Sunday, April 17th, 2011
A happy birthday and a solo of the classic “Big Blue”
The Big Blue
Two days ago it was my birthday and I felt like I wanted to treat myself to a small adventure even though the weather was not to good. The days before I had lost most of my motivation as a good friend was struggling for his life on a hospital in France. While I where far away, with not much I could do and worried for him, he was also my partner for Alaska this spring. This meant I had both a friend in trouble and my project of the season washed away. After two days in bed I needed some fresh air and I also asked myself what Max would have done in my situation. He usually goes out soloing I thought, so I went out in the light rain to do one for him.
One of the few icefalls in the area that I had not done was the biggest classic; The Big Blue so I thought it would suit the day perfectly. I drove over to Låktatjåkka, parked the car along the road and walked up to the icefall in 20 minutes. There, I just put the crampons and harness on and clipped in to a trail line if I would need to retreat because of bad conditions. The ice was not very good, it had been quiet warm, but now it was below zero again although the ice was still really hollow. This meant it took lot of work to get safe placements for the tools, but I guess that only added to the experience. In the end it was not the ice that was the crux but a big overhanging cornice at the top. The later took a half hour to dig trough and then full concentration to get past.
Standing at the top the first thing that happen is that I receive a call from Max’s girlfriend telling me good news from the hospital. He is going to be ok.
That was the best birthday present I could get. Later on the same night I get another call, this time from my good friend Magnus, telling me he is up for joining the Alaska adventure. Magnus is on of the most fun people I know to hang out with as well as really good in the mountains, so I’m once again really looking forward to our camping holiday!
Getting past the cornice in the end
The Iron ore train between the mine in Kiruna and the Narvik harbour. Its supposed to have fifty two wagons, do the count if you like.
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Tuesday, April 12th, 2011
October Feast – Excellent roadside ice climbing on Låktatjåkka
Today I went to the mountain next door, Låktatjåkka to climb one of many amazing ice- and mix lines next to the road in between Björkliden and Riksgränsen. My partner for the day was Isaac Van Troostwijk and we chose to climb the line October feast that happened to be in superb conditions. Easy mixed climbing, some snow climbing and great steep three-dimensional ice with no tracks what so ever of other climbers (normal in this area) made another great day out.
Thanks Isaak for a good day out…
Looking down after the mixed section on the first pitch
Isaac in action
Looking down from the top
On the way down
Just another abalakov
Isaak rapping
Tuesday, April 12th, 2011
Chamonixinsider – Highlights on one of last years first descents…
Check out chamonixinsider.com to read their highlight of one first descent I did in Chamonix in April last year…
Tuesday, April 12th, 2011
Fjällfest
So how did it go at Sweden’s only mountain festival? Well, I came back from the 24 hour train ride yesterday afternoon and I would like to say that I had some amazing days at Storulvån mountain station. Because of stormy weather it was a challenge even to just get there. Normally you can take the buss all the way to the station, but now the road was closed and we had to take a ski cat to get in to the mountains.
Arriving at destination the storm picked up and soon not even the ski cats where able to get people in and out – closing us in from the rest of the world. The weather made big adventures quiet difficult, but everyone there seemed to do the best of the situation and enjoying the great meals at the station one could see in everyone’s faces they had been out as much as they possibly could.
Everyday was filled with outdoor clinics in the daytime and lectures by world-class adventurers in the evenings mixed with lots of socialising time in-between. I held one lecture and held steep ski clinics as well as some ski tour guiding for the Haglöfs crew.
It was an event with great atmosphere with cool people in a cosy location – I can highly recommend the event for anyone passionate for the mountains in winter.
Eventually the wind calmed down, the road opened and the gun smoke from the last night’s party dissolved and the festival was over for this year. But there will always be a next time…
A deserted train station in the middle of no where, a change in the middle of the night…
Where are the bus?
Change between the bus and the cat
Steep ski clinic
Carro working with marketing at Haglöfs and loves powder
Building T anchors
Anna, designs clothes at Haglöfs, and is making rappels down cornices in the Swedish wilderness
Helen, also working at Haglöfs, in a sunny storm…
Christian Kalmendal came for a soul tour with me one afternoon, the name of the mountain would give you a head ache, so I will keep quiet..
Christian skiing… Btw, he has just put together the best ski book Sweden has seen in years. Try to get your hands on a copy. You can get them trough www.areskidsport.se
The Baffin Babes, Emma and Vera Simonsson where there and they held one of the best slideshows i have ever seen… www.baffinbabes.com
Skier Per Jonsson (www.freeride.se/blog/perjonsson/) and Haglöfs team manager Carl Hard
I went for a coffee with good friend Jimmy Odén in Åre on the way back… Jimmy is on to something big, check it out on www.elevenate.com
And then dinner with Tobias Granath and his lovely and big family! Tobbe loves adventures, specially in the mountains. Check them out on: www.tobiasgranath.com
Tuesday, April 12th, 2011
Fjällfest
Fjällfest (Mountain Party)
So how did it go at Sweden’s only mountain festival? Well, I came back from the 24 hour train ride yesterday afternoon and I would like to say that I had some amazing days at Storulvån mountain station. Because of stormy weather it was a challenge even to just get there. Normally you can take the buss all the way to the station, but now the road was closed and we had to take a ski cat to get in to the mountains.
Arriving at destination the storm picked up and soon not even the ski cats where able to get people in and out – closing us in from the rest of the world. The weather made big adventures quiet difficult, but everyone there seemed to do the best of the situation and enjoying the great meals at the station one could see in everyone’s faces they had been out as much as they possibly could.
Everyday was filled with outdoor clinics in the daytime and lectures by world-class adventurers in the evenings mixed with lots of socialising time in-between. I held one lecture and held steep ski clinics as well as some ski tour guiding for the Haglöfs crew.
It was an event with great atmosphere with cool people in a cosy location – I can highly recommend the event for anyone passionate for the mountains in winter.
Eventually the wind calmed down, the road opened and the gun smoke from the last night’s party dissolved and the festival was over for this year. But there will always be a next time…
A deserted train station in the middle of no where, a change in the middle of the night…
Where are the bus?
Change between the bus and the cat
Steep ski clinic
Carro working with marketing at Haglöfs and loves powder
Building T anchors
Anna, designs clothes at Haglöfs, and is making rappels down cornices in the Swedish wilderness
Helen, also working at Haglöfs, in a sunny storm…
Christian Kalmendal came for a soul tour with me one afternoon, the name of the mountain would give you a head ache, so I will keep quiet..
Christian skiing… Btw, he has just put together the best ski book Sweden has seen in years. Try to get your hands on a copy. You can get them trough www.areskidsport.se
The Baffin Babes, Emma and Vera Simonsson where there,
