The twenty-first of December and today it will be about cabins. The feeling of coming in to a cabin after a long day at the mountains, light up the fire and start warming up the body. I think nothing can be compered to this. The first cabin I will recommend will be the Faltjagarstugan in Jamtland. This one can be reach from either Helags mountain station(12km) or from Ramundberget (16km) The cabin it self it not so remarkable, it is the view on the way, and from the cabin. With Helags and Skardorrsfjallen. To sit outside the cabin and see the sunset, it will be hard to beat. Now we move upwards to Muddus. In the northern part of Muddusjaure a small cabin is situated. The Arvidsson cabin. A small cabin with two beds. It got its name from the park guard Lennart Arvidsson. A visit to the cottage is a small time travel, located in a fairytale landscape. at the same area (in Muddus) you also got the Manson cabin. With only 4km from the eastern entre its perfect for the children’s hike. It only got three beds, but there is a lot of good tent sites in the near of the cabin. Another forgotten cabin will be the Sårjåsjavrre cabin, close to the Norwegian border this small inconspicuous cabin is situated. Build in 1920 it is one of the oldest. he water is turquoise blue of glacial mud from the glaciers high up around the lake. Below the cottage’s vestibule, at Sårjåsjávrre’s outlet, the water forms a foaming waterfall that plunges down through a narrow rock canyon. At last I will give Lunndorrsstugan a place on this list. This is a cabin situated in the mid of Valadalsarea. With its sauna and hospitable location it will have a special place in my heart. And do you remember the morning there Jansson, when we woke up with a reindeer herd outside the window…

See ya tomorrow…

Today it is time for the door twenty, and today it will be about hand and gloves. We often talk and learn about different tools and how to use them. But the most important tool in addition to brain is the hand. So this tool you must be very careful with. The anatomy of the hand tell us that the hand isn’t got any muscles, only tendons. The most important finger is the thumb, because with this you can ”lock” a grip. So it doesn’t matter how good tools you got, if your hand doesn’t work. So you have to keep it warm and dry, and avoid to hurt the thumb. So how to do that? When using the hand to example digging in the snow for building a shelter or at a avalanche, secure you got a good grip. Place the hand on the tool(shovel) and lock the grip proper. Doing that you will avoid injure. Be cautious and meticulous. 

Now you got the technique, then we can start looking into the protection and heat. The glove area is a galaxy of choice. First of all when to wear gloves and when mittens? If it is really cold the mittens is preferable. But as soon you need to ”work” with the hand it will be more difficult. Normally you use mittens as reinforcement garment. But as always let starts from the beginning. Use a liner closest to the hand. And then a glove. If you gonna climb, work with rope etc. The glove shall be made of leather. So make them a half or one size bigger than normally, so you can add the liner. If you will be in wet/moister areas, you need to have a glove with good waterproofing and a shell that is protecting from becoming wheat. My own experience is to choose a pair bit more expensive then the average, it will reward you in the long term. And remember as said before, this is your second important tool at the adventure…

(Smartwool liner glove, a good suggestion closest to the hand) And at last, don’t forget to workout the hand, train the ability to grip. This will help you in every situation you will end up in. a strong grip will always be good.

See ya tomorrow…

Today it will be a history that might will affect you, what knowledge do you got about first aid? The history of a Guardian angel on the mountain.  (Torgy Roxå was saved due to a guides with knowledge and sensory presence)

The 10th of March, the day before the first death of corona in Sweden, Torgny Roxå are at the Storulvan mountain station. He and his wife has decided to go towards Sylarna on ski for the first time. Due to their lack of experience, they have decided to use a guide and be a part of a group. It is after breakfast, and the group has started the skiing. After they have reach the saddle at the west part of Lillulvafjallet the group stopped for a photo and breath out. Then of a sudden everything become black for Torgny. He is laying totally still, not breathing. The heart has stopped beating. The two guides in the twenties has recently completed a CPR training. They start the CPR and at once alarms the mountain station and the ambulance helicopter and the mountain rescue. One of the crew at the mountain station jump up on a snowmobile and bring a defibrillator with him. After 10minutes the snowmobile is in place and they can put on the defibrillator. Of a sudden they can here a noise from Torgny. He probably grasped for breath. The mountain rescue shows up with a oxygen mask, and now his back. A couple of minutes later the helicopter lands, and bring him to the hospital. Today Torgny is back, but follow the restriction after the surgery.

At the mountain station you might have the opportunity to meet a lot of different personalities who nests here.  First the ”polar fox” they are easy to recognize. always wearing the Fjallraven out fit. And everything else in the gear will be classic. Due to that they don’t use wool (using synthetic instead) you can smell them. Or you will here them telling you that it is much better to be in  cabin, less with people and less service that’s the best they tells. The second one will be the beginner. This one can be a bit difficult to recognize, due to their gear is mixed. A backpack borrowed from the neighbor (probably a Haglofs Skarja from the 80s) but a new sleeping bag from the brand Everest. They are easy to recognize in the reception asking 200 question of weather and the trail they are going to hike next day. The next personality is the Messersmith.  He is easy to find, he is sitting in the sauna and telling all tours he has done. If there is any possibility to start  bonfire anywhere, be sure i is there trying to fire. He also often help the reception crew to tell the beginner what or how to do everything. The gearjunkie, is the next one. He or she always got the latest color on the Gore-Tex jacket. With a new ice axe and never used crampons he/she is the real explorer. When the Messersmith is trying to light up a fire the gearjunkie bring up his ignition steel in stealth carbon. Looking at his watch telling its going to be +4 degrees tomorrow. However we got the biggest nerd left. He/she is easy to recognize. Sitting in a corner, with long hair preferable in a ponytail and with a google tan. Hanging over a map, quite looking around the room. Yea, you guess right it is the guide. A quiet thinker, that the profile…

Take a nice cup of coffee, turn up the volume. Laid back enjoy this movie..(great Simon Jaktlud)

See ya tomorrow…

Time to open door eighteen, and today we will meet Pata Degerman from Finland. Pata is the only real explorer from Finland. He has been doing a lot of adventures. Being an explorer Pata has travelled globally on adventures involving, different climbing discipline’s, kayaking, hiking, off-road driving and many other forms of adventure. His expeditions have ranged from the Arctic to the Antarctic, Himalayas, Jungles, Oceans and many other somewhat unexplored regions, sometimes even to regions that have never been drawn on maps. The last 20 years Pata have organized and led numerous expeditions around the globe. Over 40 trips to the Arctic areas in Iceland, Spitsbergen and Greenland and five expeditions to unvisited areas on Antarctica (Ellsworth mountains and Queen Maud Land). Expedition Arcada – Adventure for life.  Arcada University of Applied Sciences and 45 students joined forces with adventurer Patrick ”Pata” Degerman and a wheelchair athlete Aron Anderson during spring 2015. Our goal was to scale a 300 meter tall, perfectly vertical mountain wall in La Grave, France, after months of preparations in Helsinki, Finland. The students got to climb the wall, but also work with things related to their studies. Not only was the expedition learning by doing at its best (what Arcada is all about). The adventure also gave all parties involved a chance to stand out, test and develop new products, methods and concepts. To help us we had a great team of experts, mentors and sponsors. Check out our adventure below! The climbing expedition took place 7-15 May 2015 in La Grave.

See ya tomorrow…

The seventeenth of December and todays topic will be Mental strength. While be in the mountain environment you will need to have a mental strength. Why? Well you will end up in situation were you will need to have the strength to continue or stop. So here you will get some advices for developing that skill. First of all train to focus on the moment. The challenge is here and it is now, focus you energy on the present moment and not what is right before you. Next will be to embrace adversity, remember the obstacle in the past you have overcome. Exercise you mind , To gain stamina, take on a daily task that stretches your mental endurance. Challenge yourself, with to easy goals you will always be in the comfort zone. Get out of it and do it harder and in new ways. Respond positively you can not control everything, bur what you can control is your reaction of things. Incredible progress can happen in your life and leadership when you take control of your reactions. Be mindful, To be the most resilient and mentally strong, make the time to  be mindful so you can focus on what you truly want. Train the ability to become more mindful. Don’t be defeated by fear, so what does this really mean? If you know (which of course you know) some of your fear, try them. Hold the lecture, write the book, dispute the decision etc.  Always remember: failure is an event, not an identity. When you feel as if you have tried everything you can to achieve your goal, and you still haven’t made it. Keep the focus up, and strive, strive for it. That will build up your mental strength. So, tell me what is your next step for becoming stronger mentally?

See ya tomorrow..

A calendar without Torsten Boberg is not a calendar. So today we honor the role model of Swedish outdoor.

From the book Beyond the paths (bortom sigarna) I will give a part. The first winter ascending of Kebnekaise. The sun would be the master, and at the thermometer we could se the quicksilver pillar raised during the day. Standing close to the top shelter we went to the South peak of Kebnekaise.  Looking toward the sky,, in the east and south the sky still is clear, but north west something is going on that does not escape attention. where the white cold clouds approach in an endless line. And if listen carefully you can hear a hiss in the air. Here it is still calm, but the nice weather will soon end. We isn’t got a minute to loose.  The distance between the peaks is approximal 800m the ridge passage normally will take us an hour. At twelve a clock we were standing at the north peak. The ascend was fully done. The grey haze had moved closer. Of a sudden we was interrupt in our dreaming of a small detail. A protective paper from the camera film has been laying on the snow. A wind caches the paper which goes up with the wind. Our eyes tunes toward north, and we can se the ”smoke” over the peaks. Kebnekaise has started to breath. Now it is the wind shelter we must heading for before the storm will catch us.  The only way is the ridge. The snow ridge shall not be forced, all care must be taken even on the way back. The wind blows and strikes in our clothes, already the cloud sea starting to cover the sun…

The thing that is interesting about Torsten Boberg is that the trails we hike today, such as the Jamtlandstriangle for example has been done/planned from him. So give him a memory next time you going toward Sylarna.

See ya tomorrow…

Today it will be about having good habits. When it comes to outdoor it is a good thing to have habits that supports you. So here come the first thing; surround you with good people that supports you. The biggest doubter is yourself, and if the people around you doesn’t support your dreams you will get stuck. And think of this; Time is spend, it is the moment that is crucial.

Ok so that was the philosophical part, now we move into the hardware. When it comes to the outdoor area there are small and bigger habits that matters. So let start like this; In the service(Army) I’ve learned a lot of good habits that I have kept. One is to always bring a spoon in a pocket close to me. This means if food is showing up I can eat. Today I have it in the top lid of the backpack. Next thing is the first aid kit. I always have that as well in the top lid, and I am telling everyone on the tour that it is there. Now everyone got it. Another habit I’ve learned as a professional guide is to start the day with a risk analyze. I think everyone in the mountain area should do that. Just a short over thinking of what can happen and what is my mental preparation for it? And if you bear in mind a sort of three step thinking(another good habit I learned in the army) . How will this decision affect me in the next step? Ok so now I am ready for the hike, what will be my next good habit? Well while hiking do not step on the stones or obstacles, better to step over or behind. This will save your effort. Heat, never get sweat. So adept your clothing to the temperature. When you have come to the lunch, secure you will have extra clothing close to hand, and also a beanie. When it is time for the camp or cabin get structure or your steps. Make dinner and warming up water for the thermos. If it is winter secure you got snow near to garb and melt in the morning. Before you got to bed, do (ready for a new day of hiking/climbing? Do the good habit) the  hygiene routine and check the WBWS: Warm water bottle, Check the Boots(were to store them during night, and so they are ok) Check if you got any Wounds, especially on hands and feet’s. And at last put your Soles into the sleeping bag(or dry them) Put on the beanie and go to sleep. In the morning you got the Thermos ready and snow/water to boil for the lunch. Now you are ready for the next day of hike/climb. 

Here you can get inspiration for X-mas gifts for the mountaineerer.

STARTSIDA SV

See ya tomorrow…

Today we open door fourteen and today I will give you a guides advice. First of all I would like to talk about skills. To become a good outdoorer you always need to develop your skills. For being able to do that, you need to understand from were you are going. So start with a inventory about your level in navigation, river crossing, first aid, weather, bivouac technic, clothing. Also add winter skills such as avalanche, bivouacking and winter tenting, frost injuries, skiing. Add your physical level to it and you now have a schedule to work on.

Guides advice about equipment; You pay for what you get, I have seldom regret things I bought for expensive money. But I’ve sworn over bad equipment which has broken. But it all becomes from the activity and area you are in, as well as how often you are doing it. I look into details and features. If there are pockets at the right place etc. This will tell me if the brand knowing what they are doing. But if you are a top freak, then is should be as stripes as possible. So you cant go for that advice always. But boots, backpack and shell layer is the place to be carful with. And of course tent, this will you live with for at least 15 years.

Ok, so now you got the area you want to develop, and you got the right gear. What’s next? Now its time for planning. So next advise will be; make a plan. Defined a plan for what you will develop and explore. A rough plan will be good enough. To detailed planning only means that as fast as its done it will be out of date so to say.

Ok, so now its time for the developing of your skills. How to do that? Now the guides suggestion will be a…..guide. Why? Because she/he will help you out with becoming better. This advise also included guides. See and learn. It is always good to see and hear someone else to describe an area. So hire a guide at lest for a day to get better knowledge.

Now we have come to the last step, now you will find out your own needs of equipment and what to bring. I always carry at least three things in my pack. First a wind shelter, then a saw and of course a first aid kit. Then I am prepared for the most. Also a compass and a map, but that is basic.

See ya tomorrow..

At door two I was writing about weather from a holistic perspective, today I will talk more specific about the mountain weather. I’ve been talking with Klas Kempe and Hakan Hultberg both meteorologist with deep competence in this area. When it comes to mountain weather, the prognosis maintained a high quality. The first advice will be to listen/read to the latest report. And one very important fact, never ever ignore a warning. Prognosis is a fresh product, so be sure you always got the absolute latest version. Today we normally got the technical condition for being able to do that. 

One important thing to understand about the mountain prognosis is that  prognosis Modell must be slightly smoothed for computational reasons (model resolution). You can not include all tops e.g. and Sarek. The Sarek massif will be a leveled mountain massif with an altitude of 1200-1400 meters and slightly above. This also applies to Kebnekaise. Local effects can therefore be worse than what is said in forecast. This is also important to understand.

Katabatic winds is another phenomena you have to have in mind in the mountain areas.   Katabatic wind is sometimes also called falling wind, but the latter can also be downward wind from Cumulonimbus clouds (village clouds / thunder clouds). A variant of catabatic wind is when cold air that has stagnated on a high plateau is suddenly set in motion. Stagnant air in winter in high pressure can, over snow surfaces, become very cold. In valleys severe cold but on bare scales and peaks never as cold. If the high pressure weakens and breaks down, the wind can increase and set the cold air in motion. This really heavy air (high density) accelerates due to the gravitational force, down slopes and ravines. The wind can then reach storm strength (25 m / s), extremely even hurricane (33m / s), at least in the wind gusts. If the air has a temperature of -15 degrees, the perceived temperature in a storm or hurricane will be below -30 degrees with a high risk of freezing or if you are unprotected for a long time also cooling, which is very dangerous (Anaris). Often the increase in wind comes quickly. There is a warning sign. If you travel in calm and nice mountain weather but see a snow drift from the peaks (the peaks are smoking) or you hear how the wind higher up ”thunders”. Then you should be prepared to seek protection. In addition to Anaris, strong katabatic winds can hit the Riksgränsen and Torne Träsk area when cold stagnant air from Kebnekaise is set in motion by strong south winds. This of course also applies to other areas with similar conditions. We often have a much more modest variant of katabatic wind at night when cooled air flows down slopes. Then it’s about someone or a few m / s.

Lay wind.

Waves form in the air when passing a mountain range and under certain conditions. The flow should be perpendicular to the mountain range with a deviation of about 30 degrees. Westerly winds (270 degrees) are common in the mountains, favorable then 240 degrees to 300 degrees. Another condition is that the wind increases with height, which is most common. A third condition is that the air at the passage of the top or ridge is stably temperature-layered (explained in book and course), which means that the air is forced over the mountain (against its will) and returns as quickly as possible to its original position (equilibrium position). This stability gets the air gets the air by flowing over cold snow. Especially if the reading side is steep, the air rushes down to the equilibrium position and can accelerate sharply. There is thus no shelter on the reading side, it blows much more than on the windward side. There may be a storm or hurricane, at least in the wind gusts. A typical example is the steep reading side of Helagsfjället (winter) at these wind directions. A reading side that is not steep, slopes slowly, never gets as strong a gust of wind. The increase in wind can come quickly and very unexpectedly. 10/1 2019, the wind was westerly over Helagsfjället. At 07.00 in the morning, an average wind of 3 m / s was measured with 7 m / s in the wind gusts. 10 minutes later the average wind was 4 m / s with 19 m / s in the wind gusts and 10 minutes later 13 m / s and 28 m / s (storm gusts). The highest village wind speed at Helags so far is 52 m / s (hurricane villages are 33 m / s). Here it is enough to travel a bit north towards Sylarna or south towards Ramundberget to avoid the worst winds. Another example of strong winds is Stekenjokk. Here it blows most winter time in the sector north via west to southwest. The air then flows over the snow surfaces on BØrgefjellet. At the Swedish border (the stable temperature-layered air) the air falls between 300 and 400 meters and accelerates. The highest average wind speed is 48 m / s, in the wind gusts it was then over 60 m / s. The wind at Stekenjokk can be considered extreme, but it also affects the mountains nearby, such as Borgafjällen and Marsfjället, as well as the towns of Kittelfjäll and Klimpfjäll.

Venture effects.

When the air blows through a valley that is somewhat in the wind direction, the wind speed is increased. It is the same phenomenon as when water in a hose is forced to pass a constriction. Then the speed of the water increases. The increase in wind can come quickly. A good example is Stora Sjöfallet when the wind turns to the northwest (which is in the direction of the valley). The wind speed can then be moderate up at Ritsem where the valley is wide. The valley narrows considerably at Suorva and Stora Sjöfallet, which means a marked increase in wind. In strong northwesterly winds (behind a low pressure) the wind can reach storm strength, hurricane 38 m / s in average wind has been measured. The strong northwest wind then continues down towards Saltoluokta. In the entire mountain range there are valleys that are narrow and where the wind can blow more than in the forecasts. In Sarek and Kebnekaise, such valleys are very common. Further south, e.g. Syterskalet and in Jämtland / Härjedalen all valleys at Lunndörrsfjällen. If you know the wind direction and approximately how much is expected to blow in the forecast, you can assume that they will be worse in narrow valleys. Sometimes a combination of catabatic winds and the venturi effect can produce strong winds. A typical example is Sylarna by wind around the south. The air is then forced up over the slopes north of the Squirrel Pass. After passing the pass height, the air flows down towards Sylarnas mountain station, accelerates and is also affected by the surrounding high mountains (venturi effect). With a northerly wind, there will be no significant increase in wind at Sylarnas weather station. The strongest winds occur during the winter months when the low pressure activity is greatest. The air is then heavy and cold. In summer, strong winds can occur on the bare mountain, but usually for a short time, generally less than a day.

See ya tomorrow…

Today we open door twelve, and today it will be about mountain cabins. With crowded hike trails , and overfull mountains stations an alternative would be to spend the nights in a nice mountain cabin instead? Here it will be more ”airy” and more spartan. Here you have to take some more responsibility, which means to carry water and chop firewood. with its own stove in the room, the atmosphere will be cozy. However there is a risk that a middle age man will have his synthetic undershirt with a day of moister with the smell in your vicinity. But I still can remember the night me and the mountain men Jansson spend at  Stensdalen.

Sleeping in a room with 6 other wild men. But the atmosphere in the cabin, when the stove was fired up could not be mistaken. One of the other cabin I can recommend will be the Nallo cabin in Abisko/Kebnekaise area. The summit trip to Nallo is a reasonable challenge even for those who do not usually climb peaks and it is also possible to ski around Nallo mountain. In beautiful weather, a climb of Nállu is highly recommended. From the top you can see all the way to Kebnekaise’s both peaks.

The area is also fantastic for skier, here they can live out the ”white dreams” of skiing.

See ya tomorrow…