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This video takes you on a run down the famous Mur Suisse – Pas de Chavanette – do you know of any Ski Runs more difficult than this one?
Warning: the Swiss Wall is highly dangerous and has been the location of many fatalities. Enter at your own risk ⛔️ Never go on it when it is closed. Obey all signs at the top of the run.
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Be advised that the degree of danger and difficulty of this run depends massively on the current conditions. If the snow is firm or icy, it can be impossible to stop yourself sliding the whole way down if you lose control. Do not attempt the Swiss Wall unless you are certain you have the right level
Skiing and snowboarding is an inherently dangerous activity with the risk of injury or death. If you are considering skiing the Swiss Wall, please be aware that the information provided in this video is for entertainment purposes only and does not in any way guarantee your safety. This video is NOT a substitute for professional instruction and guidance. By engaging with this video, you voluntarily assume all risks for your safety and that of other mountain users.
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So this is the Swiss wall. This run is famous for being one of the
most difficult black runs in the world. Now, is that true? Well, how
about I’ll show it to you up close And you can decide for yourself. So in this video, I’m going to take you
for a run down the Swiss wall with me. And I want you to tell me whether you think this is
one of the most difficult black runs or if you know of one, which is harder. All right, that’s enough
fancy royalty free music. Now, I’m narrating this video afterwards so I can give you way
clearer information about what’s going on. The entrance sits over two kilometers above sea level,
and this run starts with a bang. the top section is the steepest
and most difficult part. Most life is far too steep to ever get groomed, so it’s pretty much
always covered in massive moguls. The top section, especially
the ski and snowboard traffic sculpts, all sorts of weird
and wonderful snow formations. And like a monkey faced with a monkey
puzzle tree, you want to take it easy when approaching
this chaotic maze of moguls. So how steep is this supposed
hardest black run? Well, the steepest part of the top section
is about 38 degrees. You might have heard the claim
that it’s over 90%. And if you’re like me,
you’ll have wondered what the flipping ‘eck is that even mean? Well, on a 90% slope, for every 100 meters
you go forwards you’ll drop 90 meters at vertically down. So a 100% slope would be 45 degrees,
since for every 100 meters forwards you go 100 meters down. Now strictly speaking, a 38 degrees
slope works out more like 80%. But let’s be honest, 90%
sounds way cooler. So we’ll stick with that. I’m George, by the way. I’m a ski instructor here in Évora and my ski schools meeting
point is just a couple of chairlifts away. This resort lies between Avoriaz
and Les Crosets in Les Portes du Soleil and drops down
from the French border into Switzerland. The vertical drop of this run
is about 350 meters, but you’ll have to bounce down
about a kilometer of moguls to finish it. All right. That’s a lot of babbling. Now, did I mention how incredible
the scenery is? Don’t forget to look out from the ground
in front of you and appreciate this mind blowing corner of the planet Earth. Now, I’m guessing that a lot of you are thinking
that this run looks horrible. Many skiers and snowboarders hate bumps. But the thing with moguls is that once
you get into them, you learn to love them. Moguls are the ultimate training tool
for improving your skiing, and once you acquire the taste,
you get sensations unlike anything else and you find yourself looking for bumps
instead of avoiding them like the plague. So if you’re an advanced skier
and you want to work on your skills in the bumps,
get in touch. And we’d love to help you out
and watch this space for an upcoming tutorial
on how to ski the Swiss Wolf. Once you make it towards the bottom
section of this famous Mur Swiss, the gradient mellows out,
and if you’ve got any energy left in the legs, it’s easier to take a more direct line
and finish it with a bit of speed. so there you have it, The famous Swiss
Wall black run. Is it the most difficult in the world? Do you know of any runs which are harder? Let us know in the comments below. And I’m also making a tutorial video
on my Top ten tips on how to ski. The Swiss wall say, If you want to ski
this run, make sure you subscribe and I’ll see you in the next one.
38 Comments
Reminds me of upper FIS at Smuggler's Notch.
been there in 2008 in icy conditions. Its not so difficul if we talk about technique, but it exhaust physically. Borin work from top to bottom
Europe off-piste is regarded as where skiing starts.
Cerro Catedral, Bariloche. Slopes with varied conditions and difficulty.https://youtu.be/2HOU-MkJkoE?si=dG4nHFBO2jyZZSXq
Under good conditions, when the snow is good, it’s not really too bad, but when conditions are bad and there is ice, it is can be very dangerous, even to practised skiers. It’s always tempting to suggest that it’s really just another tough mogul slope, but it isn’t, and as any skier knows, it is possible to break ones neck on even a very moderate slope!
Hii Im trying to find the right ski's. What ski's do u use here and why?
Wat Dimond is it double black?
Harder
Did this one back in 1977 when it was icy and heavy used. The moguls were waist high, and I took it slow. Some American dude thought he could do it better, slipped and crashed all the way down hitting bare rocks you can't see on this vid. He was tossed like in a bad car accident, broke just about every bone in his body and was unconscious when I reached him. So folk please better slow.
it seems like the conditions surrounding the bumps make or break this trail. Big bumps and ice, I am sure its brutal. After a storm with big bumps or spring skiing with the bumps must be fun!
As usual, the gradient on the video looks far less threatening compared to actually being on the Wall. I have done it three times. Did I find it challenging? YES. Will I do it again? NO.
The first time I skied the Wall, I was standing at the top looking down and feeling rather anxious when I met s ski patrol who told me that every year two or three people are killed on the Wall with the cause of death usually being a broken neck as falling and bouncing over the moguls induces excessive head movement. Thanks for the encouragement, pal.
Awesome video, thank you 🙏
done this as well, as a snowboarder thought. It's just keeping a clear head and remember your technique and you should be fine.
Moguls are not fun
I remember the wall on a perfect morning, very early in the season after a very heavy fall overnight when it was just beautiful smooth ice. From our meeting place, our instructor made a beeline for it telling us that we would never ski the Wall in such a perfect condition again and that we would never forget it. Our class spent all morning on that slope with our turns setting out where the moguls formed for the rest of the season. Though this was more than 30 years ago I remember it as if it were yesterday.
I remember first encountering the Swiss wall on a school ski trip in 08 and sensibly been told no to ski down it at 14 years old and take the chair down. But it stuck with me as a case of i will return and ski it.
Square models to many snowploughs
Where is it? The name of the village.
Harakiri run Austria
0:17
I suppose it depends how you define "hard". I think there in one in La Plagne which is a bit trickier because it's narrower. Rochu coming down from Bellecote has very steep big moguls and it goes through a very narrow gully. It's not as long, though, so it isn't as physically demanding. The wall is exhausting but at least it's nice and wide.
Moguls are a young skiers game
Its classified as orange not black
How can this be the world’s hardest run with no trees? The double blacks at my local hill are way harder…this slope angle, with bumps and trees and about 1/8th the width
Carp în România have 45 degrees în Sinaia
Went up this lift one day and thought it seemed very quiet, at the top on the way down quickly realised why, big icy moguls, you could do yourself some serious damage if you fall here, some skiers call it the wall of death with good reason
What about le grande couloir in Courcheval?
In europe.It's about the off trail. Get a guide and ski the dream decents of europe. steep? 60 degree if you want it.
not to like put this run down but at mt rose in tahoe the run el cap has a sustained slope of 142% with moguls and it gets to 2 ski lengths wide
Easy black in americe
Not even close to the most difficult in the world. Maybe make a trip to North America. 🙂
If it's 38°, why is it 55° shaped then ?
Its nearly 40 years since I last did it.Perhaps because I learned to ski in Scotland back in the 70s when there was little grooming and everything was ice early morning.
I found it hard but not scary.
We found another run far more challenging over the top from morzine as I recall and down towards Lake Geneva.
It was a snow bowl steep at top and with a track running down the side.
Early in the morning spring snow moguls were frozen hard and lethal.
I set of down the narrow track ploughing and side slipping.
My friend did a few turns and joined me.
A fall would have been serious if not fatal.
Oiii i thought you wer the guy you red circled and i thought my man im not a pro but i can board and ski that run is the bollox and i only got down about a quarter og the way anf fell the rest was a bit scary because i couldnt stop 🤣🤣 on my ass board id hitting those mogoles or how ever you spell em but jinkies i tell ya i was thinking please ohh please dont suddenly grip the front side of the board and fling ke over cuz ida peter panned it 😂😂😂 yehaaaaaaa great resort great place all in all cant remember the hotel lovely gaff lovely manager she was the nuts goos drink good food good party yahhhhhhhh
It’s an orange run not black
It's really not that bad. My 7 yo nieces love that run. The run off is good and there's no feeling of being on the edge, it's a nice open face.
Much harder double diamond blacks in whistler.
It is not the most difficult, it is simply the most unprepared.
Hardest single black run? Maybe. Hardest run? West coast Canadians:''hold my beer''