We did couple of days at the nearby ski resorts and got to hit Rogers Pass during a bluebird day, something that is supposed to be a rare occurrence over there during the midwinter. But since the area just loves to gather all the clouds to annoy the skitourers we had to endure through one foggy graybird day first. We chose to go to a treeskiing area named Hourglass, even though we knew we wouldn’t be able to spot our run down before riding it. Of course on the ride down there was less snow than expected and we ended up navigating through the cliffbands and from a gully to another.

Laura skinning through the old-growth forest to the Hourglass

.. and riding down after getting through the cliffs

All the good touring at Rogers Pass is accessed straight from the highway. The problem is that the highway needs to be protected from avalanches, and it lurks through some steep, very avalanche prone mountains. The control work is done by the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery using three specifically modified 105mm  howitzers. These designed to blast mountains to release the avalanches preemptively so that traffic is not caught in one unexpectedly.

It is unfortunate that the mountains that get regularly blasted by these howitzers are the same ones that the skitourers would like to ski. Because of that, there’s a permit system in place at Rogers Pass. Before touring at any of the areas near the pass it is necessary to stop at the Glacier National Park Discovery Center to check which areas are open and to get a free permit. Preventing getting shrapnel from a 105mm howitzer in your brain is a pretty good idea. It could kinda hurt. Unfortunately, during the two days that we skied at the pass most of the areas were closed, and brain damage (other than from alcohol consumption) and a hefty fine wasn’t in our plans. We’ll be back in the spring, at latest.

The second day with the bluebird skies still provided though.

Coming from the trees and the shadowy valley into the alpine. First we were going to hit Balu Pass, the easy sightseeing tour that is recommended for first-timers in the neighborhood, but since the weather was great plans were changed and we chose to skin up to the Bruins area instead..

Someone had got an early start and was already riding down from the Video Peak, the snow was great as it was the first bluebird day after the last storm cycle

(click for bigger panorama photo)
1200 vertical meters (3900ft) later, up on the ridge that leads to Ursus Minor.  There was a nice looking chute down from the ridge with two ass-wiggling, euro style tight turns tracks in it. Respecting our European roots we chose to ride down the same thing.

Laura starting the 1200m descent down

Looking up at our tracks, snow was excellent. yum yum.

Then comes the low angle pow, and a lot of it!

If you want to see something else than snowboarding then please convince Laura to switch equipment. How about a monoski?

With the weather turning into worse with grey skies and fog and our time at the nearly-free vacation house ending back to south and Nelson it was. During the drive back we hit a traffic jam at Creston, a 4000 people town in the middle of nowhere.. I don’t know the last time a traffic jam here has happened, maybe a hundred or so years ago when someone couldn’t get his horse to pull a cart on the main street? So this is what we call a once in a lifetime experience. In the end it turned out that the olympic torch is passing through and the city center is partly closed for traffic.

Laura continues our extreme, gravity-defying efforts when we take a quick stop at Kootenay Lake

The elegant white boats, the deep blue lake and the gorgeous white mountains pale in comparison to our shiny & sexy dark green Subaru. 9500 km without a carwash. And be glad there is no sound associated with photos.

It’s been a while since the last big dump in Nelson but we get some really good turns exploring the backcountry near the Whitewater ski area. Today we did a small loop around and I got the camera out a couple of times to try and take photos in the variable mix of sun and clouds.

Osmo enjoying the rewards of the first uphill part of the tour

Osmo a bit further down in the weird light

Coming back up through the burned forest

Osmo exiting a fun chute on the second run

.. and laying the euro style carve a bit further down.

That’s it for now, it looks like there’ll be some snowfall from tomorrow on so expect to hear back from us soon.

Marko’s list made me ponder where I would like to ultimately use that set-up. Where would I go if I could choose any destination and do some ski touring? Let’s exclude lift/heli-assisted stuff for the time being…

These days I am more of a resort/”slackcountry” skier.  My wife and I have two small children. This means family trips, and  my wife likes to ski too on the holidays. So, my backcountry/ski touring days are pretty limited at the moment. However, some years ago I skied quite a lot more: I guess I have some 500 days under my belt spent skiing and snowboarding  in the Alps/Slovakian Tatras/Northern Finland or Norway during the years 1996-2004.  Marko and I met in Chamonix – the European backcountry skiing/mountaineering “Mecca”, and I probably have had some of my very best days there and have made all sorts of great ski/snowboarding friends. However, if someone were to ask what the most beautiful place where I have ever skied is, the answer is pretty clear: The Lyngen Alps in Northern Norway. And Lyngen is all about man-powered ascents – Norway has strict rules of no helis, no big lifts, no sleds on Lyngen Peninsula unless you are a local reindeer farmer, etc., which in my opinion is pretty cool – that policy keeps most the crowds away for sure!

The yearly Lyngen ski trip has became almost obligatory for some Finnish freeriders and ski tourers. After all, the place is located only about 60 km from the Finnish border. I haven’t paid much attention to articles on Lyngen skiing in recent years (a defensive reaction, knowing that those trips are pretty unaccessible for me at the moment) but last Saturday I happened to see a  TV clip that definately got my attention. You can watch the clip on this site – it is in Finnish but wait a while and there is an interview of Graham Austick, the owner of the Lyngen Lodge, in English.

Lyngen Lodge offers something different

Lyngen Lodge is a touring skiing/outdoor sports center located in Djupvik i Lyngen on the shore line of the eastern side of the Lyngen Fjord approximately 2.5 hours east of the city of Tromsø along route E6. The lodge offers all modern luxuries and acts a a base camp for client’s adventures.

The real deal is the boat reserved for client ski trips. The motor boat, the Spirit of Lyngen, will provide transportation to the ski locations, making several lines possible that aren’t accessible on any other vehicle (see more here). How cool is that?

Skiing in Lyngen Peninsula, Northern Norway

To quote Lyngen Lodge’s site:

“With over 60 summits over 1000m flanking the Lyngen Fjord’s shores, skiers are provided with an incredible choice of terrain. Lyngen Lodge is located 500km inside the Arctic Circle and due to the high Northern latitude the sun’s glancing rays have less effect on the snow. By mid February the polar nights have been already replaced with 7 hours of sunshine by mid May it’s the midnight sun.

Avergage summit heights are around 1000m to 1200m but on the high glaciers of the main Lyngen Peninsula there are summits over 1400m with Jiehkkevarri being the highest at 1834m above sea level.”

Well, I have to admit that at this age and in this life situation a ski touring trip with all the modern comforts of Lyngen Lodge and the luxurious boat transfer to the start of the lines sounds pretty damn tempting. Maybe in a few years when the kids are a little older and maybe, just maybe, if the economical situation allows…heh. Tents and camping in the mountains are cool but you must remember that in Norway it can be pure rain at times and the weather will change every fifteen minutes or so. Call me a lazy old fart but at least I can defend myself with the fact that you still have to walk uphill with your own legs…

So, to summarize: Lyngen Lodge sounds like a dream ski touring trip to me!

All pictures by Antti Zetterberg, used with permission

In this article homeboys provide you a list of must have equipment for backcountry skiing. This might not be the “right” list, but it is based on our years of experience on backcountry skiing and it should be pretty much complete. I believe there is no “right” list of equipment, but without certain equipment skiing the backcountrycan be tricky, risky or simply not fun.

This list of backcountry ski equipment covers one day in the mountains. If you plan spending one or more nights out in the wilderness, this list is incomplete for your needs.

If you are not familiar with backcountry skiing, make sure you have a guide. Climbing and skiing mountains without an experienced guide can be very dangerous due to avalanches, crevasses and other risks. If you are already experienced, make sure you have someone skiing with you. Skiing alone is not a good idea and one or more partners clearly increase your probability of survival in case of accidents. Please keep in mind that backcountry skiing is inherently dangerous, no matter if you have guide with your not.

The following list includes some examples of typical products of the category. Most products are available in Amazon web store, but you can also find these in ski stores such as Snowshack, US Outdoor.Com and Altrec Outlet.

This is just a basic list of items that someone new to backcountry skiing will become more familiar with once he/she learns a bit more. The best “gear” to always have with you is the knowledge of conditions, avalanche situation and your own limits. The best thing to do if you want to get introduced to backcountry skiing is to hire a guide or attend a course.

The ultimate backcountry ski gear list

1. Freeride or backcountry skis – Although you would survive with straight old school sticks, fat freeride skis provide you a ton more joy and fun. Freeride skis are also optimized for freeskiing, as the name says. As days in the backcountry are usually long, with freeride skis you save precious energy which is usually very needed in the end of the day.
2. Touring boots – Just like freeride skis, touring bots are optimized for backcountry skiing, ski touring and mountaineering. With regular ski boots or even race boots you just have additional difficulties.
3. Touring bindings – Touring bindings are optimized for backcountry skiing and ski touring. Regular bindings usually work fine, but touring bindings work even better in the backcountries.
4. Telescope poles – Downhill skiing poles don’t really work in the wilderness, telesope poles can also be adjusted for changing needs such as when climbing a mountain face.
5. Helmet – Nowadays it should be obvious that a good helmet is a must while skiing. Choose a helmet that covers your head well. Some people like Seth Morrison use a fullface helmet with jaw protection, similar to motocross helmets. A helmet is a cheap insurance, so don’t forget it.
6. Gore-Tex jacket and pants or similar – Almost anything can happen in the mountains so it is good to be ready to overnight in the mountains in case of an emergency. Gore-Tex jacket and pants protect you from water and wind, which is very important especially in cold weather. We recommend good brands such as Marmot, North Face and Mammut.
7. Avalanche Transceiver – Also called as “beacon” in Europe. Make sure you have one, it works, and you know exactly how to use it. You need it if you get buried in an avalanche or you are searching your partner who got buried. Your survival depends very much on this little electronic device, so it is absolutely a must have item.
8. Avalanche shovel – If your partner gets buried by an avalanche, all you wish is that he is wearing his tranceiver and that you have a good shovel. Digging him/her out of the snow without a shovel is desperate and a shovel is a must-have. If you haven’t used an avalanche shovel before, please notice that digging with wrong technique can be very exhausting. The more effectively you dig, the more chances of survival your buddy has. Rescuing avalanche victims is done with a combination of avalanche transceiver, avalanche probe and a shovel. The first two are used for locating the victim, while a shovel is used for digging. Everything must happen as fast as possible, so sound skills should be learned before skiing outside the ski area. Otherwise it’s gonna be like gambling, you either win or lose, depending on how lucky you are.
9. Avalanche probe - Have you seen people probing an avalanche area with long sticks? That’s called an avalanche probe and is a must-have also. Finding the exact location of avalanche victim many times requires a probe, because the victim can have meters of snow above.
10. Ski skins - To make it possible to get up… Simply attach the ski skins on the bottom of your skis and start lugging your weight uphill. Remove the ski skins and put them in your backpack when skiing downhill.
11. Mountaineering backpack – A good backpack is a must in the mountains. Skiing and climbing 10 hours a day with a lousy backpack is worse than hell. You enjoy skiing powder much more if your backpack fits with your back and doesn’t move up and down and left to right.
12. Ski strap – Sometimes in the mountains you need to take your skis on your shoulder and start walking. If you don’t have a ski strap with you, it can be very annoying to carry skis that tend to drop all the time. Ski strap keeps your skis in a nice pack which is much easier to carry than separated skis. You also need ski straps if you’re using an A-frame carry with your backpack.
13. Goggles – Skiing knee deep powder snow fly all over your face. Use goggles to have some visibility and to protect your eyes from the wind and the sun.
14. Sunglasses – If you go to the mountains without wearing sunglasses, it takes only 1-2 hours and you can’t keep your eyes open. Light in the snowy mountains is very bright, so sunglasses are absolutely needed up there.
15. Sun cream – One day in the mountains without sun cream can seriously burn your skin, and that can increase the risk of getting melanoma. Make sure the sun cream you carry is protective enough. I usually use children’s sun cream with protection level of 40-50.
16. Mobile phone – In case of accident your first thought can be “how to get help”. In a situation like that mobile phone is your best friend. Make sure your phone works well and the battery is charged. I usually carry a second phone or at least an extra battery in order to avoid mobile phone malfunction.
17. Map and a compass – Make sure you won’t get lost in the mountains, not even in a blizzard. Make sure you have a map of the area and you know how to use a compass.
18. Water - Man cannot survive long without water. Although accidents don’t happen every day, it is good to have at least one liter of water in your backpack, because you get thirsty many times during a day.
19. Energy such as Power Bars – In addition to water you also needs energy, and that is loaded into energy and power bars. So grab a few with you..
20. Headlamp – If you need to overnight in the mountains, a headlamp is a must to have. Even if you wouldn’t overnight, a headlamp is still needed, because right after sunset you might need some extra light. A small headlamp is bright, powerful and very light.
21. Camera – Skiing the backcountry is something many people never experience. With a small digital camera you can make sure you will remember your trip and can also show it to your friends.
22. Bivy blanket – In case of emergency a bivy blanket or bivy sack can provide you warm enough sleep. Make sure you have one in your backpack, because spending a night on cold mountains without bivy sack can be extremely cold.
23. Utility knife such as leatherman – Sometimes you need to adjust ski bindings or screw your boots. A Utility knife or Leatherman knife can be a great help out in the mountains.
24. First aid kit - In case of an accident it is good to have a first aid kit. It doesn’t need to be a big one, because in most cases you need to cover a bleeding wound. Few adhesive bandages and couple of dressing is a minimum.
25. Insurance – Many people forget it, but make sure you don’t. Skiing the backcountry without insurance covering possible costs of helicopter transportation and medical treatments is stupid. Costs can easily climb up to tens of thousands of dollars after an accident.

Did we forget something or is there something that you’ve noticed is needed but not included here?

It seems like the nineties had more snow than the latest years? At least there was definately less takers for all that snow, as was seen in the first part of this series, Snow is Only Frozen Water. Snowboarders stayed on their jumps and jibs, and your avarage skier wasn’t able to shred much pow at all before he/she fatigued, maybe? Or maybe all this freeriding and off piste skiing stuff just got so much popular at some point in the late 1990s and early 2000s?

Besides all the great snow and quality riding/skiing, one thing that makes you want to go back to the mountains is just the scenery and feeling up there. In this post we show some nice shots of the moments in the mountains. We surely miss those moments.

These photos were taken when we were young and stupid – Now we are only stupid. So don’t try all this if you don’t know what you are doin’…

A questionable line? Made for a nice picture though…

Going to “Les Pisteur” route, Grand Montets, Chamonix

Somewhere in Brevant backcountry

Big Mountain rider Jarkko Henttonen drops a cliff in Flegere, in white-out conditions…

This is something I’d call posing… Just look at the mountain peaks behind!

I call this old school and I’m lovin’ it. We’ll post more retro stuff soon again.

But this time one could say there was even more luck than in Scott Macartney’s case. Even miraculously so, even though skills and experience played a HUGE role here too…read on, and you will find out how!

Norwegian veteran freeskier Fred Syversen unintentionally hit the world record cliff drop, got buried in the snow and skied away to the waiting rescue helicopter. At the hospital they found that he only had some minor internal bruising on his liver. This all happened in the Alps while filming for the new Nuit de La Glisse film. The cliff was said to be just a tad over 100m(!) high and Fred Syversen’s speed at take off was around 80 km/h.

Has Fred Syversen really jumped that high drop?

There is a lot of speculation going on about this whole event. Seems like there is no footage around yet (at least on the web). Rumors also say that they’ve only captured a part of the ride on film.

There is also a very long thread in TGR forum that contains very much (hilarious, as usual) off-topic talk. If you don’t have enough patience or time to scroll through it, here is the best part, the words from the man himself. I won’t speculate any further, here is the real deal:

Some facts for u guys

Hehe,

Somebody told me about this discussion (couldn’t read it trough, too much), and I like to add a few facts, the rest I will leave for the film and the pics. I can’t give you any proof, that’s not for me to decide.

My ski philosophy is that you should always stick your landings, that’s gonna progress our sport! Going this BIG we’ll leave to the BASE jumpers.

This was the warm up run at the beginning of the day during heli-filming, and it turned out that I missed the end of my line with not to many meters (difficult route finding cause of similar terrain features ). I let my skis go pretty much into the falline and picks up speed instantly, and just thereafter realized my fault and that I will go out something, probably huge.

The mind works amazingly fast under stressed situations; breaking or trying to stop was no longer an option, it simply went too fast. If I had tried that I wouldn’t write this. So that left one choice; go for it, and do it right!

For a fraction of a second I thought this is it, but managed to get in a slight right turn to avoid the cliffs on my left side in the landing area. Then comes the take off at an amazing speed (it felt like that), I see snow underneath, and I realized that it’s not over yet.

In the air I tried to keep a position as long as I could, but air pressure finally pushed the tips of my skis up. That’s what I wanted as well, because landing it anything else than horizontally was out of the question!

I had an ABS avalanche back pack, and for those who know, it has a little metal/aluminum bottle ? near the lower back, not good if you land on your back. So I tilted my body slightly to left before impact and that probably saved my spine.

I didn’t want this to come out, but with mobile phones around……

Nuit de la Glisse Films / Perfect Moment Clothing company, producer Thierry Donard
Photographer : Felix St. Clair Rénard
Measure of the jump 330 feet.

For the skiing watch Free Radicals : Rising and Snowblind and Nuit de la Glisse: Perfect Moment ”The Contact”.

And as far as I know; I am not 42 yet, but hope I will be.

Fred Syversen

I just found the footage below from YouTube. I must say it is not the best camera work I have seen, but the skiing is great. Look at the second ride starting at 3:10. That’s perfect! A fantastically steep mountain face and guys skiing very well. I did enjoy the first ride as well; it is more my style: fast riding with very long turns. Lots of speed, that’s what I enjoy the most.

Well, this was a good start for a boring day at my day job. Great skiing guys! I wish I were there sharing that pure joy with you. For more interesting snowboarding movies, check out MDP Picture This trailer.

Their passing is a big loss for the world of skiing. Doug Coombs was my skiing idol as was Trevor Petersen, another backcountry skiing superstar who also died in Chamonix in 1996. Doug was an inspiring skier and I loved his way of living. I loved the way Doug skied, his fantastic technique and his joy of skiing. Like Trevor Petersen, Doug was a skier who gave me great inspiration and motivation to go skiing the backcountries in the Alps. It is devastating that both my idols lost their lives so young.

Doug and Trevor lived their lives the way they wanted to and they got all the joy and fun mountains can provide. They enjoyed themselves, even though they sometimes took huge risks. They lived their lives the way I have always dreamed of living mine. I respect that. Rest in peace.

The picture above is the last picture of Doug and Chad, taken just a moment before the accident. Chad skiing, Doug on the left side.

Take a look at Jamie Pierre leaping off a giant cliff. I’m speechless.

It looks like this was filmed in Chamonix. At least the mountain behind Jamie Pierre looks like Grand Dru. Am I right?