Today we are going to visit one of the lesser-known national parks. It was established as late as 1991, but was expanded to its current total of 16 square kilometres. It is located in Västerbotten, in Åsele municipality. By now you should have been able to figure out that we are going on a trip to Björnlandet National Park. The purpose of this national park was to preserve a still untouched section of so-called undulating mountain hill terrain. Typical Norrland nature with moraine-covered ancient rocks, coniferous forests and clear river valleys.

In Björnlandet you can find bears, wolverines and lynxes. There are around 360 bears in Västerbotten County. So you have the chance to move around in bear lands here…

Hiking here requires a lot, both the ability to navigate and, above all, fitness and balance. In part, you need to use your whole body to get through the sections. You can expect a speed of 2km/hour, so you understand that there is nothing prepared here…In the national park there are two 6-bed cabins that are free to use.But a word of warning in the summer there are mosquitoes here, a lot of mosquitoes. Here you will be alone, desolation breeds patience and perspective. One of the nicer trails to hike is the Mother-in-Law’s Trail.The overnight cabins are very nice and well-equipped with a kitchen area and an outdoor toilet.The trail is demanding, however, with endless jumping over roots and rocks.But at the same time very relaxing – interesting and fascinating. The trail is 12,6 km and expected to take about 5 hours. From the top of Björnberget you get breath-taking views .The trail is marked with green markings.

Sun On My Face | Irie Tahitian Reggae 2026

See ya soon…

If I were to ever would write a book, it would most likely be about meetings. Meetings in the mountains… Meetings between people are a prerequisite for life itself and help us reflect on how we see ourselves and how we see others. Social connections provide opportunities for emotional support and empathy. Sharing our feelings, concerns, and joys with other people can help boost our self-esteem, promote a positive self-image, and increase our ability to cope with adversity.

Of all my memories from mountaineering, the meetings with people there are the ones that have meant the most and are the most deeply etched in my memory.

So, a lot of examples of this; the Italian guide at Lac Blanc in -Chamonix, who invited us to share his cheese and meat platter accompanied by wine from his own vineyard. Or the manager of base camp Gosfansara in Iran who offered breakfast at sunrise…Or the conversation by the fire at Sylarna mountain station with the adventurer Håkan Eliasson the guide Mattias Jansson (a team mate for life) and the station manager Mats Almlöf (who was, by the way, a clearly interesting person, with a passion for the mountains…)

Or  the New Year dinner with the with the Inca descendants at base camp at Aconcagua. But to talk about meetings without mentioning Nils Thorstensson would be blasphemy. The man who introduces me to the mountain world. Nils has a background as a former paratrooper. Calm as the lake in the morning, wise as owl, and with a integrity you could not break through, but at the same time the humblest man you can ever think of. Last and not least, my own Kenai the husky. We spend a lot of time in the mountains. After a long day he lay down close to me and slept. Totally relaxed. I miss you my Kenai…Every day…Kenai at Österfjället-Bydalen.

So, it has been a busy period. Meeting within the Swedish Mountain Safety Council, work meeting with the Mountain Leader Council and Board meeting in the Mountain Leader organization. And add to those, two days of upgrade training for Mountain Leaders to the new norm. Jammi…

Let’s start with the spring meeting with the Mountain Safety Council. Focus here was the statistics from the winter season as well as the reports from the incidents last year. This winter the weather has been unusually varied. Avalanches that passed over the winter leader in several places. changing snowmobile track conditions as well as difficult ice conditions.

The Mountain Rescue (Police Authority) reports 110 (265 last year) cases of involvement. Most mission in Jämtland and Norrbotten. Most of them were rescue mission related to hiking followed by skiing, and snowmobiles. The rescues were mostly related to wounds, after medical reasons and emergency reasons. 54% was men, 36% women. Average time from registration to completion 3,5hour.

When it comes to guest nights at mountain stations and mountain huts, this has decreased somewhat compared to the pandemic.

When it comes to the upgrade for the Mountain Leaders, the training was held as a webinar. Here two solid parts were included. Sustainability and Risk planning with incident reporting. 14 eager participants on their toes passed the training with excellent results and can now call themselves Mountain Leader 2.0.

In the Swedish Mountain Leader organization, the board meeting was held at Tuesday. So now the work with a lot of interesting activities will be on track. Such as a Nordic Mountain Leader convent at Åre. A new homepage, and a lot of interesting webinars to come….

The upcoming week I will do a review of the mid-layer Ortovox Men’s fleece light zip Neck and the Ortovox men’s 230 competition boxer.

When it comes to workout I am testing a new control. Moving a body of 90kg 200m and 15 pull-ups and 25 hand release burpees and run 200m 15 pull-ups and 25 burpees again and run 200m within 29 minutes – that a challenge…

Nobody Told Me | Irie Tahitian Reggae 2026

See ya at Sunday…

David Thurfjell historian of religion means that the nature has become the religion of our time. When you ask people if they are religious then the answer becomes problematic. -I’m not religious but when I’m staring at the horizon or hiking in the mountains then I can feel something. So what is the link between the love of nature and the religion they says they don’t have? There is no clear age of visiting the nature, but it is a wide range. 18-25 year olds are probably the group that is least inclined to go out into nature. Important fact is that the nature not is the average day place, where you work or live. From a religion historical perspective is that the holy  is not the common. It is rather something unique related to freedom, relaxing and recovery. One important thing that David pointing at will be the expectancy effects. If I have a experience of calm, freedom and relaxation, we will related to the expectancy effects will become the same as before…But was is that makes us feel more spiritual.  Well, it connects to something greater outside of oneself, might be one explanation. a sense of belonging, I am part of something bigger.

Review of the Deuter Trail 24L back pack. This is a daypack, for short adventures. This backpack is designed for Hiking and mountaineering. It is perfect for a day in the mountains. It is in alpine fit, which means it is tight. It has a lot of good details that I really likes. One it the gear loops for Via Ferrata carabiners placed at the shoulder straps. The full-length zipper is another appreciated detail.

The mounts for the poles, and pocket for both the water bottles and thermos  are also well thought out. The fact that it comes with a rain cover is also a good thing. Ok, so what is missing then? Well, I would say nothing. I really like the back part and its structure. But two things that will be a ? from my side is 1. no pockets on the hip belt, 2. a bit hard to get a bottle from the pocket. 3. It is a tight backpack, for me being skinny, it is perfect. But for someone bigger, I cant see it will be nice to carry. But a (NNNN+) it will be…

This weeks book suggestion…

When mountain leader Magnus Fjellman disappears without a trace in the desolate Drommenskåran, old legends about a strange light lurking among the rocks are awakened. Detective Inspector Emma Lindström, newly moved from Stockholm, follows the tracks up to the barren peaks and quickly realizes that the mountain is brooding over layers of secrets that defy both logic and law. The closer she gets to the truth, the clearer the echo of the villagers’ warning is heard: ”The mountain takes what it wants.” In summary, The Mountain is a dark, atmospheric story about how far people are prepared to go when nature and perhaps something even older calls. It leaves the reader with the question: What are we really willing to sacrifice for the answers we seek?

KONNA – What We Had (Lyrics)

See ya soon…

outdoor activities are a spring treat, 8 out of ten plan a outdoor activity this year. One out of three points out that the interest of outdoor activity has increased. This ha also been visible in the outdoor market as well with a increased sale of 60%.  The reason; it is easy and cheap.

”We see how more people are seeking out something simple, authentic and undemanding. It doesn’t have to be a mountain trip with a full pack, sometimes a walk in the forest, a coffee over an open fire or lunch at a storm kitchen in the nearest nature reserve is enough.” Trends like ’soft Hiking’ show that outdoor life today is just as much about well-being, community and small moments outdoors – under the open sky,” says outdoor expert Camilla Gerdsland at Light My Fire. 

I think its interesting that the young people also has an increased interest of outdoor activities. Activities such as ”soft hiking” and it moves more towards experiencing than achieving, which has been the motto before. Sitting at a lake and staring out for some hours can be really peaceful and recovering…

Are you one of those people who has been in the mountains for the past twenty years? Then you will also know the changes that have occurred and are occurring. We are all part of the problem, but we decide to what extent. To begin with, I thought I would reflect on my experiences from a historical sustainability perspective. In the beginning of the 80s. the Sylarna glacier was big and solid; today it collapsed. The Helags glacier has become considerably smaller. So, all of us who move around in the mountain areas, all have our stories about the difference from the past to today. We don’t need to listen to or understand the scientists’ reports and diagrams, because we have seen it with our own eyes. Just take an event like the marmot years, which are gone now…

Well, we can see some of the changes. But how does it affect us in our daily adventures? To begin with we need to re-think our safety planning. The weather is much more unpredictable, and extreme weather is a fact. This will affect the water flow, which affects where and how to do river crossing feks. During winter the trails that go over ice and marsh are they safe? Avalanches will be more difficult to predict where and when and zones of them as well. With major unpredictable weather changes, the flow down the mountain sides is affected. As well as the risk of rockfalls increases and in places that were previously unknown. The map may not be correct, there will be local temporary deviations, so collaboration with people who know the local conditions will be important.

Everyone can’t do it all, but anyone can do something…

Workout, with a sprained ankle, the training has been affected. But a lot of strength and hill running has been possible to do. So, on my way for becoming in shape for the summer adventures…

Too Fast For My Soul | Irie Tahitian Reggae 2026

See ya soon

The Swedish comedian Johan Glans expressed himself about Finland in the following way: They must have been absent from the meeting about how the Nordic languages ​​should look…But I must say I admire the Finnish people.  Not only are they world champions in coffee drinking, they are also the happiest people in the world. They also have their own radio program here in Sweden – Disco in Finnish. Now you might think that you play disco hits in Finnish, but alas no. They have also turned the texts into Finnish stories. Talk about being independent. A bit like the French of Scandinavia…But, here stops my reflection over Finland. 

My next topic will be about the Outdoor/mountain sport and activities overall. There has been a debate about all mountain tourism and how it negatively affects popular areas. Social media also drives both experiences and visitor density to specific areas. In Sweden the Jämtlandstriangle and also the Vålådalen area and of course the Kebnekaise area. But lets us take a historical angle out of this. With such as much people doing outdoor adventure, must be a something positive, because that means that we can afford and spend our income on adventures. Not to long ago, it was just the rich and wee-off who had the opportunity to do this.  The downside of chasing the most and best adventures, number of altitude meters and most climbed mountains (and preferably at sunrise/sunset) in social media of course takes away a bit of the whole thing. But in my opinion, I come into the picture as a guide here. Can I live up to the fact that an experience in the mountains can be and is something completely different than boastful pictures and extreme hardships. Back to basic…Have you ever sat by a lake and just stared for a couple of hours…

This weekend I went to the High Coast, hiked towards Bodviken Wind shelter and the Balesudden. A hike through magical paths and high-altitude marshes along the High Coast trail, with passages near sea bathing bays. The ankles got a good workout, but the experience of air, view and scenery – unbeatable. both body and soul recovered. So, the next thing was a joyful meeting at the Skuleberget, and a Via Ferrata to taop the day. But – you don’t live as you teach? Well, it was a slow and enjoyable climb…

We all have two lives, the second begins when we realize we only have one…

90-04_WKDA_CEND_Tony-Branch_CB_20

See ya soon…

Now its a fact, the spring is here. Trail-running, hiking etc. Just to begin exploring…New season for trail-running means new shoes. The Dynafit Alpine Pro shoe will be this season choice. When it comes to trail-running shoes, approach-shoes or even hiking-shoes/boots you can get some good advice here;

If you have pain/pressure on the top of your foot, you can untie the shoe as in the picture. This will relieve the pressure over the area where the pressure is…

Sometimes you need more heel grip, for example to hold your foot more firmly. Pull the lace through the extra holes as in the picture (on both sides then) then tighten it as much as needed. Then just tie a regular rosette knot.

Spring is here, and with that comes the light. This will affect us in different ways. It all depends on our built-in 24-hour clock. It controls hormones and neurotransmitters in the brain and keeps our circadian rhythms working properly. But when the circadian rhythms don’t work, like with jet lag or seasonal changes, some people are more affected than others.

What happens when the seasons change is that hormone levels and levels of certain neurotransmitters change. The changes can affect both our sleep and our mental well-being. When it gets lighter, the nocturnal hormone melatonin decreases, while the stress hormone cortisol and the neurotransmitter serotonin increase. The result is that we have more energy, while we can feel both tired and depressed. This is because the body reacts faster than the head.

But for those who find the changing seasons problematic, there is help available. A simple way is to be outside in nature and follow the rhythm of nature. If we are outside in daylight even during the winter months, the seasonal transitions can be mitigated, and the spring light will not be a shock. Another tip is to eat, sleep and exercise regularly, make sure to keep your circadian rhythm and go to bed no later than midnight. Light therapy and antidepressant medication can also have a good effect, says the scientist.

Facts about sleep, getting enough sleep and rest is important for both mental and physical health. The body and brain need sleep to recover, replenish energy, and process sensory impressions from the day.

When we sleep, the body slows down, heart rate and blood pressure drop, breathing slows down and muscles relax. The body recovers. Impressions from the day are processed, new knowledge and memories are stored. The production of stress hormones decreases during sleep, while other important hormones are formed. The immune system is also activated, which can make you more resistant to infections, for example. When you are temporarily ill, sleep is often important for faster recovery and recovery.

Our circadian rhythm is controlled by various hormones as mentioned here before, such as melatonin and cortisol, which make us naturally sleepy at night and alert during the day. Yet it can be difficult to fall asleep at night. This is partly because circadian rhythms vary slightly from person to person, partly based on our genes, and we can, for example, be morning or evening people. People who have slept a long time in the morning or taken a nap during the day usually have a harder time falling asleep that night. If you have been awake for a long time, it is often easier to fall asleep, as well as if you have slept to catch up on from previous nights. It can also be easier to fall asleep if your body is tired from being physically active during the day, but it is important to have time to wind down and not be too active just before going to sleep. Being outside in daylight can also promote the body’s natural circadian rhythm, which makes you more tired in the evening.

So ok, now I have understood that sleep is important, but how do I get into sleep faster and better though? Go to sleep at the same time. Give yourself time to cool down. Let your bedroom become a bedroom. Avoid stimulating and energizing drinks or foods before bedtime. Be physically active and take advantage of daylight. Being physically active during the day reduces your stress levels, while also making it easier to regulate your body temperature. There are substances in the body, hormones, that control when we get tired and when we become more alert. When you are outside in daylight in the morning, it becomes easier to set your internal biological clock correctly so that the right amount of the right hormone is released at the right time.

Calazo has published a new book, which provides good inspiration for new adventures. And this time in Norway, more specifically the Sogne area. Torkjell Djupedal presents and describes a total of 93 tours, and their ratings. So if you are ready for tours in Norway, this is a first choice for easily finding great adventures.  

Lapin Blanc – Irie Tahitian Reggae 2026

See ya soon…

Imagine your life as a tree, where each year has formed an annual ring. What we see today of you is just the last time of the aging of the body. I think we sometimes take life and all our choices too seriously. Arne Naess writes in his book, Livsfilosofi “You can only learn what you feel something about”. In the book, he also mentions the importance of inner values, such as – imagination, wonder and creativity. All this point to us all as outdoorer. Both as guides, but also as mountain sporters. Sometimes I think we got lost in the world of digitalization. We need more of wonder etc. To become one with the environment.

This season there have been a lot of avalanches, and a broad discussion of that. So, the first question to ask, why has it been so many this year? Well, of course the climate impact importance. This regards that the weather has been very varied in many ways. But one of the most important things will be that it was a weak layer early in the season. And that has been covered with new layers etc. Which has led to the avalanche risk has been at a high level during this season. There has also been a debate in the press regarding that the environmental protection agency had been too broad in warning about avalanches – this was during easter at Riksgränsen. I will follow up that debate as soon as I hear something new.

When it comes to clothing and equipment, I have two new things to report on:

First, we got the Lundhags Tived Merino hood. The Tived Merino Hoodie is made from a fine blend of merino wool and recycled polyester. Wool has a natural anti-odour effect and ability to regulate temperature, while the polyester increases the durability of the fabric. The brushed inside makes it extra comfortable, even for those who are usually sensitive to itchy wool. This is a mid-layer, perfect for spring and autumn. The hood is generous, and nice. I really like this, but from my perspective-it is a bit too expensive. For a middle layer, with so few details and subtleties, it can only get (NNN). For a price of 166 euro, I expected more…

The next will be the Garmont Nebraska II. Expertly designed for the serious adventurer, this boot is the perfect companion for long and demanding hikes, multi-day backpacking with a heavy pack, or reaching high altitudes in complete safety. Designed to provide an unbeatable combination of durability, support, and weather protection, the Nebraska II ensures your feet stay comfortable and secure, no matter where your journey takes you. Available in anatomically specific models for both men and women, this boot is the pinnacle of performance hiking footwear. This one I will test upcoming week, but so far it looks promising…

Siouxsie And The Banshees – The Passenger

See ya soon…