There are famous winter sports resorts around the world, but if names like Aspen or St. Moritz have a bling-bling connotation, and if Niseko or Steamboat are dreaming of powder snow, Jackson Hole is synonymous with pure skiing pleasure. We go there for that, and for nothing else. Corbet’s is named following Barry Corbet, one of the resort’s first inspectors, who predicted the very day he discovered this corridor in 1963 that people would one day ski down it. Which was done four years later by a patrolman, Lonnie Ball. Le Corbet’s Couloir is a must, adorned with an aura comparable to that of the Vallée Blanche or the Streif. But isn’t his reputation overrated? Admittedly, the start is enough to make your hair stand on end, but those who have dared to start say to you followingwards: “Okay, that’s it, it’s done. Then they add jadedly that, following all, it was pretty easy.
But following careful consideration, yes, Corbet’s Couloir is the most beautiful descent in Jackson Hole. Because following the famous jump, you still have almost 1,000 meters of elevation to cover, one of the largest in the United States, with fields of powder, more walls and, finally, the Dick’s Ditch, on the second half of the course, 600 meters of natural banked turns. You can’t find that anywhere else.
The big dive
You don’t ski in the Corbet’s: you dive there. The height of your jump, in the gap that opens in the cliffs crowning Rendezvous Mountain, depends on the thickness of the snow and the trajectory adopted. But it’s not enough to throw yourself into the void: you must also manage to turn in the air and successfully land (this, if you opt for the most frequent trajectory, starting from the left side at the top of the breach ). Once on the snow, a quick left turn and that’s it! You got away with it safe and sound.
The most difficult thing is to resolve to start; as soon as you regain contact with the ground, the adrenaline rush and the pleasure of skiing in the fresh powder of the Tensleep Bowl combine in a very special jubilant cocktail. Of course, there is always the risk of going flat on a rock. Admittedly, the vertiginous slope on which we land can be hard and icy. But if it reassures you, know that no one has so far killed themselves in Corbet’s Couloir. The same cannot be said of the Vallée Blanche. And if you give up – many do – there is also another, much easier way down via Rendezvous Bowl.
Do not look !
Regulars are divided on how to approach Corbet’s. Some will tell you not to watch it from the cable car, because then it seems “more terrible than it is”. The others will advise you to observe it carefully to visualize your trajectory. Anyway, before boarding the said cable car, it is essential to prepare mentally and physically by training on lower walls (there are many in Jackson Hole). The mind is decisive, and the Coué method can work miracles: tell yourself that you can do it!
But back to our 1,000 meters of elevation. Once you have successfully glided, savor this unique spectacle: the Jackson Hole cable car and Corbet’s seen from the bottom of the corridor! After the Tensleep Bowl and its powder, we turn in the double black diamond of the Expert Chutes which leads to the Toilet Bowl, famous for the big snowdrifts that the wind accumulates there on stormy days, and for its rock from which the we can have fun jumping.
A memorable descent
From the Toilet Bowl, you pass very easily over Dick’s Ditch, which is the last part of the descent. This kind of half-pipe natural that descends the side of the mountain is also famous; a hotly contested competition banked slalom takes place every year in March (from 4 to 6 for the 2016 edition).
It’s the perfect place to end in style what will remain for many the most memorable day of their ski life. A day that they will conclude as it should at the bar of the Mangy Moose, and that they will not fail to evoke in all the high mountain bars of the world during the years to come.
Extreme: the 50 most beautiful slopes and descents in the world
The Vallée Blanche, the Streif, the Corbet’s Couloir, the Gunbarrel… so many legendary runs that all freeride enthusiasts dream of doing at least once in their life. Whether they are within everyone’s reach or reserved for the most seasoned skiers, the 50 descents of this book are unmissable due to the beauty of their landscapes and the extreme sensations they provide.
From Chamonix to Saint-Moritz, from Jackson Hole to the Andes, or even from the Himalayas to Mont Saint-Élie, the adrenaline is there when you descend one of these legendary slopes. Find a large number of practical data for each of them: difficulty, altitude difference, average duration of the descent, ski lifts, means of access, but also level of fear – because the needle of the “trouillometer” often rises very high ! And let yourself be carried away through 250 photographs and texts rich in anecdotes to discover these unique descents in the world, which will take the breath away of all snow and sliding enthusiasts.
29,95 €
ISBN : 978-2-8104-1421-5
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