Sunday, July 8th, 2012

Snapshots from another week in Lofoten

Sunday, July 1st, 2012

Embracing life – Why I got in to social media!

I have always been a person that’s taking that which I do to it´s very end.

Starting a Facebook- and Twitter page in the last few days have been a big step for me. I felt the same thing when I started my blog about one and a half years ago.

For years I used to look down at people doing social media because the examples through which I saw the world, in my eyes, where doing things more for being able to talk about their feats and experiences afterwards – than for the simple, and “pure” act of living this experience we call life.

It might be true that many, nowadays, are doing things to be able to blog it, Facebook it or Twitter it, but before I wanted to be sure for my self that I was not doing the same. During my learning years in the school bench of the Chamonix mountains I made a point of not telling, not writing, not taking photos and not even really reflect on the things experienced in the mountains – simply because I wanted to prove to myself that the reason behind my own doing was “pure”.

I guess I wanted to be sure that I didn’t risk my life to be able to grow in the eyes of my surroundings. So from the most part of my life in the mountains I have no other documentation than my own memory. The romantic side of me likes that.

Then came a point when I started to feel like I wanted to share this fantastic reality with others and my point had already been made towards my self of the reason why I do what I do.
I guess I started my blog mainly for my mum and dad to read.
I never studied and got an education and I have never done much normal things and I understand that it must have been hard for them in their social life to explain what their run-away kid was up to.
While other parents could brag about their kids being doctors, diplomats, politicians or postmen I was still “playing” somewhere in France.
When I were gone it must have been like a black hole in the life of their son with occasional breaks where we had the possibility to spend time together. Those times where almost exclusively on hospitals or me at home with a broken leg, a rebuilt shoulder, a broken foot, ass, back, another leg, knee or neck.

The love of a parent must be stronger than anything, because seriously, I can’t logically understand how they could take it.

This picture is of course from the point of view I Imagined that they must have had, right?
Anyone empirically knowing the magic of the mountains knows that for every really dark moment, we have one hundred or maybe one thousand sublime ones. They might be painful, beautiful, filled with joy or simple exhaustion – but they still add up to a happiness beyond words, moments worth living for.

My plan with my blog was to show mum and dad all the magic and light in between the occasional darkness. Every time I write on my blog I remind myself that I’m writing for them.

Of course, I’m not going to be a hypocrite, social media is part of my profession and it´s feeding my ego that people wants to read what I have to say but I have simply accepted all this as part of my life.

If I’m going to be able to realize dreams and projects I can´t stand by my self, I need help, and to get help from others I need to play the game.

Creating a Facebook page and a Twitter is both scary and exciting. Coming from the mountain world where almost everyone dream about attention but where you have to act like you don’t, I know that social media is against the tradition. I have myself been there and I feel like it´s naive fear at play.

At the crossroad I have two ways to take. One is turning my back towards attention, people, media, opportunities and future dreams. The other one is leading the opposite directions; it is turning my back towards that kind of fears and is embracing life and the collective consciousness social media is on its way to become.

Follow what I’m up to on www.facebook.com/thoughtsfromhighplaces and www.twitter.com/freedompeaks

Saturday, June 30th, 2012

My dad on how to not get sick!

My dad has the best health of anyone I know. He is simply never sick and has never in his whole career had a sick leave from work.

He has plenty of theories about everything between heaven and earth and of course he has his own remedy on how not to get sick. There is no science behind this what so ever – only his own thoughts and experience. But the fact remans that he seems (know on wood) immune to sickness, so I’m just guessing he have some stuff to teach us weak people. Below are his nine most important tricks for staying away from sickness:

1. Wash your hands!
When you meet a lot of people or when you have been outside, keep a habit of washing your hands regularly.

2. No sugar!
If you feel like you are about to get sick, avoid anything with sugar.

3. Be happy!
People that choose to be negative or unhappy are proven to be much more sick than the people with a positive view of life.

4. Don’t eat pigs or bears!
I have no idea about stuff, I’m a vegetarian anyways, but he claims that they have too close of a DNA for the humans to be able to handle it.

5. Take Showers!
Take a shower every day if you are a city person (Once every second day is still ok). If you are outside you don’t have to shower at all!

6. Sleep!
If you feel tired, sleep.

7. Eat fruits!
Lots of it!

8. Be outside as much as you can!
No comments.

9. Exercise!
“I have to agree I’m not following this one as much as I could, but I still think it’s important”.

Saturday, June 30th, 2012

On the move

Yesterday I got back from a good week in Whistler with Mike Douglas and the Switchback Entertainment crew. I had a really good time with Mike and his family with lots of work for the upcoming movie project, skiing, running, biking and sightseeing. Now I’m back in Luleå for one day and tomorrow we are leaving once again – this time for Lofoten, Norway. We are planning to stay there for at least one and a half month and it’s going to be great to get some time for climbing and just being at one spot for some time. One and a half month seems like an eternity compared to the busy travel schedule I’ve had this spring.

Henningsvaer, in the midst of the magic islands

Now I’ll switch back to climbing and running mode for some time. I can’t wait to get back to all the great people, rock, landscape and running trails of the magic islands!

Blair, Jeff, Mike and Leslie at work

Canadian cars were not as big as the Alaskan ones, but not to far of…

Mike fueling up in Squamish… I have to get back here…

Seattle from the air

Finally back in Luleå, Sweden

Thursday, June 28th, 2012

And a new Twitter!

I’m usually the kind of person that goes the whole way with the things I do, so I thought: if I get a Facebook page I might as well also get in to Twitter. So If you want to follow my adventures from up close, check out @freedompeaks!!!

Tuesday, June 26th, 2012

A new Facebook page

I just made a new Facebook page where I will post news, updates and ideas from along the way. Check it out and “like” at www.facebook.com/thoughtsfromhighplaces…

Tuesday, June 26th, 2012

Skiing at Blackcomb with Douglas

Today Mike showed me the skiing at Blackcomb. It was the first good weather day in a while and the skiing conditions where actually really good. After a few runs in the bumps at the glacier we skinned up on the backside to Blackcomb peak, did a short detour to the summit, and then dropped in to the D.O.A couloir.

The snow was good, as its been refrozen over night and then the top surface had melted enough to serve perfect corn conditions in the early afternoon. A sushi on top of that for lunch and we had a really good ski day.

And, oh yeah, I saw my first Canadian bear in the slopes. Mike actually betted that he would move from Whistler if we wouldn’t see one during the whole day, but it only took five minutes, and sure enough we saw one under the lift.