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Backcountry

A collection of 42 posts

Almost breaking through

Almost breaking through

When I woke up this morning the rain had stopped, and the clouds were showing some signs of weakness where they previously had been solid and grey. No excuses not to ride a bike, and I think Gustav agreed, because next thing I know we are in a car and

Northbound!

First trip up north is just about to happen, and I am getting well excited. Hopefully there will be good weather, a stable snowpack and a bunch of messing about pretending to be a real alpinist. [https://smaertin.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/dsc02410.jpg] Pretending to be a real

Open your x-mas presents late, a couple of days on Gran Canaria in images

Open your x-mas presents late, a couple of days on Gran Canaria in images

I got the best x-mas present ever this year, a trip to visit Andreas' sister with family on Gran Canaria. Yea, I know, I'm a lucky sod. Off course we took the bikes with us, hanging out on the beach for a week is not our idea of a holiday.

To everyone's amazement, he actually went skiing

To everyone's amazement, he actually went skiing

I have been feeling like winter came and went without me. I was just standing on the platform, passively looking on as the season passed by. From my all time low in January recovery has been so slow that it was almost unnoticeable. But it was there. It turns out

Sketches of Spain

Just a couple of pics of what I did the other day when I had the day off and all to myself. [https://smaertin.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/p1230865.jpg] Morning mist greets me [https://smaertin.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/p1230870.jpg] The sun rises above the ridge

An ode to climbing.

I know, as a mountain biker or snowboarder I am probably supposed to hate climbing, but hard as I might try, I just don't. You know how it goes, as the road start heading upwards everyone goes on at a good clip, talk cheerfully to each other and pretend that

Vacation randoms no. 1, Mefjell

This one is for those of you who only look at the pictures. Less words, more pictures, hopefully less boring. The background: I filled a VW van with camping gear, bikes, maps and Martin, and headed south along the Norwegian border, towards where the mountains are higher and the fjords

Still hammering

Yesterday was very very wet indeed. Rain from zero to 600 meters, and lots of it. We made an attempt on Andersdalstind but aborted due to wind, visibility and just good old miserable conditions. [http://smaertin.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/p1010857.jpg] This is as much sunshine we got

Good turns and sunshine on Kvalöja

Yesterday we had our weather window, and we tried to make the most of it. We started by having a late morning and a long breakfast. Way to go! Then we climbed Storstolpa. [http://smaertin.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/p1010705.jpg] Mattias, Storstolpa, clouds [http://smaertin.files.wordpress.com/

The third step, a leap in the air

The engine is humming no more than a couple of meters to my left, and far below me lies Germany. In less than three hours I will be in Nice, in the sun and in the warmth. The bike is prepped, helmets packed and on my feet are a brand

Kittelfjäll 16th of February, through my eyes

On the 16th of February, I, Andrea and Maria got caught in an avalanche in Kittelfjäll. An avalanche that had all potential to be lethal to all of us, and we made it by luck or coincidence. This is my recollection of the events that day. I guess writing my

A few words in the light of recent events

This post would have been a long "This is not a gear blog" installment about my venture into hardboot splitboarding. In light of recent events, I will keep it short and sweet: That toe edge power is addictive! [http://smaertin.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/p1010019.jpg] Nice and stable

I got that t-shirt!

I was just browsing yesterday, and this video [http://www.pinkbike.com/news/NoRWay-Hans-Rey-and-Tobias-Woggon-on-the-Lofoten-Islands-video-2014.html] jumped in my face. Apparently Hans Ray and Tobias Woggon never read this blog, otherwise they would have found descriptions to most [http://smaertin.wordpress.com/2012/09/02/djupfjordheia-our-first-ride-on-lofoten-and-a-rude-awakening/] of the trails [http://smaertin.

10 days of skiing, and it's not ever New year's yet

Yay! Today was my tenth day skiing this season, not bad for a weekend warrior with a (sort of) full time job. The first five you have already read about, on Centennial ridge and Cameron pass. Decent skiing, but it was really on day six it picked up. A blower

Two things I like

Back in WY, which is just like it should be. Cars are huge, gas is cheap and people wear sunglasses and cowboy hats. We had a nice day of touring in Cameron Pass on Sunday, maybe a bit cold but snow is plentiful and soft. [http://smaertin.files.wordpress.com/

Pedalling on hallowed ground, the Stelvio

-It's a long climb, a classic, has 48 switchbacks. Do you want to do it? -Is it the Stelvio? Of course I want! And the next morning, there we are. Unloading the bikes in Prato, at the base of one of the most famous mountain passes in the world. Me,

Just reblogging, as usual

Not much have happened here for a couple of months. This is in part due to lazyness and the fact that I have actually been working, believe it or not. In my defense I should point out that I also lost the charger for my camera, so I haven't snapped

Mt Elbert, finally someone wrote something about it

I was there, I snapped some pics but I never got around to actually writing about it. As luck has it, someone else did. Well written about a great ride Andrea! Thin air on the roof of Colorado - Biking Mount Elbert [http://hungryhen.wordpress.com/2013/07/09/thin-air-on-the-roof-of-colorado-biking-mount-elbert/

Still kicking, with kickass ladies and gentlemen

Just a quick update, Colorado is treating us with great weather, better scenery, big terrain and awesome people. [http://smaertin.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/p1210773.jpg] Old mining remains and our objective in the background. Mt Bross, 14000+ ft and one hell of a climb. Weather made us turn

A day in Hunddalen

[http://smaertin.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/p1210247.jpg] Katterat train station, where the rails end and the skin track start Right, so the idea is simple. Take the train almost until you run out of tracks, get off and skin for a few hours until you reach the Hunddalen

Tribute to Matt

[http://smaertin.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/p1200743.jpg] The man himself, looking out over his backyard [http://smaertin.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/p1200745.jpg] Parts of the backyard in question [http://smaertin.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/p1200751.jpg] Getting close to the summit [http://smaertin.files.wordpress.

Some stuff found in the mountains around Telluride

[http://smaertin.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/p1200625.jpg] Old mining thing [http://smaertin.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/img_3070.jpg] Wide streets filled with nothing and no one in Silverton. The tumbleweeds had probably frozen to death [http://smaertin.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/img_1303.jpg] The

A few pics from Rainbow Peak

The weather did not look as fantastic as previous days, and the sun had been out potentially frying a lot of snow. Me and David decided to go poke around Rainbow Peak, and see what we could find. We got a glance of the area a few days earlier [http:

Back in the salt mine

[http://smaertin.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/img_1156.jpg] Office and lunch room in Centennial We are back from an awesome couple of weeks in the Wasatch with everything from waist deep to spring conditions. I have a ton of pics that will eventually make their way to the

Avi course, not all doom and gloom

Me and Andrea [http://hungryhen.wordpress.com/] took our first avi course this weekend. 3 days, lots of stuff I already knew and some new and very interesting things learned. Nice course, nice instructors at Jackson Hole Mountain Guides [www.jhmg.com/], thanks Pat and JD. Some really great people