Back in Chamonix – The spring is here!

Late on Monday I got back to Chamonix via Stockholm, Zurich and Geneva. After finding out that my computer was gone I had to work out a plan for getting back online and trying to get a new computer. Still, yesterday I felt like I wanted to get back skiing in the wonderful weather, so I went by Brevent with journalist Kina Zeidler (Check her blog out on: www.kinazeidler.se - in Swedish) for a few runs to do an interview for Swedish ski magazine Åka Skidor. There I hooked up with friends Stephane, Francois, Bruno and Ollie (Canadian) for an afternoon run down the Cosmique. It was a perfect ski day in good company and good conditions. The snow on the steeper aspects seems to warm up well making for great skiing and even the west side of Midi was perfect in the late afternoon. 

Landing in Geneva

Journalist Kina Zeidler in Brevent 

And in action in Bellin

Aiguille du Midi

Francois, Bruno and Stephane waiting for the lift

Ollie hanging out above the rappel in the Cosmique

Fanfan enjoying the sun

Francois-Regis Thevenet (also called fanfan) is doing the same while lowering Bruno

Bruno Compagnet... I think he was the first foreign winner (and only?) of the Scandinavian (Swedish) championships up in Riksgränsen... Was it 99? 

Ollie taking of down the Cosmiques couloir in wonderful corn conditions 

Bruno with the Chamonix valley in the background

Francois-Regis in action

Bruno again

Bruno surf style 

The boys at the tunnel 

My computer is gone...

Yesterday when I got home to Chamonix I realized I had lost my computer at Zurich Airport. It´s kind of funny as I was thinking on the airport how cool it felt to be able to relax with my gear after the South America adventure. It probably got stolen on the terminal while I was reading... So in the next few days it might be a bit harder to do daily updates...

Haglöfs Arctic Weekend – A great gathering with excellent skiing

Haglöfs Arctic weekend is now over and I’m just about to go to bed to get ready for a full day of traveling tomorrow! Its been a few really good days of skiing and ski touring in Riksgränsen, Björkliden and Låktatjåkka and the snow conditions have been awesome. This is a really special place to visit in the winter with the magic light, the cold and, if one is as lucky as we have been, the dry powder snow. On Friday I went to guide the lift access skiing in Riksgränsen and even though I have been spending many seasons there I have to say it was one of my better days I ever had there. In the night I went out with photographer Fredrik Schenholm to shoot some flash photos in the night (with really good results) and on Saturday I guided the classic ski Kåpparåsen from Låktatjåkka mountain station. In the evening I held a lecture and showed some photos from my Denali expedition last spring and today has been a day of work and design meetings.

Its been great to meet the great Haglöfs crew with associates, all the guests on the event as well as all my good old friends from the Riksgränsen, Björkliden, Abisko area. I’m already looking forward to next year’s event.

Tomorrow I’m going back towards Chamonix for more everyday adventures, or if Fredrik get back from his cold, we make take on a pretty special adventure. Lots of questions will find their answer tomorrow… 

A swedish Semla, the first thing I ate when i got back to Arlanda, Stockolm's airport

I arrived to Kiruna's deserted airport late last wednesday... it was deserted

Fredik Schenholm holding an adventure about adventure photography. Check him out on www.schenholm.com

Lapporten on my first morning in Björkliden

Johanna Stålnacke and myself in the bus towards Riksgränsen

Sun was shining, and the weather was sweet!

Filmer David Kvart doing his thing! www.kvart.com

Fredrik again! 

Fellow Haglöfs team member Per Jonsson (www.freeride.se/blog/perjonsson), on of the world's top telemark skiers, held a clinic about creative skiing... 

Johanna Stålnacke (alpinepassion.blogspot.com), also in the Haglöfs team, was also holding one of the clinics about creative skiing... 

Mine and Stephanie Churlet's group on the top of Riksgränsen with Vassi and Voitas in the background... 

Steph, Haglöfs team member, skiing some awesome powder. 

Patrik at Outside Magazine doing the same thing

Steph on the top during some short film work

Lapporten the next morning

Breakfast in Björkliden

Låktatjåkka mountain station in a snowstorm 

Mine and Johanna's group doing a loop around some dangerous avalanche terrain... 

Haglöfs designer Anna Oreman shredding! 

And again

Kåpparåsen from the bottom 

Another sunrise at Björkliden

Haglöfs Arctic Weekend

I’m at Copenhagen airport at the moment on my way to Björkliden in the north of Sweden for Haglöfs yearly event – Haglöfs Arctic Weekend.

It will be a weekend full of happenings, clinics, lectures, small adventures and lots of skiing of course. I used to spend a lot of time in the Riksgränsen area a few years back and it always feels like coming back home when I visit the mountains up north.

Read friend and fellow Haglöfs team member Johanna Stålnacke’s write-up on the weekend at: alpinepassion.blogspot.com

Check out profile on freeskier.com

Just got the word that freeskier.com have posted a profile on me! Check it out at: http://freeskier.com/stories/profile-andreas-fransson-talks-motivation-chamonix-fear-and-going-solo… 

Check out Daniel Rönnbäck’s blog – The life of a young photographer

He just put up some photos from the weekend’s photo shoot - http://danielronnback.blogspot.com/2012/02/chamonix.html

A two-day ski tour at Dents du Midi

I just came back from a two-day ski tour around Dents du Midi in Switzerland with Bjarne Sahlén.  We had planned to ski one of the awesome couloirs on the north side, but snow conditions where really tricky. First, on the south side we had to abandon our objective because of wind loading, and then, when we dropped in to our back up run it was also extremely wind loaded – so the only reasonable thing was to walk back up and call it a day.

It’s weird though, that many times when I back of something I feel like a bigger accomplishment than when I get something done. Especially this time when backing of was a much bigger hazel than skiing down, that makes me even more proud of our decision. But looking back we still had two great days in perfect weather, a kick ass dinner as well as some really good turns. We might even have some good material to make another small webisode.

Keep an eye at Bjarne’s video blog as well; it’s loaded with lots of great films from the mountains – endlessflow.posterous.com

Bjarne on the train to Marecottes

Bjarne walking through the beautiful village of Marecottes

Hiking up to the Marecottes backcountry

We got some really good turns in

Bjarne walking over a lake with Les Dents du Midi in the background

Our awesome dinner: Red vine, fresh tortellini, smoked salmon, mozzarella, tomato sauce, baguette with some compte and candy, dark chocolate and honey waffles for dessert. 

Sunrise this morning

Couloir dente jaune

Bjarne enjoying some good snow

But it got too good... Really wind loaded further down and Bjarne belayed me out to check the snow, but it was just too dangerous. We had to walk back up. 

But wi still got some really good skiing

Bjarne on our way back to Salvan and Les Marecottes.