Hey, well as a follow up from my previous post, I browsed the web for some video content of the hikes/areas I mentioned. So check out these videos.
This first one shows a group doing the Tongariro Crossing….good soundtrack! Is that the Pet Shop Boys? Rock on.
Unfortunately, the pumping sound track for this video is the blowing wind in the mic. But anyway, gives you an idea of the stunning view from the top of Mt Taranaki.
One final video showing a view on the Lake Waikaremoana Track. Aaaahhh…hear those Kiwi accents? Brings back some memories!
Hey guys, I just found this “unreal” cool video of some skiers and snowboarders up in Whistler B.C.. The guy commentating in the video is freestyle skier Rory Bushfield from Canada. The first jump is about 60 feet of flat and the next day they pushed it back, so it was probably around 80 feet of flat (one word… huge!!!). It’s not just the amount they are clearing it’s the amount of vert they are getting off the lip of the jump that is absolutely amazing!!!
I’ve been trying to find some good video on the web for those wishing to teach themselves how to cross-country ski. Coming from England originally, I had never seen snow (slight exaggeration) until I moved to Canada. The second I did see snow, I went and got some cross-country skis and started teaching myself and watching others. I think I have now have a pretty good idea (I move at least), but I’m sure I’m not the most efficient, fastest skier there is. And I still can’t go down hills! Anyway, the best site I could find for videos on learning to cross-country ski was this one. It covers basic tips for both classic and skate, and best of all for me, there’s one for how to go downhills on cross-country skis!
Here is a short 5min video on how to wax your cross-country skis. I had never been told much about the particular technique before, and just knew the area to wax. This video should prove fairly useful to beginners….although I’m not sure when it was filmed looking at the guys tie! In the 80’s maybe? haha.
Here is another video cross-country ski enthusiasts may enjoy. It’s filmed from Mt Assiniboine Lodge, which for those of you who don’t know is a fantastic area just south of Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. The scenery is spectacular, and the music slightly annoying! It details the Canadian teams training camp, and talks about the video-maker’s Olympic dream.
Just another interesting video I happened across (isn’t youtube great?). Watch Dan Osman climb a vertical 400ft cliff in just over 4 minutes with no ropes or safety gear. Notice how he does a few risky looking dynos too? when about 300ft off the ground? Another one not to try at home kids.
Dan Osman is famous for his crazy free-soloing feats and also for ‘controlled free-falling’ (his record was 1200ft). Controlled-free falling is basically just jumping off high things attached to a climbing rope (and hopefully a very well-thought out set of anchors). It is not similar to bungee jumping, in that just standard climbing rope with limited stretch is used. Dan Osman died in 1998 whilst performing one of this jumps when his rope cut. He was undoubtedly an amazing climber, but he often came under stick in the climbing community for being downright stupidly dangerous. Read this excellent biography from Outside Online that also details Dan’s final jump.
Just happened across this snowboarding video on the web…I’m not normally into crazy people doing crazy dangerous things just to get attention. It shows Norweigan pro snowboarder Terje getting dropped on an Alaskan mountain by helicopter. I have to say I watched this whole thing with my mouth open. What goes through this guys head when he’s stood on the top of the mountain? And how the hell does the helicopter even land there? Wow.
