The spring winter is here, and the sun rise early in the morning. The husky wake me up early for his walk. The morning is crisp and the sun are on its way up. I really enjoy this mornings. My whole being starting to live and the mind starts up its adventures.

One of the trails that is interesting will be the one from Kolasen towards Anjan in Skackerfjallen, Jamtland. If you going straight ahead the distans will be 34km. The first part of the trail  will be hiking in untouched, wild and lonely trails. In this area you really need to have good skills in navigation. A map and compass is a must. I will also recomend, a deteur to the peak of Sockertoppen. Here you can also use the windshelter if needed. Also take a hike through Strydalen and rest your eyes on Strynån and fantastic waterfalls. If there is stormy weather, there is also a windshelter.When you feel for it turn your head towards Anjans mountain station. Here you can enjoy a nice meal and then get help with the transport back to Kolasen. 

When it comes to good equipment the slope angel could be a good choice. With thermometer and clinometer and alitmeter, you got all in one for being able to calculate and forecast a avlanche area.

Master KG – Jerusalema [Feat. Nomcebo] (Official Music Video) – YouTube

See ya soon

As you could read at 3 of January, every month there will be a longer blog. In January it was about leadership, and today (February) it will be about avalanches.

To begin with, this area from my perspective can be devided into two parts: How to avoid avalanches at all (without enter avalanche areas and the other; be and ski/climb etc. in areas with avlanche risk but avioding them. For the first part, you need to understand in which area avalanches can appear, and learn how to avoid the areas. In the second case, you need to be much more skilled.

To understand avalanches you need three parts. A human, snow and terrain. A avalanche is collapsing snow masses down a slope. Avalanches can be devided into four diffrent types. Slab avalanche which is the one that causes 99% of the avalanche accidents. It contains of many different layers, and it is when the layer collaps the avlanche starts. Its like a domino effect. The insidious with this type of avlanche is that you dont need to be where the fracure edge is located for starting the avlanche. With a area of 10x10m with a fracture edge of 30cm will enter up with 90 cubic meters. With a speed of up to 50m/s it will be a real danger for a human. How can a slab avalanche start? It can be trigged in two ways. First by increasing of the weight of the snow. This can be triggered by human or natural. The other way is the layer get weak until it breakes of its ow weight. The second type will be the loose snow avalanche. Often you are above of the avalanche or can ski out from the cone. The Wet snow avalanche will be the third, and this one often appears in the spring. This can be compared to a torrent. The forth will be haning drift. This one is treacherous, due to it is hard to see. It appear whens now drifts and the temperature increase.

If you are in avalanche area you always shall bring: Transcivier, probe and shovel. While skiing you also should carry a backback with air bag. What is important to know that time is the most important thing while rescue avalanche victims. Within 15 minutes, you have good chances to survial a avalanche.

This is why it is so important to train the transcivier search. If I should go skiing with a team, I really should secure the teams ability to use all of the avlanche equipment. Not just wearing it. So be on the safe side. Do the group check, and control that all the members of the team now what to do when a avalanche appear…

Also a lot of new gear and others help us to be more safe. Checking thr avalanches prognosis will be a good help.

Ortovox have delveloped a voice controlled transciver. Ortovox Diract Voice got the ISPO Gold Award fot the solution.  ORTOVOX avalanche transceiver with voice navigation: DIRACT VOICE (ispo.com)

How To Survive An Avalanche – YouTube

Governor Andy – Han Ser Dig – YouTube

See ya soon

A fantastic week in Bydalen and Fjallhalsen, Jamtland.(Photo Ulf Bergman)

What is the diffrence between summer and winter guiding? Well the most important thing will be that a small failure can lead to a big disater during the winter…

Friday, we started with train the trainers (practical)and started the planning of the week. Saturday and Sunday we continued the planning. Sunday evening it was time for the first lesson for the week. The included: leadership, safety, navigation, Ice axe technique, snowshoe technique, avalanche safety, rope technique, snow shelter. So it was a really full week. Practical work combined with lessons. The week ended up in a ”mini” expedition with overnighting in snow shelters. 

Snowshoeing technique…(photo U Bergman)

Navigation at winter got its demands…(photo Ulf Bergman)

Digging snow shelters (dont forget to mark the place so a snowmoble cross your roof)(photo Ulf Bergman)

Is there difference between winter and summer leadership?(photo Ulf Bergman)

Avalanche safety must be trained and trained again…(photo Ulf Bergman)

So after 60 hours of training what is the conclusion? Well, first of all I am so thankful for being a part of this process. On one hand beeing a instructor and on the other hand learning process over the whole time. One other thing is small thing matters. Dont forget to check and control your participants, it is easy to miss if someone missing a thing or getting a frostbite. Being prepared means you have to practice and practice again. So tigh the knots, digging the shelter as often as you can. Use the transcivier, and the probe so you feel comfortable…And beeing in the mountain environment is so nice, so energyzing even if its tough hours:-).

A happy and  lucky (and cold) instructor..

See ya soon…

This day the focus at the IML training was safety on steep ground. As usual the day started with a safety brief and a transcivier control. Then it was time for moving out for some supporting and confidence at steep ground follwed with Ice Axe technique and rope tecnique. Tomorrow morning we will be out for a ”mini epedition” so next report will be on Sunday..

See ya on Sunday….

Today we been working with snowshoe tecnique and also skill training in avalanche rescue. So first a workshop about moving with snowshoes, plan, upphills, downhills and traversing. Diffrent type of snowshoes and for what type of activity they can be used…

Next step was lunch and preparing for the avalanche workshop. Here it was to secure the knowledge of how to use a transcivier and find a victim under the snow. The Second was tecnique for probeing. The third station was about how to use shovel tecnique.

At the end it was time to look at snow layers and understand how it can affect us…

See ya tommorow…

Saturday morning. Tomorrow it is time for the Winter training of the International Mountain Leader training. It is time to prepare and buiding up the schedule and lessons. One day with avalanche lessons practial as well as theoretical. Then one day with step ground lessons with different techniques. Next step will be to do a overnight in snow shelter and test all knowledge that has been learned. I think we all, instructors as well as the participants are excited to be on track with teh course. I will updated dring the course/training this week, so keep you brewser and eyes open:-). 

Matt Clifford-Larsen planning the IML Winter-training in Bydalen. 

Snowshoeing is one of the ”odd” parts of the course…

Matt Clifford-Larsen and Markus Nyman snowshoeing towards Droomen for planning the IML Winter training.

When it comes to gear, I will present a new type of binding from Rottefella for cross-country Nordic ski. At last someone have come up with a pin solution. Look at this, and think if its something that would be a alternative for you?

It is a interesting solution.

I also think we should pay attention on that is is the Sami national day the 6th of February (yesterday)

See ya soon, maybe tommorow….