Today it is time to open the 14:th door. Today it will be about Stowes..

Three different type of stowes was tested..

Today I did a field test with Three different stowes. The test is not Clinical related, it is just to compare how long diffrent type of stowes need for boiling water. The test set up was like this: The stowe was up and running, and with a sauce pan. The sauce pan was filled with 4dl. water (2 degrees) and I checked how long tine it took for the water to start to boil. The first stowe was JetBoils SOL advanced cooking system. 300g. The second was MSR XGK(expedition Stowe)489 g. and the third was Primus ETA Power. 804g Here follows the time for boiling 4 dl Cold water: JetBoil: 3 min 10 sek. MSR: 4 min 21 sek. Primus: 5 min 32 sek. The JetBoil was the fastest and lightest. For expedition the MSR is the best, but it needs that you are skilled with it, and used to handle it. The ETA Power from Primus is the best for hiking. I was impressed of the JetBoil, but I not sure I will use it in high Mountains..All brands have there own solution of a light and fast stowes, and to get a impartiality comparioson it need to be compared with this..

This is, and will always be my favorite, a small Primus that Always works..

And here comes this weeks quiz, a clu can be a mountain area and a mountain station as well..Please send in the answer with a SMS before wednesday evening, +46 73-701 2850

And the training follows the plan 560 minutes and a bath in Lillsjön (1,5 degrees, Cold..)

Lets hear tommorow:-)

Then it is time to open door thirteen, and today it will be about a real mountain man.

Among all Swedish mountain mans  Torsten Boberg will be one of the first to mention. He was born 1892 in Grangärde in Dalarna. There has not been much written about him, but he has written a lots of books about the Swedish mountains. He was a Jack of all trades(mångsysslare). He also spend a summer with the Samis to test the reindeer herder.

Torsten Boberg.

He was responsible for the first guide course for the Swedish Tourist Association in 1919. He was also a real good mountaineerer. He done the first Winter ascend to the North peak of Kebnekaise(this you can read about in one of his books, outstanding Reading.-). He also done a great job with acclaiming paths in Jämtland. He has Written a lot of fantastic books about the Swedish Mountains, Environment and the people and culture.  Have a great evening, tomorrow it will be about stowes (Frilufts kök)

Today we open door number twelve, and today it will be about the natives of Sweden..

First of all the concept ”Sapmi”covering both the land and the people Samis. The Samis lives in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia. They dont got any national State, but the large area of land were they living are called Sapmi. It extends from Idre Dalarna from the South, to the Artic Ocean in Norway in the North to the Kola peninsula in Russia in the east. Totally 80 000 Samis lives in Sapmi, and 20 000 of them lives in Sweden. In Sweden there are 51 Sami villages. Samis capital is in Karasjok in Norway. Today only 10% of the Samis lives on reindeer caring.In the Sami Culture they got a ”wiseman” the Nåjd. The Nåjd is lika a schaman and medicine man.

The nåjd..

And the Winner of this weeks quiz is Göran Karlén. And the price is a pocket first aid-kit and a fire starter that can be used in all weather:-) Yea and the right answer was: Les Houches, congratulation Göran!

Today we open door eleven…

Today it will be a causeri about fire. Allways bring you a large piece of Birch bark(näver på svenska) in your back-pack. Then you Always can start up a fire. Without a piece of Birch bark your back pack in not complete says the Samis up North. It can be hard to start a fire up in the moutains, Then you have to use yourself as a wind break. You can also use your back pack as a shelter. for the wind. Open your jacket and lite the Birch bark inside. Bend the Birch bark as an U, and protect it from the wind with your hand. And most important of all is that you have everything prepared so you can start the fire, carved sticks etc. And train to do it under calm cirkumstances, then you are prepared for the hard times…

Tomorrow is another day..

”How can you tell Santa is a climbing bum ? He’s got a beard, always wears the same clothes, and only works one day a year.”

Today its time for open the 10th door, and I will give you a good recipe for sure..

Today I will give you a recipe of artic char (fjäll röding in swedish) first you take the fish fillet and allow the skin to remain. seasoning on both side with salt and fish seasoning. Heat a frying pan with low heat. Steak on the skin side first, and turn it over. approximately 4-5 minutes/side. Take out the fish and put approx. 3dl cream into the pan. Put in fine chopped thyme and dill, and 0,5 dl white whine. Just let it simmer up. Put in a tablespoon Maizena(cornstarch) and you got the sause. Serve it with potato puree, with västerbotten cheese.

Bon apetite.

The artic char (Fjällröding)

Secure you got a great day…

Well today we open door number nine,  and you will learn how to exercise, so you at high altitude feels fine…

Today I think I will dig in to this about trainint and preparation for high altitude climbing. If you aren’t living in a mountain area, you must have innovation and fantasy as a driver for the training. Here we are talking about aerobic training. This is an activity that gets your heart pumping between half speed and just of full throttle for an extended duration. If you training aerobic exercises you increase your aerobic capacity. A way of training at sea level is running, (Trail running is good) cycling, and cross-country skiing is also good. But how to adapt to moutain environment. Well you can use a cross trainer, Step trainer/machine, run in hills and use stairs for this branch specific training. I also talked with fredrik Sträng today about training for mountaineering, and I asked him about som tips around it.

Fredric Sträng one of the Swedes that has done the 7 summits.

Fredriks tips was to train in hills, start easy and build up the time and length. Important for avoiding injures. Also train with a breathing mask, such as airtrim. This for adapt to the feeling of less oxygen that will appear in high altitudes.

 You can also lugging car wheel and carry backpack at the same time. that is good training as well for mountaineering.

Want to dig deeper:

https://www.adlibris.com/se/bok/climbing-9781594850981

See ya tommorow:-)

Today it will be all about mountaineering, a life style..

How to become a mountaineer:

 a mountaineer (noun) is now described as a person who lives in the high country or as a climber of mountains.

Here comes some step for become a mountaineer:

1. Do your resarch, learn as much as you can from books and documentary films. Start with the book: Freedom of the hills, here you find a lot…

2. Train your mental strength, hard workouts combined with meditation and mental positive thinking, and a lot of motivation.

3. Start to train your physics, your combustion processes, and your endurance.

 4. Start handle the equipment, use it simple circumstances. Increace severity. Use it in darness etc. In hard wind and real cold weather. How does it work under different circumstances.

5. Start training, get out there and build up your experience. Use a guide or a friend with skills. Or take a training cource..

6. Plan your first climb(Ascend). Start with a non-technical top. And step by step you can higher the difficulties.

7. Build up a knowledgebase, increase your skills step by step.

If you done this and feel a lot of humility, and that you really need to know more, then you are on the right track to become a real mountaineer..Veikka Gustavsson means that it is the planning and logistics that is the challenge withit expeditions. And of cource to love the expedition life, and that it is not so many liking that in the reality..

Veikka Gustafsson a good mountainereer.

Whant to get inspire, look on this video and enjoy views and the music…

And about the reflection; do want you are meant to do…Live your life..

https://www.youtube.com/user/robexpeditionguide

Time to open the seventh door, and dont miss the weeks quiz..

It has been a good week related to trining, 10 workouts within six days. And totally 570 minutes and a bath in Lillsjön = 2 degrees….

Today ist all about Jamtland and it fogotten trails. First of all the tour around Stensdalen, Vålåstugorna, Lunndörren till Vålådalen. The view from Vålåstugorna is outstanding. whatever it is winter or summer..

Mattias Jansson the mountain man close to Vålåstugorna.

The trail from Helags to Vålåstugorna is also a really forgotten trail, you pass the windshelter Ljungan, it is about 23 kilometers. But you will, see it is defently worth it…

Ljungans wind shelter…

The other trail will be, the one over Silverfallet to Getvalen and the possibility to reach Blåhammaren or Sylarna or Storulvåns mountain stations.

The last one will be a suggest to a top ascend, the Sylskalstöten. It is definitely worth the climbing for the view of Sylarna, with Storsylen, Slottet and the beginning of Tempeldalen. The view over Bunnerfjällen over to Gåsen and Helags (1796m), fantastic.

And here comes the quiz. Please send in the answer before wednesday evening, +46 73-701 2850

Today it is time for number six, and maybe you about backpacking can get some tricks…

Today I will write about backpacks. First of all you must consider the seize of your backpack, what will you use it for. Normally a 35L backpack will be enaugh, but if you are heading into the mountain you may need 45L. The back length will be critical part it is good to mesure, and test the backpack when it fully packed. Mesure from the protruding vertebra in the lower neck, to the lower back in level with top of the hip bone. One of my tips is to choose a small backback. The risk is otherwise that you bring to much gear:-).

The choice of backpacks depends on activity…

Another thing that can be good, that is to have some spare parts, a coarse neddle and patent strong yarn. Additional buckles is also good to bring in the spare part pouch. The trademark of the backpack really dosent matter. It is rather the fitting and solvent details decide which one you shall choose.

This one Haglofs ROC ICE 35L is one of my favorites. Gearloops, iceaxe mounts and a pocket for crampons….

And about the training: three workouts today totally 3 hours and 15 minutes…And you dont forget, tomorrow it is this weeks event….

See ya

”Climbing my be hard, but its easier then growing up” Ed Sklar.

”Where are the holds Hector? There were no holds so I had to use skills..”

Today we enter door number five, and into a cup of good coffee we dive..

A adventure tour without coffee it like a adventure without mountains. After a attempt to reach teh summit of Mont Blanc 2005, we got stucked in a thunderstorm. We just have to wait the storm out and then go down. After a cold windy night, we left the lift in Les Houches, and went to the first bar in place. The waitress looked at us, rekognise the bristles in our faces and our hollow-eyed glance and asked -petit dèjeuner? The answer come straight ahed -oui. That coffee was the best in the world at the time.

The best coffee ever (at the time) in Les Houches.

The coffee as well got the advantage that it is mild laxative. Which can be very good in the field…

I as well use the coffee break as a trigger for getting the mountain feeling:-) Today there is a lot of option how to handle the coffee. Brewers cup, portable espresso makers etc. And as well GSI outdoor has make a Perculator brewer for field use, nice:-)

The training follows the plan, and tomoorow it will be time for lugging the whell at 05,00…

Those who gives up, never winns. A winner never gives up…