That was one of the best ski videos I've ever seen. It's incredible how smoothly he went down that icy, bumpy trail like he was floating. And passing those people, throwing his skis down the walking part. So cool. I love it.
We forget that Mr Bell is a damn good skier. Most of us watching this are recreational skiers and unable to ski this in a single run, provide commentary and have any degree of panache. Mr Bell has it all. Thumbs up from me!
I nearly died on this run - I lived in Val and had been down many times, an epic run when the snow is deep. The issue is there are a fair few deep holes/drops etc off to the sides in the narrow parts, hidden by the snow, I was going to fast, last run of the day, tried to slow down but ended up slipping off the side towards the rock face and suddenly dropped down about 8ft in a gap between the rock and the main run - I was totally stuck and couldn’t reach down to get my gear off to climb out - I freaked out as it was late in the day and I didn’t think anyone else would be on the run after me - luckily a bout 20 minutes after I got stuck an old French guy on cross country skis of all things came by, just as it was getting dark, and helped pull me out. This was the late 90’s so before mobile phones etc so if he hadn’t come I was a goner. Would always recommend going with a buddy down the run.
It can be dangerous with avalanches too on the lower section where it opens up and there is just a cliff one side and an open slope the other. Classic terrain trap!
It appears that he is very familiar with it, knows every turn, but still... that is super impressive. Being able to control his speed so precisely is an art form :)
I took it down as the last run at the end of the day to avoid the queues at the mid station of skiers who to take the cabin lift down instead of skiing the bottom section. Instant regret! It was solid ice, rocks sticking out everywhere and jammed wall to wall with terrified people stopped or snowplowing. It took forever and it was dark by the time we got down to town. Never again!
Near enough every run at the end of the day is horrendous compared to the morning / midday. The Hidden Valley is great fun, especially after a bit of snow has fallen. A bit different to all the standard pistes about the area. Although be warned, if you are lucky enough to be skiing in a really heavy snowfall year, you aren't getting through most of those tunnels, you're taking your board / skis off and climbing over them - exhausting :)
Brought back very happy memories of doing it in excellent snow conditions with our ski instructor about 40 years ago, mind you it did take us a bit longer 😮
I don't really understand people who treat skis like some kind of precious heirloom. They're made to take a beating and getting them scratched up just shows you've actually been out skiing...
@@csr7080 I mean its nice not to cause useless wear and tear, like not bashing your skis together on the chairlift. Or not having people just scraping your top sheet on the lines. But breaking them while skiing, bro thats just what they were made for.
Neither of those two things causes wear and tear that is actually significant for the life span of skis. Sure you can go out of your way to keep them looking as nice as possible, but I'd say don't worry about it and do what they're made for - ski.
Gosh I remember skiing that back in the 90's when I was last in Val. It was a slightly different proposition with one's 200cm K2 Extremes rather than today 160s Thanks for the memories @GrahamBellSki
I did it 43 years ago with locals and very good skiers friends from Val d'Isère who knew the run very well. There was more snow at that time, it was easier and we did not do it at Graham's speed which is quite impressive in some spots
Thanks for the memories! I rode that down in my youth which must have been over 40 years ago. Back then I didn't have to remove my skies - or at least I don't remember that. Don't know if I would be able now to ride this due to lack of strength and stamina.
When we got to the ‘tunnel’ section, there was so much snow, we had to dig through it and crawl! That also meant there was no ‘drop off’ on the other side 👍
If the conditions are just right then you can ski through the tunnel with a little ducking and no "drop off" on the other side. Oh and of course powder all the way down 🙂
Did it quite a few times in good snow conditions. Must have had much more snow as the tunnel was a headfirst belly crawl pushing skis ahead. Terrifying! I was a good skier then but it was really hard, especially getting past others. Mr Bell, so smooth as befits a World Cup standard skier!
Masterful technique...and then some. At the pace Graham maintains, anybody even slightly less skilled would be in serious trouble. I found myself feeling a bit anxious for him in several situations...but he proved his mettle and ability. I wonder how many times Jean-Claude Killy skied this trail....if you can call it a trail
Holy what’s its names! Note the heads in entirely smooth and balanced while the legs must be doing goodness knows what underneath, and all so effortlessly. Oh, to be able to ski anything near this level
My mate slipped and kneed me in my back whilst we boarded this a while back. His knee protectors broke 3 of my ribs. Still managed to board the whole thing and loved it. Gets icy though! Also found myself in a bubble with graham the same week. He was telling his clients his ski gear still covered in Champagne from the Apres the day before!
Alas! I noticed I ski on the same skis he has , even the color and binding is the same model I ski on. But..... that's about the only comparison I can make...I wanna cry....
It wasn’t until at least the second time I did it that I even knew there were drops and chains. The first time I did it was in 1987. There was so much snow and so little headroom that in some places I had to take off my skis and crawl through on hands and knees.
No interest in skiing and no idea why The Algorithm brought me here, but that was fun to watch. I remember Graham from watching _Ski Sunday_ and the Olympics as a kid.
I still can't believe that people can ski through stuff like that. Aren't they afraid that they will hit something. There were places when he was going pretty fast and the skis were just pointed down but there was no room to turn them to stop. Scary stuff.
I've skied it, so long as you can make tight turns you'll fine. You're not going to walk back up, so if you start it you have to make it down, gravity takes care of it!
I've skied that run several times. It's great. Really is. But it fantastic when there's lots of snow or just after a big dump. Well worth doing if you're competent.
Impressive, must be quite cool when you pass advanced skiers (who think they are pretty handy), until they are passed by an Olympic skier ! What type of ski were you one - width & length(relative to your height) please ?Thanks
Pretty certain I've skied Piste Perdue but maybe only part of it. So much of the video looked unfamiliar. Or am I getting muddled with Merle Blanche? Dang, it's so long ago.
Based on design looks to be ca. 2018 - 2020 Atomic Redster X9 Green, which has radius of 15.4 m (if 175 cm), so in between of SL and GS, more like a SC or RC.
F**k that! I bet there are no end of accidents in there with people misjudging where the rocks are and banging their heads…I’ve been skiing for 48 years and it’s certainly too late for me to try that…well done Graham, still got it son!
Love when talented people transfer to commentating and take their talent with them, making events much more enjoyable. Thanks, Graham
Cheers, thanks x
That was one of the best ski videos I've ever seen. It's incredible how smoothly he went down that icy, bumpy trail like he was floating. And passing those people, throwing his skis down the walking part. So cool. I love it.
We forget that Mr Bell is a damn good skier. Most of us watching this are recreational skiers and unable to ski this in a single run, provide commentary and have any degree of panache. Mr Bell has it all. Thumbs up from me!
Seriously impressive ability to manage speed! As in stop dead when required. Kudos
He's a former World Cup Downhill Ski racer.....
Yeah, we all saw the title. Former Olympic skier. Your point?
This is just straight up ski canyoneering and I’m mega impressed
I nearly died on this run - I lived in Val and had been down many times, an epic run when the snow is deep. The issue is there are a fair few deep holes/drops etc off to the sides in the narrow parts, hidden by the snow, I was going to fast, last run of the day, tried to slow down but ended up slipping off the side towards the rock face and suddenly dropped down about 8ft in a gap between the rock and the main run - I was totally stuck and couldn’t reach down to get my gear off to climb out - I freaked out as it was late in the day and I didn’t think anyone else would be on the run after me - luckily a bout 20 minutes after I got stuck an old French guy on cross country skis of all things came by, just as it was getting dark, and helped pull me out. This was the late 90’s so before mobile phones etc so if he hadn’t come I was a goner. Would always recommend going with a buddy down the run.
It can be dangerous with avalanches too on the lower section where it opens up and there is just a cliff one side and an open slope the other. Classic terrain trap!
I’ve skied this many times as a child and Graham really nails it especially since he’s not 20, he’s 60. Very impressive.
It appears that he is very familiar with it, knows every turn, but still... that is super impressive. Being able to control his speed so precisely is an art form :)
It doesn't just appear...he said he is.
I took it down as the last run at the end of the day to avoid the queues at the mid station of skiers who to take the cabin lift down instead of skiing the bottom section. Instant regret! It was solid ice, rocks sticking out everywhere and jammed wall to wall with terrified people stopped or snowplowing. It took forever and it was dark by the time we got down to town. Never again!
Near enough every run at the end of the day is horrendous compared to the morning / midday. The Hidden Valley is great fun, especially after a bit of snow has fallen. A bit different to all the standard pistes about the area. Although be warned, if you are lucky enough to be skiing in a really heavy snowfall year, you aren't getting through most of those tunnels, you're taking your board / skis off and climbing over them - exhausting :)
Great video!! Good to see a Graham Bell talk and ski through again!! Feels like Ski Sunday!!!
Brought back very happy memories of doing it in excellent snow conditions with our ski instructor about 40 years ago, mind you it did take us a bit longer 😮
Love how so many of us are so careful with our skis and then here Graham is just chucking them down that cliff. Puts things in perspective lol
Bro, skis r kinda indestructible bro. I do the same things, i think they're like nokia 2.0 😂
I mean even most core shots can be repaired. Since I understood this I just send it 😂
I don't really understand people who treat skis like some kind of precious heirloom. They're made to take a beating and getting them scratched up just shows you've actually been out skiing...
@@csr7080 I mean its nice not to cause useless wear and tear, like not bashing your skis together on the chairlift. Or not having people just scraping your top sheet on the lines. But breaking them while skiing, bro thats just what they were made for.
Neither of those two things causes wear and tear that is actually significant for the life span of skis. Sure you can go out of your way to keep them looking as nice as possible, but I'd say don't worry about it and do what they're made for - ski.
Gosh I remember skiing that back in the 90's when I was last in Val.
It was a slightly different proposition with one's 200cm K2 Extremes rather than today 160s
Thanks for the memories @GrahamBellSki
I did it 43 years ago with locals and very good skiers friends from Val d'Isère who knew the run very well. There was more snow at that time, it was easier and we did not do it at Graham's speed which is quite impressive in some spots
This gives me *SSX Tricky, SSX 3,* and *SSX on tour* flashback. Absolutely brilliant. Thanks
Wow. That was amazing to watch, great skiing ⛷️ 👍
I skied through the passage about 15 years ago following days of heavy snow. I'd never done it before & had several WTF moments!
Woah 😮 respect G 👍 had my stomach in a knot sitting here watching that!
Wow! What an exhilarating feeling it must be to be able to ski like that ❤
Wow amazing. I've been to Val D'isere many times but never knew this existed. Incredible run. So Alpes
Wow! amazing skiing ... like a lost episode of ski sunday. :)
Loved it, took me back to when I was 16 when I skied this with my dad (32 years ago). 👍
Wow, interesting run! Thank you for sharing that Graham.
Nice video with your narrative. Thanks Graham.
Thanks for the memories! I rode that down in my youth which must have been over 40 years ago. Back then I didn't have to remove my skies - or at least I don't remember that. Don't know if I would be able now to ride this due to lack of strength and stamina.
Skied it heaps when I worked out there! Great fun :)
Beautifully done, very impressive!
When we got to the ‘tunnel’ section, there was so much snow, we had to dig through it and crawl! That also meant there was no ‘drop off’ on the other side 👍
Must have been a good snow year!
If the conditions are just right then you can ski through the tunnel with a little ducking and no "drop off" on the other side. Oh and of course powder all the way down 🙂
You are quite a skier, Mr Bell! That was impressive.
Un truc de ouf!!!!bravo à tous les skieurs je ne ferai jamais cette descente je vous le dis mille chapeaux !!!!!
He made that look soooo easy. Amazing.
Did it quite a few times in good snow conditions. Must have had much more snow as the tunnel was a headfirst belly crawl pushing skis ahead. Terrifying!
I was a good skier then but it was really hard, especially getting past others.
Mr Bell, so smooth as befits a World Cup standard skier!
Masterful technique...and then some. At the pace Graham maintains, anybody even slightly less skilled would be in serious trouble. I found myself feeling a bit anxious for him in several situations...but he proved his mettle and ability. I wonder how many times Jean-Claude Killy skied this trail....if you can call it a trail
Wow! Well done GB 👏
Graham that was awesome!! Id love to be able to do something like this but would be crapping myself lol
Very cool skills. Thanks Graham.
Holy what’s its names! Note the heads in entirely smooth and balanced while the legs must be doing goodness knows what underneath, and all so effortlessly. Oh, to be able to ski anything near this level
This is so sketchy. I would feel the tension trying to ski with you. What a cool Video!!!
My mate slipped and kneed me in my back whilst we boarded this a while back. His knee protectors broke 3 of my ribs. Still managed to board the whole thing and loved it. Gets icy though! Also found myself in a bubble with graham the same week. He was telling his clients his ski gear still covered in Champagne from the Apres the day before!
You know life is good when all you have to worry about is your ski gear smelling of stale champagne!
Alas! I noticed I ski on the same skis he has , even the color and binding is the same model I ski on. But..... that's about the only comparison I can make...I wanna cry....
Amazing. Thanks
Best border cross slope ever ! Ça rappelle des souvenirs…
love that place
Unbelievable, wow.
That takes some guts and skill.
This made me wince!!! A lot!
Wow! You had me smiling the whole way!
Super cool! I've been to Val d'Isere but was not aware of this path
Had fun going into a wall when i did this :D
I imagined wiping out so many times during that video, how does he do that at such speed, other than having been a pro downhill skier that is?
I think that might have taken me a little longer to complete, plus probably a few bumps into rock faces...
Nuts! Fair play, mind you. Totally in control when most of us mere mortals would have slammed the brakes on and have still been in less control!
It wasn’t until at least the second time I did it that I even knew there were drops and chains. The first time I did it was in 1987. There was so much snow and so little headroom that in some places I had to take off my skis and crawl through on hands and knees.
Insane.
This is the most mental thing I've ever seen related to skiing.
Anybody else ducking the branch and bridge while watching this? Amazing control!
Quite a good skier this chap.
I'd forgotten about the Piste Perdu though it was 1980 the last time I went down there.
This put my claustrophobia into overdrive. Technically I could have skied when I was in my 20s but emotionally, no way.
No interest in skiing and no idea why The Algorithm brought me here, but that was fun to watch. I remember Graham from watching _Ski Sunday_ and the Olympics as a kid.
I still can't believe that people can ski through stuff like that. Aren't they afraid that they will hit something. There were places when he was going pretty fast and the skis were just pointed down but there was no room to turn them to stop. Scary stuff.
It's not that steep that's how, you aren't going fast enough to be out of control.
I've skied it, so long as you can make tight turns you'll fine. You're not going to walk back up, so if you start it you have to make it down, gravity takes care of it!
I've skied that run several times. It's great. Really is. But it fantastic when there's lots of snow or just after a big dump. Well worth doing if you're competent.
The camera always flattens out how steep it is - but his speed helps to show us.
Looks so fun!
1:24 You know its about to get "technical" when you see everyone up ahead hiking out... well done.
Ha, I remember doing that run in 20 years ago , not sure I would be up for it now though , nice Video
Fun! Thx.
Watching this made me remember Michael Schumacher. Such a dangerous but beautiful ride.
Impressive, must be quite cool when you pass advanced skiers (who think they are pretty handy), until they are passed by an Olympic skier ! What type of ski were you one - width & length(relative to your height) please ?Thanks
Amazing! That looked really fast and also had a few think thin moments! 😅
Hi, what was the camera / stabiliser setup on this please? Of course also super enjoyable view!
Gopro stuck on helmet, but the off board sound small Tascam sound recorder, synced in final cut.
It ended up perferct ! :)
Brilliant!
All those skiers he passed at speed! And mogul field - what mogul field. Olympic skiers are pretty good at this stuff 😊
Great video! See you in Crans for some partying!
Some great skiing
Gfy😊
1:24 Hey it seems to be a climbing spot also ! 😄
Seriously impressive 👍
Ze crazy Englishman. Why he go so fast?
Great fun, thanks for that Graham!
I'm not taking my Stöckli skis down that mess, but my old Fischer's are up to the challenge.
Wow how he comes to full stop in this narrow as hell places.
Awesome
I miss him on Ski Sunday, but I suppose the BBC wanted a more diverse presenting line up
Wow, want to ski this too
Pretty certain I've skied Piste Perdue but maybe only part of it. So much of the video looked unfamiliar. Or am I getting muddled with Merle Blanche? Dang, it's so long ago.
I like to use the excuse that I'm too old to do that anymore, but I'm 5 years younger than Graham!
That was very cool
So curious to see how the ski were moving
Where is this place?
Crazy skill. Are those SL or GS skis? Anyone knows?
Based on design looks to be ca. 2018 - 2020 Atomic Redster X9 Green, which has radius of 15.4 m (if 175 cm), so in between of SL and GS, more like a SC or RC.
that's so intense...
knarly...
Crazy!
mere watching it on screen is scaring enough
Suicide at my skill level, or a day long expedition, but it looks like great fun :)
I was panting just watching!
That was I N S A N E
That’s nuts
Thats a cool trail. Is it me, or were some of those skiiers smack dab in the middle of the trail? Move over folks
Would have loved to have seen you take that mogul field!
F**k that! I bet there are no end of accidents in there with people misjudging where the rocks are and banging their heads…I’ve been skiing for 48 years and it’s certainly too late for me to try that…well done Graham, still got it son!
I believe Candide Thovex produced a video of his run through this same valley. Neither of these runs seem physically possible!
Wrong skiier. Leo