I’m sure we’ve all got the odd embarrassing story when it comes to getting on/off a chairlift – an ungainly dismount causing the chair to stop, misjudging the spaces and sitting on top of the stranger next to you, forgetting to get off at the top altogether… we could go on. But this guy takes things to the next level!

When first watching this video it seems like utter carnage – one man chucking himself off a chair lift followed promptly by another one incoherently groaning, without it being obvious exactly why! With a little help from an explanation from the’Hanging Man’ himself (which you can read below), it all becomes clear, somehow he’s managed to get hooked on the chairlift. If there’s one thing to take away from this little video obviously it would be to take off your backpack before getting on a chair – a lesson that this chap learnt the hard way!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yfry9-4EbI

Quote from Erik Van Der Linde (AKA The Hanging Man)
Last January I switched from a sleek low profile freeride backpack just big enough to hold my shovel, probe and first-aidkit to a potentially lifesaving but far bulkier avalanche backpack with an airbagsystem. Just like the old pack I kept it on, riding the chair like I did countless times before. Did you know there are actually signs that you tell not to?

Now why is that, I wonder..??

A couple of things came together in a rather unimaginable way. Snow on the chair, little focus on the departure, the mandatory groinloop wasn’t in it’s proper place, the footrest picking me up by the carrierstrap. Tremendous odds of all these things happening at the same time and with the same outcome.

A very big thank you for my skibuddies for their support.