Soon we will be in October, and we move fast to the pre-winter season. I think it will be a good idea to make a challenge. What about one adventure every month ahead. A small, a easy, a expedition or whatever you think/like…The upcoming weekend it will be a tour to Enafors and the Storulvåarea.

This period will be a challenge as usual when it comes to workout. The day light will be gone and it is dark even in the morning. So plan your upcoming month, then it is easier to stick to the plan. Find new ways of workout. I will start wotkout with a sand bag…

In the outdoorarea can see a big increase of from the outdoor market. Outside move their store from Vaxjo to Gothenburg for beeing able to meet the market.

Cleaning water is one important area in the outdoor life. With a contaminated water the experinece can be a real disaster. The Norwegian company Cirdan (witch gor a branch office in sweden) will be responsible for distribuition for Lifestraws cleaning products. A drinkbottle with a built in cleaning solution.

This week a will test a product that aint so new, the Lundhags Rocketeer pant. This is from a product specialist suggested for me as the optimal outdoor pant. With this, you want need anything else. So I have high expectation of the pants. So it will be intersetning.

See ya soon…(saturday and sunday)

It is autumn, it was just 4 degrees this morning. The days get shorter for every day…At the same time, the work is overflowing with tasks. t We are in the middle of planning for the upcoming training for IML’s of Sweden. But from my point of view we rather should go with the light…recharge for the upcoming winter, that would be the right thing to do. Reflect, reconsider and think about what has been, and what to change. Whatever,, I will try to do it and enjoy the good life:-)

This week I have tested the Mammut Eigerjock IN hybridjacket. This is a nice jacket, and as always Mammut delivers. This one is for climbing and alpine adventures. It is awailable in three culours. It has some liner so it works fine as a layer two jacket as well. The pockets a placed perfect for the harness. The finnish is really nice. But with a price about 300Euro it is to far epensive. There are no zippers for ventilation, and not any other small features. So this jacket will get NNNN.

This year had become special due to the Corona. The Outdoor festival was planned to have open the doors in September this year, but now it will be in 2021 instead. But this year has really turn the wheel to run faster as ever says Michael Malmgren one of the organizers. The outdoor market got a turn over of 75 milj. SEK just in Sweden. And it grows with 10-15% every year. So this fair will be a important part of the market Michael reflect.

Also the Naturkompaniet of Sweden can see new needs for the market. They have decided to start travlling for outdoor beginners. With a summer of many rescue mission for the mountain rescue it will be a good thing to do they say. So in the track of Corona new possiblities will be discovered.

See ya soon…

We are already in mid September. Now is the time for prepare for the winter season. Check the head lamp, sharpening the crampons and the ice axe. It is still time for good hikes, but, check when the sun  set… Today I will do a reflection as a guide. Why does people not use guides more? I think we all (guides) have to reflect to that fact. Do I as a guide use guides? Yes of course. I know that I will learn, and get a better understanding over all of the area I beeing guided in. But my thaught about it, is that we must be even more proffessional. So how, by listen to our customer, the better we catch the needs and expectations the more satifyed the customer will get. So that is one important answer to that…

Now about back pack. How to choose a back pack? The first quetion you need to ask -what will I use the back pack for? If it is for a day tour, then 30L will be good enaugh. If you going for a couple of days, 45-50L will be the right choice. If the trip is about a wekk or so 60-70L will be needed. What is important is that if you are going for a mountain tour, you need a stable frame. This because it will be heavy, and the trail might be unevenly. Normally the back pack are available in ladies variant. So the next thing to think about will be about details. What is your needs there? For me, a opening from the sside is important so I can reach thing in the whole back pack easy. I will also have compartments and pockets for special equipments such as probes and shovel. My most important suggestion will be to take rather a smaller than to big back pack. It will always be heavier…

Now I will continue my series about altitude medicine. Today we have reach the area of AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness). The best way to avoide AMS will be a gradually ascending and time for rest for the acklimatization. Some doctors advocates Diamox 250mg x 2 a day ahead the ascending and during the acsending. Worth to notice is that Acetazolamid(Diamox) is classified as doping. If you are being affected of AMS it is time for restday (days) You can use pain killers such as Paracetamol and also Diamox 500mg one a day. Next week I will write about hard AMS and HACE.

This week I will evalute the Mammut Eigerjock IN Hybrid jacket. A hybride jacket that shall combine a shelljacket and a softshell jacket. So this one will be interesting to test.

See ya soon

In the morning when I wake up, and in the evening it is getting dark at eight a clock. I must confess, and I like it. The winter season is coming up, and light some candle and enjoy the dusk. Go with the nature and follow the flow, it is time for reflection. You for sure know what just you shall reflect over. Take the time and fill up your skills were you lacking knowledge.

The topic of the day will be altitude medicine. Already in 1878 Paul Bert propound that the low atmosphere pressure is the reason to the problem at high altitude. Before the explanation was that people was exhausted. What is important to understand is that already at 2400m you can be affected of AMS(Acute Mountain Sickness). At 3500m 50% of us get AMS if we go directly to that height (Aguille du Midi at 3800m). Between 4000-5000m the most case of HAPE and HACE appear here. It is also important to bear in mind that the temperature sink with one degree per every 150m ascending. All this factors make it so important to do a good acklimatisation. Start with a night at 2700m, and then you can ascending up to 3000-3500m. Irregular breathing is not a sign of AMS. Headache = stop ascending. 300 altitude meters pro day, and every third day shall be a rest day. I will continue this article next week…If you are going to high altitude, it can be worth buying a pulseoximeter to be able to chek your oxygen saturation.

This weeks hiking suggestion will be a tour at the Pyrenees. This trail is all over about 132km. it will take 7-9 days. But you will experience, the calm, steep peaks, deep blue mountain lakes. The trail follows the france border, and close to the highest peaks in the pyrenees. You will start in Vielha and will end up at the Refugio de Conangles, Vielha.

The french climber taking the Ice climbing/conyoning (in the Pyrenees) a step further…

See ya soon…