Lofoten: the magic archipelago
Going up north on the west coast of Norway in late winter is a big highlight for me every season. When the sun is returning after months of darkness and harsh winter weather, I dare claim that this may be one of the most beautiful places in the word - at least for those with a love for the combination of mountains and the ocean.
photo: Sverre Hjørnevik / www.digitalnatur.no / www.camplofoten.no
Lofoten is an archipelago of magic mountainous islands stretching out from the coast towards the North Atlantic, well above the Arctic Circle. Historically known for the great cod fishing feeding large parts of Europe, it is now a well-known destination for tourists, including climbers, skiers and surfers. Snow covered lines between huge, clean granite walls with white sandy beaches and clear blue water below them may well be a tourist brochure cliché, but it is also actual reality.
This year the ski conditions in the north of Norway started out very bad, with little snow and extremely cold weather, but got sorted out and turned perfect just in time for peak powder season, March and April. Going this far up north earlier than these months would anyway be for those possessing special interests in lots of darkness, lots of down days and lots of time to get in touch with the Nordic alcohol culture. Keep in mind most of the Alaskan territory does not even touch this far north...
Using another cliché, the big contrasts is what makes this place special: from 24 hr darkness in winter to 24 hr sunlight in summer, from mountains to fjords, white snow to blue water and from skiing to surfing in the same day. It is actually magic, and it just gets better every time I go there. Try it yourself; just bring some backside skis and skins, a thick wetsuit and a surfboard, some climbing shoes and a rope. Also bring a big down jacket as well as a pair of shorts, you might very well need both of them in the same day.
photo: Sverre Hjørnevik / www.digitalnatur.no / www.camplofoten.no
photo: Sverre Hjørnevik / www.digitalnatur.no / www.camplofoten.no
photo: Sverre Hjørnevik / www.digitalnatur.no / www.camplofoten.no
photo: Sverre Hjørnevik / www.digitalnatur.no / www.camplofoten.no
I got to join the annual gathering Camp Lofoten again this year, to enjoy the skiing, surfing and good times together with a happy bunch of enthusiasts. On the last day, after a late good bye party I rode a line together with snowboarder Håvard Ånesen, a couloir that in many ways sums up the essence of skiing Lofoten: alpine terrain, short approaches, magic views and skiing all the way down to the ocean. Join us for both the climb up and the ride down in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Dntnfvx9Ow
more Camp Lofoten video here: http://vimeo.com/10418632
See you in Lofoten next year!
/ Torkel Karoliussen, K2 Adventure Team telemarker
Robert Plant would go – Borgafjäll, Sweden
Way up north in the remote Swedish wilderness is a hotel where Led Zepelin vocal Robert Plant once performed at the apres ski, where the prince of Thailand hangs out every year and where I just got to go schred with a couple of Norrøna team mates and photographer Mattias Fredriksson.
Most Sweedes have not even heard about the place, and even the majority of those who ski would not be able to say where it actually is. Yet Borgafjäll has been a ski destination for decades. It is currently the only Scandinavian destination offering cat skiing which was started here back in the 60's, and thus at the same time alone at running both lifts, cat and heli out of the same resort.
The Hotel Roof was actually designed like a ski hill by the architecht, but Even works off piste.
Got the chance to go up there with a great little crew to do a story for next winter's issue of Norrøna Magazine, and enjoyed the luxury of Borgafjell Hotel, with its good food, well appreciated hot tub in freezin records, and access to skiing in theese remote mountains by all the three means of getting up the hill as mentioned above.
The Swedish mountains are defenitely not known for the bottomless pow and that is neither what we got nor expected. But just getting up there, coming above the treeline, seeing forever in the cold, clean air and low angle sunshine, is an experience in itself. We flew when the weather was good, god some rides and photos with fantastic backdrops, then got into the cat when it milked in and took into the trees when it snowed some and got soft.
A couple thousand feet of Swedish mix in front of the Sidestashes.
Small cat - big landscape.
Hard snow, soft light.
Life with a helicopter: always on top of the world.
More photos and some video at the Norrøna blog.
/ Torkel Karoliussen, K2 Adventure Team telemarker
Scufoneda Dolomiti
The Scufoneda telemark freeride festival here in the Italian Dolomites was really fun! Lots of fun telemark vibe and good people, good food, and sunshine. A small american crew represented, including Nick DeVore, photographer Gabe Rogel, Eben Mond and Josh Madsen from Telemark Skier. Nick won the telemark freeride contest off the Col Margherita in fine style.
We're here for a few more days, and it's snowing outside right now. Here's to a powder day tomorrow!!
Luke Miller in front of the Gruppo Palle
La Scufoneda Festival
Japan - confirming the myth
Just came home from a great couple of weeks in Japan. Having never been to this place much written about and pictured in the ski media in the later years I wanted to go over there myself to experience it and see if the snow was as deep as I’d been told.
That did not take very long:
Hokkaido, the northern of the major Japanese Islands, gets huge amounts of snow, making resorts such as most famous Niseko a 100% bet for powder, at least in December and January when the average number of dry days are about zero. My skis were lost in transition and I feared I’d be riding on rental gear the first day. Luckily, or actually because of some years experience of air travel with ski gear, I had carried the boots in my hand all the way from Scandinavia and actually found a kind local who would lend me his Hellbents on one of the deepest powder days I have ever experienced - probably just another average ski day for him though.
Following my friend and maker of Signatures, a pure Niseko back country pow movie, Nick Waggoner, on the first run lap beside the bottom lift the myth was confirmed. Immediately everything that I had heard about the Japanese powder was recognized as indisputable truths, as I unconciously opened my mouth to let out a scream of joy and had my instantly filled with snow. I have skied a lot of good snow, and some really deep powder in my life, but nothing like this. It is not about faceshots, but air shots. The stream of snow over your head is constant, except for the valuable, short moments when you are lucky enough to pop over the surface for a breath of air and adjusting your direction between the trees.
Obviously it is not always exactly like that, even in Niseko, as the snow quickly settles after a day on the ground, but it definitely stayed soft. After cruising the hill and the slackcountry for some days, we were lucky enough to get on a cat and into some really fun minigolf terrain with lots of stuff to take air off of and even some short pillow lines. Lots of flat landings, yes, but who cares when it is bottomless?
Japan is awesome, that was concluded already on the first run as told, but also the food - sushi especially, the toilets – with heated seats and more, and the onsens – hotsprings, are part of making your ski trip to Japan unforgettable. The terrain on Hokkaido is in general quite mellow though, at least that where the ski areas are located, and our trip had another purpose; to check out the Japan Alps on the main Island and make an article obout the skiing there for Norrona Magazine. This is to be published at the start of next season. I can tell you now that we did not find the same kind of snow, but nevertheless the trip there was maybe even more memorable. Check the Norrona Blog for more about that.
Face to face with the Japan Alps. photo: JM Øvervoll / Norrøna Magazine
- See you on the mountain!
Torkel “Torky” Karoliussen, K2 Adventure Team telemarker
Wm's Snow Sports Panel & Punch
TIME: 7 p.m.
DATE: November 11th
PLACE: outdoor DIVAS, 1133 Pearl Street Boulder. It's FREE, RSVP today. 866.449.3482
Calling all snow sports lovers! We want to talk gear with you. Enjoy beverages, and join our bevy of outdoor gear heads including the K2 ladies alliance member Lindsey Yaw, Babes in the Backcountry founder Leslie Ross, Heather Paul of K2 Ultimate Groove Tele camps, and Krista Crabtree of SheSkis for a chat on gear. Please join our panel discussion to share your thoughts on trends and technology as well as an opportunity to learn more about what’s new and/or give feedback on what you've liked and disliked. Stick around for some punch, a great raffle and learn more about the Pink Chase breast cancer awareness fundraiser. If you have questions for the panel please send them to us a info@outdoordivas.com titled PANEL QUESTIONS.
Bear Valley Telemark Festival, CA Feb 6th-8th
Bear Valley Mountain, CA.
K2 is participating in this year's Bear Valley Telemark Festival! The Bear Valley Telemark Festival is the largest and most spirited freeheel event in the West. Over 3 days more than 300 attendees will participate in clinics, demos, adventures and evening banquets with good food, live music and dancing. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been raising your heels for years, or just want to try a new sport, the Bear Valley Telemark Festival has something for all ages and abilities.
For more info, go to bear valley.com
