Down days in Chamonix

In the last few days we have experienced some of the hardest storms in years in Chamonix. We are supposed to be up in the mountains filming, but instead we get to enjoy the valley in summer conditions... 

Bjarne Sahlén on our traverse project on Pierre d´Orthaz

A morning on the hill

Yesterday I went up with Tony, Tristan and Bjarne to see if we could do something up high. Conditions where against filming, but we got some really fun skiing in variable conditions! Its great to be riding the lifts again after a spring of walking! 

Tony...

Tristan charging 

Tony imitating Alain Robert... 

Tristan in couloir Philippe  

The best run of the day actually... 

Chamonix workdays

I got in to town early Tuesday morning after a night at Geneva airport. Bjarne, myself and Mike Douglas are in town to work on an episode for Salomon Freeski Tv. On these two first workdays we have been working in town on the script and the imagery and in the next week or so Bjarne and me are going to try to get the last clips from the mountains that we need.

It’s extremely motivating and inspirational to get to work with Mike, the godfather of freeskiing, who is also a very talented filmmaker and one of the guys behind Salomon Freeski Tv.

If we get this episode right it might come on air earliest late autumn, but till then, check out all other awesome episodes that have come out on www.salomonfreeski.com. 

Mike picking me and Ale up from the airport

Raining down low... But not up higher.. Good for pow skiing - bad for mountain skiing

Lunch crew on Chambre 9 with Kaj, Bruno, Bjarne, Nils, Mike and Benedicte 

Ski film work inside

Lots of hard thinking

Mike woking on my intonation... The hardest line for me was actually - "This is the hardest thing i've ever done"... Ironic... We did many takes.. 

Panorama from Russelvfjellet at sunset 19/4 - 2012

Dropping in on Russetind

Here comes a clip, filmed by Morgan Sahlén when I drop in on the east face of Russetind the other day. The conditions where amazing with around 1200 vertical freeride meters in perfect “fun angle”!

Towards Cham

Driving south

Russelvfjellet – Finishing of a great trip by skiing down to the ocean in the sunset!

On Thursday evening, after coming home from Russetind and eating a big lunch, we jumped in to the car again to drive north to Russelvfjellet, where the road ends.

After three great weeks of ski touring, ski mountaineering, adventuring or whatever you like to call it; we had a great time, got to ski some amazing lines and lot lots of time to hang out among good friends. We also got plenty of good material for our film project, but we still felt like we needed one more thing - some normal cruising in good light, preferably down to the ocean.

Knowing we already bagged the trip big-time, it was easy to motivate ourselves for another ski tour even though we had already done more than 1500 vertical meters during the day.

It became an easy evening at Russelvfjellet. We walked straight up the west face in 1,5 hours and got up in perfect time for the good light. The snow was not perfect, but totally ok, and we cruised down and got exactly the material we were after!

A great ending to a great trip! Now its Cham time for some filming for Salomon! I will meet up with Mike Douglas and Bjarne Sahlén again on Monday! Before that I have two easy days back home in Luleå! 

Boys walking up straight from the water side 

The Sahlén brothers

The boys on the top 

Myself catching up (Photo: Morgan Sahlén)

(Photo: Morgan Sahlén)

(Photo: Morgan Sahlén)

(Photo: Morgan Sahlén)

Me skiing on the sunset (Photo: Morgan Sahlén)

And again (Photo: Morgan Sahlén)

(Photo: Morgan Sahlén)

(Photo: Morgan Sahlén)

Bjarne walking back to the car

Russetind – Rematch on the beautiful east face

On Thursday we went to finish of our Norway adventure where it started – on Russetind. We hooked up with two young Tromsö locals, Lars Andreas Nilssen and Vegard Rye and did the walk up in a neat 2,5 hours. It was a perfect day, fairly cold, no wind and bluebird and the ski conditions where to become amazing.

The wonderful east face of Russetind, about 1200 vertical meters of fun! 

When I dropped in at the top I found really good snow and just had to go for it, as the slough cloud got huge behind me. I skied about half the face in one go and waited for the crew at the entrance of the skiers left couloir at the end. Everyone had a blast and our two Norwegian friends dubbed the ski “one of the best descents in their lives”! For me it was the third time I climbed this mountain, and the second time I have skied the face and I have to say this was my best round - so far - as i definitely will be back! 

The whole roundtrip was over in less than 3,5 hours, and we got back to Lyngseidet for a late lunch before we went for one last ski tour in the sun set! 

The crew of the day getting ready!

A fast walk in good snow (Photo: Morgan Sahlén)

The gang in an amazing landscape

(Photo: Morgan Sahlén)

Morgan, Vegard, Lars and myself at the summit of Russetind! 

A cool view, huh?

Morgan enjoying 

Myself in the exit couloir (Photo: Morgan Sahlén)

And again (Photo: Morgan Sahlén)

Morgan at the end

The boys at the bottom!