Mont Fort

We visit Mont Fort at 3,300 meters, accessible by two gondolas, and snow capped despite August. The peak offers a world-class ski drop used for speed and, well, getting one's crazy on. A small hut (white arrows), reached by a third gondola, provides a 20 meter red "chute" where skiers drop in the one-kilometer piste : nearly straight down (NB there are about 30 of these courses world-wide and the distance standard for record-taking; most high altitude, reducing air resistance). Top speeds judged b/t 400-500 meters (the "timing zone") while the last 500m for slowing down. And stopping. One hopes.

The current world record for skiing is 251 km/h, held by Simone Origone. Speed skiers regularly hit 200 km/h , which is faster than the terminal velocity of a free-falling skydiver; about 190 km/h in the belly-to-earth position.

Speed skiers wear dense foam fairings on their lower legs and aerodynamic helmets to increase streamlining. Their ski suits made from air-tight latex or have a polyurethane coating to reduce wind resistance, with only a mandatory back protector to give some protection in the case of a crash. The special skis used must be 2.4 metres long and maximum 10 cm wide with a maximum weight of 15 kg for the pair. Ski boots attached to the skis by bindings. The ski poles bent to shape around the body, and must be a minimum of 1 m long.