The world's scariest ski runs
Corbet's Couloir, Jackson Hole
Corbet's has a worldwide reputation as the run that every hard-core skier must do once in a lifetime. It is easily reached from the top of the new cable-car up Rendezvous Mountain. More people come to look than leap and it usually takes several visits before you pluck up courage.
The run does not exceed an angle of 40 degrees and is a comfortable 15m (49ft) wide – a piece of cake, relatively speaking. The terror lies entirely in the start.
The "easy" way is a vertical jump from the left-hand side. If lots of snow has accumulated, this turns into a controlled slide and you are left wondering what the fuss is about. More commonly, you must leap three to four metres. Once your skis make contact with the snow you need to throw your weight forward immediately to regain control and turn sharply to avoid a large rock.
The alternative entry is a jump of at least six metres (20ft). It is scarier, but you avoid the rocks.
By Peter Hardy
La Chavanette, Avoriaz
The name is unfamiliar to most skiers but its sobriquet – the Swiss Wall – strikes terror into the hearts of those in the know, who recognise it as one of the most rapid descents on any piste map.
"For experts only," says the sign at the top. If that's not enough to instil a sense of dread, the angle of descent will – it is so steep, you cannot see what lies ahead.
Once you have completed the first half a dozen turns and rounded an overhang, the Wall is revealed as a steep but wide 200m slope. In fresh powder this is benign, but if you are a late riser you will find it heavily mogulled.
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Delirium Dive, Banff/Lake Louise
Delirium Dive is a classic steep slope on Goat's Eye Mountain in one of the three ski areas of Banff/Lake Louise. This is the domain of hard-core skiers; cognoscenti speak of it in reverential tones. The ski patrol adds to the hype by insisting you wear an avalanche transceiver and carry a shovel and probe before you are allowed on the lift.
In fact, the avalanche danger is carefully assessed and the run does not open if there is any risk. The main purpose is to deter intermediate skiers and confine the run to those experienced enough to own their own gear – you cannot rent safety equipment anywhere nearby.
From the top you can't see what lies ahead. The first time I skied it, the visibility was low and I relied only on instructions shouted from below. The second time I spent a little longer on the lip, trying to work out how I had managed to do it. But once you build up the courage to take the plunge, you quickly find yourself in a pleasant bowl with a choice of exits. The most direct one involves a push on the skis or a walk to the nearest lift, while a lengthy traverse to the right offers a further section of powder and a speedier return to the lift.
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Grand Couloir, Courchevel
This is the widest and easiest of the infamous trio of Courchevel couloirs and the only one currently marked as a run on the piste map.
The most difficult part is the path from the cable-car station at La Saulire. In icy conditions, you can't help wondering if your snowplough will end up doing an unscheduled ski jump into Sous Pylons or Emile Allais, the two more demanding descents.
The entrance between bands of rock is not particularly narrow, but it can be made so by the size of the moguls that form and dictate your route. If it hasn't snowed for a week or two, these moguls can be enormous and the first few turns become a question of survival rather than skiing. But the slope quickly widens and the second half can be glorious. Be warned: skiers on the main piste below can see how well you manage to ski it – or fall down it.
Tortin, Verbier
As with many of these runs, the degree of terror that Tortin inspires depends on the snow cover. In an excellent season such as the present one, it may be hard to see what the hype is about. If you don't believe me, come back when the powder is less plentiful.
Access to the run is via a traverse from which you must pick your spot and take a left turn onto a wide but steep slope. In high season the moguls that develop here are nothing short of horrible. The further you go, the more frightening they become.
The secret is to head off at the start of the traverse. It is steeper, but you are more likely to stay on your feet. In good powder conditions, this is a glorious and safe run. But when it is icy, a slip can result in long and dangerous slide.
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Harakiri, Mayrhofen
Supposedly the steepest piste in Austria, Harakiri touches 78 degrees at its most terrifying point. It is a relatively short run, dropping straight down the northern face of the 2,000m Penken mountain, above the town of Mayrhofen, but in icy conditions, it's a challenge for most skiers.
Le Tunnel, Alpe d'Huez
Alpe d'Huez is home to the 16km Sarenne, the longest black run in Europe. However, Le Tunnel is much more daunting.
The difficulty depends entirely on the conditions. The setting is dramatic but the actual angle is not severe. In soft powder and warm sunshine the descent should be benign once you have conquered the unnerving first turn. However, when it's cold and icy the tunnel takes on a more sinister character. Any fall that's not immediately arrested can result in a slide of 200m - or worse.
The first butterflies hatch when you view the face from the cable-car as it climbs to the 3,330m summit of Pic Blanc. Surely no one can ski down there?
From the top you either descend a black mogul field on the back face or skirt the far edge of it until you reach a path. Both routes take you to the tunnel itself, a 60m horizontal passage through the rock with enough snow underfoot to let you slide.The full horror is revealed when you emerge into sunlight on the far side. The slope falls away to your left at what appears to be a wicked angle.
Face de Bellavarde, Val d'Isere
This was built as the men's downhill course for the 1992 Winter Olympics. No single section here is particularly steep - much of the difficulty lies in its length, and in icy conditions you need razor sharp edges and quick wits.
Take the train from Le Fornet or the Olympique gondola from Val to the top of the Rocher de Bellevarde. The run winds gently around the shoulder and initially looks positively easy. Don't be fooled. Once on the face itself you will have your work cut out. In sparse snow conditions, rocks break through the piste and the volume of other skiers on the run - inept and otherwise - can be an added hazard.
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Le Grave, France
The tiny resort of Le Grave, accessible from Les Deux Alpes, is a haven for extreme skiers. The area is largely unmarked, has no formal avalanche control, and offers some of the most challenged terrain in the world. Skiers enter at their own risk.
The resort's solitary cable car takes skiers to 3,200m and the top of the huge La Meije glacier, from where they can choose their own descent, taking care to avoid rocks, vertical cliffs, crevasses, avalanches and occasionally violent weather.
Backside of the Valluga, St Anton
This run down to the nearby resort of Zürs is technically undemanding – once you have found the nerve to start. It begins at the very top of the most challenging ski area in Austria. You are only allowed into the final sightseeing cable-car with skis if you are accompanied by a qualified mountain guide.
Holding your helmet and rucksack and squeezing in among German and Austrian visitors in overcoats and walking boots, you receive some strange looks – and even stranger ones when you click into your ski bindings on the viewing platform. The problem is entirely in the mind. The first serious slope usually has good snow cover and the angle is far from severe. However, it ends in a precipice. Miss the left-hander through fear and lack of commitment and you will end up on rocks 700m (3000ft) below.
Once you are through the danger zone, a sequence of turns brings you on to the Ochsenboden piste for a long cruise to the village of Zürs and the bus home.http://groups.yahoo.com/group/naturalcoolwonders/joinhttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/naturalcoolwonders/join
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