A way to end a excellent season
Although summer is knocking around the corner even in the North and snowboards have changed to skate and surfboards, there is still some pow to be ridden. I drove six hours north from my home in the arctic circle to Lyngen peninsula in the northern coast of Norway. We went on a two man mission to conquer Pielogaise mountain with Arto Majava. No one has ridden down this mountain ever so we were going for the first descent. I borrowed a split board from a friend to try it out and it turned out to be a good first test and mission with such a tool. Definitely have to get one myself too.
this was taken at 2am from out kitchen window. Six hours before we set of hiking. Sun does not set anymore here.
The views on the way and mountains are exceptional. Maybe some lines for the future.
Ice cold drink straight from the mountains. I ranked it better that moment than Lapin Kulta
At 1500 meters. We are almost at the top and we come across this crazy snow formations and natural wave.
It was a long way up but long down too... with pow in May!!
Natural wave at the top. Last slasher of the season with a snowboard. I am flying to Indonesia in couple of days to try out same on more liquid waves. What a way to end a great season and start a new!
Last day of the season and I did three new things; first descent on Pielogaise, first split board mission and first time with my crampons. Quite the season ender!
Photo credits to Arto Majava and thanks for showing the moves and knowledge in the mountains.
Thanks and see you next year. Now snowboards in to the closet and surfboard out. Bye.
pow day count : 40!!
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First ascent and descent
We should have done this before the helicopter arrived, not when it left, then we could have appreciated the helirides much more…
todays hike and ride. It still continued after the couloir for another 400m vertical
You feel so incredibly tiny on places like these. Many variables that might make your day best or worst ever.
Ode Siivonen taking the first turns of the first descent of the lilla rostinden couloir
Rollercoaster of emotions
Northern lights, aurora borealis, were dancing in the clear skies almost every night. Photo by Teemu "Laama" Lahtinen
Amazed, excited, frustrated, bored, scared shitless, happy, relieved, longing, living in the moment, feeling tiny, respectful, sad, succeeding, failing. I went through lot of different emotions and states of mind during the week in Tamokdalen. We had some amazing runs and weather, good and bad snow but no pow, steep faces and slushy treeruns. Close calls and good luck. It was a really thrilling week and even a new sauna experience; we had a sauna in a tent outside in the freezing cold! I will keep coming back to this place every year, I think. Experience is unique and with perfect conditions(meaning stable pow) Tamok would be unbeatable.
One of the bigger faces. Hattevara. I rode it down from the middle with Ode Siivonen and Alex. The dimensions get distorted easily when you get up 1000 meters in two minutes and suddenly stand on top of your line.
Chute in the sun. We thought it will be slushy but it was a bumpy ride down with crusty snow and the top part was around 40 degrees. Took it easy.
The heli ride you don't want to take. Our skier friend Alex had bad luck. Tip of the ski sunk in to the crusty snow, tomahawk and he broke his shinbone. We had to call the rescue helicopter from Tromsö to get him from the middle of the mountains. Crazy operation with Alex and the paramedic hanging at the end of the rope hundreds of meters from the ground.
Easter Holidays!
Spending easter holidays back home. My rib is still hurting and I cant really ride, but im crusing around in my home resort Gräftåvallen together with my girl Rosmari, Hampus Ahlström and my brother.
Happy holidays
Read more No CommentsTreeride WC and Heliboarding in Tamok
I drove six hours north from the Arctic Circle to Tamok in northern Norway. We are going to spend a week here flying up with a heli and riding down. Not bad! First day we had the Treeride World Championships with hmmm…. changing conditions. There was parts in the contest, first you had to come down this bushy face 300m vertical meters high and then normal freeride face was the second part on a same size face. I finished second(tied second with a norwegian skier) after our skier friend Ape.
Now it’s supposed to be sunny for the next couple of days. So it looks like we get to fly and ride.
View over some peaks in Tamokdalen. two minute ride up and 30 min down
Don't step to the left
Finally home with finnish pow!
Methoding through the trees. Photo by Teemu Lahtinen
Phuuh. I got home finally couple of days ago after three months and 13000 km… and lots of POW of course. I had to take few days at the couch and going through the mail that had been piling up behind the door. BUT the snow will not let me rest! Since I got home it started dumping… well at least in finnish measurements. It snowed about 30cm and there was already a really good snow winter in Finland so we had to go try the home pow out. I went to Pyhä resort which is considered the best “back country” resort in Finland and little over an hour drive from home. Perfect. I met up there with friends Antti Autti, Teemu Lahtinen, Jiippari, Jaakko, Ville etc. So it was great to shout some finnish for a change in the mountains…hills I mean.
Cruising in flat light and trying to avoid sharks. Photo by Jaakko Tossavainen
Antti Autti ssbs180 method
We had tons of fun but I have to admit that I am spoiled by the months in the Alps. In the beginning of the season this would have felt awesome but now it was just ok. But it definitely felt good to ride on the home soil again and the snow was pretty good for Finland. We hit some decent drops too but the snow pack is not quite the same as in Italy… It was pure luck that we didn’t land on any sharks although it’s the best snow year in decades.
Middle of pillows finnish style. Photo by Teemu Lahtinen
I landed this to the flat with my edge scraping a rock. 15cm to the right and I might have a second hole in my ass. Photo by Teemu Lahtinen
After almost a week at home and two fun riding days I am packing my car again for a heliboarding trip in Tamok, northern Norway. I drive tomorrow and there is Treeride World Championships on saturday and then the heli sessions kick of on sunday. Cross the fingers for good weather and snow. Hopefully I find internet in the norwegian wilderness so I can update.
Pow day count : 39
Read more No CommentsLong time no hear!
Sorry for the lagging of posts lately. We have simple been to busy. Here is a an update on what happened last week.
Checking out the landing
Shaping a kicker
Johannes and Sebbe
Waiting for our turn at the kicker
The park
The Last Day in the Alps
Spraying the last pow flakes of this trip
It was still dumping in Leogang when we left yesterday so we had high hopes for the last day. Stefan Gimpl woke us up with a pleasant phone call. It was sunny and Fieberbrunn got it’s share of the dump. We packed the car, had quick breaky and headed to the mountains. We met with Gimp at the gondola and he shoved us around to the good spots. Sunny, powder and friends the last day couldn’t get any better! Snow was little bit unstable and getting warmer so we were on our toes but we found some amazing runs.
I didn't know if I should ride or lay down. Tired and happy.
All the riding and hiking takes it toll and we were totally beat when we rode down for lunch. We felt empty over schnitzel and bratwurst. It has been such amazing trip that and it still feels weird to leave some pow unshred and the Alps behind. The luck was definitely on our side during these winter months. Everywhere we followed the forecast it was even better than it forecasted and the pow day count ended today at amazing 37. The best pow season ever!
Read more Comments (2)On the road towards north
So we left Italy tired but happy. We had to head out north since we need to be on the ferry to sweden in a couple of days. Austria would be a good stop on the way and it seems that it might even get some snow too. So we had little hopes of still getting some pow!
After seven hours of driving we found our way to Leogang and went straigt to bed. When we woke up in morning we couldn’t believe our luck again. It was dumping like crazy.
Some fresh falling during the night!
We took the gondola up and realized that it was almost too much snow. Trees were bending under the snow and there was no speed for turning so we needed to go straight! Our tour in the Alps si coming to an end soon but the snow just doesn’t want to leave us nor we it.
No words needed
Submarine on the way!
Powder day count:36
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