:01:08. > :01:18.Hello and welcome to Ski Sunday. This week we are in Chamonix.
:01:18. > :01:18.
:01:18. > :01:24.Mont Blanc and the surrounding area is a paradise for adrenalin junkies.
:01:24. > :01:30.And there is no greater thrill than the speed and danger of downhill
:01:30. > :01:37.racing. Didier Cuche continues his farewell tour, chasing a record
:01:38. > :01:46.fifth World Cup title. Didier Cuche leads the way.
:01:46. > :01:56.It is an amazing love story. Later on in the show, we will be bringing
:01:56. > :01:59.
:01:59. > :02:04.the intensity back a little bit as we contemplate the simple life with
:02:04. > :02:10.the monks on the Great St Bernard Pass.
:02:10. > :02:15.First up, it is the downhill on the Chamonix. Didier Cuche won here
:02:15. > :02:20.last year and he won earlier in the season. Is there anyone who can
:02:20. > :02:24.challenge him? Klaus Kroell is one of the favourites, but Didier Cuche
:02:24. > :02:31.is going to want to get back at him. Who else is in the running? Well,
:02:31. > :02:40.there are racers like Bode Miller and the two French guys. They will
:02:40. > :02:45.be wanting to perform well on home snow.
:02:46. > :02:51.On this course, there are long flat sections. I see the top 15
:02:51. > :02:59.downhillers split almost into two camps. You have got young and up
:02:59. > :03:05.and coming skiers. What are the older guys having to do? It takes a
:03:05. > :03:12.while to build up the muscle that you need for downhill racing. Once
:03:12. > :03:16.you get 35, it is harder to keep keep the bulk on.
:03:17. > :03:21.They are working harder physically, but surely the confidence and the
:03:21. > :03:26.experience that they carry, knowing the courses must count for a bit?
:03:26. > :03:30.Experience counts for so so much in downhill. Knowing what direction to
:03:30. > :03:32.have off a jump and if you have done it 15 times, it is going to
:03:32. > :03:36.help. Didier Cuche does have that
:03:36. > :03:40.experience and he will be missed next season by ski racing fans
:03:40. > :03:49.around the world. That's why Graham caught up with him earlier in the
:03:49. > :03:53.week to find out why he announced Didier Cuche's CV stacks up against
:03:53. > :03:59.the all time greats of ski racing. A glittering career spanning almost
:03:59. > :04:04.two decades. Such a long career. So why call it
:04:04. > :04:10.a day now when you are still winning?
:04:10. > :04:16.I was starting to think about that even last year, but I had so much
:04:16. > :04:23.fun and I was really to go for one more season, but one more season
:04:23. > :04:27.that means six or seven months really hard training. I'm not ready
:04:27. > :04:32.anymore to do all that. Didier Cuche announced his
:04:32. > :04:37.retirement this year and went on to win on his favourite course for a
:04:37. > :04:46.record fifth time. Didier Cuche skis for the lead. He
:04:46. > :04:52.has got it! It was amazing how it turned into
:04:52. > :04:55.an early love story with that mountain. Every year for me it was
:04:55. > :05:03.like, if you don't see your girlfriend one year and you come
:05:03. > :05:10.back, you just feel so light and so OK when you see her again and
:05:10. > :05:13.that's like I felt this year again. The one thing missing from Didier
:05:13. > :05:20.Cuche's medal collection is an Olympic gold medal. He won a silver
:05:20. > :05:24.in the super-G back in 1998, but that remains his only podium finish.
:05:24. > :05:30.Another Olympic day ends in disappointment for Didier Cuche.
:05:30. > :05:37.It is about luck, but it belongs to my career, yeah. The Olympics is
:05:37. > :05:41.only in two years, but that's almost 700 days just for two
:05:41. > :05:48.minutes racing. It would be nice to have a medal, but if you are fourth,
:05:48. > :05:52.you have no medal and you went for 700 days more and yeah, for nothing.
:05:52. > :05:57.Do you have a to do list of things that you can never do as a ski
:05:57. > :06:03.racer? Yeah, for a few years I started to put that on my iPhone,
:06:03. > :06:09.on the to to do list, but I quit almost after I started because the
:06:09. > :06:14.list was so long after so many - after so less days.
:06:14. > :06:19.You are not going to go back to being a butcher, are you?
:06:19. > :06:24.definitely not, it it is too hard. The early mornings waking up and
:06:24. > :06:32.working hard until it is dark again. That's too much. It was easier to
:06:32. > :06:37.Well, if he is going to claim the record fifth downhill title,
:06:37. > :06:41.victory in Chamonix will be key. Downhill is won and lost on the
:06:41. > :06:49.finest of margins and with that in mind, Graham has been taking a
:06:49. > :06:53.closer look at where the racers can Most of the meters are on the top
:06:53. > :06:58.of the course so you have got to go of the course so you have got to go
:06:58. > :07:07.from the start. It is brutally cold.
:07:07. > :07:17.You have got to work it out through here - these sharp turns. The snow
:07:17. > :07:21.
:07:21. > :07:29.is really aggressive. Working down now on to the jump. Over - nice
:07:29. > :07:35.flight. Tucking down now. This is the carousel turn. Set up high.
:07:35. > :07:43.Stay high and then dive in high on this gate.
:07:43. > :07:47.It is really quite bumpy here. Now on to the gliding section. This
:07:47. > :07:54.is where you have to really let your skis glide. Relax your feet in
:07:54. > :07:58.the ski bots and let -- boots and let your skis wash in the snow. The
:07:58. > :08:08.racers will just fly over this. Here we go!
:08:08. > :08:16.Over the road jump. Now hard on the left ski. This brings you towards
:08:16. > :08:20.the finish. Pushing hard and across the line.
:08:20. > :08:25.Oh, wow, I tell you what, it is bitterly cold and I think I got a
:08:26. > :08:30.touch of frostbite. Some of the racers will be taping their face up.
:08:30. > :08:34.I'm just going to go and try and get mine as warm as possible. Oh,
:08:34. > :08:38.get mine as warm as possible. Oh, that's cold.
:08:38. > :08:45.The real speed merchants are up in the start gate gate ready to get
:08:45. > :08:55.the race underway and the atmosphere is bubbling up. Matt has
:08:55. > :09:00.
:09:00. > :09:10.the commentary for the Chamonix, which was won by Klaus Kroell who
:09:10. > :09:15.
:09:15. > :09:25.is rare to see this much powder snow this low down in the Chamonix
:09:25. > :09:30.
:09:30. > :09:40.Valley. Conditions are optimum. Look at him go now. 800 and the
:09:40. > :09:41.
:09:41. > :09:48.green light is on all the way. Sporn hits that control gate and he
:09:48. > :09:52.glides across this across this aggressive snow jump which has been
:09:52. > :09:59.built up artificially to give them a kick into the air.
:09:59. > :10:06.The crowds line the course. The course takes them down into the
:10:06. > :10:10.foot of the valley and Sporn leads the way by two tenths of a second.
:10:10. > :10:17.Andre Sporn takes an early lead. Yesterday's race was very tight. It
:10:17. > :10:23.was much warmer. Today is bitterly cold and the skis that -- skiers
:10:23. > :10:28.that ran yesterday, may not run today. Andre Sporn is very happy
:10:28. > :10:31.with that run. Patrick Kueng is in the start for
:10:31. > :10:36.Switzerland. He pushes and skates and looking for good speed at the
:10:36. > :10:40.top. Now can he harness it and use it to good effect? A couple of
:10:40. > :10:44.sweeping turns and he has gone through the middle of that one.
:10:44. > :10:47.Patrick Kueng in all sorts of trouble. Thankfully, the powder
:10:47. > :10:51.snow at the side of the course slowed his fall. He went through
:10:51. > :10:56.the middle of the gate. The right ski went the wrong side of the
:10:56. > :11:06.upride and then he had all that powder to slow him down. And he is
:11:06. > :11:19.
:11:19. > :11:25.No French skier has won a World Cup race of any description. Clarey
:11:25. > :11:31.22nd in Friday's version. How does he compare to Andre Sporn? Very
:11:31. > :11:38.good. He lands cleanly. He skis away in
:11:38. > :11:48.contention here. On to areas of the course still in
:11:48. > :11:56.
:11:56. > :12:01.the shade. A big left-footed turn. A big flight. And he has got the
:12:01. > :12:11.green light now Clarey. The French anticipating something a little
:12:11. > :12:13.
:12:13. > :12:20.tasty here from Clarey. He flies the road jump. He is almost home
:12:20. > :12:30.and the noise vessels are -- levels are rising. Yes, it is tight, but
:12:30. > :12:37.
:12:37. > :12:40.he takes first by 400ths. Clarey takes the lead for France. A
:12:40. > :12:50.close margin, but this race yesterday was also really, really
:12:50. > :12:54.
:12:54. > :12:59.way for Switzerland, in his final season of racing.
:12:59. > :13:04.Didier Cuche was third on Friday, just 400ths of a second away from
:13:04. > :13:14.victory. Great flight. Wonderful to watch in
:13:14. > :13:14.
:13:14. > :13:23.the air, Didier Cuche. Majestic. He is tucking in tight. He sets
:13:23. > :13:29.himself up. A little low on the exit there.
:13:29. > :13:34.And then goes skywards and he has switched on the green light. A
:13:34. > :13:38.wonderful jump. He wrapped his poles around his body to increase
:13:38. > :13:46.his aerodynamic shape in the air and Didier Cuche is cooking here!
:13:46. > :13:54.300ths of a second up. The winner in Kitzbuehl this year
:13:54. > :14:04.to make it five victories. 900ths, it is still tight. He pops the road
:14:04. > :14:11.jump. 95.6 kilometres per hour through the speed gun. Didier Cuche
:14:11. > :14:19.a French speaker would be a welcome winner in Chamonix. He leads,
:14:19. > :14:23.1300ths of a second quicker. This race is decided by 100ths and I
:14:23. > :14:29.don't think Didier Cuche is cure on the podium because there is other
:14:30. > :14:35.racers yet to come. Feuz had a stunning victory in
:14:35. > :14:40.January, but his form has dipped. He finished 23rd on Friday. The day
:14:40. > :14:50.after he turned 25. Perhaps his birthday celebrations took their
:14:50. > :14:51.
:14:51. > :14:56.toll on the Swiss star. Only 21st in Friday's downhill.
:14:56. > :15:00.Hoping for a huge improvement here. Away he goes looking for descent
:15:00. > :15:05.speed. He didn't have the best build-up to this race in Chamonix.
:15:05. > :15:10.He had his wisdom teeth removed earlier in the week and has this
:15:10. > :15:20.gaping wound in his mouth and he has this freezing air. Imagine the
:15:20. > :15:27.
:15:27. > :15:32.leads the way here. Nice high line. Good entrance, good exit.
:15:32. > :15:38.Keeping that right-footed turn, and then he pops the little jump. Two
:15:38. > :15:48.10ths of a second behind. Beat Feuz is in touch here.
:15:48. > :15:55.The third best downhill racer of the season so far.
:15:55. > :15:59.100th of a second off the pace. He's closing in on Cuche.
:15:59. > :16:04.Good glider, allowing the skis to wash across the top surface of the
:16:04. > :16:10.snow. Barely moved from his tuck during
:16:10. > :16:17.that jump which threw him upwards and east and west in flight. Look
:16:17. > :16:22.at the time difference now. 1600ths of a second, he is in front of
:16:22. > :16:26.Cuche. He could steal it away. It could be a Swiss one and two. Beat
:16:26. > :16:32.Feuz leads the way. It just goes to show the
:16:32. > :16:35.temperature difference between today and yesterday. Feuz earning
:16:35. > :16:38.21st yesterday, his skis really didn't run. Today he wasn't good on
:16:38. > :16:42.the turns at the top of the course but on that gliding selection
:16:42. > :16:49.before the finish jump he literally went like a rocket. He is pointing
:16:49. > :16:54.at his skis, he can thank his serviceman for that time.
:16:54. > :16:59.Klaus Kroell. Yesterday's winner. His first downhill victory of the
:16:59. > :17:02.season. Capped off a really consistent season but he still
:17:03. > :17:11.trails Didier Cuche in the World Cup standings for 2012.
:17:11. > :17:16.Needs to try and get ahead of Cuche here. And he leads them both.
:17:16. > :17:24.500ths of a second. Klaus Kroell off to a flier in Chamonix. Loves
:17:24. > :17:31.this this course. Says it's one of his favourites. Easing the skis
:17:31. > :17:36.through that turn. A little wobble from the upper body.
:17:36. > :17:46.Nicely done. 900ths. Still very much in the hunt here as he goes
:17:46. > :17:54.
:17:54. > :18:03.between our leader and yesterday's winner Klaus Kroell. Kroell is
:18:03. > :18:06.trailing now. He is 0.35 of a second off the pace.
:18:06. > :18:11.The double-headed victory celebrations seem unlikely now for
:18:11. > :18:14.the veteran Austrian. It looks like he had his best form
:18:14. > :18:24.on Friday morning. Things are a little bit more
:18:24. > :18:30.
:18:30. > :18:36.slugish in this bitterly cold sets in for the line. How close can
:18:36. > :18:40.he get to Beat Feuz's lead? He's gone ahead of Cuche. Kroell pushes
:18:40. > :18:46.Cuche down to third and that's crucial in his quest for the
:18:46. > :18:50.downhill title. The Canadian Guay is up to 6th in
:18:50. > :19:00.the standings and in a rich vain of form. He was just behind Klaus
:19:00. > :19:01.
:19:01. > :19:06.Kroell in Friday's race and came second last weekend.
:19:06. > :19:13.Eric Guay. The Canadian away adepressively, still pushing --
:19:13. > :19:17.aggressively still pushing by the time he reached gate number one.
:19:17. > :19:22.Equal fourth in in Friday's competition. Loves this hill and
:19:22. > :19:26.these conditions, Canadians like it cold and firm underfoot. Beautiful
:19:26. > :19:34.flight. Hands thrust forward to cut through
:19:34. > :19:44.the air effectively. The last Canadian winner of this
:19:44. > :19:51.
:19:51. > :19:59.race was Ken Reid in the era in 1978. Guay600ths of a second off
:19:59. > :20:09.the pace now. Can he crank up his World Cup
:20:09. > :20:10.
:20:10. > :20:20.season and push Beat Feuz here? And he is 1900ths of a second behind.
:20:20. > :20:22.
:20:22. > :20:27.Excellent speed from the Canadian. Guay on a flier here in khpl in
:20:28. > :20:33.Chamonix today. Now then, how is he going to deal
:20:33. > :20:38.with the bottom khebgs of the course? -- section of the course?
:20:38. > :20:43.He's found excellent form. He has to finish without a mistake.
:20:43. > :20:47.Keeping the tucked position, keep the skis gliding effectively and he
:20:47. > :20:52.could dislodge Beat Feuz from first. He has!
:20:52. > :20:57.1,200ths faster. A new leader in Chamonix. The strange thing is he
:20:57. > :21:01.would not consider himself a natural glider. He's been better in
:21:01. > :21:04.the past on the technical sections of courses but today he was so
:21:04. > :21:10.relaxed and able to let the skis run and that's what made the
:21:10. > :21:15.difference. Bauman gave Cuche a scare when he
:21:15. > :21:19.looked like he would pip him to victory. He finished tied fourth on
:21:19. > :21:23.Friday and 800ths of a second behind Klaus Kroell. The kind of
:21:23. > :21:33.form that suggests his first downhill victory may not be far
:21:33. > :21:34.
:21:34. > :21:44.away. Romed Baumann away for Austria. He
:21:44. > :21:50.
:21:50. > :22:00.felt the need for speed from the Chamonix today. Baumann is loving
:22:00. > :22:07.it. 2200ths quicker than Eric Guay who is watching intently at the
:22:07. > :22:12.foot. Mont Blanc towers over this
:22:12. > :22:16.magnificent course. Half a second up. Getting better for Baumann all
:22:16. > :22:22.the way down. Winding down the windows there. Trying to control
:22:22. > :22:26.his balance in flight. He goes across the flats. Keeps up
:22:26. > :22:32.the speed. Keeps the green light on. It's
:22:32. > :22:42.still good for Baumann. Four 10ths of a second quicker than Guay whose
:22:42. > :22:48.lead might be short-lived here. It's been green from the very start.
:22:48. > :22:53.Can he keep it up and finish with the lead? Down in the village
:22:53. > :23:00.they're waiting and watching as Baumann pops the road jump, not so
:23:00. > :23:08.solid in flight, but it's OK. And his work is nearly done. The time
:23:08. > :23:13.to beat 2.03.88. It's tight! He's done it. One 10th of a second.
:23:13. > :23:17.Baumann goes first. So the two guys who are joint
:23:18. > :23:24.fourth yesterday, 800ths of a second down are now first and
:23:24. > :23:31.second today. Baumann very good on the turns, not as quick as Guay at
:23:31. > :23:41.the lower gliding section but did tphouf hang on and keep -- did
:23:41. > :23:53.
:23:53. > :23:56.came so close on Friday. Bode has made a good start. Lots of
:23:56. > :24:00.support for Bode Miller, the neutrals love to see him race
:24:00. > :24:07.because it's seat of your pants stuff. He is on the edge all the
:24:07. > :24:11.way down and he never holds back. Miller cuts a high line, gets
:24:11. > :24:14.himself slightly out of shape and he is struggling before he has to
:24:14. > :24:20.get airborne, actually absorbed that little jump, rather than pop
:24:20. > :24:23.it but he has paid the price for the poor entry and exit into it. He
:24:23. > :24:33.will fight all the way down the rest of the course to recover some
:24:33. > :24:34.
:24:34. > :24:40.of that lost time. How close is he to Baumann? Within striking
:24:40. > :24:46.distance of the lead. He trails by just 0.37 of a second. This is a
:24:46. > :24:52.downhill course on which Bode has never won.
:24:52. > :24:59.So close yesterday. Three of the old men of the sport on the podium
:24:59. > :25:04.on Friday, Miller and Cuche. Off the road jump. Miller lands a
:25:04. > :25:07.little sloppily. Didn't look to be in complete control of his destiny
:25:07. > :25:17.there. Noise levels building in the
:25:17. > :25:20.village. Miller goes for the line! 6th position today.
:25:20. > :25:26.Bode Miller looked like he was trying too hard, particularly on
:25:26. > :25:31.the top part of the course. That big right-hander, just got sitting
:25:31. > :25:39.back on the skis and the next turn did that left-hander, so lost time
:25:39. > :25:46.at the top and didn't have the same speed at the gliding section.
:25:46. > :25:54.Jan Hudec for Canada. Team-mate Eric Guay currently in second
:25:54. > :25:58.position. Had the lead for a while. Hudec with one World Cup win to his
:25:58. > :26:05.name, but it's been a while. Not a bad start here.
:26:05. > :26:10.Suffered with a couple of injuries in the last two or three seasons.
:26:10. > :26:18.30 years of age now. One of the veterans from the Canadian squad.
:26:18. > :26:28.He is getting bounced around. That's a -- he had to twist his
:26:28. > :26:29.
:26:29. > :26:34.upper body at the exit. Hudec with a huge flight there. 25, 30 metres.
:26:34. > :26:39.And on the flat, look at it now. Hudec switched it from red to green.
:26:39. > :26:46.This would be a surprise, a pleasant surprise for the Canadian
:26:46. > :26:54.team. Hudec is getting quicker all the time. He now leads Baumann by
:26:54. > :27:00.nearly half a second. Good control off that jump.
:27:00. > :27:04.It's getting better and better for Hudec. Half a second up. Not as
:27:04. > :27:09.quick as some across the snow tpwu doesn't -- but it doesn't matter.
:27:09. > :27:13.He is skiing for the lead in the Chamonix downhill. Surely it's his!
:27:14. > :27:17.He's done it. Half a second quicker. He doesn't know it yet, he's
:27:17. > :27:22.dismissed it, he doesn't think it was good enough. Now he knows. So
:27:22. > :27:25.that was a big surprise, and a big, big lead. It's very, very cold,
:27:25. > :27:33.it's almost Canadian temperatures and perhaps that helped them.
:27:33. > :27:37.They've two on the podium now. Number 50, Ben Thomsen for Canada.
:27:37. > :27:43.He's had a little wait and he will have listened to the course reports
:27:43. > :27:51.delivered by the two-way Radios, from Guay and the current leader,
:27:51. > :27:58.Hudec. Thomson had a really good run on Friday, he finished in 11th.
:27:58. > :28:07.He is wearing number 50 again today. Look at this, just over a second
:28:07. > :28:14.off the pace. There is space in the top five for thoplsen. Fifth it is.
:28:15. > :28:19.Great run from the young Canadian, three of them. Thomsen starting
:28:19. > :28:24.number 50, just placed fifth. It gets better and better for Canada.
:28:24. > :28:33.So, Hudec becomes the first Canadian winner in Chamonix since
:28:33. > :28:39.Ken Reid in 78 with Baumann of Austria in second and.
:28:39. > :28:42.TJ Baldwin was also in action this weekend. The 21-year-old from
:28:42. > :28:48.Norfolk finished in 55th position in his third ever World Cup
:28:48. > :28:52.downhill. It's been a while since there's
:28:52. > :28:59.been to Canadians on the podium. don't race enough to know when the
:28:59. > :29:05.last time was, you will have to ask Eric. I do know, another French
:29:05. > :29:09.resort. Do you think the cold helped because it's bitterly cold
:29:09. > :29:12.this morning. Norm threu maybe would have helped but it's been
:29:12. > :29:16.warm in Canada all year, we were as shocked at this as all the
:29:16. > :29:21.Europeans were. Last time I saw you you were playing drums in a bar,
:29:22. > :29:25.are you going to get behind the set tonight? He was there last night.
:29:25. > :29:30.was playing drums last night. I don't know if I should say that on
:29:30. > :29:34.TV, I wasn't drinking so it's OK. For next week we head east to Sochi
:29:34. > :29:39.in Russia as the men men test out the new downhill course built for
:29:39. > :29:43.the 2014 winter Olympics. That's at 5.15pm next Sunday. Straight after
:29:43. > :29:50.today's show you can see the exciting climax to the men's
:29:50. > :29:54.supercombined from Chamonix on the red button.
:29:54. > :29:59.Britain's Elysee Christie won her first world speed skating title
:29:59. > :30:04.with victory in the 1,000 metre race in Russia yesterday. Her win
:30:04. > :30:08.in Moscow was her third podium of the season.
:30:08. > :30:13.Shelley Rudman's form continues, the Briton finished third on
:30:13. > :30:16.Thursday evening in the latest World Cup round in Canada.
:30:17. > :30:21.Lindsay Vaughan continues to dominate alpine skiing, the
:30:21. > :30:31.American notched up her 50th World Cup win yesterday and now has a
:30:31. > :30:31.
:30:31. > :30:35.comfortable lead in both the That's the end of a classic
:30:35. > :30:39.downhill race in Chamonix and the party is just getting started.
:30:39. > :30:44.Earlier, the atmosphere was more rirified.
:30:44. > :30:53.-- rarified. We skied towards one of the highest
:30:53. > :30:58.monasteries in the Alps where the monks have been res rescuing the
:30:58. > :31:06.waifs and strays. In the middle of winter, avalanches
:31:06. > :31:11.are prevalent so we were going to Above the clouds at the top of
:31:11. > :31:19.Europe stands a steadfast figure, with the devil chained beneath, he
:31:19. > :31:24.is the barrier to all eveles. It is the statue of the patron saint of
:31:24. > :31:31.skiers, snowboarders and mountain goers, the protectors of the Alps.
:31:31. > :31:36.-- protector of the Alps. The great Saint Bernard's pass, the
:31:36. > :31:40.ancient route through the Alps which man has strived to conquer
:31:40. > :31:45.since time began. Connecting Switzerland to Italy to form the
:31:45. > :31:49.most direct route to Rome from the north, the pathway has been used
:31:49. > :31:53.for thousands of years, whether to reach the home of the church or to
:31:53. > :31:57.march on the great city. But the pass has always been
:31:57. > :32:02.fraught with danger. Riddled with bandits, and always prone to sudden
:32:02. > :32:07.bursts of anger from elements, the roar of the storm or the deadly
:32:07. > :32:15.rumble of an avalanche. It has rumble of an avalanche. It has
:32:15. > :32:20.claimed a long list of victims. The death toll on the mountain
:32:20. > :32:24.inspired Saint Bernard to build a monastery on the top of the pass.
:32:24. > :32:31.It is open to all travellers no matter what creed or social
:32:31. > :32:37.standing. Throughout the sen treerks sen -- centuries. The monks
:32:37. > :32:41.perform an incredible heroics to rescue travellers. Saint Bernard
:32:41. > :32:48.was credited with stamping out the evil dangers on the trail and the
:32:48. > :32:52.route was named in his Honour. The monks who ran the monastery,
:32:52. > :32:55.scoured the mountains to save avalanche victims along with their
:32:55. > :33:01.trusted packs of dogs, bred at the monastery and named after their
:33:02. > :33:06.founding father. They are bred purely for
:33:06. > :33:10.recreational purposes, these Swiss icons live on in the town at the
:33:10. > :33:13.foot of the mountain. Fooding time! -- feeding time!
:33:13. > :33:21.Oh, look at that. How old is the Oh, look at that. How old is the
:33:21. > :33:24.breed? The breed is over 125 years old, but dogs are more than 350
:33:24. > :33:28.years ago. Where did the first dogs come from?
:33:28. > :33:34.The ones that were taken up there? The dogs came from farmhouses in
:33:34. > :33:37.the area, in the valley for example or from the Alps valley and simply
:33:37. > :33:41.the strongest dogs were taken for the breed.
:33:41. > :33:45.So it didn't matter type of dog it was, as long as it was strong?
:33:45. > :33:47.Really any kind of dog would be considered as long as they could
:33:47. > :33:55.cope with the difficult weather conditions on the pass.
:33:55. > :33:59.Their role as avalanche dogs are almost obsolete? Yes, now with the
:34:00. > :34:03.modern rescuing techniques, lighter dogs are used for rescue work.
:34:03. > :34:10.There are still dogs up a the monastery? In the summer, we take
:34:10. > :34:15.at least half of our dogs here up to the kennel on the Great St
:34:15. > :34:18.Bernard Pass and they spend every summer at 2500 meters above sea
:34:18. > :34:26.level. It seems that the dog had the nose
:34:26. > :34:30.to sniff out a potential victim! Kiss. Kiss. Kiss.
:34:30. > :34:35.During the winter, the road to the top of the pass is closed and the
:34:35. > :34:42.monastery is completely isolated, accessed only on foot. To take a
:34:42. > :34:46.closer look e we were going to have to negotiate the pass as travellers
:34:46. > :34:55.had done for centuries using man power. Eddie was on hand to ensure
:34:55. > :35:04.our safe passage. Today we have to work hard. There
:35:04. > :35:10.is no place where you don't have problem with avalanche. You can see
:35:10. > :35:16.here this transmitter to find people on the snow. This one, you
:35:16. > :35:26.can arrive near to the people near to the snow. You can find where is
:35:26. > :35:33.
:35:33. > :35:43.the body. It is important to test the tran the trancciver.
:35:43. > :35:49.
:35:49. > :35:54.As we gained altitude, the weather worsened as a storm blew in, making
:35:54. > :35:57.the terrain unstable. Well, it is not a particularly long
:35:57. > :36:04.journey, but it is not particularly pleasant.
:36:04. > :36:07.If the sun was was shining, it wouldn't be as bad. We are about
:36:07. > :36:12.half-way up. There is a bit of avalanche danger.
:36:12. > :36:18.I can see why they built a refuge up here. It would have been
:36:18. > :36:25.terrible coming through without it. The legendary pass had begun to
:36:25. > :36:29.show its true colours, after a minor avalanche narrowly missed our
:36:29. > :36:34.camera crew, Eddie advised us to complete our assent as quickly as
:36:35. > :36:40.possible. Then, we caught sight of the monastery.
:36:40. > :36:44.A vision which had welcomed many from pilgrims to conquering armies
:36:44. > :36:53.for hundreds of years was now our salvation and the warm welcome of
:36:53. > :36:58.this remarkable structure wasn't a moment too soon.
:36:58. > :37:03.We are in the oldest part of the hospice.
:37:03. > :37:09.I can't get my head around it that a building existed at this altitude
:37:09. > :37:16.almost 1,000 years ago, that seems absolutely unbelievable.
:37:16. > :37:26.Do you want a taste of cheese? would love a taste of cheese.
:37:26. > :37:32.It smells strong. But it is really, creamy.
:37:32. > :37:38.So this door is never locked? Has it ever been locked? It is always
:37:38. > :37:46.open. Even when Napoleon came through? The vocation of the
:37:46. > :37:52.hospice is to be open for everybody in every time, in every season,
:37:52. > :37:57.night or day. I know that the door is never locked, but is it OK if we
:37:57. > :38:05.close it? You can close it. But like that, no.
:38:05. > :38:12.Never! LAUGHTER
:38:12. > :38:15.This is the main door of the church. Oh wow.
:38:15. > :38:19.That is incredible. Yes.
:38:19. > :38:24.The section of the hospice was was built in the 15th century.
:38:24. > :38:31.It is hard to believe we are up a mountain at 2,400 meters.
:38:31. > :38:41.There are many dangers on the mountain, the bandits, fog, the
:38:41. > :38:42.
:38:42. > :38:47.snow, the wind, and the avalanche. This is Saint Bernard here.
:38:47. > :38:53.Yes, you can see him with the devil under the feet. Under Saint Bernard
:38:53. > :38:56.the ice to heaven. Now we are going to see something
:38:56. > :39:04.very interesting fort life of the house is the bell. The bell, the
:39:04. > :39:14.meaning of the bell is here to call people to the prayers. Can I ring
:39:14. > :39:20.
:39:20. > :39:24.it? Yes. Entering the month as free, you
:39:25. > :39:29.feel welcome. To this day, people from far and wide are greeted by
:39:29. > :39:34.the four remaining cannons and the many devoted volunteers. Even in
:39:34. > :39:38.the 21st century, this place is still as valued as it ever was and
:39:38. > :39:46.the dangers of the pass are still as apparent. The sealed morgue on
:39:46. > :39:56.the site of the hospice stands as a monument to those whose journey
:39:56. > :39:56.
:39:56. > :41:32.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 95 seconds
:41:32. > :41:41.came to an end many years ago. And so the time had come for us to
:41:41. > :41:51.continue our expedition. With kit checked, it was time to
:41:51. > :42:04.
:42:04. > :42:08.It is time to say goodbye to Saint Bernard and his chained up devil.
:42:08. > :42:12.We have crossed the border into Italy. You can see the hospice
:42:12. > :42:15.behind us. We got such a warm welcome when we
:42:15. > :42:19.arrived. There is so much energy energy inside that building and it
:42:19. > :42:22.is a strong, positive, almost defiant structure, challenging any
:42:22. > :42:31.of the ravaging storms to try and knock it over.
:42:31. > :42:37.Well, it needs to be. We had a Today, it is it is beautiful
:42:37. > :42:47.conditions. We are going to hike up a little bit further and with this
:42:47. > :42:52.
:42:52. > :43:02.As we descend from the monastery, the views were breath taking.
:43:02. > :43:03.
:43:03. > :43:06.Knowing that the route we had taken from Switzerland had been the same
:43:06. > :43:10.as Ceasar's Army. It was a special feeling.
:43:11. > :43:14.The arduous trek up to the hospice gave us a greater appreciation of
:43:14. > :43:18.what what they had gone through and I am sure there is no warmer
:43:18. > :43:24.welcome to be had anywhere in the Alps than that which greeted us a
:43:24. > :43:30.the house that Saint Bernard built. A truly enlightening experience and
:43:30. > :43:35.Well, that was one of the most inspiring trips that I have ever
:43:35. > :43:39.made. There was so much focus on of
:43:39. > :43:46.skiing, it is easy to forget there are stories to be told and Saint
:43:46. > :43:49.Bernard is one of the most iconic. We are leaving Chamonix and heading
:43:49. > :43:56.to Russia who will be hosting the next Games.