tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91148586891523125332024-03-13T06:18:19.676-07:00Northern Alpine GuidesNorthern Alpine Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04907297020306777870noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114858689152312533.post-50634868199514589442012-02-13T03:46:00.001-08:002012-02-13T03:46:08.206-08:00Powder Alarm is Ringing! <a href="http://ping.fm/7wCyS">http://ping.fm/7wCyS</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Check Out our Website WWW.ALPINEGUIDES.NO</div>Northern Alpine Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04907297020306777870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114858689152312533.post-42551791978344480512012-02-12T11:59:00.002-08:002012-02-12T12:01:53.533-08:00Powder Alarm! Feb 12th Lofoten Islands.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Pudderalarm!<br />
<br />
I went out on a ski tour with fellow NAG guide Sjur Hauge today enjoying the fresh powder we have been waiting for a little while now. Our mission was also to do some test pit's and analyze the snow stability. We are very happy with what we found overall and the skiing was great! In the last 24-36 hours we have received a solid 40 cm of new well bonded snow in the mountains and its still snowing. We have a great base to the snow pack especially up high and we received allot of snow in this storm system. The long term forecast is calling for even more snow so it's shaping up to give us a great start for the ski season in Lofoten. At 650m we measured an average of 250-270cm of snow and in some places my 300cm probe could not even reach the bottom. <br />
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The high season for skiing in Lofoten is just starting and we have our second group of ski guests coming up this week. We are exited for the forecast of continued snow fall for this week with low temperatures giving us the opportunity to get up on the bigger steeper peaks in the near future. We have a coastal snowpack and environment here in Lofoten and the snow at sea level comes in and out all season. So for those of you who has been a little worried when seeing local web cameras with wet conditions. This usually means its snowing in the mountains and is a good thing. The season is officially started and we are really fired up for more skiing, even longer days, more Northern Lights and the amazing views the Lofoten islands has to offer.<br />
Here are a few pictures from today. Get stoked!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WKJiDh_2Eiw/TzgBJS9DxhI/AAAAAAAAAU0/XZDJkPpGajk/s1600/P1150210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WKJiDh_2Eiw/TzgBJS9DxhI/AAAAAAAAAU0/XZDJkPpGajk/s400/P1150210.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At 650m we measured an average of 250-270cm of snow. In some places my 300cm Probe could not reach the bottom!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SF2sthK7zvI/TzgBMIe8VBI/AAAAAAAAAU8/xBgZVu5nvOU/s1600/P1150213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SF2sthK7zvI/TzgBMIe8VBI/AAAAAAAAAU8/xBgZVu5nvOU/s400/P1150213.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sjur enjoying the 40cm of light powder on the way down from Torskman.</td></tr>
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Your Lofoten Mountain Guide signing out!<br />
Seth</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Check Out our Website WWW.ALPINEGUIDES.NO</div>Northern Alpine Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04907297020306777870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114858689152312533.post-64908303928072972462012-02-10T04:08:00.001-08:002012-02-10T04:08:18.476-08:00We are Married to Lofoten! <a href="http://ping.fm/qV4v9">http://ping.fm/qV4v9</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Check Out our Website WWW.ALPINEGUIDES.NO</div>Northern Alpine Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04907297020306777870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114858689152312533.post-59203690928042477022012-01-24T13:58:00.001-08:002012-01-24T13:58:25.578-08:00Blog Test <a href="http://ping.fm/tURQj">http://ping.fm/tURQj</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Check Out our Website WWW.ALPINEGUIDES.NO</div>Northern Alpine Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04907297020306777870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114858689152312533.post-2155847132002204312011-05-16T00:04:00.000-07:002011-05-16T00:36:27.809-07:00Big Season in the Alaska Range!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EZ3RlWaUaww/TdDGzdSquUI/AAAAAAAAARw/w3NekphpK_s/s1600/AK-1-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EZ3RlWaUaww/TdDGzdSquUI/AAAAAAAAARw/w3NekphpK_s/s320/AK-1-7.jpg" border="0" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mighty West Face of Mount Huntington as seen from camp.</td></tr></tbody></table>I arrived back in the Alaska Range for my 11th spring season in a row. The Alaska Range has changed my life in many beautiful ways. In 1998 I saw the the AK Range up close and personal for the first time. I was 18 and from that day on I was a climber and I planned on making a living as a guide. Two goals that's it. Those two goals led me to this amazing life of climbing and guiding not only in the AK Range, but all over the place. After so many great trips and all the inspiring people out here, I can not imagine not coming back.<br /><table class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XXZi2jVa5x4/TdB-e7_fxaI/AAAAAAAAARY/QiMzopkVk4Y/s1600/AK-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XXZi2jVa5x4/TdB-e7_fxaI/AAAAAAAAARY/QiMzopkVk4Y/s320/AK-1.jpg" border="0" height="228" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Denali towering above the Silverthrone ice fall in the Ruth Amphitheater. </td></tr></tbody></table>This year I started by guiding a private trip with Sean Russell on 5/1-5/12. Our intention was to climb the west face coliour of Mount Huntington. We climbed up on the west face only to be stopped in our tracks with a thin, unsupportable, snow pack upon slabs below great looking ice. This is the result of an extremely dry and cold winter/spring here in Alaska. So we bailed. I then used a little knowledge, creativity, and luck and the next thing I knew we skied out to the south face of Kahiltna Queen (12,380ft). The Queen is a significant peak steep from all sides and has a triple divide summit with glaciers flowing to the Kahiltna, Ruth, and Tokositna glaciers. The South Face has been unnoticed for years with the neighboring Hunter and Huntington catching all the focus. We climbed one of two really, great climbs on one the most overlooked faces in the central Alaska Range. This was the second ascent of the route and a Great Adventure. I would grade the route V 5.6 AI 4 60º Snow.<br /><table class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9StFKqpiNRI/TdB87sQAtuI/AAAAAAAAARE/cTCO6Z--6xI/s1600/AK-1-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9StFKqpiNRI/TdB87sQAtuI/AAAAAAAAARE/cTCO6Z--6xI/s320/AK-1-2.jpg" border="0" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sean at the Begshrund on Mt. Huntington's west face.</td></tr></tbody></table> Sean climbed really well and we made it to camp in 21hrs rigging over 20 rappels on the descent. We could not find one piece of gear in the entire 3,000' route. It was a great adventure with mixed weather conditions... anything from bitter cold, sun, wind, snow, and complete whiteout. We were stopped from traversing the last 200' of elevation due to zero visibility and a cornice ridge. This was the perfect climb in great conditions in an unreal setting. I would be siked to climb it again or better yet the other route to the west. My 94 year old grandmother passed away the day we were climbing making the Queen seem also fitting for this adventure in the AK Range. This ones for you grams!<br /><br /><br /><table class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GN1i_h1nTrY/TdB9Qm48gqI/AAAAAAAAARI/mBSfG2U89uI/s1600/AK-1-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GN1i_h1nTrY/TdB9Qm48gqI/AAAAAAAAARI/mBSfG2U89uI/s320/AK-1-3.jpg" border="0" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We climbed the obvious line in the middle of the Face. Kahiltna Queen is beautiful.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking up the face in the early morning light. 3,000ft of golden granite.</td></tr></tbody></table><table class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sV1E2x5_b4Q/TdB934itQLI/AAAAAAAAARQ/VdG-SlaaSNU/s1600/AK-1-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sV1E2x5_b4Q/TdB934itQLI/AAAAAAAAARQ/VdG-SlaaSNU/s320/AK-1-5.jpg" border="0" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sean topping out on a fun mixed pitch on the lower route.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PA-wqXu2Ki8/TdB-uC3sgNI/AAAAAAAAARc/n98d1csN_DQ/s1600/AK-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PA-wqXu2Ki8/TdB-uC3sgNI/AAAAAAAAARc/n98d1csN_DQ/s320/AK-2.jpg" border="0" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Granite gear with steep snow and ice. The black speck in the glacier upper right is our camp.</td></tr></tbody></table><table class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vhbwvAYRFqk/TdB_ApIKlWI/AAAAAAAAARg/QnJ1idGXu5U/s1600/AK-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vhbwvAYRFqk/TdB_ApIKlWI/AAAAAAAAARg/QnJ1idGXu5U/s320/AK-3.jpg" border="0" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Weather was changing by the minute...most of my pictures are in the rare good light moments.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iupi3pjsv1M/TdB_Yzq-82I/AAAAAAAAARk/WTkFVh3nHA4/s1600/AK-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iupi3pjsv1M/TdB_Yzq-82I/AAAAAAAAARk/WTkFVh3nHA4/s320/AK-4.jpg" border="0" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pitch 20 something. We were able to simul climb 50% of this route. Good speed and good times.</td></tr></tbody></table><table class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HzssfJlUbbE/TdB_qDGLVhI/AAAAAAAAARo/KrSPzCGj8dk/s1600/AK-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HzssfJlUbbE/TdB_qDGLVhI/AAAAAAAAARo/KrSPzCGj8dk/s320/AK-5.jpg" border="0" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View before the snow and white out rolled in a few pitches from the top. That is Pk 11,520 behind use. Coley Gentzel and I got the First Ascent of this peak in 2005 via a route named The Flame.<table class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V0r7kR1SCnI/TdB-Ljjl18I/AAAAAAAAARU/e4dGa5c0_g4/s1600/AK-1-6.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V0r7kR1SCnI/TdB-Ljjl18I/AAAAAAAAARU/e4dGa5c0_g4/s320/AK-1-6.jpg" border="0" height="320" width="213" /><br /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last pitches and the last picture of the climb...at this point all I could think about was the 3,000'descent with little ice and a small rock rack.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Stay tuned to Facebook and follow our Denali Expedition with Team Norge on skis. We will fly in May 19th and I'm packing food and gear for the next few days. Happy days in the hills, Seth.<br /><br /><table class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr></tr></tbody></table><table class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V0r7kR1SCnI/TdB-Ljjl18I/AAAAAAAAARU/e4dGa5c0_g4/s1600/AK-1-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><br /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Check Out our Website WWW.ALPINEGUIDES.NO</div>Northern Alpine Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04907297020306777870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114858689152312533.post-63847065919370422722011-03-16T05:53:00.000-07:002011-03-16T05:53:48.876-07:00Ski Guiding at its Best in the Lofoten Islands!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The last week we have had some Amazing conditions for skiing here in Lofoten and allot of guests out skiing with us. It is hard to describe how good it was without over using words such as amazing or fantastic.... so we are going to let these pictures speak for themselves. Book now for 2012! <br />
Time to pack up for some more ski guiding in the worlds most beautiful islands.<br />
Alpine Cheers! Seth<br />
seth@alpineguides.no<br />
<div _mce_style="text-align: left;" class="mceTemp mceIEcenter" style="text-align: left;"><br />
<dl _mce_style="width: 650px;" class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_231" style="width: 650px;"><dt class="wp-caption-dt"><img _mce_src="http://topptur.kabelvaghotell.no/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/PrestenCooler-13-1024x582.jpg" alt="" class="size-large wp-image-231 " height="363" src="http://topptur.kabelvaghotell.no/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/PrestenCooler-13-1024x582.jpg" title="PrestenCooler-13" width="640" /></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd">Skiing Powder to the beach in Lofoten</dd></dl></div><div class="mceTemp mceIEcenter"><br />
<dl _mce_style="width: 650px;" class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_230" style="width: 650px;"><dt class="wp-caption-dt"><a _mce_href="www.alpineguides.no" href="http://topptur.kabelvaghotell.no/wp-admin/www.alpineguides.no"><img _mce_src="http://topptur.kabelvaghotell.no/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/PrestenCooler-9-1024x615.jpg" alt="" class="size-large wp-image-230" height="384" src="http://topptur.kabelvaghotell.no/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/PrestenCooler-9-1024x615.jpg" title="PrestenCooler-9" width="640" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd">Presten Coulior</dd></dl></div><div class="mceTemp mceIEcenter"><br />
<dl _mce_style="width: 650px;" class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_229" style="width: 650px;"><dt class="wp-caption-dt"><a _mce_href="www.alpineguides.no" href="http://topptur.kabelvaghotell.no/wp-admin/www.alpineguides.no"><img _mce_src="http://topptur.kabelvaghotell.no/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Geit-day2-2-1024x684.jpg" alt="" class="size-large wp-image-229" height="427" src="http://topptur.kabelvaghotell.no/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Geit-day2-2-1024x684.jpg" title="Geit-day2-2" width="640" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd">Some of our guests heading up to Trollsaddle.</dd></dl></div><div class="mceTemp mceIEcenter"><br />
<dl _mce_style="width: 650px;" class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_227" style="width: 650px;"><dt class="wp-caption-dt"><a _mce_href="www.alpineguides.no" href="http://topptur.kabelvaghotell.no/wp-admin/www.alpineguides.no"><img _mce_src="http://topptur.kabelvaghotell.no/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Geit-day1-10-1024x551.jpg" alt="" class="size-large wp-image-227" height="344" src="http://topptur.kabelvaghotell.no/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Geit-day1-10-1024x551.jpg" title="Geit-day1-10" width="640" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd">Light and Dry POWDER to the fjord off Geitgaljen!</dd></dl></div><div class="mceTemp mceIEcenter"><br />
<dl _mce_style="width: 650px;" class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_226" style="width: 650px;"><dt class="wp-caption-dt"><a _mce_href="www.alpineguides.no" href="http://topptur.kabelvaghotell.no/wp-admin/www.alpineguides.no"><img _mce_src="http://topptur.kabelvaghotell.no/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Geit-day1-8-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="size-large wp-image-226" height="426" src="http://topptur.kabelvaghotell.no/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Geit-day1-8-1024x683.jpg" title="Geit-day1-8" width="640" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd">It doesn't get any better than this.</dd></dl></div><br />
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</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Check Out our Website WWW.ALPINEGUIDES.NO</div>Northern Alpine Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04907297020306777870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114858689152312533.post-65424260996126921562011-02-23T02:32:00.000-08:002011-02-23T02:36:23.825-08:00Amazing Skiing and a Great Avalanche Course again in Lofoten!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">We just wrapped up another great Avalanche Course/Skredkurs out of the Kabelvåg Hotell this weekend (19-20 Feb.) Our snow pack here in the Lofoten Islands has settled out in the last week and we have had allot of new snow making for great skiing conditions. Add in sunshine and a crew of very experienced skiers with the drive to learn more about traveling safely in avalanche terrain.... making for a great experience for all. See for yourself in the pictures below!<br />Have you booked your ski adventure in Lofoten for this season? We have some great weekends still available in March and Early April for skiing with Northern Alpine Guides. The Hotel is looking great this year and our staff is top notch. Do miss your chance to ski in Lofoten this winter.<br />Seth<br /><img style="width: 449px; height: 273px;" alt="" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-177" src="http://topptur.kabelvaghotell.no/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/SkredKurs2-1-1024x624.jpg" title="SkredKurs2-1" /><img style="width: 450px; height: 299px;" alt="" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-182" src="http://topptur.kabelvaghotell.no/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/SkredKurs2-6-1024x684.jpg" title="SkredKurs2-6" /><img style="width: 450px; height: 300px;" alt="" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-187" src="http://topptur.kabelvaghotell.no/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/SkredKurs2-11-1024x684.jpg" title="SkredKurs2-11" /><img style="width: 451px; height: 246px;" alt="" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-190" src="http://topptur.kabelvaghotell.no/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/SkredKurs2-17-1024x561.jpg" title="SkredKurs2-17" /><img style="width: 451px; height: 284px;" alt="" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-195" src="http://topptur.kabelvaghotell.no/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/SkredKurs2-26-1024x647.jpg" title="SkredKurs2-26" /><img style="width: 450px; height: 235px;" alt="" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-196" src="http://topptur.kabelvaghotell.no/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/SkredKurs2-33-1024x536.jpg" title="SkredKurs2-33" /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Check Out our Website WWW.ALPINEGUIDES.NO</div>Northern Alpine Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04907297020306777870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114858689152312533.post-72038063066951671272011-02-16T01:28:00.000-08:002011-02-16T01:28:31.945-08:00Ski Guiding and Avalanche Courses in Lofoten, February 2011<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We have had an amazing start to our ski guiding season here in Lofoten. This year we have been blessed with deep snow pack since November. The standard rise and fall of temperatures has given us a great base of snow and is setting us up for another amazing March and April in Northern Norway. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> Over the last week we have had allot of new snow followed by strong winds building up an unstable wind slab in the upper 30cm of the snow pack. This wind slab offers the perfect conditions for learning more about Avalanche mechanics, forecasting, and the skills necessary to travel safely in avalanche terrain. Last weekend we had a great Avalanche course and we will hold another course this weekend (Feb. 19-20). There is still two places available on the course so please contact us as soon as possible if you interested in sharpening you avalanche awareness skills.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In our weekend avalanche courses we focus on practical skills to prepare, evaluate, and manage avalanche risk. We spend 80% of or time in the mountain in backcountry terrain allowing you time to practice and your decision making skills. Whether you're new to backcountry skiing or a seasoned veteran this course is a great way to touch up you skills before the heart of the winter sets in here in Northern Norway. Join us in the Magical Islands this winter for an Avalanche Course or some private ski guiding!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Stay Tuned for more updates on our ski guiding program here in Lofoten.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Enjoy the pictures from our final day this last Avalanche Course:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NdEeWISn_Bg/TVuQZGQoKqI/AAAAAAAAAQg/s1600/Powder+Farming-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span id="goog_1588557412"></span><span id="goog_1588557413"></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EoImwJWhXVs/TVuXIshduOI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/eF4Qc_WjBhk/s1600/Powder+Farming-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EoImwJWhXVs/TVuXIshduOI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/eF4Qc_WjBhk/s400/Powder+Farming-6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JLeQZCt3FxY/TVuPYxFqSYI/AAAAAAAAAQM/x2UqWK8jmvQ/s400/Powder+Farming-1.jpg" width="400" /></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0PQo40hhg1w/TVuPlmd6IVI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/rkuTImVaw_g/s1600/Powder+Farming-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0PQo40hhg1w/TVuPlmd6IVI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/rkuTImVaw_g/s400/Powder+Farming-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JGZwI40syVs/TVuPxuXwt8I/AAAAAAAAAQU/Ufy01_WmfY4/s1600/Powder+Farming-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JGZwI40syVs/TVuPxuXwt8I/AAAAAAAAAQU/Ufy01_WmfY4/s400/Powder+Farming-3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l0HkH0SOOZQ/TVuQCOQFSLI/AAAAAAAAAQY/93wm8R1Kqe8/s1600/Powder+Farming-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l0HkH0SOOZQ/TVuQCOQFSLI/AAAAAAAAAQY/93wm8R1Kqe8/s400/Powder+Farming-4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HMPQj7VC7WI/TVuQN1SFtCI/AAAAAAAAAQc/kl21UaYFmbE/s1600/Powder+Farming-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HMPQj7VC7WI/TVuQN1SFtCI/AAAAAAAAAQc/kl21UaYFmbE/s400/Powder+Farming-5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VSdjc8tnIdQ/TVuQkNpR4yI/AAAAAAAAAQk/7PU7I4UYmMA/s1600/Powder+Farming-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VSdjc8tnIdQ/TVuQkNpR4yI/AAAAAAAAAQk/7PU7I4UYmMA/s400/Powder+Farming-7.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VBXCog5HVHY/TVuQt9EBhkI/AAAAAAAAAQo/dZKuL7N-0do/s1600/Powder+Farming-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VBXCog5HVHY/TVuQt9EBhkI/AAAAAAAAAQo/dZKuL7N-0do/s400/Powder+Farming-8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9ibcIpJAUPg/TVuQ4FecGNI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/BpKVK_tPcsw/s1600/Powder+Farming-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9ibcIpJAUPg/TVuQ4FecGNI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/BpKVK_tPcsw/s400/Powder+Farming-9.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Check Out our Website WWW.ALPINEGUIDES.NO</div>Northern Alpine Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04907297020306777870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114858689152312533.post-18086297045743535502010-12-28T14:09:00.000-08:002010-12-28T14:09:55.209-08:00Must watch Video!If you love skiing like we do you must watch this video! These Canadians are doing it right. <br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="394" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/16269153?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=ffffff" width="500"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer">Check Out our Website WWW.ALPINEGUIDES.NO</div>Northern Alpine Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04907297020306777870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114858689152312533.post-55772272831980499892010-11-30T07:42:00.000-08:002010-11-30T07:43:34.555-08:00Early winter in Lofoten, Norway!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We have had an amazing start to our "winter" this fall! We are out skiing as much as possible enjoying great skiing conditions here in Lofoten. I will let the pictures tell the story. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Northern-Alpine-Guides/81925405698?v=photos&ref=ts#%21/album.php?aid=255731&id=81925405698">Click Here</a> to see a full slide show of the Ski Guiding Tours we have been on so far this Fall!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TPUViR9C8fI/AAAAAAAAAO4/HlvjeiQSRFU/s400/NAG+%25281+of+1%2529-4.jpg" border="0" height="196" width="400" /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TPUVwrWd1TI/AAAAAAAAAO8/saah8VuGMRs/s1600/NAG+%25281+of+1%2529-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TPUVwrWd1TI/AAAAAAAAAO8/saah8VuGMRs/s400/NAG+%25281+of+1%2529-7.jpg" border="0" height="266" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TPUWJaBcqJI/AAAAAAAAAPA/shdsf6Mu7_A/s1600/NAG+%25282+of+15%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TPUWJaBcqJI/AAAAAAAAAPA/shdsf6Mu7_A/s400/NAG+%25282+of+15%2529.jpg" border="0" height="202" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TPUWsmSSpZI/AAAAAAAAAPE/vcWUzGUCLZQ/s1600/NAG+%25284+of+11%2529-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TPUWsmSSpZI/AAAAAAAAAPE/vcWUzGUCLZQ/s400/NAG+%25284+of+11%2529-2.jpg" border="0" height="252" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TPUXEQ2JMkI/AAAAAAAAAPI/yIF0z16fagc/s1600/NAG+%25288+of+15%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TPUXEQ2JMkI/AAAAAAAAAPI/yIF0z16fagc/s400/NAG+%25288+of+15%2529.jpg" border="0" height="226" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TPUXhq4Yb-I/AAAAAAAAAPM/QrViwfQqFGA/s1600/NAG+%25289+of+15%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TPUXhq4Yb-I/AAAAAAAAAPM/QrViwfQqFGA/s400/NAG+%25289+of+15%2529.jpg" border="0" height="245" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TPUX4nxXatI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/ghMPKoqZy2U/s1600/NAG+%252814+of+15%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TPUX4nxXatI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/ghMPKoqZy2U/s400/NAG+%252814+of+15%2529.jpg" border="0" height="266" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TPUYL8XrDhI/AAAAAAAAAPU/W61yF2COA7g/s1600/NAG-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TPUYL8XrDhI/AAAAAAAAAPU/W61yF2COA7g/s400/NAG-7.jpg" border="0" height="233" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TPUYkSAAnKI/AAAAAAAAAPY/UqL-zAyx1nA/s1600/NAG-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TPUYkSAAnKI/AAAAAAAAAPY/UqL-zAyx1nA/s400/NAG-9.jpg" border="0" height="256" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TPUZCv_kJHI/AAAAAAAAAPc/1cb_MKGgJtM/s1600/NAG-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TPUZCv_kJHI/AAAAAAAAAPc/1cb_MKGgJtM/s400/NAG-8.jpg" border="0" height="266" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TPUZgR2Az1I/AAAAAAAAAPg/dWd4aEpjs6k/s1600/NAG-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TPUZgR2Az1I/AAAAAAAAAPg/dWd4aEpjs6k/s400/NAG-12.jpg" border="0" height="241" width="400" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Check Out our Website WWW.ALPINEGUIDES.NO</div>Northern Alpine Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04907297020306777870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114858689152312533.post-40178329216533232622010-08-23T05:22:00.000-07:002010-08-23T05:22:26.300-07:00Stetind Sydpillaren, Guiding the South Pillar of Stetind<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/THJEYVtcs-I/AAAAAAAAANQ/h318kjaY5Ug/s1600/StetindSouthPillar+%281+of+1%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/THJEYVtcs-I/AAAAAAAAANQ/h318kjaY5Ug/s320/StetindSouthPillar+%281+of+1%29.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The South Pillar (Sydpillaren) is in the middle left of the face. Our approach is up the grassy ramp to the base of the Pillar.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Håkon (a master student in Mathematics from Ålesund) and Erik (a Doctor here in Lofoten) hired me to guide them up the ultra-classic South Pillar of Stedind this weekend. We climbed the route with great weather and in perfect style. The South Pillar (Sydpillaren) of Stetind is 12 pitches of impeccable alpine granite towering above Tysfjord, about an hour south of Narvik. Approach takes about three hours from the ocean to the base of the route. The climbing is on high quality rock and offers a great variety of climbing. The first four pitches are crack systems up the lower slab leading into steeper and steeper climbing through corners and chimney's too the upper headwall (5.7-5.9). The last four pitches on the headwall are in a steep corner system (5.10) topping out just below the large summit of Stetind. This has to be one the most varied and aesthetic alpine rock climbs I have ever guided. Big smiles and great views all day. Enjoy the pictures! Make sure to click the images to see them full size. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/THJAoT-sGII/AAAAAAAAANA/0ENhzWZUJxA/s320/P1040587.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning Light on the last water source of the approach. Tasted as good as it looks.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/THJHe2iXBII/AAAAAAAAANY/ZAfIBoR4HZw/s1600/StetindSouthPillar+%282+of+16%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/THJHe2iXBII/AAAAAAAAANY/ZAfIBoR4HZw/s320/StetindSouthPillar+%282+of+16%29.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the approach to Stetind.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/THJIii2s9rI/AAAAAAAAANg/pCyfhDXolw4/s1600/StetindSouthPillar+%284+of+16%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/THJIii2s9rI/AAAAAAAAANg/pCyfhDXolw4/s320/StetindSouthPillar+%284+of+16%29.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="center"><td class="tr-caption">Fun easy climbing on the lower pitches.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/THJdusOsgGI/AAAAAAAAANw/etBzzPwDQnU/s1600/StetindSouthPillar+%286+of+16%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/THJdusOsgGI/AAAAAAAAANw/etBzzPwDQnU/s320/StetindSouthPillar+%286+of+16%29.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Håkon on the fresh granite of the lower route. A large rock fall a few years ago made this pitch harder and better climbing.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/THJH95Ml3bI/AAAAAAAAANc/svyzk3D_clU/s1600/StetindSouthPillar+%283+of+16%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/THJH95Ml3bI/AAAAAAAAANc/svyzk3D_clU/s320/StetindSouthPillar+%283+of+16%29.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hakon above the clouds on pitch 6.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/THJd5YijP8I/AAAAAAAAAN0/fuqIBa1nl-c/s1600/StetindSouthPillar+%287+of+16%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/THJd5YijP8I/AAAAAAAAAN0/fuqIBa1nl-c/s320/StetindSouthPillar+%287+of+16%29.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clean and fun climbing on the upper half of Stetind.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/THJd9Lfe7wI/AAAAAAAAAN4/lNwhI0R7AP4/s1600/StetindSouthPillar+%288+of+16%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/THJd9Lfe7wI/AAAAAAAAAN4/lNwhI0R7AP4/s320/StetindSouthPillar+%288+of+16%29.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The guys on the one of the belay transitions. Tysfjord in the background.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/THJeBFPVK1I/AAAAAAAAAN8/MFxPFkqg9OI/s1600/StetindSouthPillar+%289+of+16%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/THJeBFPVK1I/AAAAAAAAAN8/MFxPFkqg9OI/s320/StetindSouthPillar+%289+of+16%29.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exiting the clean corner and into the hand crack. Pitch 12.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/THJeFmFLVDI/AAAAAAAAAOA/z4rysyqABcE/s1600/StetindSouthPillar+%2810+of+16%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/THJeFmFLVDI/AAAAAAAAAOA/z4rysyqABcE/s320/StetindSouthPillar+%2810+of+16%29.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South Pillar of Stetind. Last technical pitch.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/THJeKPTJ9rI/AAAAAAAAAOE/g5QMTKAx3vg/s1600/StetindSouthPillar+%2811+of+16%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/THJeKPTJ9rI/AAAAAAAAAOE/g5QMTKAx3vg/s320/StetindSouthPillar+%2811+of+16%29.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top out right to the summit register.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/THJeNmphsEI/AAAAAAAAAOI/xqU-IBrNdHU/s1600/StetindSouthPillar+%2812+of+16%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/THJeNmphsEI/AAAAAAAAAOI/xqU-IBrNdHU/s320/StetindSouthPillar+%2812+of+16%29.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summit Photo!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/THJeRGS7ekI/AAAAAAAAAOM/tkxlF2pAVWE/s1600/StetindSouthPillar+%2813+of+16%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/THJeRGS7ekI/AAAAAAAAAOM/tkxlF2pAVWE/s320/StetindSouthPillar+%2813+of+16%29.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The upper half of the South Pillar is on the left Skyline. Classic East Ridge (descent), right hand ridge.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/THJeX2OhztI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/hujq_4oyrdo/s1600/StetindSouthPillar+%2814+of+16%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/THJeX2OhztI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/hujq_4oyrdo/s320/StetindSouthPillar+%2814+of+16%29.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking back to the Lofoten Islands on the way back to the Ferry.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/THJebQrT56I/AAAAAAAAAOU/bx2RUQZWii4/s1600/StetindSouthPillar+%2815+of+16%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/THJebQrT56I/AAAAAAAAAOU/bx2RUQZWii4/s320/StetindSouthPillar+%2815+of+16%29.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset on Stetind from the Ferry back to Lofoten.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Thanks for checking out the trip report. Climb the South Pillar of Stetind with Northern Alpine Guides next summer!<br />
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Seth<div class="blogger-post-footer">Check Out our Website WWW.ALPINEGUIDES.NO</div>Northern Alpine Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04907297020306777870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114858689152312533.post-64260265670078571252010-08-19T08:44:00.000-07:002010-08-19T08:44:31.467-07:00Super Hero's Not Really!<object height="390" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.xtranormal.com/site_media/players/jwplayer.swf"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><param name="flashvars"value="height=390&width=480&file=http://newvideos.xtranormal.com/web_final_lo/e5270e52-ab8d-11df-9ad8-003048d69c21_26_web_final_lo_web_finallo-flv.flv&image=http://newvideos.xtranormal.com/web_final_lo/e5270e52-ab8d-11df-9ad8-003048d69c21_26_web_final_lo_poster.jpg&link=http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/6956843&searchbar=false&autostart=false"/><embed src="http://www.xtranormal.com/site_media/players/jwplayer.swf" width="480" height="390" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="height=390&width=480&file=http://newvideos.xtranormal.com/web_final_lo/e5270e52-ab8d-11df-9ad8-003048d69c21_26_web_final_lo_web_finallo-flv.flv&image=http://newvideos.xtranormal.com/web_final_lo/e5270e52-ab8d-11df-9ad8-003048d69c21_26_web_final_lo_poster.jpg&link=http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/6956843&searchbar=false&autostart=false"></embed></object><object height="390" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.xtranormal.com/site_media/players/embedded-xnl-stats.swf"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.xtranormal.com/site_media/players/embedded-xnl-stats.swf" width="1" height="1" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer">Check Out our Website WWW.ALPINEGUIDES.NO</div>Northern Alpine Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04907297020306777870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114858689152312533.post-54423764569495935702010-07-22T08:19:00.000-07:002010-07-22T08:19:02.751-07:00Guiding the Classic Stetind in Northern Norway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TEhXFK090qI/AAAAAAAAAL0/Eh3Q1oIVu2I/s1600/P1040341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TEhXFK090qI/AAAAAAAAAL0/Eh3Q1oIVu2I/s400/P1040341.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mighty Stetind!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On July 7th the Sun came out with full force in Northern Norway and I guided 6 clients up the world class Alpine Ridge Climb: South East Ridge of Stetind (Norwegian 4+, US 5.7). <span style="font-size: small;">Johanna Stålnacke worked with me to lead a strong group of 6 from Trondheim up this iconic peak. Conditions were perfect and we all enjoyed the trip to the fullest. I have climbed Stetind once before by the more challenging South Pillar Route (Norwegian 6, US IV 5.10) and jumped at the chance to get back on this amazing peak. Thanks to everyone who climbed Stetind with Northern Alpine Guides! Enjoy the Pictures:</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TEhXxpYvZFI/AAAAAAAAAL8/rQ_MDw0XLRE/s1600/P1040293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TEhXxpYvZFI/AAAAAAAAAL8/rQ_MDw0XLRE/s400/P1040293.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Johanna soaking up the sunshine and views on the approach.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TEhX90FiyuI/AAAAAAAAAMA/XfDrqwtdqRk/s1600/P1040295.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TEhX90FiyuI/AAAAAAAAAMA/XfDrqwtdqRk/s400/P1040295.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the start of the climbing on the S.E. Ridge of Stetind. The Route descends a few hundred meters before climbing back up the exposed granite ridge seen here. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TEhYcJu0ykI/AAAAAAAAAME/-Hp3_FLyWzY/s1600/P1040299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TEhYcJu0ykI/AAAAAAAAAME/-Hp3_FLyWzY/s400/P1040299.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Au Cheval" climbing right from the start. Classic and Exposed. Fun.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TEha3qor2YI/AAAAAAAAAMk/RpMlV5gNbHU/s400/P1040304.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbers gaining the ridge after the 5.7 crux finger traverse.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TEhYqUZ1iHI/AAAAAAAAAMI/YcvCb8WxuIM/s1600/P1040301.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TEhYqUZ1iHI/AAAAAAAAAMI/YcvCb8WxuIM/s400/P1040301.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roar loving the climbing!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TEhZGPtFMKI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/WP3ie7df4GY/s1600/P1040320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TEhZGPtFMKI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/WP3ie7df4GY/s400/P1040320.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roar is proud to be Norwegian on top of Norway's National Mountain.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TEhZRYmo5iI/AAAAAAAAAMU/p0SdkZy0EfE/s1600/P1040330.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TEhZRYmo5iI/AAAAAAAAAMU/p0SdkZy0EfE/s400/P1040330.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summit Shot!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TEhZWjAvi4I/AAAAAAAAAMY/Aap_3t38O9U/s1600/P1040335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TEhZWjAvi4I/AAAAAAAAAMY/Aap_3t38O9U/s400/P1040335.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful scenery on the hike out to the car parked a stone throw from Tysfjord. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TEhZu54ZAmI/AAAAAAAAAMc/stoXgv1qqBc/s1600/P1040348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TEhZu54ZAmI/AAAAAAAAAMc/stoXgv1qqBc/s400/P1040348.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Stetind from the Ferry back to Lofoten.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>This week I'm back in Lofoten, Rock Guiding the classic routes on the Islands. I had a blast on Stetind and look forward to guiding it more this summer. Sign up for guided trip up Stetind. You won't regret it!<br />
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<a href="mailto:Seth@alpineguides.no">Seth@alpineguides.no</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"> <a name='more'></a></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Check Out our Website WWW.ALPINEGUIDES.NO</div>Northern Alpine Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04907297020306777870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114858689152312533.post-12859515350728178772010-07-05T14:37:00.000-07:002010-07-05T14:55:17.061-07:00Rock and Alpine Guiding in the Lofoten Islands. The season is in full effect!We have been very busy with guiding and building up our programs in the Lofoten Islands for this summer. Our travels have taken us to the Far West of the island chain a small town of Å, yeah that is really the name just Å, and the next village Riene (rain). We ended up staying 3 days out west scouting first ascent potential before heading back to our town of Kabelvåg. Here are a few pictures from Western Lofoten.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TDEURXUJlwI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/XIZY6Rhid-Q/s1600/LofotenBlogPost1+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="131" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TDEURXUJlwI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/XIZY6Rhid-Q/s400/LofotenBlogPost1+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: right;">Amazing Midnight Sun blasting through the pass.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TDEU0DwPYaI/AAAAAAAAAKU/RfSmNjNdqVY/s1600/LofotenBlogPost1+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TDEU0DwPYaI/AAAAAAAAAKU/RfSmNjNdqVY/s400/LofotenBlogPost1+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="right"><td class="tr-caption">The Mystical Skarv chilling on a rock watching the weather roll in from the North Sea.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TDEV4Lk-wAI/AAAAAAAAAKc/9tklAoA1mBI/s1600/LofotenBlogPost1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TDEV4Lk-wAI/AAAAAAAAAKc/9tklAoA1mBI/s400/LofotenBlogPost1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: right;">Helvetestinden... Translates the Hell's Mountain. Doesn't look that bad?</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table>Since traveling out West I have been busy climbing and guiding around the house. The temperatures have warmed up and this last week or so has been great summer conditions. Northern Alpine Guides started the summer season up here working with Hanne a 21 local who wanted to improve her skill set and learn to lead placing here own protection. I set up a custom course for her. By the end of her course she was leading very well and safely. Here are few pictures from this trip.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TDEYPKOaqoI/AAAAAAAAAKk/xBzl-pdVAlM/s1600/LofotenBlogPost1+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="291" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TDEYPKOaqoI/AAAAAAAAAKk/xBzl-pdVAlM/s400/LofotenBlogPost1+6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: right;">Hanne belaying on a challenging 5.10 on Festvåg above Henningsvær.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TDEY_qE2qZI/AAAAAAAAAKo/4NlPFa3-_nw/s1600/LofotenBlogPost1+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TDEY_qE2qZI/AAAAAAAAAKo/4NlPFa3-_nw/s400/LofotenBlogPost1+7.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="right"><td class="tr-caption">Hanne Leading out with Prestin's amazing granite in the background.</td><td class="tr-caption"></td><td class="tr-caption"></td><td class="tr-caption"></td><td class="tr-caption"></td><td class="tr-caption"><br />
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</tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"> Maren and I took our friend Erling up the North Ridge of Vågankollen an amazing Alpine climb at solid 5.7 with unreal views. We started at the 8:30 pm and got back to the car at 7 am climbing all night with my sunglasses on in the Northern midnight sun... Unreal! Enjoy the pictures.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TDJKFfBckHI/AAAAAAAAALE/a2QIePld7TU/s1600/LofotenBlogPost1+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TDJKFfBckHI/AAAAAAAAALE/a2QIePld7TU/s400/LofotenBlogPost1+9.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="right"><td class="tr-caption">Gaining the Col below the North Ridge.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TDJKHUkqDlI/AAAAAAAAALI/vYAT63YtVd8/s1600/LofotenBlogPost1+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TDJKHUkqDlI/AAAAAAAAALI/vYAT63YtVd8/s400/LofotenBlogPost1+10.jpg" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Storm Pillar North Face in the Midnight Sun! 14pitches of Steep Rock Climbing.</td></tr>
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<tr align="right"><td class="tr-caption">Maren enjoying some fun climbing on the lower ridge.</td></tr>
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<tr align="right"><td class="tr-caption">Sunglasses and even shorts at about 1am.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TDJKOwr0apI/AAAAAAAAALU/JvNU5RwXgUQ/s1600/LofotenBlogPost1+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TDJKOwr0apI/AAAAAAAAALU/JvNU5RwXgUQ/s400/LofotenBlogPost1+13.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="right"><td class="tr-caption">Erling enjoying some 5.7 finger cracks high on the ridge.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TDJKQORh0jI/AAAAAAAAALY/QoHlPxmXxqY/s1600/LofotenBlogPost1+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TDJKQORh0jI/AAAAAAAAALY/QoHlPxmXxqY/s400/LofotenBlogPost1+14.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good Morning Norway. Beautiful light, scenery, and climbing the whole trip!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TDJKQ0gkY3I/AAAAAAAAALc/72nsgSWAdTw/s1600/LofotenBlogPost1+15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TDJKQ0gkY3I/AAAAAAAAALc/72nsgSWAdTw/s400/LofotenBlogPost1+15.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="right"><td class="tr-caption">Erling enjoying the views of Lofoten from the Summit 5am! </td></tr>
</tbody></table> <span style="font-size: small;">After a great trip on the North Ridge, I got a call from a mother of an 8 year old girl Anya who's been saying since she was 6 that she would be a Mountain Guide when she grew up! Her mom decided this was a good time to show her what climbing is all about so I took her out for the day. She was a Very gifted climber and never fell off or let go once. I had to keep moving the rope to harder routes.....and still she jammed and edged her little feet up everything. A really fun day for all especially Anya! Maybe she will be our lead guide in another 20 yrs?</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TDEbbn_PXbI/AAAAAAAAAKw/wHpzz_ZOD_4/s1600/LofotenBlogPost1+16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TDEbbn_PXbI/AAAAAAAAAKw/wHpzz_ZOD_4/s400/LofotenBlogPost1+16.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="right"><td class="tr-caption">Ayla before she heads up on another lap of small hand jamming.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TDEcYflBWzI/AAAAAAAAAK4/WYsqJDvb6HY/s1600/LofotenBlogPost1+17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TDEcYflBWzI/AAAAAAAAAK4/WYsqJDvb6HY/s400/LofotenBlogPost1+17.jpg" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="right"><td class="tr-caption">Good form.. look at that foot work.</td><td class="tr-caption"><br />
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</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">The last few days we have been taking laps on the Svolvær classic Geita (Goat) named after the two horns of rock on the summit. This is a classic 5.7-5.9 3 pitch climb with wild summit traverse or Jump if you got the guts?? A great trip and seems to be the most popular trip for us this summer so far. Heading back out to it tomorrow. Its a good guide challenge managing groups on the wild formation. Fun.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TDJN5E2v8tI/AAAAAAAAALo/iTZXT4k6idM/s1600/LofotenBlogPost1+19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/TDJN5E2v8tI/AAAAAAAAALo/iTZXT4k6idM/s400/LofotenBlogPost1+19.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="right"><td class="tr-caption">A climber goes for the quick answer... Jump... or traverse.</td></tr>
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Thanks for checking out our blog. Stay Tuned for more climbing! Time to pack the bags for another day on the rock tomorrow. Seth</div><br />
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</tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer">Check Out our Website WWW.ALPINEGUIDES.NO</div>Northern Alpine Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04907297020306777870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114858689152312533.post-69786191239722594742010-05-06T14:33:00.000-07:002010-05-06T16:06:35.681-07:00True Summit of Mooses Tooth!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/S-NGOd9C93I/AAAAAAAAAIo/BsMFfpCz2U8/s1600/P1010757.jpg"><br /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/S-NFyBtuqhI/AAAAAAAAAIg/I1kIC9hLcv8/s1600/IMG_2256.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/S-NFyBtuqhI/AAAAAAAAAIg/I1kIC9hLcv8/s400/IMG_2256.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468291098313927186" border="0" /></a>The Alaska Season is officially in full-effect. I'm back from a successful trip into the Alaska Range with Michael Feldman, a strong Lawyer from New Jersey. Our original objective was to climb the Harvard Route on the elusive Mount Huntington. We flew into the East Fork of the Tokositna Glacier below Huntington's steep West Face and were met with bad weather and massive amounts of snow. We waited 5 days below the face hoping it would stop snowing and settle out but on Sunday the 2nd after approaching the route in the early morning, watching our route get blasted by spindrift, we decided to pack up and move to the lower and south facing routes of the Mooses Tooth.<br /><br />May 3rd, Michael and I started up the ultra classic Ham'n Eggs Couloir on the Moose's Tooth at 6:30am. The route starts off with some fun mixed climbing on golden granite then moves into many steep pitches of ice climbing followed by steep snow all the way up the 3000'ft face. We continued up the route from where the climbing meets the West Ridge and followed the exposed and heavily corniced ridge to the true summit. Most parties now a day's turn around before the summit after climbing the long couloir in poor style. The Summit Counts! From the top of the steep couloir we spent about an hour climbing and hanging out on the Summit enjoying the perfect weather and some of the best climbing/views of the climb! We climbed the route in 9hrs and did 25 rappels back to our camp in 4.5 hrs giving us a round trip time of 13.5 hrs. A perfect day in the mountains of the Alaska Range!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Enjoy my pictures:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/S-NGOd9C93I/AAAAAAAAAIo/BsMFfpCz2U8/s1600/P1010757.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/S-NGOd9C93I/AAAAAAAAAIo/BsMFfpCz2U8/s400/P1010757.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468291586930702194" border="0" /></a>Mount Huntington's West Face getting hammered with spindrift.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/S-NHNOAaV7I/AAAAAAAAAIw/EffJIERxqkI/s1600/P1010773.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/S-NHNOAaV7I/AAAAAAAAAIw/EffJIERxqkI/s400/P1010773.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468292664981608370" border="0" /></a>The Mooses Tooth and the Ham'n Eggs Couloir splitting 3000ft of Granite.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/S-NIFIS9ReI/AAAAAAAAAI4/1wrz5bgHMu8/s1600/P1010811.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/S-NIFIS9ReI/AAAAAAAAAI4/1wrz5bgHMu8/s400/P1010811.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468293625521456610" border="0" /></a>Michael topping out on the steep ice steps midway up the couloir.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/S-NJLuOg82I/AAAAAAAAAJI/DAboYqpXqko/s1600/P1010815.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/S-NJLuOg82I/AAAAAAAAAJI/DAboYqpXqko/s400/P1010815.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468294838294213474" border="0" /></a>Michael topping out the couloir to the West Ridge of the Mooses Tooth.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/S-NJq6-4wUI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/9LVZvT6b1gY/s1600/P1010825.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/S-NJq6-4wUI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/9LVZvT6b1gY/s400/P1010825.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468295374294270274" border="0" /></a>Climbing to the summit of the Mooses Tooth.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/S-NKA-tqI9I/AAAAAAAAAJY/_cvfM03vCQg/s1600/IMG_2521.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/S-NKA-tqI9I/AAAAAAAAAJY/_cvfM03vCQg/s400/IMG_2521.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468295753252873170" border="0" /></a>Me, Seth Hobby climbing the last steep cornice in the ridge to the True Summit!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Thanks allot to Alaska Mountaineering School, Michael Feldman, and friends Vince Anderson and Mark Cartier for another amazing climb in the Alaska Range!<br /><br />Stay tuned for more updates from this season in the AK Range. This Seth Hobby with Northern Alpine Guides signing out.<br /><br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Check Out our Website WWW.ALPINEGUIDES.NO</div>Northern Alpine Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04907297020306777870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114858689152312533.post-61901413621844063722010-04-15T03:08:00.000-07:002010-04-15T03:13:57.146-07:00Lofoten and Nothern Norway Ski Guiding.Please sit back and enjoy a slide show from my guiding work this year in Lofoten, Kvaloya, and Glomfjord, Norway. Check it out in full screen. I hope you enjoy the show as much as I enjoyed my time guiding in the North of Norway. This is truly an amazing landscape...with work class skiing from the sea to summit!<br /><object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=10852177&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=ffffff&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=10852177&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=ffffff&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/10852177">Norway Ski Guiding, Lofoten</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user2115279">Northern Alpine Guides</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Check Out our Website WWW.ALPINEGUIDES.NO</div>Northern Alpine Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04907297020306777870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114858689152312533.post-15849109672635675722010-04-05T06:47:00.000-07:002010-04-05T06:47:42.862-07:00White Blue Adventure!Check out the Video from the first of many White Blue Adventures. We are Very Happy to be working with the White Blue Crew and this video gives you the idea how good the skiing is here in Northern Norway. GO NORTH with NORTHERN ALPINE GUIDES!<br />
<object width="540" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9qXOrW6cKyk&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9qXOrW6cKyk&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer">Check Out our Website WWW.ALPINEGUIDES.NO</div>Northern Alpine Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04907297020306777870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114858689152312533.post-20026617287937814692010-03-28T11:02:00.000-07:002010-03-28T11:17:59.099-07:00Camp Lofoten 2010 Ski and Surf<div style="text-align: left;"><object height="253" width="450">This is a great video taken in our backyard here in the Lofoten Islands. Sverre did an amazing job of capturing this breathtaking landscape. Camp Lofoten is a great event bringing ski enthusiasts from all around Norway together for touring in the mountains and a good party....which I'm trying to recover from at the moment. We will be ski guiding in Lofoten for three more weeks in this ski mountaineer paradise then packing up and heading out to Alaska for some steep alpine climbing in the Alaska Range. Stay tuned!<br /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=10418632&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=ffffff&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=10418632&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=ffffff&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="253" width="450"></embed></object></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Check Out our Website WWW.ALPINEGUIDES.NO</div>Northern Alpine Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04907297020306777870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114858689152312533.post-45875371792616651632010-03-10T04:46:00.000-08:002010-03-10T06:02:12.384-08:00Lofoten Island Ski Guiding<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/S5eg52NRGrI/AAAAAAAAAGs/cgCCp87BKac/s1600-h/P1080554.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/S5eg52NRGrI/AAAAAAAAAGs/cgCCp87BKac/s400/P1080554.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446999189992053426" border="0" /></a><br />View from our apartment on the full moon. <a href="http://kabelvaghotell.no/"> Kabelvag Hotel</a><br /><br /></div>Maren and I are fully settled in here in the small fishing/mountain town of Kabelvag. We are literally in the heart of the Lofoten Islands of Northern Norway. The skiing and climbing on the islands is limitless. The Lofoten Islands are not your average island chain.... the shoot straight out of the ocean into steep alpine terrain with a hundred meters from the ocean side. This terrain creates a Skier Paradise and allows one to ski from a steep summit directly to the ocean. Words can only express the beauty here to a certain level. Check the pictures from this last week.<br />We are guiding in correlation with NorgesGuidene here in Lofoten. <a href="http://www.alpineguides.no/">Contact us</a> to sign up for a ski adventure unlike anything you can imagine.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/S5ehHeBORNI/AAAAAAAAAG0/D8EkxrTYwzU/s1600-h/P1080741.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/S5ehHeBORNI/AAAAAAAAAG0/D8EkxrTYwzU/s400/P1080741.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446999424017253586" border="0" /></a></div>Traversing out before dropping in with the North Sea in the background.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/S5ehivehXPI/AAAAAAAAAHA/K2wi45PXnWU/s1600-h/P1080779.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/S5ehivehXPI/AAAAAAAAAHA/K2wi45PXnWU/s400/P1080779.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446999892560010482" border="0" /></a>Maren skiing great soft snow back to Kabelvag Hotel located on the Ocean in the bottom left.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/S5eiEdpaXPI/AAAAAAAAAHI/2-DOdlTMQo0/s1600-h/P1080728.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/S5eiEdpaXPI/AAAAAAAAAHI/2-DOdlTMQo0/s400/P1080728.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447000471889403122" border="0" /></a>Next stop...... the Beach!<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/S5eitd_nkTI/AAAAAAAAAHU/0rZ8PSLEFIo/s1600-h/P1080743.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/S5eitd_nkTI/AAAAAAAAAHU/0rZ8PSLEFIo/s400/P1080743.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447001176357179698" border="0" /></a>Lofoten Powder!<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/S5ejQiA1gpI/AAAAAAAAAHc/BSTEfUjfXRc/s1600-h/P1080715.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/S5ejQiA1gpI/AAAAAAAAAHc/BSTEfUjfXRc/s400/P1080715.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447001778731451026" border="0" /></a>The views are unreal in the Lofoten Islands.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/S5elt4fbi_I/AAAAAAAAAHo/9sPZNebQZ_Y/s1600-h/P1080639.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/S5elt4fbi_I/AAAAAAAAAHo/9sPZNebQZ_Y/s400/P1080639.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447004482004814834" border="0" /></a>Come and visit us and Stay tuned for more pictures and stories of skiing in the Lofoten Islands!<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Check Out our Website WWW.ALPINEGUIDES.NO</div>Northern Alpine Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04907297020306777870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114858689152312533.post-18935091994156800712010-02-19T08:14:00.000-08:002010-02-19T08:50:18.416-08:00Another Update from our West Coast Norway Ice Tour<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/S37BHaK31MI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/y2e0KAWdhs4/s1600-h/P1000420.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UJSRZk571nk/S37BHaK31MI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/y2e0KAWdhs4/s320/P1000420.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439997732938306754" border="0" /></a><br /><p>By Caroline George</p> <p>We arrive in Rjukan in the late afternoon. Seth Hobby with Northern Alpine Guides – our rigger / American expat to Norway / guide – shows us a few of the area’s great classics. The air is cold and dry in this little enclosed valley which doesn’t see the sun from the end of October through April, making it the perfect ice climbing destination. Dark yellow and blue frozen waterfalls cover the steep dark <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gneiss" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/en.wikipedia.org');" target="_blank">gneiss</a> walls forming each side of the V-shaped valley. One long broken ice flow in particular catches our eyes: it’s a dead vertical ice climb that starts inside a deep chimney system and traverses horizontally on tiny ice blobs leading to another steep pillar. The route is called Lipton because of its black tea color, but it ain’t no “let’s have a cup of tea” kinda climb. Its rated<span id="more-2088"></span> WI7, which, on the water ice scale is the hardest a climb can be rated. Word is that the route isn’t in condition this year, so we will have to take a closer look at it before we commit to getting on it after a day of warming up.</p> <p>We are staying in a yellow American style house, which is a local retired school building being remodeled into an Ikea style new hostel. We meet local climbers but also climbers from England. The Icelandic crew crack us up because they spend their nights knitting hats for their girlfriends! Every night, we take turns cooking meals in the shared kitchen, recounting the day’s events and planning for the following day. I love northern countries. People are so particular about how they eat meals; especially breakfast: the room is lit by candles only, to give it a “kushli”, read cozy, feel. Bread, crackers, cheese, ham, salami, milk, pate, butter, jam, cereal, yogurts, etc. are laid out on the table and a typical slice of bread has thinly sliced cheese, ham and pickles laid out on it. You can tell a lot about a country and its people by what and how they eat breakfast and this is one of my favorite things about traveling places.</p> <p>We elect Krokan to climb at first and help shake off the brutal jetlag – we are 9hours ahead of Seattle time. Krokan is a natural Ouray ice park style of canyon, with routes after routes of ice and mixed climbing of all level and length. As I swing my tool into the ice, I am instantly surprised by how dry the ice is: the impact of the pick fractures the ice deep not only on the surface but way deep into the ice layers. Each swing requires a lot of cleaning to finally get a good pick placement. It’s a particularly dry ice year here in Norway and Krokan is the perfect place to get used to the ice quality, to the style of climbing that Norway has to offer, and to get a feel for the following day’s project: the local testpiece, Lipton.</p> <p>Since word on the street is that “Lipton” isn’t in condition, we figure that no one will be rushing out to beat us to the climb. So we leave a little after 9am and are greeted by bitingly cold temperatures at the parking lot. It’s going to be a cold one, which isn’t ideal for doing a hard multi-pitch route, which requires spending a lot of time at uncomfortable stances belaying the leader. We hike/rappel down the steep access slope to reach the base of route, 800ft down. The excitement rises as we approach the route and find out if that first pitch is in. I look up at the crux – the second pitch – and realize that the blobs of ice are really narrow, offering no feet at all. I am already wondering how this is going to be possible. Chad gears up and leads the thin and steep first pitch. As I follow the pitch, I am struck at how brittle and aerated the ice is. The climbing is strenuous, especially with a backpack filled with a belay jacket, a thermos, some food and a headlamp. I look over from the anchor at the second pitch but can only see the first section. 10 ft of traversing ice lead to a blank wall and on to a wildly overhanging blob of ice. The bottom part of the blob is cut off making feet in existent. I look up at Chad: “You won’t be too disappointed if i don’t make it, will you?” Seth, who’s climbed this route before and has never seen it in such hard condition, is at the base of the climb yelling up: “Are you sure it’s even worth trying? It looks way improbable”. I rack the screws and draws on my harness and head toward the desperate looking second pitch. I put a piece of gear into a crack high on the blank wall before getting out on the overhanging ice blob. If I fall, I will land way into space with ascending up the rope as the only solution to get back on the route. Once I get on the blob, my feet are level with my hips and my knees are touching my ice axes. I am so crunched that I am not sure how to move on. I pull sideways to peak over the blob and see what is awaiting me beyond. My heart sinks: no feet, and the curtain only gets shorter. It seems so unlikely. If I commit, I need to be sure I can pull through the section because there is no turning back. Uncertainty creeps up, but I decide to climb on. Ice axe placements require a lot of swinging because the rock roof above is so close that my tool hits the rock each time I try to swing, sending it way away from where I intended to hit. With so much swinging and placing ice screws for protection being so tricky – because I am so cramped up that I can’t put the right amount of pressure on the head to get it to bight into the ice -, I am sometimes forced to hang on a screw to place the next. This pitch could go free with ice axe hooks and screw holes in place, but on a route that has seen little to no traffic and climb on really small blobs of ice that would most likely break if you were to fall on them, I am not willing to take the chance. So at times, I am forced to clip directly into an ice screw to place the next piece of protection. I make steady progress, figuring out how to manage the following section. As I near the top of the pitch, the whole hanging curtain I am climbing on fractures and I pray that it won’t break from underneath me, dragging me down in the process because of the screws placed in it. Luckily, it doesn’t. Following this pitch is just as hard as leading it because Chad has to carry the pack on his back, which adds to gravity. He has to make sure he doesn’t fall because it would be hard to get back on route, but he pulls through and I am so excited to see his head pop over the lip of the climb and share in the elation of this pitch! We are both blown away at what we have just climbed, at the exposure and the sheer difficulty.</p> <blockquote><p>Neither one of us has ever been on anything quite so wild before.</p></blockquote> <p>Chad gears up and leads the next pitch. I lead the last steep section, which goes up the left hand side of a broken pillar, inside a chimney system. The ice is brittle and it is hard to find good gear. This route is the real gift that keeps on giving. From the top, we rappel down on the V-Threads that we built on the way and make it safely back down to the ground. This route alone was worth traveling to Norway for.</p> <p>We return to the hostel and are greeted by a nice and welcome Pasta Bolognese dinner cooked by the rest of the team. I am still in disbelief that we made it up the route and have a hard time falling asleep reliving the different sections of the climb. An unforgettable moment. We are now “en route” to another world-class ice climbing area – Eidfjord – where routes are long and some are still awaiting a first ascent. The road getting us there is very narrow and windy and it should take us 6hrs to cover the 250km to get there! We are so excited at the thought of maybe accessing routes by boat, and seeing the unlimited potential for new routing!</p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Check Out our Website WWW.ALPINEGUIDES.NO</div>Northern Alpine Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04907297020306777870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114858689152312533.post-7227757850813197292010-02-18T02:19:00.001-08:002010-02-18T02:29:36.143-08:00Searching Out First and Classic Ascents in NorwayNorthern Alpine Guides is currently in the middle of running a First Ascent (clothing company) trip here on the West Coast of Norway. We are facilitating the logistics and searching out/rigging lines for Caroline and Adam George, Chad Peele followed by photographer Celin Serbo. The objective is to climb big Ice Climbs and possible First Ascets here in Eidfjord, Norway. We have climbed some great climbs and have a nice F.A. in the bag and now we are working on climbing a Huge 500m FA above the fjords to the west of Eidfjord. Stay tuned and read the blog updates on the First Ascent Blog as well as here! Stay Tuned!<br /><br />http://blog.firstascent.com<br /><br />First Ascent writes:<br /> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Scandinavian Ice Lures First Ascent Guides Peele and George to Norway</span><br /><br />First Ascent guides Chad Peele and Caroline George, along with fellow ice climbers Adam George, Seth Hobby and photographer Celin Serbo, have traveled to Norway to explore the vast expanses of Scandinavian ice and attempt a series of first ascents.<br /><br />Over the past year I’ve been researching new and exciting ice climbing locations around the world, Norway being the ideal choice. Several friends have climbed here in the past and each has talked about the natural beauty, ultra-long ice lines, unexplored fjords, and the possibility of unclimbed ice lines that exist off the beaten path.<br /><br />Joined by fellow First Ascent guide Caroline George, a newcomer to the FA team and my climbing partner for the trip; her husband, climber and mountain guide Adam George, and photographer Celin Serbo, we made the trans-Atlantic flight from Newark to Oslo, Norway, to meet up with local guide Seth Hobby. Seth, a longtime friend and mountain guide from the Pacific Northwest who relocated to Norway, operates Northern Alpine Guides. Seth is our “local” man, having spent several years climbing, guiding and exploring many of the areas here in Norway.<br /><br />As we staggered out of the airport feeling our jet lag, we were greeted by sunshine and cold temperatures in the mid-teens. Although this might sound a little “twisted” for most folks, these are perfect ice-forming conditions. Seth was thrilled with the current weather and excitedly detailed many of our climbing opportunities as we loaded our duffle bags into his 4×4 Mitsubishi van, aka “The White Thunder.”<br /><br />In the evening Seth showed us possible climbing destinations on a map, as well as photos that he has taken of areas with little to no documented climbing. The natural beauty of these extreme frozen waterfalls and length of the climbs is unimaginable! Already I’m wishing we had more time and, frankly, more rest days in between routes. But we have plenty of time to climb and explore numerous valleys and ascend some world-class ice lines!<br /><br />Today, we finalized our logistics, went grocery shopping (Norway is extremely expensive – two pizzas and a couple pitchers of beer cost $200), and set out for our first climbing destination: Rjukan (pronounced Roo-Con), located a little over three hours west of Oslo. This is the ideal “warm up” area, where we will climb some established ice routes and prepare for several weeks of exploratory ice climbing!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Check Out our Website WWW.ALPINEGUIDES.NO</div>Northern Alpine Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04907297020306777870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114858689152312533.post-60623137637297981752010-02-10T05:29:00.000-08:002010-02-10T05:30:46.608-08:00Northern Norway Documentary<object height="246" width="450"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2894519&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=ffffff&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2894519&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=ffffff&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="246" width="450"></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer">Check Out our Website WWW.ALPINEGUIDES.NO</div>Northern Alpine Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04907297020306777870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114858689152312533.post-69343875010645167792010-01-28T11:55:00.000-08:002010-01-28T12:00:51.030-08:00Good Friend (Best Man in my Wedding) Gets is done in Nepal!<div class="title">North Americans Bag New Line on Tawoche</div> <p> <script language="javascript" src="http://www.climbing.com/js/prototype.js"></script> <script language="javascript" src="http://www.climbing.com/lightbox/mf_lightbox.js"></script> <script language="javascript"> Event.observe(window, 'load', init, false); function init() { Lightbox.init(); } </script> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="http://www.climbing.com/lightbox/lightbox.css"> <table class="image-wrapper" style="float: right; width: 375px;"> <tbody><tr> <td><a href="javascript:Lightbox.showBoxByID('lightboxDiv1',%20692,%20510);%20void%200;" style="font-family: verdana; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; color: rgb(170, 170, 170); text-decoration: none;"><img src="http://www.climbing.com/news/hotflashes/Tawoche-newline-12510-375.jpg" border="0" height="210" width="375" />
<br /> <center><img src="http://www.climbing.com/lightbox/enlarge.gif" border="0" height="11" width="12" /> Enlarge</center></a> <div class="imagecaption">The central south buttress of Tawoche (ca. 6,500m/21,325') in Nepal, with Ozturk and Richards' camps marked. Courtesy of <a href="http://verticalcarnival.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Verticalcarnival.blogspot.com</a>.</div> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </p><div id="lightboxDiv1" style="display: none;"> <table width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td align="center" valign="top" width="652"> <img src="http://www.climbing.com/news/hotflashes/Tawoche-newline-12510.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" border="1" height="360" width="642" /> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <div class="imagecaption">The central south buttress of Tawoche (ca. 6,500m/21,325') in Nepal, with Ozturk and Richards' camps marked. Courtesy of <a href="http://verticalcarnival.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Verticalcarnival.blogspot.com</a>.</div> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </div> <!--begin paragraph--><p><b>Renan Ozturk and Cory Richards overcame loose rock and dehydration to complete the first ascent of the central south buttress of Tawoche, a circa 6,500-meter (21,325') peak in the Khumbu region of Nepal.</b> The two men spent two and a half days on the route, followed by another day and a half of descent. Ozturk, based in Boulder, Colo., and Richards, out of Canmore, Alberta, said the line was 1,200 meters high and graded ED2 VI 5.10 M4/5.</p> <p>After a full day of rock climbing, the two reached a bivouac ledge with no snow or ice to melt for drinks or cooking, but despite severe dehydration in the cold winter air, they decided to continue up the following day. They bivied again as soon as they reached snow, and on the third day climbed more loose rock and then moderate ice to the summit. They descended by rappel.</p> <p> The south buttress of Tawoche (aka Taboche) had been attempted previously by Kris Erickson, Whit Magro, and Adam Knoff in February 2007; they reached 5,700 meters before a storm sent them down. (Earlier on the same trip, these three climbers and Ross Lynn completed the first winter ascent of the peak's east ridge.) During that trip, Ozturk and Seth Hobby reached about 19,000 feet (5,800m) on the southeast pillar, the buttress to the right, which, unbeknownst to them, had been climbed by Jurgen Knapp and Alex Schlonvogt in 1990; the Germans traversed right at the top of the rock pillar to reach the southeast face, the original route on the peak. Ozturk and Hobby tried to climb directly up the face above the pillar but were shut down by poor weather and a difficult rock headwall.</p> <p>Just two months ago, <a href="http://www.climbing.com/news/hotflashes/north_face_of_tawoche/">Japanese climbers Fumitaka Ichimura and Genki Narumi completed the first ascent of the icy north face of Tawoche</a>. </p> <p>Ozturk and Richards are now volunteering at the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.alexlowe.org" target="_blank">Khumbu Climbing School</a>. Remarkably, the two climber/artist/filmmaker/photographers documented their ascent of Tawoche with near-real-time videos, produced in their tents at base camp and in Namche Bazaar. The fourth and fifth videos in the series (below) give a great look at the new climb.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Check Out our Website WWW.ALPINEGUIDES.NO</div>Northern Alpine Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04907297020306777870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114858689152312533.post-90030769122047800492010-01-14T21:07:00.000-08:002010-01-14T21:12:57.269-08:00Northwest Cable CameraI really like this video with cable suspension... It gives a great view into some amazing athletes of the Northwest. Join us this year sometime in the <a href="http://www.alpineguides.no/index.php?action=page&article=1161208187&node=388">North Cascades of Washington</a> for a true adventure.<br /><object height="281" width="500"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=8685495&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=ffffff&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=8685495&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=ffffff&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="281" width="500"></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer">Check Out our Website WWW.ALPINEGUIDES.NO</div>Northern Alpine Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04907297020306777870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114858689152312533.post-18913740676087716532010-01-03T12:44:00.000-08:002010-01-03T12:55:55.584-08:00Camp Lofoten Norway!I will definitely be working Camp Lofoten again this year with Norges Guidene. This is the best ski camp for people who want to get outside and ski all the while party and meet new people in the most spectacular skiing venue. Check out this teaser.<br /><br /><object height="295" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DG6mxXBkhLI&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DG6mxXBkhLI&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="295" width="480"></embed></object><br /><br /><a href="http://www.alpineguides.no/index.php?action=page&article=1525138574&node=930">Join us before or after the Camp for some private ski guiding or alpine climbing.</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Check Out our Website WWW.ALPINEGUIDES.NO</div>Northern Alpine Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04907297020306777870noreply@blogger.com0