April 2010

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April 2010

Ski report for April 2010

April 30: To finish the week off we couldn't have woken up to better weather. The Lyngen Fjord was calm and the sky had only slight wisps of cloud moving from the south. After all the heavy snow this week we finally had good visibility and a chance to get high on the mountain. Two groups headed in the Spirit of Lyngen to Uløya for a traverse of the island to Blåtinden. Hannes headed up from Havnnes and I made a direct ascent from a beach drop off to the north and then a boat pick up from the old fishing houses at Skjeret. The snow was quality powder... Paul headed up for a traverse of Sorbmegaisa and reported super snow which dried out overnight to leave the snow smokey light :) Photos today from Blåtinden. A wonderful week, thanks to all groups especially the Austrian's who made sure there wasn't a dull or quiet moment ;)

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This was the summit goal for today - Blåtinden on Uløya

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The action started early :) A new beach drop off on a sandy bank meant that Glen had to carry the ladies so their toes wouldn't get wet... Marie Astrid in absolute heaven...

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Good skiing but I loved these wisps of cloud in the sky today

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Climbing up through the rolling terrain and intricate small valleys systems above the beach

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The lower half for Blåtinden with Reindalstinden in the back ground.
Photo: Hanne

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Marie Astrid skiing under the waterfall ice in fantastic powdery snow

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Happy dayzz... you're never sure where to look.. at the sea of where you're skiing

April 29: A mixture of snowfall and sunshine today as a gentle breeze from the north brought showers in off the ocean. We've really had a lot of snow falling with 60cm on the mountain. The avalanche risk is quiet high at the moment so we're keeping to low angled terrain for the moment. Hannes headed round to Heligeli forest, Paul on the Spirit of Lyngen to Uløya and I headed up to Storhaugen to dig a snow profile and ski a little just above the forest. A morning ski for Paul and Hannes enabled them to fish this afternoon from the Spirit and catch some super sized Cod fish...

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Hanne getting those knees working

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Marie Astrid with Store Reindalstinden behind on the opposite side of the Lyngen Fjord.

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Hanne on the way up for the second time - any chance for a rest ladies

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It was one of those lunches! Snooze time... (I sooo wasn't snoring Hanne!!!)

Trudy catching a whopper cod - that'll feed us for a week :)

Phillipe getting amongst the fishing action

April 28: The heaviest snowfall of the season is now... and it's dumping snow like there is no tomorrow. All groups skied the forest above the lodge keeping to the safe tree lines. The snow was deep, light and YES.. it's the reason why we ski :)

The forest is silently frozen in time when the snowfalls

Still life left in these legs I can tell you... I'm so pleased with my ladies this week-Marie Astrid jumping because I asked her to :)

Hanne on her 4th run of the day

Maria Astrid cruises the powder

April 26: Well how about that... winter has returned today with some nice choppy sea and some fresh snow up top. We headed over in the Spirit to Uløya and headed up to Kjelvågtinden, at about 850m the soup hit and visibility was about 10 meters. Just below the summit we turned and headed back home. The attraction of a hot-tub was greater than that of hanging around in the fog :)

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The trusty old Spirit of Lyngen provided some fun action on the way home in some big waves :)

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Havnness historic fishing harbour below

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Hanne and Mad heading through the forest on the way home

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Back at the harbour, Glen skip, Marie Astrid and some old fisherman in the back claiming to be a guide ;)

April 25: We welcome 4 groups this week. Returning to the stage after 12 months away is Hanne De Morra and Marie Astrid aka "master of disaster" she is uncontrollable this year - they are skiing with myself and I need luck! Guide Hannes is back in town and skiing with a Euro mix group and Guide Paul is also back skiing with his Austrian dream team. A magic day of powder on three summits skied by our groups today, Store Haugen, Blåtinden Uløya and our unnamed peak (now nik named Austigiasa) aghh - lots of names flying around there.. See photos from a great first day.

Marie Astrid "MAD" is a wild one on the new Kastle skis

Climbing through the forest onwards and upwards
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I love good summit congradulations :) Marie Astrid is wild on and off the skis ;)

Hanne blasting the powder north west down to Djupvik

Hannes's Group April 25:

Kristin and Andreas from Norway heading for the summit of Store Haugen

Kristin in the powder

April 24: Snow fall during this week made for good skiing in the Lyngen and Kåfjord region. Today myself and Kolbjørn from Tromsø headed up to the unnamed peak point 1130m (nicknamed Austigaisa) and skied good powder on the north west face. We skied to 580m and skinned again to the summit of Sorbmegaisa and just before the clouds covered the summit we skied down the main west face of the bowl between the cliffs, one of my favourite lines :)

Photo: Kolbjørn Engeseth - good light snow to the sea below

Some nice humps

"Mr Jupiter" Kolbjørn carving some up on sorbmegaisa

On the ascent route with super light from the east refecting off the still Lyngen Fjord today

April 17 - 23 : Due to volcano activity in Iceland no flights arrived in Norway this week.

April 16: What a day! Fresh snow overnight and short heavy snow fall in the morning hours provided great skiing in the steeps. We climbed Sorbmegaisa and skied through thick cloud for the first run in good snow. A quick lunch and sun broke through, clouds opened and we climbed again to ski a line I've been waiting to ski for a few years now. Perfect conditions with around 10cm of fresh sticking well to the steeps. The line was down the central left bowl into Engnesdalen, amazing play terrain with rocks and few small cliffs to drop at speed. Best line of the season so far... A big thank you to Benjamin and all his buddies and Olaf's group too. Thanks for a great week all.

Jens showing just how free ride telemarking is done. Awesome power..

Benjamin dropping into the bowl off Sorbmegaisa

April 15: We woke to a bit of a wet day but none us knew today was going to be the best day of our lives. Why...? Because we had a fishing derby after skiing and my group pulled 4 super-sized cod fish :) Ok, so some skied with Hannes up to Giillavarri, others opted out for the fishing on the Spirit.
The skiing was good over 600m but the vis was a little poor today. However the fishing was great and thanksfully the fjord has provided tomorrow's meal for all our guests. It's going to be fresh codski. See below...

Get a load of this mamma, caught just outside the lodge from the Spirit of Lyngen boat

Benjamin cranking those tele's down the Giillavarri

benjamin, Jens and Gustaf taking 5 on the climb up.

hook, line and sinker the cod is in the bag. Marc and Karoline are hands on

Who is this strange man from the deep? Petter the cod father is back and rubber gloved

April 14: Fresh snow and the sun breaking through the cloud promised a good day ahead. Groups started earlier today and headed with the Spirit of Lyngen to Kågen Island for a traverse and a multi ski from West to East. We beach dropped off on the west side and skinned to an unnamed summit where we accesses a nice open bowl for 400 vertical meters of turns before climbing again to Storesandnestinden and skiing the east face down to beach. The fresh snow of yesterday has now covered the hard layer and we're back to a nice layer of soft snow. Lost of vertical today and there's at this moment a race on into the jacuzzi and beers all round...

Climbing the last cool section to the end of the ridge on the Kveite Hale

Heading up towards Storesandnestinden

Dropping into a new line today down onto the glacier of Storesandnestinden

Gustaf happy to have finally finished skinning for the day...

The big Swede Gustaf smiles in the powder

April 11: We welcome Benjamin Hammero's group from Stockholm and Olaf Swantee's group from Germany. We've skied two good days of spring skiing with an generally overcast sky. First day was Store Haugen and today was a Oløytinden on Uløya. the weather is getting colder with fresh snow forecast this week :)

Benjamin Hammero "old" St.Anton legend telemarker/true dirtbag skibum now turned serious banker, can still crank the tel turns...

Martin, Sebastian, Marc and Gustaf heading up to Kjelvågtinden

It's blowing a big one, hang onto your skis....

April 9: Spring skiing conditions on Sorbmegaisa south face down to Engnesdalen, good conditions for steeper skiing. Hannes's group headed to Giilavarri further south and came back raving about the snow. All in all a great week and the first week now of spring skiing. Photos today from Sorbmegaisa. Thanks to all for another great week.

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Veronica and Siggi heading up to Sorbmegaisa

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Siggi and Kastle

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Great open slopes down to Engnesdalen

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Matt going for the obligatory post sauna cool down....

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A fine colour rich bunch, words getting out that Graham dislikes the colour black for photos!!
Left to right: Sharon, Mary, Glen, Jenny, Veronique, Katia, Siggi, Tracy, Veronica, John and Hannes

April 8: An early start to make the most of sunshine before a change in weather is forecast later in the day. We're now getting very good spring snow conditions and the steeper lines are now possible to ski when you plan early in the day. Today's mountain for my group was Peppartinden located on the northern end of the Lyngen Peninsula. It begins with boat journey to Yt. Gammvika and a glacier crossing before a steep climb up to the summit. We skied the south face down fantastic terrain to where the Spirit was waiting at In. Gammvika. Hannes's group skied Svartfjellet in the Rotsundalen behind the lodge and reported good snow. Photos today from Peppartinden.

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First turns down the south face of Peppartinden 1252m straight to the sea :)

Siggi needs lunch and it's waiting on that beach below..

Climbing to the col, crampons where needed today

Veronica cranking turns mid mountain

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Veronica heading up onto the Gammvikblåisen Glacier from the boat drop off at Yt. Gammvika

Hannes's group

Sharon smiling as always.... :)

Tracy made it... :)

Reaching the summit of Svartfjellet. Steep climb and everyone on top

April 7: Another sunny spring day with promising firn corn snow on the east and south slopes. We headed up to Rissavarri south along the lodge ridge line towards Nordmannvik and climbed through forest and open mountain to reach the summit at 1pm. A little windy today on the summit which held the snow hard until about 900m. We skied the east, south east face and skied steep perfect corn snow. Hannes's group headed up too and all had a ski down.

Veronica dropping in just off the summit of Rissavarri

Fjord view looking over to the southern Lyngen Peninsula

Hopefully the snow won't give way... John straddling the fence into the forest

April 5: Sun sun and more sun, great spring conditions and also Northern Lights. We headed for a traverse of Uløya Island taking in 3 summits and finally skiing from the summit of Blåtinden for a beach boat pick up on the west side. Super Nice...

Siggi carving the spring snow

Jenny on Blåtinden

Surreal walk, skis, snow and sand...

John boarding the Spirit for a beach pick up and cold beers on board :)

April 4: Amazing day... it's now freezing in the night and super warm in the day, spring arrived quick giving spring corn snow on all east, south and west faces. It's only for this week though as winter will return and I'm sure back to powder shortly... Again super nice groups this week with Siggi from Kastle skis (our ski sponsor) and a group form UK, Switzerland and again one South African joining the crew. Today being the first day we headed up to Store Haugen after some avalanche training. Great first day in spring...

Siggi from Kastle skis cranking down to the sea

John from Newcastle UK was told there was a pint at the bottom... and he bombed it down

Super reflections in the fjord today with zero wind

Katia from Switzerland telemarking

Our group this week from all over the place UK, switzerland, Austria and South Africa...

April 1: Fine weather and still good snow east of the lodge inside the Rotsund Valley. Daniel's group headed up to Storetinden and crossed over to Nordmannvik down the Kipperdalen. Peter's group took the boat to Blåtinden on Uløya for a beach drop and pick up. Photos from Daniel's group on Storetinden.

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