Words & video by Big Sky local and Liberty Skis athlete Chris Rennau.
(Editor’s note: This is likely the most challenging line at Moonlight Basin. It’s a steep line into a mandatory 60-foot cliff that Chris has gathered the mental focus to hit thrice. On April 8, 2013, he hit it twice.)
I’ve been looking at Class 6 since I started skiing at Moonlight Basin, Montana, about four years ago. This cliff has always seemed like an obvious line. My eyes are drawn to it every time I look at the headwaters. Each time I’ve gone for this cliff, it’s fairly impromptu. One hike in the morning delivers amazing snow conditions, and I think, “Today is the day.”
The hardest part about this line is dealing with the fear. The first time I hit it in 2011, I did some pretty hard bruising to my shins from landing in the backseat.
Class 6 is accessed via a 30-minute hike up the headwaters ridge at Moonlight Basin. The hike is difficult when you know you’re going up there to ski this line. It gets pretty quiet. Your mouth gets dry. Only a few people have gone over it before me. Scot Livingstone (a fellow Vermonter and former ski patrol at Moonlight Basin) sent it a few years ago on teles. He almost stuck it. Lost a ski and tore some ligaments in his knee.
Once, a tourist rode up to the edge of it, took off his board, and tried to hike out. He fell backward and broke his leg.
People might call me crazy or stupid for doing this, but Class 6 is very personal. No one has ever stuck it. To me, that is a huge challenge and a huge invitation. I had a couple “oh shit” moments with my health this past year which have helped shape my fear management strategies. The biggest fear for me is to live with regret. I’d hate to be on my deathbed looking back on my life and regret not going for it.
I gotta shout out to Moonlight Basin Ski Patrol. They keep us safe and let us get rowdy on some pretty big terrain. There are a lot of resorts where this cliff would be a permanently closed area. At Moonlight, there is just a sign. Caution: Cliff.
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Put that line at squaw and dudes will be rapid firing that thing. Looks fun!
Yeah buddy
I could stick it on my mongoose. Just gotta pull the mattresses. Even if you do rotate far enough, you’ll never stick it with those mattresses there.
For real though, I don’t see you, or anyone “sticking” this HUCK because it’s simply that, a Huck. The height of 60′ doesn’t seem to be so much the problem as the distance traveled take off to landing (forward motion) to clear the slope of the cliff.
Props on the commitment. Looks to me the take off to landing slope ratio doesn’t add up to properly stomp this. Can’t wait to be proven wrong!
Um, what? Pass the scotch, Crew.
This is definitely a stickable air. You will stick it as Chris as you are very close. Be patient, wait for the perfect conditions, visualize the stomp and the celebration on the runout. I am looking forward to your footage of the first successful mission next year.
This is so badass!
You are one rowdy motherfucker attempting 3 times!! Keep it up!
Huevos Grandes.
Sick.
I’ve looked at that line. Props Chris. Full commitment.
Can’t imagine skiing all that way then hitting that thing. Every turn I’d be wanting to stop and hike out. Big ups to you for sticking to that. And to hit it twice? badass.
Ketschek cliffs as I like to call them. Adam Ketschek was the first person I saw huck this feature. It is truly a huge commitment, probably the ballsiest line on Lone Peak. Definitely impressive watching Chris’ footage.
So rowdy!
I would hit it a little more skiers left with direction going skiers right. I watched a number of times and the angle is off just a bit. I’m sure you could stomp it with 80-120cms of fresh in there. It has the right angle. A little more snow blown in there would make the tranny a little smoother.
Bad ass attempts. Not falling, not getting better.
props and good write up
badass!
Very impressive Chris. Not many would ever go for a line like that. Strong work, buddy.