The seventh of March. The spring winter is here, and it is just to enjoy it. With a ski weekend ahead and a mountain tour to Helags in a month life is so good.

Today I will present a new acquaintance. Aksel Lindstrom was born in Rossbol, Lockne. In his twenties he moved to USA, and after a couple of years he went back to Jamtland. Here he took the jamtdogs side, and saved the breed from disaperaring toward the grey dog. He founded the ski factory Kalevala at Aspas in Jamtland. In 1936 Aksel moved to Storlien. His mission here was to lead the mountain rescue with his dog team. With his experience from Alaska this duty suit him perfect. He had himself nearly died in a snowstorm in Alaska, but was rescued by a friend, who thanks to the dog team found him where he was ready to die in the Arctic snowstorm. This experience would now come in hand. With a good agreement with the manager of Storlien Hotel, this included the responible for mountain rescue during the winter and painting during the summer. But the manager died in a sudden and was replaced of a ex officer. Aksel didnt like the militair and become enemies. The ex officer forbade aksel to have dinner together with the guests,but the worst was that his paintings was sold to lowest bid. 

Now Aksel decided to quit, and stared to write a book about the event. But as luckily some of his friend stopped it. At that time he could have been acused for defamation, a crime that has cost him a couple of year in jail. Whatever he continued to write and 12 novels. The Beast (Sv. Vilddjuret) is the book that describes the Storlien period of Aksels life. And I found a part that suites the time when we train the first IML:s of Sweden.

The main charachter in the book is Guttorm, a young sami. 

Now Guttorm is about to become a real mountain leader. Ten men from different parts of Sweden is gathered at Kodbas for a two week training of the art of leading tourist trough the dangers of the mountains. Guttorm will be the eleveth participant. He has got the oppertunity due ti the Barons good will. Two weeks is a short time to catch up with something so extensive, and the trainer Leopold Froststierna is lonly to train the group. Leopold assumes all the participant has a good experience from mountain experience and all needed equipment. But as he says; it is not enaugh to now the name of the equipment and what it should be used for. You also must know its soul. Slowly he takes a ski in his hand. -this is a ski with a attached binding he begins. For a mountain leader the ski is the most important equipment during the winter, and which you all must know everything about. He keep on by lifting the ski in all parts, even tough it is whole piece of wood. He explain that the front is called the brattet, which is suitably built to glide easily on the snow. The course also contained the knowledge of how to build snow biouvaqes. A very important part of the mountain safety that a mountain leader must master fully.

Naâman – Lucky Day (Official Lyric Video) – YouTube

See ya soon..