"Since the first Ridgeline film, I've dreamed of taking this concept to the most incredible places in the world. The potential to find fantastic, remote mountain ranges where we can test ourselves to our limits... to really explore what's possible on a bike," says Gee Atherton, summarising what drives him to ride dangerous mountain ridges.
The Dolomites film differs from its predecessors in that the team "didn't move a single stone". It is an exploratory tour with friends, a raw adventure in the mountains. Because Gee Atheron skis the lines they find. And according to Gee, these are some of the most unforgiving lines in the series.
It all started in June when Gee and his team visited the site. Gee went ahead with the trackwalk in the World Cup. Conclusion: The team quickly realised that it was "overstretched". There was no way to shorten the long hikes up the mountain, which may or may not have led to the discovery of a cool little singletrack section for the film with the kind of environment. Long days in knee-deep snow were followed by nights spent with Gee and his team poring over maps and trying to get as much sleep and energy as possible.
The filming in August went better because the weather was kind. Nevertheless, it took ages to reach the spots that would be suitable for filming. This included hours of walking, climbing ropes, ladders and abseiling. The team was loaded with camera equipment, drones, provisions and Gee's enduro bike, which was stripped down to its frame, handlebars and wheels to distribute the load. It was the most physically and mentally demanding week of the series, with a spirit of adventure and survival spurring the team on to some of the most incredible scenes they have ever filmed.
Gee Atherton said he knew from the start that he would film this scene on the Atherton AM.170: "It's tough enough, lighter than my DH bike and still has great traction. It's "enough bike" to tackle every inch of the steep and rocky terrain".
Gee was accompanied by his "right-hand man": Jamie Robertson and photographer Dan Griffiths (Moonhead Media), who were both involved in the project from the very beginning. But for such dangerous terrain, they called in mountain expert Brodie Hood. Brodie is one of the few filmmakers to have flown a drone to the summit of Mount Everest, an experienced mountaineer and mountain rescuer.
One of the most difficult aspects for the team was getting used to the long days on the mountain and losing the "vital fear". On the first day of filming, Gee was still very hesitant on the very exposed trails, but by the third day he was blasting downhill race speed and as if the 300 metre drop just a few centimetres to his left didn't exist.
Gee said of mountain specialist Brodie Hood: "Having Brodie with us kept me going! But it also meant I had to get involved in things I wouldn't have tackled on my own... For example, at the end of the film there's a sequence where I'm riding down a mountain ridge at sunset - it's absolutely breathtaking, but it was so steep and exposed that I don't want to think about the potential consequences. Dan and Jamie were both on the shoot of 'Knife Edge' and I could tell they had a hard time encouraging me to attempt stunts like that. The part of the film where I drive the slowest was actually the most difficult of all.
Interview: Gee Atherton
FREERIDE: You ride on a knife edge. What appeals to you about mountain ridges?
Gee AthertonOh, that happened by chance. I wanted to build a cool line at home and found this exposed ridge above the bike park. Then the next one came along and I took a liking to it.
You took a liking to it?! You almost fell to your death.
Yes, I fell down the side of the mountain while filming. But I came back and this time I managed to ride the ridge. Now I was off to the Dolomites.
Here the mountain flanks are vertical. Fall = death.
The consequences of such actions are always blatant. I know that, I've always known that. I know the risks and what happened to me when I fell is the best example of that.
Nevertheless, you keep going.
Yes, I recognise the danger and do everything I can to counter it. I calculate precisely.
Is there a difference from the head when the mountain falls vertically, even if an inclined grass slope can be just as deadly?
For me, there is no real difference. There were also vertical cliffs on both sides of the ridge where I fell. I was unlucky, but I still fell on rock and stone. The injuries were severe, but they could have been much worse. But yes, the Dolomites are a vertical descent, which sharpens your senses even more. And I didn't ride on some passages in the Dolomites either, it was too risky for me.
Kilian Bron has caused quite a stir with his film about the Dolomites. Tom Öhler also travelled there for a film project. What did you want to do differently?
Many other riders have filmed in the Dolomites. That applies to many regions: the Alps, Whistler, etc. I wanted to leave my very own signature in the Dolomites and ride the way I ride.
Riding like Gee. What does that look like?
Take a look at it. All my experience from the Downhill World Cup, from many projects, has gone into it. I had the feeling that I wanted to bring the speed aspect into it even more. And maybe people think I just switched off my brain. But it was all very calculated. I looked at every spot, inspected every stone, every edge. The way I analyse a World Cup track is how I approach my film projects.
Was it difficult to get film permits in the Dolomites?
Oh yes. And we had to find places that were secluded and remote. Or start very early or in bad weather to have the mountains to ourselves. We climbed around there for hours, abseiling down to find exciting passages. I rode one per cent of the time, otherwise I just climbed and scrambled around.
When you see you blasting along there, you automatically think: I hope his tyres hold up. Danny MacAskill was given a special compound by his tyre sponsor when he rode the rocky slopes in Scotland. You too?
Grip was incredibly important, but also the predictability of how the tyre would behave. I always had to know what the bike and tyre were doing. I used the Kryptotal downhill tyre from Conti. I varied the tyre pressure. More pressure in rough, fast terrain, because I didn't want to risk a flat tyre. But in ridge passages that no-one had ever ridden before, I lowered the tyre pressure. I didn't know whether I would be able to get the bike to stop in time. I went down to 22 psi and hoped that the soft rubber would generate enough grip.
You've just recovered from your injuries and you've already taken part in the Red Bull Hardline this year, you've competed in the World Cup, raced along deadly cliffs in the Dolomites and now you want to take part in the Red Bull Rampage. Gee, have you gone completely mad?
(Laughs.) Risk is part of our sport. The danger is there. But that's no reason not to do it. Life is precious. It's important that you do things that you love and you should do them as well as you can. Nowadays, it's easy to be intimidated, nervous and unsure of what can go wrong. But I think you have to overcome these fears. Projects like the ridge rides are important to me, nobody forces me to do them, I do them on my own initiative because they excite me. Not because sponsors or anyone else expects me to.
But you could also say: Relax, Gee. You're world champion, Red Bull Hardline winner, made the biggest drops at the Red Bull Rampage when it was still rough and wild. Why not shift down a gear and concentrate on your work at Atherton-Bikes.
Right, I could. But I could have said that back in 2004: Goal achieved, when I won a World Cup. But that's not me, that's not how I work. Nobody in my family is like that. We wouldn't have to compete for so long, set up our own bike company, build a bike park and so on. These are our personal decisions. We're always looking for new challenges - that's what drives us.
You are almost unbeatable on steep, rough terrain. But tricks are not your strong point. What do you want to show us at the Red Bull Rampage on 13 October?
I think the Rampage should stay true to its character. The more people who take part and concentrate on tricks, the more the Rampage will move in this direction. I'm not taking part to win the Rampage or to end up on the podium. It's to remind people that there are other elements besides tricks, namely speed and the brute. If I can contribute to that, then I'm happy.
Dimitri Lehner
Editor
