Shooting the Alps with Anthill.

We're just wrapping up a very successful film shoot in the Alps with Anthill Films for their next movie Strength in Numbers. What a trip. Man. Pretty much a dream trip. There was talk thrown around of "best segment ever." We'll have to see i guess. Here's a few photos that i took. There's more to come...

I like this photo. Looks like Hunter is just chilling in the sun.

Photographer Mattias Fredrikson and Anthill's Darcy Wittenburg at work.

Hunter & Simmons in the big mountains. Highest of high class dudes.

Huntor leaning it over in warm evening light.

Free goodies from Chromag.

We had the pleasure of handing out to participants of our Switzerland Alpenrock DH mountain bike trips the best handlebars in the business, OSX Fubars and a killer seat, the Lynx DH - both from Whistler-based Chromag. If you'd not tried wider bars yet, do. You'll never go back. And you might as well lay that touch of yours down onto something stylee and comfy eh? Here's what unfolded when the goodies where distributed...thanks to super guides Seb Kemp & Stephen Matthews!

Mustaches are cool.

Nice bars.

Moustaches are cool.

Best day ever.

Today was unreal. No seriously. We're in Switzerland right now guiding the crew from Anthill Films around the Alps and we'd been waiting for this day to fire up the helicopter and shoot riders Matt Hunter, Wade Simmons and local rider Ludo May. Full blue skies with a dusting of fresh snow on the peaks and big mountain singletrack lined up. Watch for Anthill's next movie, Strength in Numbers coming up next April and sit back and see what we captured today, you'll be inspired. Swedish photographer Mattias Fredriksson is also along with us so keep your eyes peeled for stunning photos from the Swiss Alps in your favorite magazine.

Hunter and Simmons getting ready for another day at the office.

A ridgeline shot from the heli. Wait until you see the video version of this line...

Five reasons why mountain biking rocks.

 FIVE REASONS WHY MOUNTAIN BIKING ROCKS.

1. You get to hang out with your friends and shred.
2. Mountain bikes take you to very beautiful places.
3. The latest bikes are well-tuned off-road Ferraris.
4. Exercise makes you feel great.
5. Adrenalin pumping good times.

Squamish & Pemberton.

Even from the sunny Swiss Alps we're still digesting last week's BC all-mountain trip out of Vancouver. Ahhh, so very nice. Here are a few photos from the nugget towns of Squamish and Pemberton.

Bridges are part of riding in BC. This one in Squamish is wide and friendly.

The group reliving some of the day.

Pemberton's Mosquito Lake is a perfect temperature right now, just cool enough.

Mt. Currie looms like a wall above the Pemberton Valley.

Update from our Swiss DH trip.

Guide Stephen Matthews tells us how it's going from the Swiss Alps:

We’ve had an incredible week in the Alps for our first Alpenrock DH trip of the year. Non-stop sunshine, big descents, and later afternoon lake swims! Everyday has been a huge success of vertical breaking numbers and extremely happy people!

Looking out from Verbier towards Chamonix, it doesn’t get much better than this.

Verbier and area has been incredible this season! Lots of work has gone into the trails, and the tracks are all as exciting as ever. Some overnight rain this week has kept the dirt in primo condition! The trail crew (I believe there are only 2) have done an incredible job building the new technical black trail, Wooooah, a trail full of technical rock features and gnarly steeps! I was first shown this trail in early August by local rider, Ludo May, and who’s currently racing for Norco bikes. Ludo is a great teacher, you follow his lines and his speed, and things generally work out...

 The guys having some fun on the La Vallee Express, one of the more daunting descents of the whole valley!

Bike parks are great for banging out laps, but the backcountry epics are what draw me back to Switzerland. Big Mountain has plotted out some of the biggest backcountry descents accessible by shuttle for the Alpenrock DH trips, and they are all combined to make one of my favourite days on the trip. I won’t give you the locations, but see what your mind stirs up with names like “Rolling Orgy and Pet Cemetary”

The trail ends at the Lake, 1500m below! Some call the trail “Racine”, I call it “Awesome”

The Val de Bagnes has become my home away from home. The Hotel La Vallee in Lourtier is one of the most hospitable and comfortable places I’ve ever been. Every morning is an array of delicious breakfasts, and every evening I’m presented with various traditional Swiss entrees. I love sharing the riding experiences we have in Switzerland with everyone, so stay tuned for more updates this month!

Here’s a quick edit from the week I put together. It’s all done on the new Contour HD helmet cam! I’m not much for editing, but who is after a week of this much riding!?
 

Beauty day of mountain cycling in Whistler, BC.

We've just begun a private Sea to Sky mountain bike trip, a ten-day jaunt in our most beautiful backyard here in BC. Riding the nuggets of Whistler, Squamish, Pemberton, the Chilcotins and the Sunshine Coast with a little Whistler Bike Park thrown in there for good measure and an optional North Shore ride. What a line up! It's great to see our trails through the eyes of others. Check back here in the next week for more reports from the front lines.

Your amazing host: Seb Kemp.

A special day in paradise.

BC forests are unreal.

What brake pads look like after 9 days of shredding Alps.

Rear pads. Toast.

Fronts. Schralped.

Photos courtesy N. Quaas.

"Not a weenie-cation."

Some recent testimonials that we'd love to share with you. It feels great to know that we're on the right track...

"Hey, Chris – I just wanted to relate my thanks for the great trip. I thought that you and Peter did a great job setting the tone for the trip and keeping things moving without making it feel too much like a military operation. The trail selections were varied, the food and lodging was great, yet the overall experience was a real mountain bike adventure, rather than some kind of weenie-cation. I enjoyed myself start to finish, even while bleeding, and will definitely keep Big Mountain in mind for future trips as well as recommending you to others"

M. Damon  

A fine place to stop for a break.

“Figured it appropriate that my first email drafted from home should be to you.  “Thank you” is not nearly descriptive enough for how glad I am that I took the Cloudraker trip with you and Pete, as well as the whole gang. Even now, with the comforts of home, I’m wondering how I could fashion a concrete balcony off my house with a gorgeous view and sounds of a river in the background. Freely flowing Carlsberg would complete that scenario as well. Salut! And again, thank you. That trip was just what I needed.”
N. Quaas.

Mountain biking brings out a cast of great characters. This trip was no exception.

Great moments.

 

Reflections on Cloudraker.

Just back from a very successful Cloudraker all-mountain trip in Switzerland. What a trip. Eventhough we've been running versions of this trip for nearly a decade, it is still a true once-and-a-lifetime adventure. Seriously, no Cloudraker trip is like the other one. We had the usual mixed bag of high-Alps weather, some mechanical challenges (too many flats on one particular day!), a few scrapes and bruises, some unexpected landslides that we had to walk around...and amazing hospitality at the Pellissier family hotel in Lourtier, a beautiful dinner in Aosta Italy after an unreal ride, tons and tons of drool-inducing singletrack, views to die for, great friends and camaraderie, a few too many coffees, some very challenging climbs and a whole bunch of laughs. Thank you to those who joined us!! What a trip!!

Guide Pete Gaston on the brakes on a steep & rooty descent.

Big Mountain Bike Adventures!

Raking clouds high in the Alps.

This lunch stop was perfect.

Waiting for a flat to be changed...take your time.