:01:06. > :01:09.Welcome to Ski Sunday. We're here in Wengen, on top of the mountain.
:01:09. > :01:17.This is the most exhausting downhill in the world. Every turn
:01:18. > :01:25.reveals a story. Every section is steeped in legend.
:01:25. > :01:32.He's got the wind under his skis. This is the start. Four-and-a-half
:01:32. > :01:39.kilometres from the finish line. This is one of the most spectacular
:01:39. > :01:47.jumps of any of the downhill courses. The racers liken it to
:01:47. > :01:53.falling down an Ella vaiter sharp. This is where Joseph Minch crashed
:01:53. > :02:03.in 1995. This section is named after the crazy ones who first went
:02:03. > :02:11.into the nets here, as Canadian Corner.
:02:12. > :02:16.Bruno crashed here in 1997. This is the Wasserstation, where
:02:16. > :02:20.the train grinds its way over the top of the racecourse.
:02:20. > :02:27.This is the Haneggschuss - the fastest part of the course,
:02:27. > :02:34.touching 90 miles per hour. He's a gliding machine! Nicely down
:02:34. > :02:39.on the Silberhorn. After two-and-a-half miles your
:02:39. > :02:46.heart is pumping and your legs are burning.
:02:46. > :02:51.The noise at the finish is astonishing! This is the finish-
:02:51. > :03:01.line. A place where 51 winners have etched their name into downhill
:03:01. > :03:08.
:03:08. > :03:13.Later on in the show we will catch one one of the few men that Graham
:03:13. > :03:20.has ever feared. I remember you when you were a
:03:20. > :03:28.little boy like that. You had a noty nose and so on. Now this is
:03:28. > :03:36.one of the longest courses in the course, Lauberhorn. Where are the
:03:36. > :03:41.tight sections. There is the tight turns which are followed by a long
:03:41. > :03:45.gliding section. To make a mistake on those turns and it is multiplied.
:03:45. > :03:50.Who will it suit? It is a bit of both. You need to have everything
:03:50. > :03:55.here. Bearing that in mind, who do you think will do well on the form
:03:55. > :03:59.guide? Didier Cuche, he will want a good result here. He will be fired
:03:59. > :04:04.up. Last year's winner, Klaus Kroell, is a great glider. He can
:04:04. > :04:14.carry enough speed from the corners last year. Bode Miller, au pesh on
:04:14. > :04:20.
:04:20. > :04:23.this course. On his -- superb on On a course like this, you need
:04:23. > :04:30.some experience. A there are sections on it which are not like
:04:30. > :04:38.any other downhill. Janu did it a few years ago.
:04:38. > :04:47.think this course suits the older, more mature skier? I think so
:04:48. > :04:53.decided to ask the racer-goers. It's only if Cuche is the only one
:04:53. > :04:57.skiing. You must not ski too aggressive. Sure, the guy who makes
:04:57. > :05:02.less mistakes will win. Here it is very difficult not to do mistakes
:05:02. > :05:12.on the start and finish because it's so long. You need experience
:05:12. > :05:13.
:05:13. > :05:16.to make a winnings. Find your lines, then have enough power for a race.
:05:16. > :05:21.That's the key I think. You need a lot of experience.
:05:21. > :05:25.Well, if downhill is an old man's game, perhaps Graham should
:05:25. > :05:29.consider coming out of retirement. I know he has the courage and the
:05:29. > :05:32.commitment. The question now is whether he has the stamina to tame
:05:32. > :05:41.this mammoth. This is Graham's course run. Well, it is a beautiful
:05:41. > :05:46.day for ski racing. Let's have a look at this Lauberhorn course.
:05:46. > :05:55.At the start, first section is mostly gliding. Tuck in nice and
:05:55. > :06:04.low. Fixed sweeping right-hander.
:06:05. > :06:14.It brings you round up over a little Russi jump. You get a
:06:15. > :06:17.
:06:17. > :06:27.beautiful view of the Eiger, the Moench. You have this sharp S. It
:06:27. > :06:28.
:06:28. > :06:36.is icy. You have to fight. Tight it around. Set up high and over the
:06:36. > :06:40.Hundschopf. Then to the Minsch- Kante. Then on to the Canadian
:06:40. > :06:46.Corner. It is really bumpy here. You have to make sure you don't
:06:46. > :06:51.float too low, because here comes the Kernen-S. Hard on the left ski.
:06:51. > :06:55.Hard on the right ski. Run up the Hard on the right ski. Run up the
:06:55. > :07:05.bank. Now time for a breather. You head
:07:05. > :07:12.
:07:12. > :07:18.Hundschopf, these tight turns are designed to slow you down before
:07:18. > :07:26.the fastest part of the course. You cross over a little bridge. Then
:07:26. > :07:33.just point them straight down here. Just absolutely flying. There's a
:07:33. > :07:37.little compression in the bottom. You come through. Now we are
:07:37. > :07:46.heading towards the Silberhorn jump. It is so named because there's a
:07:46. > :07:49.mountain right behind me. Now I have to concentrate through the
:07:49. > :07:59.Austrian hole. My legs are burning here. I have to set up close to the
:07:59. > :08:04.
:08:04. > :08:09.net, hard on the right ski. Then fly down. Now to the finish.
:08:09. > :08:14.That is... It is like the same as always, a really good rush. Because
:08:14. > :08:18.there's so much to know, some of the terrain has been taken out of
:08:18. > :08:23.the course. I tell you, they put water on it and some sections are
:08:23. > :08:28.icy. Legs, lungs burning? As always. As always!
:08:28. > :08:35.I mean, it's just such a physical test. Two-and-a-half minutes. That
:08:35. > :08:39.extra half a minute on that section of the course, that makes the
:08:39. > :08:45.difference here. I will let you get your breath back. The racers are
:08:45. > :08:50.chomping at the bit to get this race underway.
:08:50. > :08:55.This is Wengen, 2012. It is a fantastic day in the Swiss
:08:55. > :09:03.Alps. Not a cloud in the sky. Tens of thousands have come to watch
:09:03. > :09:07.this race. Reichelt is the first man to tackle the Lauberhorn in
:09:07. > :09:13.2012. As he powered out of the start there's a roar on either side
:09:13. > :09:21.of the hill. Look at them, they are crammed in at every decent vantage
:09:21. > :09:31.point. Thousands here. It's big this year.
:09:31. > :09:33.
:09:33. > :09:38.A solid start from the Austrian. He's nice and high on the Canadian
:09:38. > :09:48.curve. To the flat section before the Kernen-S. We will check on his
:09:48. > :09:52.speed in and out of this part. In at 101, out at 75. That is fast
:09:52. > :09:58.compared to training. Reichelt was quickest in the second of the two
:09:58. > :10:04.training runs, held over the full- length course on Thursday. Down the
:10:04. > :10:09.Hundschopf, the fastest part of the track.
:10:09. > :10:13.Terrific run so far from Hannes Reichelt, who has really come on
:10:13. > :10:20.making giant strides in his downhill racing so far this season.
:10:20. > :10:25.The first man on the hill with a clean run so far. He hasn't put a
:10:25. > :10:30.foot wrong. Reichelt - has he got the stamina to keep the skis
:10:30. > :10:37.calming on the final section? Stamina is at an all-time low. He
:10:37. > :10:41.leads the way, 2.35.75. Reichelt has set a very good time.
:10:41. > :10:46.A good clean run from Reichelt. He is a good glider. He is relaxed on
:10:46. > :10:56.his skis. He will hope the course breaks up. It is warm here today.
:10:56. > :10:58.
:10:58. > :11:08.If the course does soften up, then that time could prove hard to beat.
:11:08. > :11:17.
:11:17. > :11:22.of a second behind the team. List on the the noise as he comes to the
:11:22. > :11:25.Hundschopf. A beautiful jump. A lovely flight from Carlo Janka
:11:26. > :11:30.now. He'll absorb the Hundschopf. He turns on the green light. A
:11:30. > :11:35.third of a second up. Janka finds time in one of the most technically
:11:35. > :11:41.demanding parts of the course. Now, a chance to re-fuel as he comes
:11:41. > :11:50.across the flats to the Kernen-S. Has to be fast on the entrance and
:11:50. > :12:00.he is. He is still quick at the exit. 78.2km per hour. Just
:12:00. > :12:00.
:12:01. > :12:05.slightly wide, approaching the Haneggschuss. This is the fastest
:12:05. > :12:14.part of the track. Janka dived down the Haneggschuss. He's right there.
:12:14. > :12:22.Just 200th of a second behind. 143 through the gun. Janka is really
:12:22. > :12:27.travelling. Off the Silberhorn jump. A quarter of a second behind. He
:12:27. > :12:33.can find that difference if he keeps it high and clean on the last
:12:33. > :12:40.few turns. Most downhills are finished long before this section.
:12:40. > :12:50.Janka is close. Janka is second. It's very tight, but it's Reichelt
:12:50. > :12:51.
:12:51. > :12:54.the Hundschopf to the Minsch-Kante brilliantly. He came in with a lot
:12:54. > :12:57.of direction, so he landed above the blue line, which gave him a lot
:12:58. > :13:03.of speed as he went around the Canadian Corner. He seemed to run
:13:03. > :13:07.out of speed towards the end of his run, didn't look like he's
:13:07. > :13:11.physically 100%. Christof Innerhofer in the start
:13:11. > :13:16.gate for Italy wearing number 13 today, a big aggressive start.
:13:16. > :13:21.Innerhofer looks for speed at the top of the Lauberhorn. Swedeing in
:13:21. > :13:27.through this S turn coming towards the Hundschopf - he's wider than he
:13:27. > :13:32.might have liked, and he is winding down the windows in flight - 103
:13:32. > :13:38.dead for Reichelt, and Innerhofer is faster, a more direct line, an
:13:38. > :13:43.unusual line chosen by the Italian, and he's got the reward. Now into
:13:43. > :13:50.the Kernen-S as close as he dares to the safety netting to the
:13:50. > :13:54.skier's left, 102.3 on the way in. On the way out 78.4, doesn't lose
:13:54. > :14:02.any time - through the tunnel. Now we follow him from the helicopter
:14:02. > :14:06.with an advantage of nearly half a second, coming towards the
:14:07. > :14:13.Haneggschuss. Innerhofer's legs will be burning underneath him now.
:14:13. > :14:20.He's still got the fastest part of the course and the final few turns
:14:20. > :14:26.to come. Maximum speed - 143.2 on the Haneggschuss for Christof
:14:26. > :14:30.Innerhofer, but 16/100 of a second adrift of the leading time. The
:14:30. > :14:35.leader is still the Austrian Reichelt. Innerhofer opens his arms
:14:35. > :14:40.up off the Silberhorn jump. The chance that he would just slow down
:14:40. > :14:48.very slightly standing taller - and he's skidding the skis sideways.
:14:48. > :14:53.Innerhofer appears to be spent here - 2.35.75 is safe - that's close,
:14:53. > :15:01.close enough for second. Innerhofer just misses it.
:15:01. > :15:04.A great run from Innerhofer. He skied the Kernen-S clean through
:15:04. > :15:08.there. He was really, really fast and made up a lot of time, just
:15:08. > :15:18.lost on the glide just after the Haneggschuss. He was a little bit
:15:18. > :15:18.
:15:18. > :15:23.scrappy over the Silberhorn jump. That's where the 5/100 went.
:15:23. > :15:28.Feuz rose to prominence with a win last March and followed this up
:15:28. > :15:36.with a second place in Lake Louise and Beaver Creek in December. He
:15:37. > :15:41.came second in a super-combined here on Friday.
:15:41. > :15:51.24-year-old Beat Feuz, 24, wearing number 16, very strong, very
:15:51. > :15:55.ambitious, and very quick. Two runners-up spots in downhills this
:15:55. > :16:00.season. This is the one that really matters to him. If he can pull this
:16:00. > :16:04.one off, he will become overnight a national hero in Switzerland, and
:16:04. > :16:09.he's got a terrific speed at the top of the course as we watch him
:16:09. > :16:12.from the chopper hovering alongside the gliding section where it's
:16:12. > :16:19.deceptively simple. Now he has to start working hard with this
:16:19. > :16:26.section of bends before he flies over that ridge to the right of
:16:26. > :16:34.your screen, the Hundschopf. Look at them gathered there! Beat Feuz
:16:34. > :16:39.gets a warm reception at the Hundschopf. Now he takes off! He
:16:39. > :16:45.flaps with his arms slightly, but a clean landing, and at Minsch-Kante,
:16:46. > :16:49.he's ahead by half a second, a fantastic top section from Beat
:16:49. > :16:53.Feuz,. 54 up. Look at the Swiss flags waving. They have seen that
:16:53. > :17:01.on the scoreboard. Drifting way over beyond the blue line
:17:01. > :17:07.underneath his left ski and into the Kernen-S. He's got 100 and 1.4
:17:07. > :17:14.on the way in and huge 81.2 at the exit.
:17:14. > :17:18.Half a second up, 106.6, the latest reading through the second speed
:17:18. > :17:23.trap for Beat Feuz into the sunshine for a moment. He's barely
:17:23. > :17:30.moved from the tuck. Look at him - solid, really strong legs, keeping
:17:30. > :17:35.his body over his skis, low and air row dynamic -- air row dynamic. Now
:17:35. > :17:42.he needs to harn Tess speed as he Klatters that control gate diving
:17:42. > :17:48.down the Haneggschuss. Reichelt, 203.91 at this split. He's dead
:17:48. > :17:52.level. They can't split them! 142.7 through the gun - nothing to choose
:17:52. > :18:02.between our leader, Hannes Reichelt of Austria and the young Swiss star,
:18:02. > :18:06.
:18:06. > :18:11.Beat Feuz. Now he's ahead again, 7/100 of a second up. The last
:18:11. > :18:14.couple of turns. He's all out of gas - nearly home. He's done it!
:18:14. > :18:24.CHEERING AND APPLAUSE Nearly half a second quicker. We
:18:24. > :18:24.
:18:25. > :18:29.have a new leader, and it's a Swiss racer in first. What an impressive
:18:29. > :18:32.run from Beat Feuz. What I particularly liked was the way he
:18:32. > :18:37.really attacked over the Hundschopf down towards the Minsch-Kante. He
:18:37. > :18:41.was absolutely flying, but then it was the S that really gave him the
:18:41. > :18:46.advantage, took a tight line, took a lot of risk, and he deserves the
:18:46. > :18:49.lead. Didier Cuche matched the great
:18:49. > :18:56.Frances Barber with his fourth victory in Kitzbuehel last year to
:18:56. > :19:01.place him among greats of downhill skiing but his record in his home
:19:01. > :19:06.country is less impressive. Can he perform in front of his adoring
:19:06. > :19:10.fans? The noise level reaches a new level for Didier Cuche. Such
:19:10. > :19:15.strength at the start. Into the tuck position, trying to glide
:19:15. > :19:20.across the snow early on, pick up some speed. He's got to nail the
:19:20. > :19:26.Hundschopf and the Minsch-Kante, and he's also got to find 19/100 of
:19:26. > :19:31.a second. Here comes Didier Cuche at the Hundschopf. Perfect jump, as
:19:31. > :19:35.good as anyone we've seen, barely moved from his tuck position, and
:19:35. > :19:45.right close to the gate on the Minsch-Kante as well, but the red
:19:45. > :19:46.
:19:46. > :19:54.light is growing worryingly distant for him, 66/100 of a second away
:19:54. > :20:01.from his team-mate. 101.1 into the Kernen-S and only 74.4 at the exit.
:20:01. > :20:07.That's about six kilometres per hour slower than Feuz was. It looks
:20:07. > :20:09.as though another year will slip by without him winning in Wengen.
:20:09. > :20:14.Three times he's finished in runner-up position on the
:20:14. > :20:19.Lauberhorn. This is the one that matters most to him as a proud
:20:19. > :20:25.Swiss racer, but it's getting worse and worse. Now we'll follow him
:20:25. > :20:29.from above - Cuche doesn't look as solid as we have come to expect.
:20:29. > :20:33.Normally, there is no-one quicker on the flats, and down the steep he
:20:33. > :20:40.would expect to find a little bit of time, but it's going the other
:20:40. > :20:47.way, and Cuche now trails by more than a second. Well, the neutrals
:20:47. > :20:54.would love to see him do well - very popular, a hugely likeable man,
:20:55. > :20:58.a funny man, 1.22 seconds off the pace, though. He'll look to
:20:58. > :21:03.Kitzbuehel next weekend to add to his impressive tally there, but
:21:03. > :21:08.it's not happening for him in Wengen. He's a long way behind,
:21:09. > :21:14.ninth, 1.5 seconds almost behind Beat Feuz.
:21:14. > :21:18.A bit of a sigh from the crowd as he came down, lots of little
:21:18. > :21:22.mistakes like into the Minsch-Kante into the corner, where he was in
:21:22. > :21:28.tuck on a good line, Didier Cuche was getting thrown out of position.
:21:28. > :21:33.It was almost as though the mistakes added up and added up. At
:21:33. > :21:38.31, Klaus Kroell could be described as a late starter. He won his first
:21:38. > :21:41.downhill in 2009, then last year he took Wengen by storm. He has been a
:21:41. > :21:46.regular on the podium since and will be amongst the favourites
:21:46. > :21:51.today. Klaus Kroell next to go for Austria,
:21:51. > :21:58.number 19, the defending champion on the Lauberhorn downhill course.
:21:58. > :22:08.And the Kroell family keeping it real. His nephew won two Europa Cup
:22:08. > :22:09.
:22:09. > :22:16.downhill races on back-to-back days in Val Gardena -- de zer. Klaus
:22:16. > :22:22.Kroell Klatters the control gate on the Hundschopf, sets up for the
:22:22. > :22:29.Minsch-Kante, and slightly low in the Canadian curve. That wasn't the
:22:29. > :22:37.ideal line. Half a second down now. He edges towards the safety nets on
:22:37. > :22:42.the left - 100.7 on the entrance to the Kernen-S, and on the way out,
:22:42. > :22:50.only 76.5, so work to be done on the lower half of the course for
:22:50. > :22:55.Klaus Kroell of Austria. The next split, 203.1 for Beat Feuz, and
:22:55. > :23:00.Kroell is carrying good speed but is more than half a second behind
:23:00. > :23:07.still, .59 back, and there is no doubting his stamina. He'll handle
:23:07. > :23:12.the bottom part of the course with no problems at all. He's .67 behind,
:23:12. > :23:21.and the Swiss beginning to sense that a win could be on the cards
:23:21. > :23:25.today - Kroell, a little lower than ideal. And he's lost more speed and
:23:26. > :23:31..89 behind. Last year's champion is only fifth in 2012.
:23:31. > :23:33.Well, that was a good one from Klaus Kroell, no major mistakes but
:23:33. > :23:38.just didn't generate the same acceleration out of the turns,
:23:38. > :23:41.particularly in the Kernen-S, then again on the Finnish S, couldn't
:23:41. > :23:47.match what he did last year. Bode Miller was made to race this
:23:47. > :23:50.mountain. He won the downhill here in '07 and '08, one of the greatest
:23:50. > :23:56.skiers of his generation, he's burned hot and cold in his years.
:23:56. > :24:01.Victory in Beaver Creek last month gave us a glimpse of what he is
:24:01. > :24:04.capable of, and he was impressive in the super-combined this week.
:24:04. > :24:09.Bode Miller, always exciting to watch. And he's after it already
:24:10. > :24:16.with a hugely powerful start - Miller with a really high line
:24:16. > :24:23.there. Look at his fists planted in front of his face, a new
:24:23. > :24:28.aerodynamic touch position for Bode. He's got the reward, 1/10 of a
:24:28. > :24:38.second up as he comes to the Hundschopf, a massive jump from
:24:38. > :24:42.
:24:42. > :24:49.Miller, Minsch-Kante, big again. And a decent line on the Canadian
:24:49. > :24:55.Kerr. Now the S - how is his speed? 103.7 on the way in - goodness me,
:24:55. > :25:01.it's quick - 75.7 on the way out - not so fast at the exit. Now, the
:25:01. > :25:07.bottom part of the course, Miller knows better than anybody. He went
:25:07. > :25:11.well in training. He's won here twice in the past, but look at this,
:25:11. > :25:21.2/100 of a second off. This is winnable for Bode Miller. We have
:25:21. > :25:25.seen him fall across the finish line in the past too -- to clinch
:25:25. > :25:30.the victory. He's going to have to do more to take the lead off Beat
:25:30. > :25:35.Feuz. Half a second has brought cheers from the crowd. The last
:25:35. > :25:41.section of the Lauberhorn - Miller's tired. He's giving it
:25:41. > :25:49.everything. He skis into fifth, and Feuz knows how important that is.
:25:49. > :25:55.A very unusual place for Bode to throw away that race. It was after
:25:55. > :25:58.the Haneggschuss. They call it the - when he came over the Silberhorn,
:25:58. > :26:01.he took no air and lost half a second. It was dead flat and dead
:26:01. > :26:06.easy, but that was where his race was last.
:26:06. > :26:10.Marc Gisin in the start for Switzerland wearing number 25,
:26:10. > :26:17.sister Dominique going well on the women's World Cup circuit this
:26:17. > :26:21.season, and Ma rc going well at the Wengen - look at this, half a
:26:21. > :26:26.second quicker than anybody else coming towards the Hundschopf -
:26:26. > :26:31.clean jump. Now, the Minsch-Kante - he's got to get this bit right -
:26:31. > :26:34.wasn't pretty, but still ahead, 8/100 of a second up. This would be
:26:34. > :26:40.a shock for Marc Gisin, who has never really achieved anything in
:26:40. > :26:43.downhill in the past - oh, and he's lost it completely! Did the splits
:26:43. > :26:53.twice. His heart would have been in his mouth - caught his edge once,
:26:53. > :26:58.then caught it again. Two rapid recoveries from Marc Gisin, and
:26:58. > :27:06.he's still in the hunt here - 7/100 of a second behind despite a couple
:27:06. > :27:13.of huge mistakes on the flats. Now back into the shade, and down the
:27:13. > :27:20.Haneggschuss. It's Gisen about to cause a huge upset here. Still,
:27:21. > :27:30.very close to the target, just 16/100 of a second off team-mate
:27:31. > :27:33.
:27:33. > :27:39.Beat Feuz, chance of a Swiss 1-2 in Wengen. He's kept the crowd
:27:39. > :27:48.entertained, and he'll remember this run, last couple of turns. He
:27:48. > :27:54.still looks pretty strong. And Marc Gisin is 11th - 1.3 seconds away, a
:27:54. > :27:59.couple of close moments - Marc Gisin must have had rockets on his
:27:59. > :28:02.feet because he was so fast on the top part of the course, then that
:28:02. > :28:08.mistake, that double-edged catch. That would have given him a big
:28:08. > :28:12.scare, but lost the speed lower down. The time slipped away. So
:28:12. > :28:16.Swiss sensation Beat Feuz claims his first Wengen downhill victory
:28:16. > :28:20.beating Hannes Reichelt by nearly half a second with Christof
:28:20. > :28:27.Innerhofer taking his first ever podium in this race in third.
:28:27. > :28:33.Didier Cuche's quest for an elusive victory on the Lauberhorn goes on.
:28:33. > :28:43.He finished 15th. Now, if the downhill races whet your skiing
:28:43. > :29:09.
:29:09. > :29:13.appetite, there is plenty more on Katie summerhaze finished fifth in
:29:13. > :29:18.the women's competition. Britain's Shelley Rudman won her first
:29:18. > :29:22.skeleton World Cup in nearly a year when she triumphed in Germany on
:29:22. > :29:31.Friday. She was fastest on both runs to
:29:31. > :29:37.beat home favourite Marien by half a second. Congratulations, a new
:29:37. > :29:41.star, the Lauberhorn winner. Any trip to Wengen would not be
:29:41. > :29:46.complete without mentioning a train cut to the Eiger. It is an
:29:46. > :29:52.incredible piece of engineering, which celebrates its 100th
:29:52. > :29:57.anniversary this year. You can imagine the pitch on Dragons' Den,
:29:57. > :30:04.I want to build a railway through the face of the Eiger which peaks
:30:04. > :30:14.out between the Moench and Jungfrau. I don't think it would have been
:30:14. > :30:18.picked up. This idea was came up with in 1983.
:30:18. > :30:23.Out walking his daughter in the mountains he realised this could be
:30:23. > :30:29.a reality. Construction started in 1896, despite every engineer saying
:30:29. > :30:36.it couldn't be done. Just 16 years later it was finished. Just 100
:30:36. > :30:43.years after the Jungfrau was conquered on foot, they had a
:30:43. > :30:47.railway. Each year 650,000 tourists use this train to explore the
:30:47. > :30:57.Jungfrau. On race day there'll be 35,000 Swiss fans relying on this
:30:57. > :30:58.
:30:58. > :31:01.train to get them to the best positions.
:31:01. > :31:06.We cannot finish the show about trains without having a horn.
:31:06. > :31:12.This has to be the most rewarding train ride in the world. Not only
:31:12. > :31:15.does it give you access to an year that was previously the preserve of
:31:15. > :31:25.professional mountaineers, the return journey, if you fancy it, is
:31:25. > :31:38.
:31:38. > :31:43.D We've had a fantastic start to the season. A huge amount of snow
:31:43. > :31:48.has fallen. That means there'll be a lot of people heading off pist
:31:48. > :31:51.looking for powder. The good news is the huge amount of
:31:51. > :31:55.snow which fell in the last storm fell at relatively warm
:31:55. > :32:00.temperatures, which means it has settled nicely and the snow pack is
:32:00. > :32:06.nice and stable. The bad news is it has warmed up and already we are
:32:07. > :32:12.starting to see a crusty layer here on top of the powder. Here we go.
:32:12. > :32:17.Any more snow falls on top of that, it's going to break away and be at
:32:17. > :32:21.risk of avalanche. If you are thinking of heading off pist, there
:32:21. > :32:27.are three pieces of equipment you must have. Transceiver.
:32:27. > :32:31.Shovel. And probe.
:32:31. > :32:37.These are the basics. In fact, in some parts of the Alps you can get
:32:37. > :32:42.fined for riding off pist without one. Just having these three pieces
:32:42. > :32:47.of equipment in a back-pack is not enough. You need to know how to use
:32:47. > :32:55.them. I will go and bury this transceiver. You go and find it.
:32:55. > :33:00.will track this signal down. I am down to 3 3.6 metres. Two metres,
:33:00. > :33:04.1.6. That has lengthened there. The signal is weaker. I will come back
:33:04. > :33:11.across here. I will drop a line here. Somewhere in the middle here.
:33:11. > :33:18.Let's go across and I am walking on the other plain now. So, what I
:33:18. > :33:22.have created is a cross N the middle of that should be our
:33:22. > :33:26.victim.Vy Never been buried in an avalanche. Being poked by one of
:33:26. > :33:33.these must be the nicest thing ever. When you come across a body, leave
:33:33. > :33:37.the probe in there. You start to dig, depending on how deep the
:33:37. > :33:42.probe is two metres from the downhill side. I am come from the
:33:42. > :33:52.side and hopefully not going to put a shovel blade through someone's
:33:52. > :33:52.
:33:52. > :33:57.head. There we go, one transceiver. Here are a few of the golden rules,
:33:57. > :34:01.never snow off-piste on your own. Check the avalanche warnings. Ski
:34:01. > :34:05.patrollers are a good source of information.
:34:05. > :34:10.Stay away from south-facing slopes later in the day. They get the sun
:34:10. > :34:18.most of the day. They are more likely to slip. Never, ever follow
:34:18. > :34:26.someone else's tracks. It could be that you follow a glider could skis
:34:26. > :34:32.with a parachute. Get yourself a guide. You will get to ride the
:34:32. > :34:36.most incredible terrain of your life - guaranteed. Well the Alps
:34:36. > :34:41.are at their best. Thousands of British holidaymakers will make
:34:41. > :34:46.their way out here this winter. A lot of people don't realise there
:34:46. > :34:54.is an alternative destination closer to home. It is one
:34:54. > :34:58.particularly close to Graham's heart.
:34:58. > :35:02.The drive towards any mountain range never fails to give me goose
:35:02. > :35:07.bumps. The horizon suddenly becomes more
:35:07. > :35:12.dramatic. The temperature drops a few degrees.
:35:12. > :35:16.There's an excitement, an tispaigs of taking on what they --
:35:16. > :35:19.anticipation of taking on what nature throws at you. This drive is
:35:19. > :35:24.different to me. The Cairngorm mountains in the Scottish Highlands
:35:24. > :35:31.was once a home from home. It was the first place I set foot on snow
:35:31. > :35:35.and learnt to ski. This brings back memories. This was the caravan site
:35:35. > :35:38.we used to park our caravan for the whole winter. There's only one in
:35:38. > :35:43.there right now. There used to be tonnes of people used to caravan.
:35:43. > :35:47.We would go up Friday evening. It would be really, really cold. You
:35:47. > :35:51.would scrape the ice off the inside of the windows and go skiing
:35:51. > :35:56.Saturday, Sunday and drive back down the road on a Sunday evening.
:35:56. > :36:00.When the snow was really bad, you couldn't get up the mountain, we
:36:01. > :36:10.would come to this spot here and build jumps and stuff. Some
:36:11. > :36:14.
:36:14. > :36:19.It was down there when I was five and my brother was six that we
:36:19. > :36:23.first put skis on. We had lace-up boots. I cannot really remember too
:36:23. > :36:27.much about it, but this is it. This is where we started skiing. If it
:36:27. > :36:31.was not for skiing in Scotland we would never have made it as World
:36:31. > :36:36.Cup ski racers. We would go to the Alps as well, but the weekends
:36:36. > :36:41.training here is what gave us the mileage on snow.
:36:41. > :36:47.I've come across a man who used to instil fear into me when I was a
:36:47. > :36:52.child. My first dooch from when I was ten or 11 -- coach, from when I
:36:52. > :36:56.was ten or 11. I remember you as a little boy like that, you know,
:36:56. > :37:02.with a noty nose and so on. Do you remember Martin. He was older than
:37:02. > :37:10.me. I don't want to be unfair to you, but mar tain was technically
:37:10. > :37:16.bet -- Martin was technically better than you. I don't think he
:37:16. > :37:21.had quite this - it didn't matter how you skied, you wanted to be
:37:21. > :37:28.down there and be the first one. remember some of the punishments,
:37:28. > :37:33.there was 100 shot swings was probably the most common thing when
:37:33. > :37:43.I misbehaved. What did it teach you? It taught me to not misbehave
:37:43. > :37:47.and do them very well. They taught you cone trol, body position, stick
:37:47. > :37:57.control -- control, body position, stick control, everything. We did
:37:57. > :37:58.
:37:58. > :38:05.that a lot with you lot. Remember? That is why you won the race?
:38:05. > :38:11.Martin only won it once. I won it twice.
:38:11. > :38:18.Did Martin had a World Cup? Let's not go into World Cup. Martin
:38:18. > :38:23.placed way back than I did in the World Cup.
:38:23. > :38:29.It's a credit to both of you. I think it's a tremendous credit to
:38:29. > :38:35.you, Graham. You are still going down with the camera.
:38:35. > :38:44.Doesn't it give you the Willies? It's very scary.
:38:44. > :38:52.I love this course. The toughest challenge in downhill racing.
:38:52. > :38:58.OK it's not as high as the Alps. It is 1200 metres, where as the town
:38:58. > :39:03.is 18,50. If you catch it on a good day it can be incredible. The peeks
:39:03. > :39:08.have been rounded, flat. When you look off the backside of the
:39:08. > :39:15.Cairngorm here you get a sense of wilderness. On a bad day it can be
:39:15. > :39:25.wild. The top of Cairngorm mountain has recorded the highest winds in
:39:25. > :39:29.the UK. It can vary between sheet ice and slush.
:39:29. > :39:31.Cheap flights to Europe, to the Alps, it is cheaper to come here to
:39:31. > :39:35.Scotland, but now we find that people, because of the economy,
:39:35. > :39:40.they are choosing to come to Scotland and not do their European
:39:40. > :39:45.holidays. People started to come back skiing. Our season ticket
:39:45. > :39:49.sales are right up. We are 2,500 season tickets. People have the
:39:49. > :39:56.confidence to buy a season ticket now. Mid-week numbers are getting
:39:56. > :39:59.better. People will travel from Glasgow and Edinburgh. Scottish
:39:59. > :40:04.skiing is being promoted as a genuine alternative to travelling
:40:04. > :40:09.to the Alps. On the competitive side it is less about ski racing
:40:09. > :40:13.and more about free-style skiing and snowboarding. Events like this
:40:13. > :40:23.in the heart of Edinburgh city centre point a new direction for
:40:23. > :40:28.
:40:28. > :40:33.When I grew up here it was about ski racing and having the numbers
:40:33. > :40:36.of people doing it, once you reach that Critical Mass then you can
:40:36. > :40:40.start to develop and get really good athletes coming through. Do
:40:40. > :40:45.you think you are there yet? We can always do with more numbers. I
:40:45. > :40:50.think that we have the programmes in place just now that we are
:40:50. > :40:54.putting in athletes into positions where they can compete and hold
:40:54. > :40:58.their own, not just in the UK, but against the rest of the European
:40:58. > :41:06.and international market. The free- style scenes are progressing here,
:41:06. > :41:12.with the dry ski slopes as well. It is looking good for the future.
:41:12. > :41:19.You must have people come along and say, "Where can I go skiing?"
:41:19. > :41:27.to raise snow sports, not just free-style. Hopefully we will get
:41:27. > :41:31.people interested. Back in the Highlands, Scotland's next
:41:31. > :41:38.generation of ski racers train for a potential future in the sport.
:41:38. > :41:42.The ambition is to unearth an Olympic or World Cup star. There
:41:42. > :41:48.has been shortfalls in funding and membership. We normally have 40
:41:48. > :41:53.kids. We have 17 training in the programme all together. Some are
:41:53. > :41:58.off on British children's teams. They come and go into the programme.
:41:58. > :42:03.On an average year, 40. How many kids were there when I was
:42:03. > :42:09.training? There must have been 150 in the club race pg and training. -
:42:09. > :42:16.- racing and training. There are not enough kids to push.
:42:16. > :42:23.The good ones to the top. Get your race-heads on. Think about
:42:23. > :42:28.the technical aspects you are working on. Let's go. A nice, high
:42:28. > :42:33.early line. Off you go. With the group of kids you've got, what is
:42:33. > :42:38.the prosecution and where you do hope to get -- what is the
:42:38. > :42:43.progression and where do you hope to get them to? My programme
:42:43. > :42:50.coaches them from eight to 18. The aspiration for them is to get into
:42:50. > :42:59.the British children's team, Scottish team, Olympic team.
:43:00. > :43:07.It's 30-odd years since Martin and I honed our skills before
:43:07. > :43:17.progressing on to the world scene. If you can straight-line this, this
:43:17. > :43:19.
:43:19. > :43:25.is good preparation for racing the Highland Cup.
:43:25. > :43:29.First Hanz insists Martin was better than you, then Ucatt
:43:29. > :43:33.gorycally told me he was too young and inexperienced to win this race.
:43:33. > :43:36.Some you win, some you lose. have highlights from the youth
:43:36. > :43:43.Winter Olympics games at 7pm tonight on the red button, plus
:43:43. > :43:50.every night this week. More medal chances for Team GB. Good luck to