Today we open the 24th door, and it is time to close this years calendar. We start the last quiz of this year. First we search for the person that first discovered the magnetic south pole. This person also died close to an island. Which one was that?
This day will be about the best tour ever. It will be tough to pick one special tour among all others.
(Photo Ulf Bergman)
A tour to Sylarna will never be wrong, but is the best..?
Or is it Blahammaren with ’its three-course dinner…?
Land light house at Blahammaren. (Photo Ulf Bergman)
Or maybe a trip to Lappland and the high alpine range of Kebnekaise..?
(Photo Ulf Bergman)
It must be a winter tour, one I have done on my own to Gasen and Sylarna..?
(Photo Ulf Bergman)
No, the best one was from Storulvan-Gasen-Stensdalen-Valastugorna-Lunndorren.
Mattias Jansson close to Valastugorna.(Photo Ulf Bergman)Lunndörren…
See ya soon..and I wish you all a Merry Christmas!
Today we open the 23rd door. The X-mas closing in. Today it will be all about stoves.
There are three main categories of outdoor backpack stoves. The traditional with white spirit or meta tablets. The second is gas of all sorts. And the third category is stoves with liquid fuel.
The classic spirits stove, I think we all have tried. The advantage with this stove is that it is very easy to use. It works under the most conditions. The disadvantage will be the weight, and that it ponderous. It will take long time to get things boiled.
The second category the Gas stove,is very clean. It is quite easy to use and it will take small space and is very light. The disadvantage is that it works bad on the winter. Even that is now possible to buy winter gas, it still does work 100%. Don’t trust the pietzl lighter, always bring a fire steel to be safe.
High quality, easy to use and will take small space. There also is a new category in this area. The reactor technology. Here you can se how it works. This one will take less gas, and will heat the water or liquid very fast..
The third category is the expedition stove, with liquid fuel, or combination with gas. This stoves are very powerful, but the disadvantage will be weight and it is always a risk with liquid fuel. It can start do burn etc.
MSR MGK EX one of my favourites among stoves. It will always work, it feels like it is unbreakable. But, you must know it well before you go to the mountains..
and how it works:
The tube goes through the flame to warm up the liquid…
Lets go for the 22:nd door, and interest for Ice climbing score.
Ice Climbing is special. The material is changing, and is always different. It will give you a mental challenge, you must trust your self and the gear. The better confidence, the better climbing. If you haven’t tried it do it. Another thing to think over:
Let 2018 be the year you tried something for the first time..(maybe Ice Climbing?)
Some basic about Ice Climbing…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqr-yAB6Iew
Ice climbing at Rjukan Norway, a paradise for ice climbing.
Goran Karlén in action at Rjukan Norway.
And at the end some study of the technique, and when you behold the art of ice climbing..
After a long day on skis, or climbing it is a relief enter the door of an mountain station. After a night at Col du Midi in snow and thunderstorm it feels snuggly to enter the Hut de Cosmique.
A coffee at the Cosmique, will cheers you up. Especially after a night in thunderstorm at 3600m..
Hike up to albert 1st, get the first acclimatization. Then you also can start the training with crampons, ice axes and rope-team. There are lot of nice climbs/routes in the near.
Chamonix also means Lac Blanc. This is a easy but nice tour. You will for sure not get disappointed. The Lac Blanc always deliver..
Lac Blanc, as always delivers..
A funny history, Claes Grundsten took pictures for Haglofs product catalogue here. We thought it was in the wilderness..Guess about our surprise when we realised it was close to a refuge..
One of the refuges that is seldom visit is the Grand Mulet’s hut. The reason is that during summer it is very hard to get there. Lots of crevasses will make the rout dangerous. But during winter, this is one of the most common straight route up to Mont Blanc.
Grand Mulet’s hut, one of the more of wind and cold exposed hut´s
Today it will be about people that are role models for me. First we have to look into the history books. Gillis Billing, a important person in Swedish climbing.
The Swedish climbers in the early 20th century consisted of a small adventure adventure that made Alpine climbs and topsides on skis. Sometimes they climbed on rocks, but only as training in front of the large, snow-capped mountains. The one who secured had no robe belay, but completely pulled the Sonica hemp over his shoulders, ready to resist.
For Gillis Billing the workout and gymnastic exercise was a vital part of his life..
We are heading back to 1936 and the beginning of Gillis Billing’s climbing course. Then he went the first climbing course in Sweden, held in Sylarna under Emmerich Rossipal’s leadership. That same year he visited Vårbyberget on the outskirts of Stockholm when looking for suitable training mountains.
Gillis back pack ready for new alpine adventure..
Today, the mountain is more known as Häggsta. Gillis was perhaps not the first climber on the mountain, but he opened a pair of the first joints and made the mountain known among the climbers of the past.
In 1937 Gillis went to Kebnekaise and rose up for Baumann’s wall, a climb he dreamed of since he was a child. Ewa Hellström-Boström describes how he ”climbed the piece by piece” past difficult roads without being sure to move on. Then he climbed the same way down in 40 minutes.
Another Swedish adventurer which is not so known is Janne Corax.
One of our great adventurer…
In 2003, he made the first bicycle value through the roadless Chang Tang plateau. The plateau is uninhabited and lies at a height of 5,000 meters in northern Tibet. He carried out the expedition with his former partner Nadine Saulnier. She also became the first woman to have crossed the plateau at all times. The expedition resulted in a thirty-one episode in the National Geographics series Into The Unknown. The section was called Too Tired. Janne Corax has been the first with several climbs in Tibet
On June 26, 2007 he and Nadine Saulnier King Oskars fjord traveled 6323 m. It is a distant mountain in Tibet reached after 28 days of cycling through the wilderness. The mountain got its Swedish name of the detective Sven Hedin. (as a matter of fact me and Johan Skiold was discussing of climb the King Oscars mountain at the time, petty we didn’t do it)
The third one will be Stefan Glowacz, born in Germany in Bavaria in 1965.
I see rock climbing not just as sport, but a way of life. Sometimes I can just sit at the bottom of a cliff, look around and feel good. I don’t even have to climb.
In 1994, Glowacz climbed ”The Emperor’s New Clothes” (X+/8b+/5.14a), elected the hardest route in the Alps for at least 9 years
First ascents of big walls at the Una Peaks (Cape Renard Towers) in Antarctica; Tupilak and Ulamartorsuaq, respectively in Eastern and Southern Greenland; and Mount Harrison Smith in Canada
In 2001, he succeeded to be the first in fulfilling the trilogy of hardest multipitch routes of the Alps (all established in 1994), including Thomas Huber’s ”End of Silence” (X/8b/5.13d) near Berchtesgaden and Beat Kammerlander’s ”Silbergeier” (”Silver Vulture”) (X/8b/5.13d) in Rätikonn.
And today I will move to a small place in Jämtland. Vallåsen which is a small Sami village were some really awesome trails start from. When you arrive the first place you will see is the Per-olsgården.
Per-olsgården were you can stay, before skiing or hiking to Lunndorren-Ice lake valley or to Anaris mountain cabin.
The trail begin in the pre-mountain forest, it is a nice and very relaxing path..
Just follow the trail, and go with the flow. Here you have shelter from stormy weather..
Then you can choose the train into the ice lake walley(issjödalen) and you will enter a place that feels you are in the movie Lords of the rings..
Then it is easy to follow the trail to Lunndorren. You will for syre be alone on that trail, you have to pass some snow fields on the route to the cabin..
19km later you will se the Lunndorren cabin at the side of the mountain lake.
The target of the day, the Lunndorren mountain cabin. With great probability you will be alone in the cabin. It got 12 beds, but seldom the cabin is crowded..
Time for the 18th door, and about Samis learning more..
The sami flag..
The sami Parliament(sv. sametinget) is an own authority. The Sami Parliament is both a governmental authority with administrative duties and a popular-chosen Sámi parliament, with the mission of working for a living Sami culture in Sweden.
authority
The Sámi Parliament is a governmental government under the Government, with particular responsibility for language, culture and reindeer care.
The elected Parliament
The elected parliament consists of 31 members who meet in plenary three times a year. The Board is ultimately responsible for the Sami Parliament’s activities.
Reindeers.
Reindeer husbandry is a Sami nutrition, which in Sweden is reserved for the Sami, according to Sweden’s basis. The reindeer husbandry is based on ancient memories and is nothing like the Sami ”received” by the state. All running is based on the free nature of the game because the reindeer is a walking animal.
Today there are 4600 reindeer owners in Sweden. 85% of them lives in Norrbotten in the northern part of Sweden. 40% of the reindeer owner are women. In Sweden today there are 220 000-280 000 reindeers.
Tradition Bearers
The reindeer husbandry of today is mainly focused on meat production. Themed reindeer is now used mostly in tourism or for ”renrace”. Reindeer husbandry still plays a major role in the Sami culture. It is a tradition bearer with a high symbol value. Being a renter is a hard job, but it is also a lifestyle. As a renter, you are a carrier and broker of the Sami reindeer husbandry culture.
And today we open the 17th door, and travel back in time seven year..
For seven years ago we went to Argentina, Mendoza. The goal was to summiting Aconcagua. Four real experienced mountaineerer ready for one of the seven summits.
The whole journey started already in October. The 8th of October 2010 we went up to Enafors, Jamtland for preparation and team-building.
we meet hope on the summit of Storsnasen..(Photo Ulf Bergman)
And at the 27th of December we start the flight to Mendoza Argentina. When arriving, we started to fix all paper exercise.
Paper exercise for Aconcagua..(Photo Ulf Bergman)
The trail to basecamp II, passes the Horcones valley, some people mean it just a hard passage. But it is a really interesting nature, if you lift your eyes..
Horocones valley (Photo Ulf Bergman
The new years eve at 2010 we celebrated with descendants of Inca Indians at Plaza de Mulas.
Celebration of New years eve with descendants of Inca Indians..
The second of January 2011 at 5100m, on the way to the summit..
High level camp at 5100m level…
A very nice adventure, with a lot of experience and conclusions. One of them food. Choose food you really like, then you will eat. And you will need to eat…
Take the opportunity to get the pizza, it will help you to summiting..
Ulf Bergman at Aconcagua..The altitude got its price from the body..(Photo Henrik Lannerhjelm)
And todays question is; who wasw the first of summiting Aconcagua, and what year? At one of the picture above we are at a high camp. Which one? (at 5050m)
Bad Gastein is one of the real good areas in the alps. For skiing in Winter and hiking in the summer.
Bad Gastein, perfect in Winter or summer..
It is are that is easy to access, either with car or by air. Lots of the trails start from the centre of the Town, so for a couple of Days you dont need transportation. One of my favorites is the trail up to Graukugel.
The trail up to Graukugle is sometimes airy and challengeing..But the view from the top make it Worth it for sure..
And during the Winter it is a Mecca for good skiing, in Sport Gastein everyone got what they need for a real nice skiing holliday..
And todays X-mast gift suggestion will be a teactical jacket from Finland. A mountain Camoflage jacket.
This jacket from Finland is a perfect jacket for skiing, and the price it fine..
We who already are stacked in it, we need to get fit for the upcoming season, we can probably get for fit if we look at this one:
The core is of course primary in climbing, if you don’t have the core it will be hard to reach your goals. So here you got a suggestion for the upcoming 30 days..
And at last, don’t forget to take care of your stuff. A sharp tool will help you to get your targets and peaks:-)
Todays X-mas gift suggestion will be a hot jacket for cold days on the mountain. This one is very affordable.
