Hahnenkamm

Attempting the Mausefalle, the fearsome, ultra-steep drop that comes just seconds into the famous downhill skiing race held on the Hahnenkamm mountain in Kitzbühel is a daunting prospect. One week after Didier Cuche (SUI) won the 71st edition of the race, the slope is solid ice, and the lack of any sort of grip makes it even scarier.

But since I've watched downhillers hurl themselves down this course, named The Streif, on TV for the best part of 25 years and now I'm standing on the top of it, there really is no option but to give it a go. I've certainly skied steeper slopes, but never this slippy. To prepare for the race, the piste is sprayed and even injected with water to make it as icy-hard as concrete and extremely fast. Great for them, awful for normal skiers.

So, heart-pumping, in I drop but seconds into my first turn my edges have given up and I'm sliding. Slightly embarrassing and not the way I imagined it, I did manage to gingerly complete the rest of the course.

Eins..
Zwei..
Drei!
Seeing the jumps, drops and turns for oneself generates a new-found respect for the guys who race straight down it. How they make the off-camber right hander after the Steilhang or keep their line on the sharp, dipping edge of the Hausbergkante is remarkable.

There have been some terrible accidents in recent years. Hans Grugger (AUT) came a cropper this time round during training and spent nearly a week in an artificial coma. But after seeing it, not screwing themselves up more than they do is impressive in itself.

No wonder this course creates legends.

Zielschuss
The correct way to do it