The Telluride Suicide Chutes

Surfing the Suicide Chutes, filmed over the course of a beautiful bluebird day in late December.
Metallica - I Disappear

[@richardroskell3452]

Cool lines, thanks for sharing.

[@chrisjparke]

Thanks!

[@kristenmonegato2642]

This was so incredible to watch. I'm nowhere near your level of riding, but I'm going to Telluride next season and checking out some videos of what to expect. Your riding ability is top notch and so are your comments to people who have no clue what they're talking about, lmao! I'll be on the runs, but enjoying your videos off... Absolutely amazing!!!

[@samuelpanning764]

Telluride is unmatched!

[@vincentscholl319]

...when there's snow.

[@user-jz3vc9kd2j]

I thought the same....rode there 60 plus days per season for 8 years straight.....went to Taos on a good day last week....Taos is every bit as good. Less hiking too for the same sized terrain and elevation. Taos has longer runs too. You can go from the summit to base...thats not possible at Telluride...ive been down Palmyra more times than I can count. Probably still love Telluride more just because I lived there.

[@PhaseSkater]

@@user-jz3vc9kd2j how crowded is taos

[@levirichardson8505]

What are crowds?🤣

[@matthewjones6750]

Some damn fine riding there.

[@chrisjparke]

Matthew Jones thanks man!!

[@markgerardy]

Beyond incredible. Thank you very much for posting. You have got the biggest balls of all. But most of all, glad you folks had fun, but more importantly, you got out safely. Well done.

[@xcvx16]

Congrats to your no balls. Anyone can slideslip down a chute like this dbag.

[@bd-ds2fb]

SICK 🔥🔥🔥

[@PhaseSkater]

this is just insane and another level. i have no desire to do anything this crazy in snowboarding lol. id rather hit a 70 foot jump than try this

[@POW862]

Dope man!

[@IndigoRoses7]

That was exhilarating to watch! Wow

[@chrisjparke]

Thanks! 🤙🏼

[@MikeDonner]

Nice hitting that chute, and the ridge was fuckin awesome. I remember "suicide chute" looked like that back in the day, but was a cliff at the end, had to traverse.. bear creek. When i lived there if someone caught you going down Masters would be waiting with handcuffs, lol. Good job dude, nice run... fuckin knuckle dragger! ...I get jealous when i see surfing powder. EDIT: remembered and noticed again name "suicide" on title LOL thats what i get commenting before finishing

[@MikeDonner]

BTW.. Chiropractor chute.. actually hiked up it one summer and found a ski

[@DnalorEttam]

​@@MikeDonner Marsha the Marshal back in the day! Like the Early 90's back in the day! I'm sure it's still the same! Ya get caught in Bear Creek ya went str8 to jail!!

[@caveredecorator5310]

thanks for taking us on that wild ride. do you have a bit of a death wish? there had to be an adrenaline rush involved.

[@chrisjparke]

cave redecorator haha thank you! There’s definitely a huge adrenaline rush involved, not sure if I’d do it if there wasn’t that carrot at the end of the stick. It does get harder and harder to get to a point where I feel the rush as I’m getting more and more comfortable, but I do mean what I say when I say it’s more of a life wish than anything else. We know the risk and the dangers intimately, I have witnessed the incredible power and danger that the snow and the mountains possess first hand, but we assess each day and each line extremely carefully before descending. Many of the lines in this video have been ridden sometimes dozens of times and carefully studied before going through them at these speeds and in these conditions. Everything has to line up perfectly.

[@user-jz3vc9kd2j]

Great song choice! Gotta be careful though I've seen ski patrol pull season passes for going to some of those stashes! ..rode there 60 plus days per season for 8 years straight.....went to Taos on a good day last week....Taos is every bit as good. Less hiking too for the same sized terrain and elevation. Taos has longer runs too. You can go from the summit to base...thats not possible at Telluride...ive been down Palmyra more times than I can count. Probably still love Telluride more just because I lived there.

[@johnjohnmadscientist]

shut up quit telling people

[@reyvillanueva7254]

@@johnjohnmadscientist lol

[@ryanevans4783]

Dang bro you’re a very fast rider. Finally something good to watch there’s so many gappers have GoPros now and they document every crap run they go down lol. Anyways man now I really wish I would’ve maybe seen if I could’ve gone riding with you when I lived there. But I can always visit 👍 Also about 1:20 into your video when you’re on that high ridge with the perfect mounts of snow is that way way up skiers right of chair 9? And then you drop back down into the Creek? That spot looked so sick but also so sketch it you would’ve been a lil too far right and then shit. But that didn’t happen and never will. Anyways sick video and videos by the way. I’ve seen all these before but nothing wrong with watching something good more than once.

[@chrisjparke]

Yeah that ridge is definitely near chair 9, it drops off to the right also. Thanks for the kind words! 🙏🏼

[@robertboarding9095]

Epic terrain

[@jetskijay1955]

Ride fast and take chances. Nice!!!

[@noproheroes8530]

Wow amazing! You going back to ride there this winter???

[@chrisjparke]

Just for a short trip this winter, maybe a week or two. I have two young daughters now so my winters look a little bit different nowadays 😎 Thanks for the kind words

[@noproheroes8530]

@@chrisjparke congrats! I have a young boy as well. Let me know if you make it out and need a riding buddy plan to ride that area this winter.

[@thomaswiman3804]

That's so cool

[@chrisfernandez7705]

great video !!!!! Roped in to get around ?

[@chrisjparke]

Some are ropes to get in, some are ropes to get out. And some don't need ropes at all!!

[@guymorris6596]

@@chrisjparke Hardcore. Is that in bounds or out of bounds at Telluride ?

[@chrisjparke]

@@guymorris6596 out of bounds! This is all in Bear Creek.

[@TimHulse]

Bloody hell.

[@vickiredfeather4808]

Oh my!!!

[@evankatzz]

i know this is old but how did you get there? i’ve never been so i dont know anything about it and dont know all the little areas

[@chrisjparke]

evan no matter how old it gets, the mountains don’t often change. You should private message me on Facebook for more details if serious about riding these zones. Many people have required rescue from SAR or Patrol in these zones. Some have even died. There are many false fall-lines and gullies that end in cliffs larger than can be rappelled. The amount of research and caution required to safely navigate this area is tremendous. To quickly answer your question, though, this zone know as The Suicide Chutes is located between the gate at the top of Chair 9 and Chair 6, east into Bear Creek. Ropes are a necessity for most of them. Join Facebook group “Bear Creek Beta” for more info as well as a group of like-minded individuals.

[@chrisjparke]

I guess the reason they call it “The Suicide Chutes” is because it is one of the trickiest zones to navigate safely without being cliffed out. I do have it mapped out almost in entirety and in my other video “Suicide Chute Alternates” I show some of the even less explored areas of the zone.

[@user-jz3vc9kd2j]

Don't even think about it unless you know you have what it takes....death is VERY close in these areas...plus your season pass will get pulled if they see you going there from the runs.

[@jBaker-sb3dk]

At first I thought "week" then I was proven wrong

[@fosatech]

weak* :D

[@SRG420]

damn this looks so fun

[@chrisjparke]

Oh it is way more fun than it looks!! Come hit me up and check it out!

[@paulkanarios202]

Damn I'm leaving tomorrow wish I saw this vid earlier looks dope

[@chrisjparke]

Ah damn I wish ya had too!! Been an epic winter so far.

[@vincentmonheim5093]

Wow. Never knew these existed. You said some of them you don't need to rappel? How would you exactly get to them? I assume you go from chair 9? Is there a map?

[@chrisjparke]

The route finding on these routes is difficult because there are a lot of false fall-lines and "chutes to nowhere", there are some maps online I believe. This footage is only of Sui 5 and 6.

[@MikeDonner]

Don't do bear creek unless you got someone who totally KNOWS the terrain. You will die there easy if ignorant.

[@user-jz3vc9kd2j]

Lots of them are out of bounds and your season pass will get pulled if you get caught....we still do it though lol.

[@lemon6684]

Where exactly are these chutes? Are they on the back of the mountain in Bear Creek?

[@chrisjparke]

Yeah these are some of the upper Suicide Chutes of Bear Creek.

[@Genesis-lh6ki]

Are those small shrubs tips of trees? If so that's dangerous

[@chickfilaISamazing]

If I ever make it down to Telluride I've got to go boarding with you

[@chrisjparke]

Let me know!! Stoked

[@user-do2rb6rp8z]

What are the anchors like on the ones that you need to rap?

[@chrisjparke]

I always bring some webbing and D Rings with me regardless of anchors, because anchors fail or sometimes people remove them. Some pitons, nuts, or bolts might not be a bad idea to throw in the pack as well. The anchor on Sui 6 is three chocks wedged in the rock and one solid bolt that someone added last year. The rest of the raps are off of webbing slung around a tree.

[@colinandvic9419]

What software do you use for your edits?

[@chrisjparke]

Colin and Vic yeah I actually made most of these just using iMovie, the editing program that came with my MacBook. It’s super simple to use, which I think is the most important feature. The best video editor on the market is the one you can use easily and efficiently. I made most of these edits the same afternoon as the footage is from.

[@colinandvic9419]

Chris Parke what kind of camera did you use to film? I thought iMovie only works with Apple products.

[@chrisjparke]

Colin and Vic yeah that’s true. I used Movie Maker actually for all of my videos from Arizona as I didn’t have a Mac, and likely am returning to that for future edits as I’m on a Chromebook now. Curious to see how it will hold up but honestly all I really need is the ability to cut and splice clips and pair with audio, as well as occasional slow mo. Pretty much every video editing program offers this. Filmed with just a GoPro Hero 3. Stuck on the top of my helmet.

[@chrisspeltz9524]

sick riding

[@tommyayers7067]

Dude holly molly i was like yes then oh noooo

[@caseypomeroy109]

Is this in the ski resort or out of bounds?

[@chrisjparke]

Out of bounds.

[@hairball1006]

Is this Chris Parker from back in the day? Hairball Rusty

[@jacobsnyderpmaz]

Dude around 1:20 that powder is beautiful

[@chrisjparke]

Right? That was one of the greatest feelings I've ever felt maybe.

[@Eric_L999]

Where is that at ?

[@calebsheridan2488]

Great job but damn you could have chosen any other Metallica song

[@cole5864]

Where in telluride is this?

[@chrisjparke]

Moon Beef it’s located in a dangerous part of the Bear Creek sidecountry, out the backcountry gates.

[@jimburnsjr.]

at long last... i have found people crazier than i am.

[@chrisjparke]

Jim Burns, Jr. lol!! Thanks???

[@jimburnsjr.]

haha... yessir, be carefull out there... thanks for sharing your adventure.

[@user-jz3vc9kd2j]

Plenty of people who are more crazy lol. I helped Mattias ski BASE jump from Ajax and above bridal veil falls. That shit was crazy. Lol

[@xsorlin3768]

I live in telluride

[@TheBinoyVudi]

Risky unless you know the terrain already.

[@fullflowaerospace]

Wait a December when they had over a foot of snow

[@Dubmcbogie]

So your sayin don't bring the 188cm big boys??

[@chrisjparke]

Do you mean our ropes for rapping off of? I’m confused by the question.

[@serbianluqualizerskiingbio5821]

@@chrisjparke he's referring to skis, 188cm length

[@chrisjparke]

@@serbianluqualizerskiingbio5821 I see what you’re saying, yeah those would be way too long to turn in some of these spots. If you’re straightlining some sections it could work but my snowboard is 154 cm and will catch rocks on some spots if I turn in the wrong place.

[@xcvx16]

I was missing Telluride but then you ruined the line by sideslipping down the entire effing chute.

[@chrisjparke]

xcvx16 yeah I agree. This was 4 years ago and I’ve put a lot of work into the respect I give these areas during that time. Appreciate the feedback.

[@chrisjparke]

I can assure you I didn’t ruin the line for anyone though. No one else rode this zone until the next month. It’s pretty steep and dangerous avy conditions until spring.

[@ST19859]

Yes Im sure you're so much better than the guy who rappelled into a chute

[@deerhunter7482]

Great skiing , but erase the devil music !

[@endthedrugwartoday]

Uh, you should just bomb them and not check your speed so much. Pretty nice non-the-less! Thumbs up!

[@zachvaron]

EndtheDrugWarToday.com you sound like someone who's never hit anything ever.

[@chrisjparke]

Zach Varon LOL.

[@chrisjparke]

Try "bombing" a run called The Suicide Chutes: it has a 50-degree pitch, considerable avalanche danger on that day, areas that get as tight between the rocks as 120cm on a board that is 156cm, with a mandatory 45-foot rappel out the bottom. If you're still alive I'll buy you a bottle of Château Lafite Rothschild Pauillac Red Bordeaux and celebrate with you because YOU would be the image they put next to the word badass in the dictionary.

[@adamsanders9565]

You minced that chute. Snowboarders if you cant get off your edge learn to ride before you snow plough a chute. Kook.

[@chrisjparke]

Thought you were kidding and being a typical "skier vs. snowboarder" Westside Story crap. Then I was bored so checked out your page. 19 views on your only half decent edit, after I had watched. If you use your mommy's computer to watch it again you'll be at 20! Exciting times. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y52vY31-adehr68 The chute you say I "minced" had already sluffed out when we ski cut the 55-degree slope hanging above it, so it was already minced. Also, it has 3 choke points that are as tight as 120cm, my snowboard is 156cm. How long are your skis? I've straight lined it before but this day wasn't the right day for it. Usually, skiers that I ride it with have to either take their skis off and downclimb, rappel it, or some do some really weird side step thing that doesn't look much like sking to me. Come down to Telluride, I'll give you my contact info if you want it. I'd absolutely love to ride with you and show you some of these zones. The Suicide Chutes are mostly over 50-degrees in many spots, and most have mandatory rappels out. Meaning if you trigger a slide you die. If you come visit and "bomb" these chutes, and are still alive at the end of the day, I will buy you a bottle of Château Lafite Rothschild Pauillac Red Bordeaux because that would be something worth spending 5 grand to witness. And who says kook? Is that actually a thing? You fucking muppet.

[@zachvaron]

Adam Sanders Bro are you serious you hit that chute in your channel, which is whack af btw, like you were terrified then you face planted. I think you pizza'ed about 80% of it. You should probably stay out of Bear Creek.

[@bigredhawkeye5167]

God awful music

[@user-jz3vc9kd2j]

You probably would rather listen to Ariana Grande...