blog]

Sezonu biraz kalabalık mı açtık ne ? . . Haftasonu pistler de ekip de güzeldi ;) . . Emeği geçenlere teşekkür ederiz. . . #snowboard #sezonaçıldı #10aralık #snowboarding #snowboardteam #kartalkaya #seasonopening #friends #snowboarders #bolu #yolo #fun #extreme #extremesnowboarding (Kartalkaya Kayak Merkezi)