At this time of year the longing for trail running starts to appear. I have a lot of good suggestions, but there is an area which have a special place in my heart. In the middle the Lunndörrs cabin is placed. To hear and from hear you have a lot of nice choice. A favorite is to start from Tossåsen and run trough the Lunndörrs pass. A wind-shelter is placed on the way. It is about 20km and uphill’s towards the wind-shelter, after that it is quite easy.  If you are a beginner of the trail-running I have another suggestion;  Bydalen has become a pearl for me, So park in Bydalen village, and follow a track towards Fjallhalsen. From here you are on the track towards Sällsjöfjället which is the target of the day.  Aim for the Mårdsundsbodarna and passed them and turn back towards Bydalen again. You have a couple of choice of trails and why dont you go for the peak of Västerfjället? This round will be approx. 22km and really nice trails that welcomes you. If you want to know more of how to do the trail-running, check it out next Sunday when I will blog about it in detail…

When it comes to the workout, it is ongoing quite good. Today it was running-Mountain-bike cycling and also once more running. And you also can add a couple of kilometers with the husky as well:-). So no rest days here.

This week I will review the Y-light pants from Bergans of Norway. With a cost of 150 Euro I got high expectation out of this ones. This pant is made out of 85% polyamide and 15% elastane. The weight is 305 g. You can compere with ex, Norröna Falketind 426g) with a high performance softshell material and with PFAS free components this pant is build for high performance in the mountains says the commercial . So what does the guide says? This is a stripped pant. With a price of 150 Euro I think I have expected something more. It has alpine fit, which is something I like. But just two pockets, and a very simple trouser end lock. What I like is a innovative solution for fitting the waist. So ok, I will test this upcoming week for a fair review.

Crazy Town – Butterfly (Official Video) – YouTube

See ya soon..

Today I will start of presenting some of the different kind of the characters in the Swedish mountains.

First we got the Ski-alpinist. This one will often be seen close to a mountain station. Normal skiers love the downhill turns, but that is not what’s triggers this one. No, their target is to hunt as much altitude meters. The one get most in the end of the season will win. Their season starts in November and will end in late May. But they want to have cozy, so after a long day with lot of altitude meters the beer and the steak is waiting for them.

The next character will be the artic fox. For sure they got a full packed back pack. The dream is to have a Fjallraven raven gyro from the 80s. You can easily be mistaken that this character just “go with the flow” but don’t get fooled by the outlook. The artic fox hunt kilometers and forgotten trails he or she can tell stories about at the mountain club. At the mountain station the character snorts at the other outdoorer eating in the restaurant. This one you find in the self-catering in full swing open a can of “bullens pilsner korv”, complaining over its to good service at this days.

We also got the beginner. This one has just understand from Instagram that mountain hiking is the thing to do at the time. With all the nice pictures he have understand that it always is perfect weather and easy to do. What is distinctive with this one is that the equipment is mixed up. A Gore-Tex jacket, loafers and back pack with wheels. When they finally reach the cabin, they are so happy of survived the day so the order a big drink if its possible to celebrate the expedition of the day. They can talk in two hours about the effort and the hardships of the day. And what they have achieved, but don’t worry! They will fall at sleep before 20.00.

The outdoor yoga fantast is also an interesting figure. In the beginning you don’t notice this character. They are very quiet, and move smooth. But you can recognize them due to the clothing. For sure they got colorful tights, and with always a smile on their lips. But if you haven’t notice them you will do it for sure at the breakfast. When you look out from the panoramic windows of the mountain station you can see them hunting a new yoga movement in the sunrise (also this with a smile on their lips).

If its summer, you will also discover the mountain bike enthusiast. Always on the run, from station to cabin and back to a station again. He hunting new and dangerous trails. With lycra all over he is easy to recognize. This is a gear master, he got it all. If you for any reason should need a hack saw, you can ask this guy and he will picked out from his pocket in the lycra shirt. In his mind is just one thing getting polished, what his next bike will be. 20 more gear and carbon frame which will be 20 gram lighter…

And at last the guide, this one you will find in one of the corner of the mountain station. With a goggle sun tan provided by layer of Latchenkeifer, the skin look like leather. Hanging over a map, with a compass in full swing and with the coffee steaming from the cup. For sure he will have a Mammut or Black Diamond t-shirt with a flannel shirt over, and a cap. He will for sure having a tattoo of a dog, Indian sign or something like it. Last time he was at an hairdresser was in June 1992. He is always thinking about the next adventure, more adrenaline to come…

Ok, I might be a bit generalizing here. And as you can se I have described the character as he. This is because the female cant be categorized in this way. They are much more sophisticated:-) than that…

But look at this from a more realistic view. It might be fun, but to be honest. We are to much focused of hunting experiences, adventures kilometers etc. So we have forgotten the kernel of it all. To fully enjoy.

Chamonix-Zermatt, un autre chemin pour la Haute-Route (English Subtitled) – YouTube

Se ya soon

Sunday again and some time for reflection. Its’s nice just sitting and thinking with a good cup of coffee. Yesterday I was driving the car 1000 km and climbing 2 routes of Via Ferrata, within 3,5 h. But the funny is that it really gives more energy to do small adventures such as this. Via Ferrata is a good step from wall climbing to outdoor cliff climbing. You learn how to read, where to put your feet and hands. So why don’t you go for a try:-)

Today I also want to describe one of my gold hike. Beside of the crowded trails from the big mountain stations, there is some hidden trails that is quite easy to access, and you also can combined them with comfort at a mountain station as well. So here comes one of my ”secret” suggestion. You take the night train towards Undersåker. From here you take a shuttle(Taxi) to Vålådalen. Here you hidden towards the Vålåstugorna. This is a 20 K long trail. So be sure you have eat a great breakfast before leaving Vålådalen.  The Vålåstugorna is a cabin, with a small store. So here you can by some food etc. This trail you will be almost alone after a couple of kilometres. From Vålåstugorna you shall hike towards Helags mountain station. The trail is one of the longest in Jämtland, and that also means the one with almost no hikers on. So you will be almost alone here as well. The distance here is 23 km, så as usual start early. At Helags you can enjoy the sauna and the two course dinner at 18.00.  From Helags you will head for the Gåsen Cabin. This trail is as well not so many who hikes. The distance of the day is 17 km, and the shortest of this suggested tour. The trail goes up and down, but its nice. The Gåsen cabins does not got any sauna, but still you can buy some food and refreshments there. Enjoy the evening view over Helags and the Sylarna massif from here. It is unbeatable in this area…And now the last trail. From Gåsen you will head for Storulvån mountain station. To begin with is downhill and easy, you soon will pass the wind shelter ”Gåsen” and soon you will approach a bridge. After that bridge follow the height and pass in between östra endalshöjden and Lillulvåfjället. Here you can stay at spåjme wind shelter if needed.  Now its almost just down hills to Storulvån mountain station for a shower, sauna and a two to three course dinner and transfer for the nigh train back home. This tour will give you the best out of Jämtlandfjällen.

When it comes to the Via Ferrata at Skuleberget it was as usual a great experience. With a pre-summer sun, and some ”high” air the circumstances could not have been better.  Guiding up the white trail and then enjoy a lunch at the top cabin. Really nice. The other was satisfied, but I went up for another round. So the yellow trail within 45 min up and down, its quite  OK. (have to wait in the last part of the trail:-))

See ya soon…

If you start you hike at Abisko tourist station, you might follow the trail towards Vassecohkka or even to Kattejaure. Then you will pass the small mountain cabin Karsavagge. This is one of the smallest cabins. With its 10 beds it can sometimes be a bit crowded here. Karsa (from karsavagge) means gully, and the cabin is placed in a beautiful gully. The cabin is one of the oldest and there are a couple of stories about visitors that didn’t slept so well here. So there is stories about ghosts here.  In may 2003 a man was caught in an avalanche, it might being him haunted the cabin:-). But there is also a story about a man visiting the cabin and have gone to bed. In a sudden the door of the cabin went up and a women standing there. She went towards the man, but when she come to the table, she walk through it and disappeared. There also was a group of med sleeping in the cabin when they saw a women outside. One of the men run out, and put a hand on her shoulder. He was going to ask if she want to spend the night in the cabin. But when she turned he couldn’t see any face on the woman. Whatever if there is ghost or not the cabin is a perfect day target from Abisko Tourist station with lot of fine continues hikes from here.

(Karsavagge gully)

(Stellar Guide Shell hybrid pant)

This week I have test the Stellar Guide shell hybrid pant. As the name remark it is a hybrid pant. The half part of the pant is in 89% nylon and 11% elastane. The other half is Dermizax. The reinforcement of Dermizax is on the from the knees and down and also at the butt. A compromise of function will often be that it don’t work in either conditions. So it is here. With a cost of 2500:-(240 EURO) I have high expectation. But sorry to say, the product will not living up to that. The belt easy can disappear in the lining, a small hook for keys etc. got to short hold, so it get stuck in the zipper. I also like to have a net in the ventilation, in the winter the snow will get in there (but that is a bit of taste) But the zipper is just going one way.  The tailor choose the cheap way… It feels like this product left the drawing table to fast. I think Stellar has get stacked in developing a series of clothing to fast. It also is described as ski-mountaineering, mountaineering pant. I think it is a ski, and ski-mountaineering pant in the first place and also might can be used as a mountaineering pant. I will give it NNN-, price and details will be the reason for that. I There have been a lot of tries in doing the optimal pant. Haglofs did a soft shell Gore-Tex pant, and that was ok. But as you know I got the suggestion that Lundhags Rocketer will be the best pant. And I haven´t got any better so far…

And after a couple of weeks and km I can give an update of the Alfa Eggi Advanced GTX boot. I think this is a real good working machine. Daily hikes with the husky, and since April I been using this ones. And I will give them NNNN, but for the price 2500;- and not the normal price 3500:-. that value still stands.

See ya soon…

Kacey Musgraves – Wonder Woman (Audio) – YouTube