The Christmas is soon here, so the winter season will begin. Are you prepared? If not its time for some development and training for the upcoming adventures. First we got the NOLS Wilderness First Aid. This is were you learn practical wilder medicine training. Here is the link for the scheduled courses.https://crossinglatitudes.com/forsta-hjalpenkurser Another area will be the education and training for avalange, so I suggest the SVELAV Friakning 1 with the Summit Guides in Are. https://www.summitguides.se/svelav-friakning-1/ and if you need to develop your skills of promote your buisiness especially in the times with Covid etc. You might try this web-seminare about develope your selling/information channels LinkedIn, Instagram and FB https://nischad.se/event/
When it comes to my suggestion of how to spend the Christmas or New Year it will be the Almdalens Mountain Cabin. You go to Krokom, and from here take road 339 pass Follinge towards Laxsjo go to the left towards Lalavattnet. From here follow the trail towards Almdalen 9km ahead.
Okey, so it is Sunday again. The weather is grey, and the rain is just haning there waiting to start. At three a clock it is already dark. The term go with the flow, it might be right now. Time for reflection, time for listening to the silence or the sound of the crackling fire. Releax, take your time and evalute your year and your knowledge and skills. If you are or will become a mountaineer you need to know this truth: The weather will not always be perfect (rather often the opposite). Climbing a mountain is not a walk in the park. Always, always remember the summit is only the half way. You are going to be scared at some point of the trip oryou are not trying hard enaugh. There will be times when you want to turn back. You are going to get lost. You know it is going to be painful. You are going to fight with your partner. So from there you can get some inspriration for how to become a better Mountaineerer. First you need to understand yourself, what is the drivers for you. Why do you want to do it? Here you got a intresting area to understand and work with. Humility, curiosity. openess will be important caracteristics you can have good help with. Today we start with curiosity, how to get more of that? Read widely. and let the curiosity take on new path. Choose a area in mountaineering and dig deep into it. Poish your mind with others minds, meaning that ask others obout there thaughts and opinions. Being an expert who is interesting in everything, broad up your knowledge in the mountain area. So now try to become more curious.
When it comes to the mountain rescue, it was less numbers in Norrbotten during 2020. This is the only county that has less rescue missions during 2020. Norrbotten 66/77, Vasterbotten 18/13, Jamtland 64/43 in total in Sweden: 142/133.
In the pandemics track we can see that the numbers of Swedish visitors have increased during 2020. But this is not just positive, we can se as mention that numbers of rescues hav increased. But also the dump of trash and equipment!? At Kebnekaise mountain station the site manager report that people have dumped up to ovwr 100 tents. And in the tents even new unpacked new equipment…
Todays blog will be about Ice axes. Since the fist ice axe saw the first light, it has changed a lot. To choose the righ choice it will demand you to rethink your choice well. When you decide, the ice axe will follow you during nice conditon as well as complex and demanding situations. Even your life can depend of your ice axe under special circumstances. The market of ice axes has develope a lot and there is a lot of dirrent sort and quality, and very often built and formed for a certan activity. So you might end up with a couple of them. The tip is one thing that varies. It can be positive, negative or neutral. It can have adze or hammer. First of all the axes are diveded into two different categories. B (Base) and T (technical) the big diffrence is the strength, the technical one can be used as a belay, whitch B cant. So the choice for ice climbing then will be a T one? Well today I would say yes, but a couple of years ago the B axes got thinner which was better for the ice. But the manufactures of today have thinner the T marked axes. For high altitude hiking, the classic B would be the first choice. It is light and easy to use. The longer the better for a hiker. The classic one for peak tours? The axe here must be small and light. This for not hurt the user within a fall etc. You might need to use it as a anchor or belay, so a technical one would probably be the right choice. And the choice for tough alpinism will be the technical one. The big diffrent is that the technical ones got the blade, tip and the cental part of the axe head made of steel. the B ones got sheet metal instead. So now you might have a more clear picture of your choice of ice axes.
When Corona has become calmer we will have the possiblity to travel again. And I am longing for a visit in Norway. Last blogg it was about Sunnmore, and today it willbe about Snohatta and Tungestoelen hytta. Here you can do a lot of nice glacier tours. Or you might hike to the Flatrehytta (9 hours). Or why not to Fjaerhytta.
It is just one month before the chrismas calender starts, and it is hight time for preparing for the upcoming winter season. So sharping the steel edges and the ice tools, because soon its time for using them.
I have alreade wrote about the need of developement and also to fill the knowledge gap. So here you will get a tool for living up to it. Six days in the week you use for developing your skills. So one day for every area and one day for rest.
Navigation and weather skills is very important in the mountain environment.
Monday; learn something about weather. Tuesday; this will be the tecnique day. Rope, knots etc. Wednesday; navigation day. Thursday; First aid and medicine. Friday; Culture and history of the mountains. Saturday; Workout, and physical knowledge. So reaad and learn at least one thing of the area every day and you will developement your mountaineering skills. So today I will help you with the monday. Here comes some info about Weather.
Today we start with air pressure. First of all what is air pressure? By definition, atmospheric or air pressure is the force per unit of area exerted on the Earth’s surface by the weight of the air above the surface. The force exerted by an air mass is created by the molecules that make it up and their size, motion, and number present in the air. These factors are important because they determine the temperature and density of the air and, thus, its pressure.
Low pressure.
A low-pressure system, also called a depression, is an area where the atmospheric pressure is lower than that of the area surrounding it. Lows are usually associated with high winds, warm air, and atmospheric lifting. Under these conditions, lows normally produce clouds, precipitation, and other turbulent weather, such as tropical storms and cyclones.
Areas prone to low pressure do not have extreme diurnal (day versus night) nor extreme seasonal temperatures because the clouds present over such areas reflect incoming solar radiation back into the atmosphere. As a result, they cannot warm as much during the day (or in the summer), and at night, they act as a blanket, trapping heat below.
High pressure.
A high-pressure system, sometimes called an anticyclone, is an area where the atmospheric pressure is greater than that of the surrounding area. These systems move clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere due to the Coriolis Effect.
High-pressure areas are normally caused by a phenomenon called subsidence, meaning that as the air in the highs cools, it becomes denser and moves toward the ground. Pressure increases here because more air fills the space left from the low. Subsidence also evaporates most of the atmosphere’s water vapor, so high-pressure systems are usually associated with clear skies and calm weather.
Unlike areas of low pressure, the absence of clouds means that areas prone to high-pressure experience extremes in diurnal and seasonal temperatures since there are no clouds to block incoming solar radiation or trap outgoing longwave radiation at night.
With this knowledge and with stydying the weather for a region for a while before you going there, you will be able to predict the weather. This i a very good knowledge to have for planning your adventure. Here you got one good website to look into for training your competence…https://weatherspark.com/y/50542/Average-Weather-in-Saint-Chamond-France-Year-Round
When the corona restiction is over, we can travel to new adventures. I will suggest a tour to Norway and the Summore alps close to Alesund. Here you can ski, rappeling or why not kayaking or hike. This are can offer the whole box.
At the end I will recomend a move. Zarbardast might be something you like…
October is running fast, and we are soon in November. This week has been hectic. Now the IML training in Sweden has started. I arrived to Enaforsholm in Sunday afternoon, and at 08.30 the training with supervision from two members of UIMLA techical group started. Day one the focus was on navigation. The conditions has changed a lot since the reconnaisence, a snowlayer of 40cm was covering the ground. We adapt to the circumstances, but the training was done as expected anyway. The evening was spend on weather forcast and understanding of how the weather can be predicted. Day two it was the technology that was in focus. Day three it was rivercrossing among emergency bivouacing. After lunch it was time for the two days expediton. With a interesting start with micro navigation in dark, I think all was on their toes. Late in night, the group ended up to the place for the camp. Fast the ten tent went up. The next morning the navigation training kept on. Also a lecture about medicine etc. take ita place in a windshelter (all participant with face mask of course) At six a clock the next campsite was in seight and all got their tent up as fast as the day before. Friday morning we started the hike towards Valadalen. With Lunndorren and Harjangsmountains in the fund, would be a better ending of the training. Five very intensive days, full with knowledge and pratical training. Summing up as one of the best week in life I would say. And to be with friends with the same values of it, marvelous. So from me, get yourself a IML for your guiding or start your own training for becoming a IML certification…I think that was all for today. Tired, and sort of empty feeling. Missing the group, the mountain environment. But happy to get Italian coffee…
Tough times requires tough mind. The Corona has affected almost all areas. The Outdoor is of course one of them. The online sales of outdoor equipment has increased much, while the tourist area has decrease a lot. When it comes to guiding, I think we can se a shift and a new need. With no travelling outside the contries the domastic market has incresed. Now it is a window of oppertunity. But you might need to thing a bit different than before. Pick out your entrepreneurship, and how to do that? This small suggestions might help you. 1. Choose your mind set. This means if you havent been successful so far, it is time to think diffrent. The only way to do a great work -love it. 2. Be determined, th most important quality to a entrepreneur is to be determined. Be prepared for the battle, Be ready to do the hard and strategical work for winning the battle. 3. Build a solid relation bridge. To succed this is crucial, the best entrepreneur continusly build and developing their relations, this is how to get it to bloom. 4. Slow down to lead, Listen to your advisors and the peolple around you -even others have good ideas, dont forget that. 5. Know your business ”health” metrics, by tracking your result in a efficent way, you will have control over your business and will know when nest step shall be placed. So now you have some suggestion to develop your business.
My focus at the moment is the IML(international Moutain Leader) training. Last weekend we plan and train the instructor team for the training. And now things is in place, and we are reade to make some history in the Swedish guiding area. The big diffrent will be the use of rope for example, and now we will get a real certificate that can quoality assurance the guide you ar hiring.
The rope and climbing equipment is some of the new parts of the IML role.
(Training the trainers…Matt Larsson Clifford and Markus Nyman dring the training photo U Bergman)
Soon we will be in October, and we move fast to the pre-winter season. I think it will be a good idea to make a challenge. What about one adventure every month ahead. A small, a easy, a expedition or whatever you think/like…The upcoming weekend it will be a tour to Enafors and the Storulvåarea.
This period will be a challenge as usual when it comes to workout. The day light will be gone and it is dark even in the morning. So plan your upcoming month, then it is easier to stick to the plan. Find new ways of workout. I will start wotkout with a sand bag…
In the outdoorarea can see a big increase of from the outdoor market. Outside move their store from Vaxjo to Gothenburg for beeing able to meet the market.
Cleaning water is one important area in the outdoor life. With a contaminated water the experinece can be a real disaster. The Norwegian company Cirdan (witch gor a branch office in sweden) will be responsible for distribuition for Lifestraws cleaning products. A drinkbottle with a built in cleaning solution.
This week a will test a product that aint so new, the Lundhags Rocketeer pant. This is from a product specialist suggested for me as the optimal outdoor pant. With this, you want need anything else. So I have high expectation of the pants. So it will be intersetning.
It is autumn, it was just 4 degrees this morning. The days get shorter for every day…At the same time, the work is overflowing with tasks. t We are in the middle of planning for the upcoming training for IML’s of Sweden. But from my point of view we rather should go with the light…recharge for the upcoming winter, that would be the right thing to do. Reflect, reconsider and think about what has been, and what to change. Whatever,, I will try to do it and enjoy the good life:-)
This week I have tested the Mammut Eigerjock IN hybridjacket. This is a nice jacket, and as always Mammut delivers. This one is for climbing and alpine adventures. It is awailable in three culours. It has some liner so it works fine as a layer two jacket as well. The pockets a placed perfect for the harness. The finnish is really nice. But with a price about 300Euro it is to far epensive. There are no zippers for ventilation, and not any other small features. So this jacket will get NNNN.
This year had become special due to the Corona. The Outdoor festival was planned to have open the doors in September this year, but now it will be in 2021 instead. But this year has really turn the wheel to run faster as ever says Michael Malmgren one of the organizers. The outdoor market got a turn over of 75 milj. SEK just in Sweden. And it grows with 10-15% every year. So this fair will be a important part of the market Michael reflect.
Also the Naturkompaniet of Sweden can see new needs for the market. They have decided to start travlling for outdoor beginners. With a summer of many rescue mission for the mountain rescue it will be a good thing to do they say. So in the track of Corona new possiblities will be discovered.
We are already in mid September. Now is the time for prepare for the winter season. Check the head lamp, sharpening the crampons and the ice axe. It is still time for good hikes, but, check when the sun set… Today I will do a reflection as a guide. Why does people not use guides more? I think we all (guides) have to reflect to that fact. Do I as a guide use guides? Yes of course. I know that I will learn, and get a better understanding over all of the area I beeing guided in. But my thaught about it, is that we must be even more proffessional. So how, by listen to our customer, the better we catch the needs and expectations the more satifyed the customer will get. So that is one important answer to that…
Now about back pack. How to choose a back pack? The first quetion you need to ask -what will I use the back pack for? If it is for a day tour, then 30L will be good enaugh. If you going for a couple of days, 45-50L will be the right choice. If the trip is about a wekk or so 60-70L will be needed. What is important is that if you are going for a mountain tour, you need a stable frame. This because it will be heavy, and the trail might be unevenly. Normally the back pack are available in ladies variant. So the next thing to think about will be about details. What is your needs there? For me, a opening from the sside is important so I can reach thing in the whole back pack easy. I will also have compartments and pockets for special equipments such as probes and shovel. My most important suggestion will be to take rather a smaller than to big back pack. It will always be heavier…
Now I will continue my series about altitude medicine. Today we have reach the area of AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness). The best way to avoide AMS will be a gradually ascending and time for rest for the acklimatization. Some doctors advocates Diamox 250mg x 2 a day ahead the ascending and during the acsending. Worth to notice is that Acetazolamid(Diamox) is classified as doping. If you are being affected of AMS it is time for restday (days) You can use pain killers such as Paracetamol and also Diamox 500mg one a day. Next week I will write about hard AMS and HACE.
This week I will evalute the Mammut Eigerjock IN Hybrid jacket. A hybride jacket that shall combine a shelljacket and a softshell jacket. So this one will be interesting to test.
In the morning when I wake up, and in the evening it is getting dark at eight a clock. I must confess, and I like it. The winter season is coming up, and light some candle and enjoy the dusk. Go with the nature and follow the flow, it is time for reflection. You for sure know what just you shall reflect over. Take the time and fill up your skills were you lacking knowledge.
The topic of the day will be altitude medicine. Already in 1878 Paul Bert propound that the low atmosphere pressure is the reason to the problem at high altitude. Before the explanation was that people was exhausted. What is important to understand is that already at 2400m you can be affected of AMS(Acute Mountain Sickness). At 3500m 50% of us get AMS if we go directly to that height (Aguille du Midi at 3800m). Between 4000-5000m the most case of HAPE and HACE appear here. It is also important to bear in mind that the temperature sink with one degree per every 150m ascending. All this factors make it so important to do a good acklimatisation. Start with a night at 2700m, and then you can ascending up to 3000-3500m. Irregular breathing is not a sign of AMS. Headache = stop ascending. 300 altitude meters pro day, and every third day shall be a rest day. I will continue this article next week…If you are going to high altitude, it can be worth buying a pulseoximeter to be able to chek your oxygen saturation.
This weeks hiking suggestion will be a tour at the Pyrenees. This trail is all over about 132km. it will take 7-9 days. But you will experience, the calm, steep peaks, deep blue mountain lakes. The trail follows the france border, and close to the highest peaks in the pyrenees. You will start in Vielha and will end up at the Refugio de Conangles, Vielha.
The french climber taking the Ice climbing/conyoning (in the Pyrenees) a step further…
When it comes to my suggestion of how to spend the Christmas or New Year it will be the Almdalens Mountain Cabin. You go to Krokom, and from here take road 339 pass Follinge towards Laxsjo go to the left towards Lalavattnet. From here follow the trail towards Almdalen 9km ahead.
And as Christmas closing in, here comes the first Chrismas gift suggestion: a poster about mountain security…https://kunskapstavlan.se/products/fjallsakerhet
