Lofoten all over again

As promised, in the Camp Lofoten Story, I retuned to the most magical place in the world, for more surf, ski and hygge. This time I even got to go climbing, and also do some swimming in the arctic ocean.

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Spiderman posing with the guide Tor Fænrix and all the hooks and ropes and things, and the rest of the extreme climbing gear needed for a serious spiderman climbing expedition.


Fendrix and The Face

Hooked up with the heroes of the interior: Tor Fænrix and Erik The Face Of Rohan for another magic Lofoten adventure. On dry land they both know what they are doing and how to use the hooks and stuff. We geared up, I got into my spiderman costume and we hit the wall called Gandalf, right by Henningsvær where our superb host Håvard the stone fighter has built his crib.


Spiderman IV - rock and rights

That is the good thing about lofoten. If there is no surf, go skiing, if no snow go fishing, if no fish go climbing and if you can't do any of that go drinking. Hygge is important in Lofoten so good food and something attåt is a part of the game. When the whole Norrøna crew flew up for some days of magical archipelago times there was of course gourmet after work hours on snow or water.


Full Norrøna crew enjoying the best sea food buffet at Damperiet in henningsvær.


Drinks with the interior boys in front of the Hurtigruten calling at the port of Svolvær.


Ski touring with the worlds best view and binocular control of the swell.


On mountain hygge. Sun, snow and another fish dinner waiting when we get down.


Tor Fenrik getting a small ride at Unstad.


Hot tub, cold beers and freezing water in Henningsvær.

I think it will be a while, but we will be back again. And again. and again. and again....

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Head for the Couloirs: Lyngen all over again.

Went back to Lyngen again for the seccond time this season. Worse weather than on the spa boat adventure, but the skiing was good. As they say in Narvik: when the weather is arse, go for the couloirs.


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Hooked up with Rattfallah's Tron Helium and Jens-Monkey Øvervoll, and booted up whatever looked nice, steep and close to the road. Got some sun, some milk, some whiteout, some storm, some rain and some snow... Welcome to the North.

Got two ski days and one dagenderpå-day after a good late night afterski on Saturtay. We had deserved. First day we went to urhælvete, or Urda as they say south of the moral circle, and started scrambeling up. Still snow all the way down so went into boot mode early and actually never got out of it since the J-Monkey forgot his skins. Plan B was good though, to just head for the first couloir we could see and start making steps. Snow was a bit deep in some places actually, makin it hard work in the steepest parts, but soft all over the place so we did not have to change tires.


Me heading back down to the fjord.


Tron discovering that in Northern Norway the rain you get on the way up is turned into pow on the way down. Another magic phenomenon only found on the right side of the rim.


Headed for this chute on the south side of Sultind on day two. 800 meters and ski in / ski out straight from the car. Just the way we like it.


Forgot our skins on purpose this time. Nordnorge in the lead as always.


The crew makin our best faces halfway up.


Jens-Morten representing Nordnorsk Forening For Harmoniske Dobbeltnavn enjoying the top where it felt like winter again. Fresh, dry snow on top.


Locals Ragnar (in the blue corner representing Lyngseidet) and Stian (in the red corner representing Tromsø) enjoyed some beer from the north and chicks from the south after most of the Eldrebølgen had called it the night.

Stay tuned. Heading for Lofoten now. Surf and Ski in the worlds most beautiful archipelago is next!
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Lofoten Freeride Invitational; we will be back!

5 days of good weather, good snow and good surf in what may be the worlds most#1 most beautiful place is way more than deserved for a carefully selected group of some of the dirtiest dudes in Norway. We know it, we did not have it coming to us, but that did not stop us from enjoying it.

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Johhny Howard enjoying a one-eyed view of mountains and sea. Does this man deserve this gift from the weather gods?

Everything was set for the Lofoten Freeride Invitational comp, with bluebird, good snow and an awesome face that Gelly had gotten Per Ola to scope out for us. Johnny Howard opened it up by pointing down a nasty line at the top, sticking a cliff and from there pretty much start turning to slow down before hitting the bottom gate about four secconds later. Unfortunately only 5 guys got to follow him, as the 6th went switch out over a couple of cliff bands and had to be flown out by the rescue helicopter. That took some time, the sun left, the snow turned ice and then it was over.


The face. A real mountain for a change.


Torgrim Vole got the most out of the mountain, of the 5 riders who came down in one piece, and could cash in NOK 7000,- in beers at the party. Generously shared with all of us of course.


Erik "The Face Of" Ro"h"an and Mykingen gives Johnny Howards' skis a little late nigh last rocker finish before the comp day.


My Danish Friend Jeppe Hansen called me up and said he was coming to Lofoten. He just needed to know what the closest airport was...


After some hours of mixin drinks and playing techno Jeppe arrived together with Fredrik Lundby, a pilot and their very own plane...


Jeppe about to take another soft landing in Lofoten. His front flip in the comp was not as smooth as this one, nor the one in Svolvær airport, but he did get to show the Norwegians that danish dudes born under the shadow of Himmelbjergets north face can gi den gass on the mountain.


After a couple of beers and a full on authentic afterparty Henningsværstyle it was time to leave lofoten for this time. In style of course. Bjørni, Myking, Johnny H and Jogi enjoys a deluxe meal on Hurtigruten, cruising south. Hope we'll be invited next year too. Me, I'll be back in a couple of weeks.

-Torkel

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Cruising to Lofoten

Got on the Powder Cruise boat and headed north after some good days with ski and surf in Sunnmøre. The magic Lofoten islands is all about the same; mountains and ocean, just further North, further into the ocean and closer to the fish.

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Bjørn Thomas signed up for the voyage after takin 3rd in the Hemsedal freeride comp and was ready to rip Lofoten.


The way to go between the mountains.


Unnstad. Hoddevik, just add north.


Johnny Howard going for the big fish and Hippo ready to eat it.


Just a quick ski trip before surf.


And the Hurtigruten keeps on cruising. Stay tuned.

-Torkel

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Healthy and tender in Sunnmøre

Cruised up to Sunnmøre, north-west coast Norway, to get some more coastal pow. Hooked up with the Canadians again, as well as the local Fjørå-rippers on board Bjørnar and Veronica and a few more. The north-west coast has been warm this year and Stranda is not having as much this year as Normal, and it was quite-all-right anyway evnthough it could easily been a couple of degrees colder when we were there too. But up high it was nice and dry. We slapped the skins on and went for it as soon as the sun came out.

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The Sidestashes, corbon-neytral freeride access.


The Healthytenderalps at their best.


A bit of Methane and CO2 beeing released from theese guys but still the most environmental way to go.


Helmet on for this self portrait on the top ridge. About 1000 meters average 76 degree slope down from there....


A better way down.


Veronica cruising down towards the valley.


Doin some old school mooves for Kari in the lunch break. Hope to get a taste of his photos from this trip too on here soon.

A little big city Hygge break and then back to Sunnmøre again.

Thanx to Veronica, Bjørnar, Eivind, Henning, Øyvind, Kari and Colin for a great trip. And to all the dudes and dudettes of Strandafjellet, but that is for the next blog story.

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Spa by fishing boat in Lyngen

Went on a pow fishing trip to the Lyngen Alps with an old fishing boat rebuilt into a spa. Another additon to my list of "the worlds best way to travel", where Hurtigruten and the Glacier Express have been alone on the very top for some time now.

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The weather was as good as it could be and even though there has been massive wind since last snowfall we found some faces with good snow to ski. Photographer Kari Medig was among us on the trip, shooting for SBC Skier (Canada) and theese are a quick taste of his photos from the trip.


Found this nice face on the backside of "Storgalten" and got some nice shots while I got to ski a little line with not too deep but really good pow.


Since we were on the Spa boat the days were definitely over when we got down from the mountain. Hot tup on the back of the boat was a good place to enjoy the view of the mountains with a little attåt.


And when it got too hot the 6 meter diving tower got in handy.


With better and better style as more enhet's were added to the attåt list.


Then back to the mountain in the morning and taking some air there too.


This is a shot I took of the other photographer on the trip, Johan Wildhagen. Think he was having a good day at work.

See some other pictures and read more in Norwegian at FriFlyt.

-Torkel


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Da trees in Davos

Headed to Davos to check out the treeskiing there since it never seemed to stop snowing this season and the tree trees is the only way to go for seeing anything. Titlis does not really work when it is snowing and Brunni can only take so many Scandals before it is all tracked out, so we left Engelberg and went to ride with the Caruso Coffee Company in Davos.

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Had just enough visibility to go huck some cliffs with Simen Berg and get some shots before it pulled in too heavvy in Engelberg. Then packed the car to stay away until the sun came out again.


Simen Berg on the wrong? side of the camera.


Maria appreciating some bushes in the whiteout.

Davos / Klosters has got massive freeride terrain and lots of it with trees that provide good riding also when the light is bad and it is snowing. When you have somebody to take you to the best stuff all you have to do is follow. Daniel DC Caruso claims he is a local, but we know he is an american living in exile, anyway he knows where to go and took me for some nice runs.


Dan findin the way down thorugh the good stuff.

We will be back to Davos! Thanx to Dan and Pep for the guiding, hookin the hygge family up and showing us the Valhalla pub and all the good people!


Dude, where is our car?


Thanx to Erik, Johan and the others for hookin us up in E-town. Check the Alpine Legends Blog!

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