Bye Åre!

Bye Åre after ten fantastic days with friends and skiing! It was a perfect day in Åre today, the sun was high and warm, good friends all over the mountain and no wind. I don't know when I will see you again Åre, maybe next winter... Cause if you look at my schedule from now on it's tight. Instead of skiing I'm heading for the Stockholm archipelago and the liquid form of snow. For some time, closer to 6 weeks I will be on Sandhamn working with the Guides of Sandhamn and catch up with training again. Last week have been my time of from training, I don't see skiing as training for me. I been eating good food and just tried to spend as much time as I could with my friends. I feel motivated to get back on track.

New look.

While waiting for my new website to be complete I chose to change the look of my blog. I have had some feedback on the blog and it seem like readers thought the look have been to dark. That have made it harder to stay longer on the site and made the reading tiresome for the eyes. So I hope this will be better, Thanks everyone who send me emails with feedback and Thanks to all of you who is reading. More is to come so stay tuned!
Thanks Staffan =)

Åre and Birthday celebration...

Yes and no, it's not my birthday today but tomorrow. We usually meet up in Åre around this day every year but last year I could not attend my self, I was down in the Alps trying to ski The Marinelli couloir. So Linus and Johan made sure that it all happend last year too and gathered all friend and had a session in the sun. This year I was back but the fore cast for tomorrow didn't look great... and both Johan & Linus are both working tomorrow so we decided to celebrate my B-day one day ahead because of the fantastic weather and because we were all of today with no obligations! This was our day, see pictures below. Later we had barbecue in the sun back at Linus place and a B-day cake! Thanx for an amazing day all people involved!

Cold snow in the morning! I have never seen so much snow in Tväråvalvet like this, this time a year. Midsummer skiing this year maybe!?

Johan is getting some!

My two year ago pressent from Johan, I have my own run in Åre! Thanx again Johan! =)

Lot's of jumping of small cliffs today. 

More...

...and more...

...and finally more... Arvid joined up for some runs, Fun & Thanx! =)

Johan is having a quick swedish Fika before doing Brännaråket again! 

Snasahögarna!

Hiking up Västerskutan... Kallsjön in the background!

...Chatting along.

Summit of Åre Skutan!

Linus happy as ever to be at the top of Västerskutan!

Johan... Nice!

Four fantastic days in Gränsen!

Now we're on our way down to Åre, that's a 10-12 hour car ride from Riksgränsen. It was hard to leave this morning and even hard when we decided to take one run before hitting the road. We been here for four days and Gränsen have showed of it best side, NO wind, A LOT of SUN and great cold winter snow! All of us surprised, this is nothing we are used to when we are here. Usually it foggy, rainy and warm... I have to say this is a month later we seen this. So Thanks Gränsen for great couple of days, hope Åre can show of some nice spring weather as well...? This pictures show our last day! =)

Riksgränsen from the lift!

Sara goes crazy!

Örjan & Sara at the hike up to Nordal.

Örjan coming up strong.

Sara & Örjan in this super nice morning light. Looked like gold.

Getting ready!

Sara rippen!

More rippen.

Qualification face for NM i Gränsen with way more snow than usually. 

Örjan spraying some powder around him.

Riksgränsen!

  

Riksgränsen

After a few days in Kebnekasie mountain massif racing and ski touring Sara and I went north to Riksgränsen yesterday. When arriving Kiruna we had to wait, there was now trains and no other connections that existed on a sunday afternoon to Riksgänsen. Luckily Markus, a photographer who been shooting Keb Classic where passing by on his way back home to Björkliden and we could catch a ride with him.

Today was awesome! I have never skied here in good conditions so toady when we woke up it was a great surprise when looking out the window. A big bright yellow SUN, no winds and cold snow with a wee bit of fresh on top! Believe it or not but I left the camera at home today so I can't show you any pictures. Markus was with us today and took a bunch but they will be used for a magasin later. 

Tomorrow we will do it all over again!

Tuolpagorni 1662 meter above sea level.

Yesterday afternoon when and just before finishing Keb Classic 2012 we were skinning up Kittelbäcken till last check point, I was begging and asking Sara to come with me and ski Tuolpagorni. It was not a part of the course but so close and something I looked at from the first day we arrived. And this was after 8 hours out in the mountains along the race course. I asked for us to quit the race and take a detour of 500 extra vertical meter to the summit of Tuolpagorni. But the answer she gave me was, NO, we are going to finish now. I thought to my self that I would ask someone at the finish line to join me for an afternoon tour but Peters voice echoed in my head, No big tour in the afternoon. So after finishing yesterday I start to ask around if anyone where interested in skiing it today.

I got great success, 09.38 this morning Sara, Henrik, Stefan and I walked away towards Tuolpagorni on our ski touring gear again. This is how our awesome day started and ended!

Reaching the pass.

Preparing the rappel.

Henrik starts.

Sara is lowering in.

I skipped the rappel and skied in.

Steep.

Speed checking.

Below the rappel, taking down the rope. Look at the cronies, BIG.

Stefan getting is stuff together.

That's our mountain and run for today!

Me and Henrik skiing up Kittelbäcken.

Helping Sara with her gear.

Bye Bye Stefan!

Cool!

The bowl!

Henrik.

Sara.

Stefan.

Stefan.

The Crew!

Keb Classic Day 2!

Early in the morning, Henrik, Mike & Mårten going strong. 

You can see Sara far ahead of them as a little dott.

Entering the est route, crampon are mandatory here! 

Putting crampons on take time.

Relay start this morning, this is were the fast group caught up with us!  

Last team up to the mandatory gear change but they where first team crossing the  finish line later this afternoon. Winning team over all Keb Classic 2012.

To have fast transfers is a key to be FAST!

Fredrik Sträng looks fat but it's pure muscles =) (He is tiny) 

Me and Sara at the summit, highest peak in Sweden, 2104 meter above sea level.

Getting ready for downhill after three hours of uphill.

Fixed ropes on the est route help both when getting up and down.

Great Great weather above the clouds, when we came up you could see big smiles on all faces. 

Thanks to this people we can do this races safe. Thanks all volunteers!

Ridge up to the summit, if you follow the track you will find Sara on the glasier. 

Deep and great soft turns! Winter is still here.

On the glasier.

Tarfala.

More volunteers by the cave. 

Entering the ice cave!

Perfect arch shape!

It's about 250 meters long.

Light in the end of the tunnel. 

Last uphill and Sara is super happy. WHAT A DAY!

At the finish line, happy campers.

Champagne and cinnamon rolls make the perfect finish!