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.