Haglöfs Arctic weekend is now over and I’m just about to go to bed to get ready for a full day of traveling tomorrow! Its been a few really good days of skiing and ski touring in Riksgränsen, Björkliden and Låktatjåkka and the snow conditions have been awesome. This is a really special place to visit in the winter with the magic light, the cold and, if one is as lucky as we have been, the dry powder snow. On Friday I went to guide the lift access skiing in Riksgränsen and even though I have been spending many seasons there I have to say it was one of my better days I ever had there. In the night I went out with photographer Fredrik Schenholm to shoot some flash photos in the night (with really good results) and on Saturday I guided the classic ski Kåpparåsen from Låktatjåkka mountain station. In the evening I held a lecture and showed some photos from my Denali expedition last spring and today has been a day of work and design meetings.

Its been great to meet the great Haglöfs crew with associates, all the guests on the event as well as all my good old friends from the Riksgränsen, Björkliden, Abisko area. I’m already looking forward to next year’s event.

Tomorrow I’m going back towards Chamonix for more everyday adventures, or if Fredrik get back from his cold, we make take on a pretty special adventure. Lots of questions will find their answer tomorrow… 

A swedish Semla, the first thing I ate when i got back to Arlanda, Stockolm’s airport

I arrived to Kiruna’s deserted airport late last wednesday… it was deserted

Fredik Schenholm holding an adventure about adventure photography. Check him out on www.schenholm.com

Lapporten on my first morning in Björkliden

Johanna Stålnacke and myself in the bus towards Riksgränsen

Sun was shining, and the weather was sweet!

Filmer David Kvart doing his thing! www.kvart.com

Fredrik again! 

Fellow Haglöfs team member Per Jonsson (www.freeride.se/blog/perjonsson), on of the world’s top telemark skiers, held a clinic about creative skiing… 

Johanna Stålnacke (alpinepassion.blogspot.com), also in the Haglöfs team, was also holding one of the clinics about creative skiing… 

Mine and Stephanie Churlet’s group on the top of Riksgränsen with Vassi and Voitas in the background… 

Steph, Haglöfs team member, skiing some awesome powder. 

Patrik at Outside Magazine doing the same thing

Steph on the top during some short film work

Lapporten the next morning

Breakfast in Björkliden

Låktatjåkka mountain station in a snowstorm 

Mine and Johanna’s group doing a loop around some dangerous avalanche terrain… 

Haglöfs designer Anna Oreman shredding! 

And again

Kåpparåsen from the bottom 

Another sunrise at Björkliden

I’m at Copenhagen airport at the moment on my way to Björkliden in the north of Sweden for Haglöfs yearly event – Haglöfs Arctic Weekend.

It will be a weekend full of happenings, clinics, lectures, small adventures and lots of skiing of course. I used to spend a lot of time in the Riksgränsen area a few years back and it always feels like coming back home when I visit the mountains up north.

Read friend and fellow Haglöfs team member Johanna Stålnacke’s write-up on the weekend at: alpinepassion.blogspot.com

Just got the word that freeskier.com have posted a profile on me! Check it out at: http://freeskier.com/stories/profile-andreas-fransson-talks-motivation-chamonix-fear-and-going-solo… 

He just put up some photos from the weekend’s photo shoot – http://danielronnback.blogspot.com/2012/02/chamonix.html

I just came back from a two-day ski tour around Dents du Midi in Switzerland with Bjarne Sahlén.  We had planned to ski one of the awesome couloirs on the north side, but snow conditions where really tricky. First, on the south side we had to abandon our objective because of wind loading, and then, when we dropped in to our back up run it was also extremely wind loaded – so the only reasonable thing was to walk back up and call it a day.

It’s weird though, that many times when I back of something I feel like a bigger accomplishment than when I get something done. Especially this time when backing of was a much bigger hazel than skiing down, that makes me even more proud of our decision. But looking back we still had two great days in perfect weather, a kick ass dinner as well as some really good turns. We might even have some good material to make another small webisode.

Keep an eye at Bjarne’s video blog as well; it’s loaded with lots of great films from the mountains – endlessflow.posterous.com

Bjarne on the train to Marecottes

Bjarne walking through the beautiful village of Marecottes

Hiking up to the Marecottes backcountry

We got some really good turns in

Bjarne walking over a lake with Les Dents du Midi in the background

Our awesome dinner: Red vine, fresh tortellini, smoked salmon, mozzarella, tomato sauce, baguette with some compte and candy, dark chocolate and honey waffles for dessert. 

Sunrise this morning

Couloir dente jaune

Bjarne enjoying some good snow

But it got too good… Really wind loaded further down and Bjarne belayed me out to check the snow, but it was just too dangerous. We had to walk back up. 

But wi still got some really good skiing

Bjarne on our way back to Salvan and Les Marecottes. 

Today we went up to Midi to get some fair weather shots. The crew for the day was Erik, Daniel and Bjarne. It was a good, cold and fairly slow day where we only did one run (a run from the top of Midi is around 2800 vertical meters) but we got the photos we where after and we skied some really good snow. The most intense moment was for sure when we got to track the Bosson glacier with zero visibility, but we made it spot on and where down in town for a good afternoon boulder session.

It’s been a good weekend and it was really cool that Erik and Daniel came by – Both are excellent company, Erik is a living ski motivation booster and Daniel is one of the best I know at documenting the action and the story as it unfolds. Daniel has been in Chamonix before with us, but for Erik it was the first town skiing the bigger lines and it was awesome sharing the experience with them both and to be able to show them a small part of what these mountains has to offer! 

Bjarne shooting on the Midi ridge

Erik Sunnerheim sliding in to the fog

Erik offering some suns – “Åre Edition”

Daniel is always happy, Bjarne on the rappel

Bjarne Sahlén leading the way

Erik Sunnerheim in couloir Cosmique

Daniel waiting while Bjarne is skiing

Erik with the couloir in the background

Bjarne Sahlén skiing some good snow

Daniel skiing powder in the trees 

Erik dropping in to a small couloir

Yesterday my friends Erik Sunnerheim and Daniel Rönnbäck arrived for a weekend of photo work. Erik, also known as “the Demon” in the Swedish ski community is one of the Swedes on the Freeride World Tour and Daniel is part of the new generation of action sport photographers. It was kind of a last minute call for the duo to come by Cham as they didn’t have a car, but finally they arrived late last night from Engelberg.

Today we went up to try to get some good shoots from the Chamonix backcountry and after looking at the raws it seems like we managed to get some good stuff.

The best thing though was that we had a really good day out with a morning on Grand Montets and the afternoon on Midi. We got some really good turns in and Erik later claimed that it was “one of the best ski days in his life”.  That coming from one of the best and most enthusiastic skiers I know makes me feel really happy. Chamonix showed its good side to us today so whatever happens tomorrow the weekend is already a great success.

Follow Daniel’s blog at: danielronnback.blogspot.com

Erik Sunnerheim having a look at what the Chamonix backcountry has to offer

Erik And Daniel

Erik and Daniel on the backside of Grand Montets

Erik skiing

Daniel showing the way

Daniel and Erik at work

Daniel being a photographer with style

(Photo: Erik Sunnerheim)

Erik and myself on top of Glacier Ronde (Photo: Erik Sunnerheim)

Me setting of (Photo: Erik Sunnerheim)

Mr photographer kicking ass

Myself in action (Photo: Erik Sunnerheim)

Erik and Daniel

Daniel catching up

Daniel and Erik on some glacier route finding

Happy after a full day out