When I take my first two steps, two feelings are signaled to me. The first is that winter is coming, the crunch underfoot and the smell, the second is the stillness.

This time in the mountains (pre-winter) is fantastic in that way. The third national park for this is in front of me  in a frosty dress. My journey towards one of Sweden’s highest waterfalls has just begun. I quietly think that now I will enjoy every step and that is how it will be. After only two kilometers, slightly uphill, I arrive at the waterfall. The moisture from the fall is in the air, painting the rocks and mountains with a thin crust of ice. After enjoying the noise from the fall, it’s time to move on. Now it’s heading uphill, and the edge towards the ravine leads in the right direction. Once up at the edge of the fall, you get a nice view from the bridge. From here you start to get a view of the national park, but on this particular day there is haze in the air layers. Which means that this spoils the view at least for the moment. Following the trail back 130m means that you come to the trail towards Harrsjöstugan. But that is not today’s goal, but the Rörsjöstugorna located on the southern edge of Lissrörsjön. The trail here goes on bare mountain and is easy. Pretty soon the morning’s first stage goal is visible.

It is a whole cottage area, with a sauna cabin, the tourist association is responsible for the cottages and the main cottage is closed for the season. But you can almost feel the atmosphere and hear the murmur of curious and expectant summer visitors.

One of the cabins is open all year round for safety reasons. There are six places to stay and a stove. Soon the fire is crackling nicely in the stove, and your eyes are drawn to the dancing flames of the fire. Now there is only one important detail missing to complete the enjoyment, a cup of coffee.

With simmering anticipation, the espresso maker is brought out, and soon the cabin is filled with the smell of a fire and freshly brewed coffee – hard to beat. Soon the energy stores are filled and the fingers are warm, so impatience slowly creeps in and it is time to pack up and continue the day’s trip. The first part of the trail down to Björbäcksstugan, which is the day’s final destination, is an easy descent. We pass a few small puddles with ice on them. The further down we go, the more the temperature rises, it gets hot. But soon we reach the final destination and another day in the mountains is over. The next day the tour was at the Gäljåfjället, whereby two large moose could be targeted. But as Kipling said -that is another story…

Whispers of the North (2002 Remaster)

See ya soon…

Regardless of whether you are a guide or not, you can always see it as a gift to develop yourself. For those of you who follow my blog, you for sure know that I have written many words about this specific topic. But today I will view it from an new angle. Motivation is a good thing, but as we all know this is a characteristic depending from day to day quality and also will be influenced of depends as of our mental attitude. What I mean is If you don’t got the knowledge or experience the motivation can’t save you in all situations, that’s how it is. So what then? Well, if the motivation cant help you what could be the key then?

Lets talk a bit about habits, ok, then you might think -habits what? You been talking about that before, and how long does it take to set a new habit, if its really possible to do that? Hm, well, lets us begin with small steps, think about a habit that you want to establish. One example can be -I really want to read more. Connect this with an existing habit. If you go with the commuter a couple of days in the week, you can use that time, for building a new habit. Or if you go to bed, read first and brush your teeth after. Make it easy to do right thing. This means that small habits can lead to big changes. But with small steps, and anchoring with already everyday functioning habits…

Understanding the crossroad. Are you ready for the next step? Lets talk about the crossroad. If you want to become a 2.0 version of yourself, this will be a really important key for you, to take that step. The ability to effectively adapt one’s cognitive and behavioral strategies in response to changing task or environmental demands is a crucial capacity we all can and need to develop. Lots of nice words, but what does it means in reality? cognitive flexibility is all about your brain’s ability to adapt to new, changing, or unplanned events, and to become aware of one’s thoughts. If you are standing in a situation where you have a choice, a crossroad. In your inner you will know what should be your right choice, but the other way might become easier, and less problematic. Standing in the crossroad, use 5 seconds to reflect (cognitive flexibility) disconnect, and choose your valued direction, where your lead star leads you. Example, if one of your habits will be to avoid cinnamon buns every day while passing the local bakery. At the morning on your way to work, passing the bakery and the smell from cinnamon bun dance into your nose. Now, take five seconds to reflect on your thoughts. And make the choice (important here is that it should not be a feeling of guilt or shame) And some day of course, you might choose the cinnamon bun:-). But you take a decision related to your own values, to become a better you.

I will do a review of the Fjällräven Keb jacket. The Men’s Keb Jacket from Fjällräven is a functional outdoor jacket for men, combining wind- and water-repellent G-1000 Eco in recycled polyester and organic cotton on the hood, shoulders, front and extended back, with stretch in the back, sleeves and pockets. After a first look, I am not convinced. A jacket for this price, I really would expect something more. It is not windproof, either water proof. It is flexible, that I have to give it. But so far due to the price (NNN)

Tobÿ, One Trick Pony – All I Think About (Lyrics)

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This week has contained great variation. The week started out with a lecture about the mountain environment and how it will be affected of our lifestyle. An interesting fact was the information of how much deforestation affects the environment. So if we in Sweden could decrease the felling with 30%, this could mean that we could reach the environmental demands…

I also held training for the Tornedalen Folk High School about the IML training and also about the new Mountain Leader norm. And today I held a lecture for Friluftsfrämjandets Mountain Leaders about the new norm, and how it will affect them. So overall a intensive week, but at the same time very interesting and a lot of good meetings with people and organization’s.

I often reflect and write about leadership and personal development, and I think that is an important competence and driver. But at the same time, you must consider and understand when you cant change your receiver. In this type of conversation, one choice can be to be a ”grey stone” . This meaning not to give up, or ”give the shit”. It is more of relief your self, Self-awareness, compassion and personal responsibility. I think you understand in what situation or in what conversation this might become relevant. In a job situation, or in a meeting with someone who use simplex communication f.eks. So here you also got a suggestion of a book in the topic.

Tillbaka

See ya soon..

How do you become a International Mountain Leader with authority?

I have meet a lot of people in the mountains, but to be honest – not so many I would not describe as a real authority…So let us dig into this topic in todays blog. This is not an easy one, but let’s dissect the concept like an avalanche expert dissects layers of snow: with awe, humor, and a slight shiver of existential anxiety.

Passion, not position. True authority comes from passion – not from the logo on your jacket. Show your love for the mountains, the nature, the group, the weather, even the mosquitoes (okay, maybe not all of them). When people see that you lead because you want to – not because you have to – they will follow you through both blizzards and Excel reports.

Sniff ’n’ The Tears – ”Driver’s Seat” (Official Video)

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Even if you are a pro or just a beginner, this weeks blog might get some more understanding of snowshoeing…

First of all, why snowshoeing?

-You don’t need experience like for skiing, you can just -do it!

-Because it just so easy, any one can do it! Its like hiking and it will give you cardio vascular exercise.

-Essentially its so easy, just walk. And the surface and slope almost doesn’t matter…

-It is affordable, you can find a pair in a quite low price…Low price with high accessibility, it agile.

-More stable and easy compared to skiing..

First of all, how is the snowshoe build up? It is the decking, the frame, the bindings, the pivot and the crampons. So lets start with discovering all about the decking. Todays versions a solution of Hypalon, vinyl or polyurethane-coated nylon, all to offer a better flotation with a smaller surface area.

The crampons should be built up with metal teeth, this for being used in snow and ice circumstances. This for be able to use in crusty ridges, crossing frozen windswept ponds etc. Normally its built so it bits into the ground in every step you take. If you going to use them in more of a mountaineering landscape, they should be having spikes/pins in the heel and front and also maybe around the whole shoe.

The bindings, here is were the boot and the snowshoe meets. The binding are critical to making the snowshoe working well with your choice of boots in the conditions were you experience most often. Here is one of the week spots, so you might hire a pair of snowshoes first to find out which binding that suits your boot the best. You don’t want to experience rubbing or chafing from the bindings when walking.

• Secure that the binding can be adjust comfortable and snugly.
• Does the binding hold your foot snugly enough for preventing from sliding?
• Will the binding be easy to use with mittens and in cold conditions?
• Will the binding be easy to repair if a part will be broken?

The Frame, Made of wood, plastic or lightweight aluminum tubing, frames come in a variety of shapes. The differences are simple. Oval shoes offer optimal flotation. Shoes with tapered tails and asymmetrical shoes allow a more natural gait.

The Pivot, The pivot point is the place where the binding attaches to the frame of the snowshoe. It should be placed at the ball of your foot.

Soft and hard attachment. A soft attachment, is resilient band to fixe the foot/boot toward the snowshoe. The advantage here is that shoe feels lighter, it is more maneuverable, especially when getting out of a tight spot. Disadvantage is that this solution makes it more difficult to kick steps up in steep terrain.

Hard attachment though will be more fit so to say, and giving you more lateral support and your crampons better purchase in the snow on steep inclines. Advantage will be that it is easier to use on steep ground. Disadvantage; hard attachments can make for more difficult climbing when you need to kick deep steps up a slope.

Tubular frames or plastic frames? Well tubular frames are more durable than plastic, but less flexible. Molded plastic: While flexible, this type of snowshoe is more fragile and can snap, especially in cold conditions.

So what do I suggest for snowshoe then? Well, MSR have two different ones. First MSR lightning accent, this one is easy to step in to. The snowshoe works fine at all surface such as ice and rocks and snow and also slush…

The second one will be the MSR Evo Trail; this is a classic. They are affordable, easy to use, and offer good traction. The bindings are secure and can accommodate a wide range of boot sizes, and the compact design is relatively easy to strap to the outside of a pack.

So over to the review of the Snugpak Spearhead jacket. This is a tactical jacket and in the midrange. So its not a premium product from that point of view. But it is nice, got a real good hoodie and lot of pockets. A note to the pockets; The ones form warming the hands is fine. Also the inner pocket. The one place on the arm, is small and a bit hard to open and close. This depends on that the other fabric is to lose…The weight in relation to it warmth is though really good. So it will be (NNN+) You get a real good warm layer for a small mount of money.

I will also high lite a new book; the Bortom Berget a book about the Skuleskogens National Park.

They’re Hanging Me Tonight | Johnny Trouble 

See ya soon…

The autumn is here it is obesely, The cold drives the heat out of the lake, causing fog to form. September has been a great month due to adventures. Last weekend I went to the national park of Skuleskogen. So now I’ve been hiking all the trails in the park. So this time I started from entrée south, and went towards Skrattaborretjärn. This trail was like hike in a cave. The trees was hanging over the trail, really fantastic. After just 4km I reach the crossroad, and turned towards the Slottdalsskrevan. The trail now changes its character and became more high land, with moors. Soon I started the ascend to the Slottsdalsskrevan and from here I got this fantastic view of the archipelago of the High Coast.  From here the hike became more easy and soon I reached the Näskebodarna. From here I just followed the coast line back to the start of the journey. As usually the High Coast and Skuleskogen delivers its best side…

The work with the SE Mountain Leader norm has continue in a fast and constructive way. And hopefully we will take decision soon to accept it and start delivers related to it.

Workout, this is a chapter for it self. But I have been going back to reduce the running, and start building more strength. But today it has been 13km speed hike and 8km weighted trail run, so I am satified with that as well…

Upcoming week I will do a review of this jacket:

The Snugpak Spearhed olive

Alex Warren & Jelly Roll – Bloodline (Lyrics)

See ya soon.

September has been a real hectic month so far. Started up at the 5th with a tour toward Sylarna in Jämtland, and continued with IML introduction for the aspirant’s at Campus Åre. So lets begin with Sylarna, the weather at the Friday was quite ok. So after 4 hours we reached the Mountain station. At this time of the year it is usually crowded and this time was no exception. But the crew hold the high and provided a high standard of the service. The Saturday was spend for a attempt to the Sylarna peak, but the weather put a stop for that. But the stew dinner made up the mood to a nice level. The next morning it was time for turning home, with fog and a bit of high humidity. But the temperature was perfect for hiking and after a short lunch stop at Spåjme the trail downward toward Storulvån was quite nice and easy.  Everyone was satisfied after the tour.

Sunday lunch I embarked the train to Åre. Now it was time for the yearly IML introduction for the students at Campus Åre. The day one begun with lecture in organization, leadership, river-crossing, emergency shelter and navigation. The second day it was time for Speed navigation test. So with a daypack with 8kg and a track of 5km with approx. 600 height meters they got a bit over two hours to passed the test. Directly after that it was time for mini-expedition. This included practical training of micro navigation, night navigation and building a emergency bivouac. Over all the students got good skills for the expedition. It is always very good to be in the ”teacher” position” you need to ”step-up” and it is very developing with all questions from new angles from the aspirants. So very excited and satisfied with the mission.

I also have done field review of the coffee press from Helikon-tex ( Helikon-tex camp French Press coffee mug) This was a success I must admit. So ok, it of course will depend of the water-the coffee beans-the heat etc. But this brought back the thoughts and taste of my grandmother’s excellent brewed coffee. Softly floral and smooth on the palate, with the typical slightly harsh aftertaste of coffee. So from my point of view it can only be (NNNNN+). Outdoor coffee freak = get one…

Highway Heart – Dark Country Outlaw Song 🛣🔥

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Now the days are starting to get shorter and darkness is slowly creeping in. What better time than to think about how to brighten up your autumn so you can continue with your activities? So todays topic will be about headlamps. What do you need to think of when it comes to choose the best headlamp?

First of all you need to consider brightness and range (the performance). And your choice will be depending of what you will use the headlamp for…The brightness of a headlamp is measured in lumen, which is a measure of how much light the lamp can provide. Here is a quick guide to how much light is needed in relation to activity:

Walking on a regular road     200-lumen.

Walking, jogging on roads and general use. 200–400-lumen.

For technical trails, trail running or activities where you need long range and good nighttime lighting. Lamps in this brightness range provide a longer light output.  400–1000-lumen.

For activities such as night orienteering, MTB cycling or night work, where you need a bright light to see further. 1000–2500-lumen.

For extreme light, perfect for searching or working in dark conditions. Advanced LED technologies such as CREE and higher light output are often used here to provide maximum brightness in extreme conditions. Over 2500-lumen,

So you have to consider the usage of the headlamp. Comfort will be one factor (weight for example), brightness will be the next thing to consider and at last the need for battery life.

Low brightness (300-lumen) up to 200 hours .

Mid brightness (800-lumen) up to 15-40 hours.

High brightness (1000-lumen or more) 4-10 hours, depending on battery type and settings.

Battery, So what type of battery will be the best? So ok, let’s not go to deep and nerd ourselves out too much on the subject. We can divide batteries into three different type; alkaline-nickel metal hydride and Lithium. Alkaline – easy to use, easy to get hold of. Can start o leak if you forget them. Brightness will slowly drop…Nickel metal hydride – now we step into rechargeable. Great alternative if you want to avoid buying new ones all the time. They have an even brightness all the way through. Lose charge faster when not in use – they need to be “trained” regularly!  Slightly shorter lifespan compared to some other rechargeable options. NiMH batteries are great for those who use their lights frequently. Perfect for daily walks, evening work in the workshop or if you have a light that is often on. Charge and reuse – a clear favorite for everyday use! Lithium – say hello to lithium – the battery type that makes your flashlight shine brightly and last a long time. Lithium batteries are not only lightweight, they also provide maximum brightness from start to finish. If alkaline batteries are the reliable faithful servant and NiMH is the environmentally conscious friend, then lithium is the energetic adventurer who always wants to give 110%. Lithium batteries are the choice for those who have high demands on performance. They are perfect for long expeditions, searches, night walks, or when working where bright light is a must. If you want maximum brightness and durability, lithium batteries are right for you.

Durability, a direct impact of the performance of lamp will be the capacity of usage of the lamp.

So one important thing to keep an eye on is mAh – which stands for milliampere hours. In short, mAh shows how much energy the battery can store and is directly linked to how long the light can last. The higher the mAh, the longer the light can last before the battery needs to be replaced or recharged.

For rechargeable batteries like lithium and NiMH, it’s smart to choose the highest mAh rating possible, especially if you’re using the light for extended periods. Higher mAh means you’ll get longer light with the same high performance – perfect for intense nighttime workouts or long adventures.

So summing up all this facts, How should I proceed when choosing a lamp?

You need to analyze for what activity you will be using the lamp for. For a more sustainable choice the rechargeable ones will be the best. If you choose a rechargeable model the NiMH one will be the best choice, especially with a high mAh rate. Some of the brands also have a combination of rechargeable and alkaline solution, which open up some limitation. But for a long expedition in darkness choose a lamp with high IP classing (IP68-IP69) which guarantee robustness. When being in cold environment it is good to have a battery solution so you can wear the battery close to your body. Here comes some good suggestion of good headlamps…

https://ljusgiganten.se/fenix-pannlampa-hm65r-1400-lumen.html

https://www.valostore.se/sv/produkt/lumonite_compass_r_old?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=255768243&gclid=Cj0KCQjwwsrFBhD6ARIsAPnUFD0d_EvFjh0Ie9NZwPgAuGE0XkulYoiYedsVyrQb0ZzRxUh6p7kDDe4aAspsEALw_wcB

https://www.outnorth.com/se/varumarken/silva/cross-trail-7r-111295-P145-3217?variantId=145-3217&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=shopping&utm_campaign=02%3A%20%5BSE%5D%20PLA%20-%20Shopping%20CSS%20-%20High&gclsrc=aw.ds&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=02%3A%20%5BSE%5D%20PLA%20-%20Shopping%20CSS%20-%20High&utm_id=1525611721&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=1525611721&gclid=Cj0KCQjw5c_FBhDJARIsAIcmHK_nGDGJRfAXkPhhlljNYQuPxVr6JA76BO9seVTiIZJ5u15PAzRgCCwaAjZcEALw_wcB

Authors note: I always bring a back-up solution, either another head lamp or a torch. And always be caution while charging rechargeable batteries. Key take away – The better brightness, the shorter time before need of recharge.

Lady Bird | Claudia Cecilia Marian feat. Johnny Trouble | Official Video

See ya soon…

This week we had a meeting in the Mountain Safety Council, so why not take up the topic there and write about the concept of mountain safety?

Mountain Safety is a very broad concept, so it is important to limit the topic so it doesn’t flow out and become too large. It can be technique, it can be gear and also leadership for example. One of the discussion at the Mountain Safety Council was about accidents related to professionals in the mountain environment. A couple of the organizations at the meeting presented their work with how to prevent and mitigate risk and accidents and in what situation they could see that it was relevant. Risk is of course one crucial part of mountain safety, but you must understand and remember that a risk plan as a base is good to have, but risk is a very dynamic factor. But with a base of Identify risks, assess the probability and consequence, mitigation plan and follow up and document the result etc.

But mountain safety will always be impact of the individual. And here it doesn’t matter if you are a guide or a professional hiker or just a beginner…The knowledge and experience together with the ability will be crucial. Now its beginning to become interesting. What is ability? A capability is: the ability of a person or an organization to perform a certain action or purpose, based on its internal characteristics, competencies and resources. Ok, so what is the difference between a skill and ability then? Compared to skills, abilities are much more stable and enduring. Abilities can also include being able to apply and even transfer knowledge and skills in several different situations and contexts.

How can I improve my capability then? First you have to define, why this ability is so important for you. Next step will be to find out the conditions and how you best develop the ability. Third step will be to create a plan (a development journey) that really has an effect. Start from already defined training and supplement. Schedule learning in your everyday life. Establish and further develop the ability.

So what will be the key takeaways from all of this related to Mountain safety?

• A ground riskplan is important, but even more important is to have the ability to be dynamic due to the circumstances and demands.
• Knowledge and experience will be the ability, ability to make the right judgement (decisions)
• Clarify what ability you need to develop and plan.
• Do what you can in your “knowledge” area, but get out of the box (comfort zone) but in a controlled way. You must try and fail to be able to become better…

Tiger Army – Dark and Lonely Night (Official Music Video)

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A leader is best when barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: We did it ourselves.

Today’s topic will be a difficult one. Due to that fact that many have their opinion about it. It also includes so much different areas, so it is hard to delimit the topic. Well, what ever here comes my opinion about leadership. My experience is that in the business(and maybe elsewhere) it has been a misunderstanding or/and a confusion of the concepts. I will not go deeper in the area and define of what is management and what is leadership. I will focus on the leadership. This meaning  is that is more about to inspire and to influence. A leader has the focus for area such as vision and motivation. So ok, but leadership from a guide perspective then? Well, from the ground it will be the same. Leadership can be described overall like this “Guiding means showing the way, offering direction, and providing support. It includes communicating a clear vision that gives the group a common compass. A leader who guides shares their expertise and insights.” Isn’t this exactly what guiding is all about, he essence of it?

So how to describe of what will be the important parts of a good leadership? I will try to do it in a more colorful version.

The map will symbolize the vision, to know the direction were to go. The compass will symbolize the values -why are we doing this? The boots will symbolize the power of action. To not follow the decisions is like wearing boots but still walk barefoot. The shell jacket symbolize your protection for your team. Protect them from storms. The stove will symbolize the motivation. A good leader knows when the group needs to warm up. A good cup of hot chocolate or with a good history. The tent will symbolize the trust. Create a place where people can relax and be themselves, even when the wind is howling. Trust is built when everyone knows the tent pegs are strong.

But leadership start with the core – yourself. If you haven’t done your homework, you will have a tough road ahead as a leader. You know your limits-your values-you have the inner compass that guides yourself…So for developing your leadership skills this means you better understand yourself. Start with the question – Why do you want to be or become a guide? Now the stone is on the roll…

When it comes to gear, I got the Dynafit traverse dynastrech jacket. It is described as a shell jacket…But this is not a shell it is a jacket for high intensive activities in mountain environment. But not in strong wind, or pouring rain/snow conditions. As you can see at the picture it is built for high intensity of sports. The ventilation is really good. And the result then? NNN, it can be higher.

Its a interesting upcoming week. A lot of mountain meetings…

“More To This” From The Stairwell – Acoustic Performance

See ya soon…