I've slept in a snow cave for the first time ever and can only recommend the experience.
Saturday
We started the trip in Binn and went towards Mässeralp. At Manibode, we took out a probe to measure the snow depth. It was between 1.5 and 2 metres, just about enough for a snow cave. We left our stuff there and started skinning up towards Grosses Schinhorn. Almost immediately, I felt out of power and Vašek and Kubo were too far ahead. I decided to turn back.
Breithorn and Bietschhorn
It turned out to be a good decision. Since it was getting late and we had a snow cave to dig, Kubo and Vašek didn’t reach Grosses Schinhorn anyway and the good snow ended exactly at my turning point.
Back at Manibode, we found a spot with 2 meters of snow where we didn’t need to dig out an entrance corridor, because the wind did it for us. When planning the trip, we estimated 2 hours to dig the snow cave and that’s about how long it took. Next time I’ll bring a snow saw though.
Vašek working on the roof
Me standing at the entrace of our cave
We marked the top of the snow cave with skis to avoid accidental destruction
The cave had 3G internet, despite being in 2000-meter altitude in the middle of nowhere under 1.5 meters of snow. I have no idea how that's possible.
The views towards Aletschhorn (4193 m) from the cave were stunning.
Aletschhorn before sunset
Aletschhorn after sunset
Aletschhorn in the morning
Sunday
Even with an open entrance, the cave was around 0 degrees Celsius throughout the night. We could have made it warmer, but as Kubo explained to me, you want to err on the freezing side, otherwise you end up very wet from the melting snow and less comfortable than in a freezing but dry cave.
A 5-star hotel at 2000 meters with 3G internet
The night was surprisingly very good. In fact, I got the best sleep in two months (about 10 hours) despite drying wet clothes in my sleeping bag and keeping 3 liters of water warm so that it wouldn’t freeze.
Our plan for the day was to climb Schwarzhorn (3108 m). When we reached the saddle below Fleschhorn, we saw the last part involved too much climbing and as it was getting late, we changed the plans to go to peak 3112m instead. Just like the day before, I felt out of power and too slow, so I stayed below the summit. We had a bus to catch and too little time.
Kubo and Vašek successfully reached the top and had some great views.
Pizzo Cervandone on the right
Vašek at peak 3112 m pointing at Bietschhorn
The downhill ride offered steep skiing in great snow with a spectacular scenery created by fog and the Sun.
We reached the snow cave for the last time, packed things and continued to Binn to catch the bus.
Arctic explorers carry a couple of kilograms of butter, because it contains many calories per gram. Some of them eat a stick of butter for breakfast as well as dinner. Me and Martin also bet on fat when we went to Kebnekaise: we brought butter, goose fat, coconut oil, sausages, bacon, frozen meatballs and almonds. I counted at least 3 kilograms of fat but we probably had more. You have to do this if you want to be considered cool in the Arctic circles.
Kebnekaise is a mountain area located beyond the Arctic Circle and Kebnekaise is also the name of the highest mountain in Sweden. I have been there two years ago and wanted to come back as soon as possible, despite the horrible weather we have experienced. There is something about the Kebnekaise area that draws me there and it's hard to explain.
Sunday
After arriving to Kebnekaise fjällstation, we went for a short ski ride just above the hut. The snow was horrible, as is normal for the very windy Láddjuvággi valley. It was then easy to convince Martin to go to Tarfala valley in search for better snow. It turned out to be the right call.
Monday
In the morning we went up to Tarfala mountain hut in sunny weather.
Tarfala valley, Storglaciär and Isfallsglaciär
Martin took a nap in the afternoon, so I went alone for a ski ride just above the hut. The snow was much better than yesterday but still very tricky. Thanks to a lot of wind, icy parts mixed with deep pockets of powder. I fell because of this in the bottom flat part and later learned that the whole hut watched me fall through the window. I'm always happy to provide entertainment.
After dinner, the whole hut gathered again at the windows to watch a group of guys skiing with headlamps. I told Martin: "They are either complete idiots or professionals".
There is no water or electricity in the hut and you have to fetch water and wood from the outside in −15 degrees Celsius. After the arrival of the group with headlamps, the hut was packed to the last bed and had the right Arctic atmosphere. The fat in our stomachs also only amplified it.
The Moon and a hairy mountain. My best guess is that wind is blowing snow over the mountain and creating an illusion of hair.
Tuesday
Two years ago me and Kolo unsuccessfully tried to climb Kaskasatjåkka (2076 m), the 4th highest mountain in Sweden. We turned around because of high winds. Me and Martin made a second attempt and the weather was much better this time with clear blue sky. However, it was very windy and cold, so we had to cover our faces regularly to avoid frostbites. We were rewarded with a view that is even better than from Kebnekaise sydtopp, the highest mountain in Sweden.
Western panorama includes 3 of the top 5 highest mountains in Sweden: Kebnekaise sydtopp, Kebnekaise nordtopp and Kaskasapakte. And it's taken from the 4th highest mountain, Kaskasatjåkka.
Wednesday
We woke up to a typical Tarfala weather: very low visibility, snow and strong wind. No wonder this is the most windy place in Sweden.
Luckily for us, the wind was blowing into our backs and it was actually making moving easier. We wanted to go back to the Kebnekaise fjällstation, but also check out the glacier cave inside Pallins halvjökel.
You can make a couple of ski turns in the glacier cave
The glacier cave provided a nice shelter, but we had to leave it and enter the white world.
Man on the Moon
We arrived at Kebnekaise fjällstation just before noon and then didn't do anything for the rest of the day.
Thursday
Two years ago I have been ogling Tuolpagorni a lot but we didn't have time to ski it, so I made it my main goal of this vacation.
Tuolpagorni has a bowl on the top, a very unusual formation
The conditions looked awesome: clear blue sky, no wind and a lot of powder snow. Our only worry were avalanches, but a snow pit only showed a dangerous layer more than a meter deep.
It felt very strange to be in Tuolpagorni's flat bowl up in the air. We went up to a saddle below the top, enjoyed the view and then skied down the obvious path.
Our downhill route
It was our first time skiing such a narrow and steep couloir (38 to 40 degreees), but in the end it was easier than expected. The deep snow was very forgiving and the couloir wider than it looks at first.
Our piece of work in the couloir
Wow, what a day! No wind is a once-in-a-lifetime experience in this area and skiing Tuolpagorni is also something we won't forget. Watch Martin's video summarizing the whole day.
Friday
I woke up feeling bad, so I stayed in the hut while Martin went for a short ride near Jökelbäcken. It was time to leave Kebnekaise and head home. I'm sure we'll be back soon.
As usual, a small selection of my photos is on Flickr and a full album from multiple cameras is on Google Photos. Martin also made a video from the whole trip.
After 5 years of ski touring me and Martin finally mustered some courage to try High Tatras in Slovakia, our highest mountain range. Their unpredictable weather and rough terrain make them very dangerous. To top it off, a couple of days before our planned arrival the weather was awful—freezing rain followed by snow and very strong wind. Thanks to an icy base layer, there was very little snow but high avalanche danger. Our plan was to go up to Zbojnícka chata chalet and assess the local avalanche danger ourselves. There must be at least one good slope to ski!
Wednesday
Poprad in –21 degrees Celsius.
We went up to Zbojnícka chata as planned. Suprisingly, the amount of snow was decreasing with increasing altitude. The last bit below the hut was very icy and we both hated it, because we took our skis off at least 5 times. After a short nap at the hut we went outside to exercise avalanche rescue and dig some snow pits. The first snow pit was completely safe which we couldn't believe, so we dug another one in less deep snow. A column of snow failed before we even started an avalanche test.
A snow column fell even before we started executing a test.
I jokingly said that I'm staying in the hut tomorrow, but I was hoping we would find a safe slope the next day. It started snowing in the evening and I was really happy. At least the annoying ice will be covered by snow.
Thursday
The safest slope in the valley was below Svišťové sedlo (marmot saddle). I was expecting a cloudy day but the sky opened as we approached the saddle.
The Sun finally reached us. Or did we reach the Sun?
When the slope exceeded 30 degrees, we decided to dig a snow pit and make another avalanche test. The snow was deep and the slope safe! The conditions in this particular valley looked perfect and nobody has been here for a couple of days. We left the skis and climbed the last meters with ice axes.
Martin climbing the last few meters.
Rovienková dolina
Happy to be in the saddle.
The view was great and the Sun was shining. Time to ski down.
Safe route choice. All other routes were either steeper or more wind-loaded.
We skied down to Zbojnícky spád which had a lot of blown-in snow. Perfect! After skinning back to the hut, Martin swore that he'll either end with ski touring or buy new skis, because his skins were slipping a lot on a steep slope. It was still only about 1pm, so why not practice self-arrest? This is a useful technique to stop a fall on a slippery slope with your ice axe. We survived even this exercise.
Friday
The weather forecast predicted high winds on Friday. Some parts of High Tatras got winds of speed 100 km/h, but the valley was calmer. This is no weather for ski touring, so we decided to head back to civilization early in the morning.
High winds up in the mountains
It was mostly alright, although sometimes we had to stop to let the wind gusts disappear.
All in all, it was a great trip. It turned out to be very educational besides all the skiing and climbing. For the first time I saw a snow pit test failing and we also did some useful avalanche and mountaineering exercises.
Small selection of my photos is on Flickr and an album merged from 2 cameras including some videos is on Google Photos. Martin also made a YouTube video in Slovak from the trip (just don't take inspiration from the first avalanche test, it was poorly performed).
Another trip proved that ski touring is the most fun sport ever invented.
Thursday
Our plan for Thursday was to go to Chammona Tuoi hut first and maybe do some light skiing afterwards. The plan quickly changed after Martins hyperglycemia, so we took a rest at the hut but we did some avalanche rescue training after dinner.
Friday
On Friday, we climbed Hintere Jamspitze (3156 m) without trouble in great weather with awesome views.
Great view
On the way down I made one of my best ski runs ever on an untouched steep slope (about 36 to 38 degrees). The snow was getting wet and heavy and I fell in the middle of it, but it was pure joy and I had to shout at the whole valley when it was over.
You can see the place where I fell
Even though we were taking it easy today, we were already at the hut at 1 pm and just relaxed before the big trip the next day.
Saturday
We woke up at 5 am to get an early start. I made a mistake of not looking into the map for 2 hours and just followed the main ski track on the La Cudera glacier. We crossed the wrong saddle and ended up under a peak we didn't plan to climb – Silvrettahorn (3244 m). In the end it turned out to be a very lucky mistake! We wouldn't be able to climb Piz Buin (3312 m) with our equipment anyway; our plan was to climb as far as possible and for Silvrettahorn we only needed an ice axe and crampons. The view was breathtaking.
Piz Buin (3312 m) and Ochsentaler Gletscher
Piz Linard (3410 m)
The return back to the hut was a bit too long and annoying, especially with the wind blowing snow on our faces on the glacier. At least the last meters were a very enjoyable downhill ride. After returning back to the hut, I learned some useful facts about Kussmaul breathing which you get during diabetic ketoacidosis. Luckily Martin didn't die in the end, so we survived another great trip in the mountains!
As usual, a selection of my photos is on Flickr and an album merged from 2 cameras is on Google Photos (with David Hasselhoff).
Every year around New Year me and my friends go to the mountains. This time me, Martin and Kolo chose Žiarska dolina in West Tatras in Slovakia. The weather before our trip was very hot and most of the snow disappeared from the mountains. As we approached Tatras and saw the grassy slopes, I became quite sceptical about the conditions, but in the end it turned out to be one of my best ski touring trips.
Sunday
We first went to Smutné sedlo (1965 m, sad saddle in Slovak), to do an easy ride and check the snow conditions. The ascent was icy and Martin had some trouble, since he didn't have ski crampons. We had to wait for him and Kolo used this opportunity to make two rides from the saddle.
Since the weather was great and the snow was okay in the upper parts, we decided to go to Hrubá kopa (2166 m). The ascent was very steep and again, Martin was a bit slower, because he didn't have an ice axe but Kolo created nice snow stairs for him and me.
Climbing the chute using stairs in the snow. We skied down the same way.
Western view with Baníkov (2178 m)
The descent has been my hardest ride ever. I had ice on my binding and it released once in the beginning because of that. I carefully cleaned it but after that I wasn't confident enough to do quick turns down the steep 40-degree chute on hard packed snow. A small mistake and released binding would send me onto the surrounding rocks.
The sky turned orange after we skied the chute.
Monday
We decided on an easy trip to Žiarske sedlo (1917 m), since we didn't see snow elsewhere. While approaching, we saw that the nearby peak Plačlivô (2125 m) was completely covered in white and looked easy to ski. Martin was afraid of getting hypoglycemia, so he staid in the saddle and took awesome pictures, while me and Kolo went up. We had breathtaking views from the top and there was almost no wind, a perfect day in the mountains!
Kolo and me climbing up with ice axes. We skied the same line.
Sea of clouds with Kráľová hoľa in the background
The ride was less steep than the previous day and the snow much better. As a bonus, we had the whole mountain and surrounding valley only for ourselves. Žiarska dolina is full of great ski lines, so we have to return some day.
Small selection of my photos is on Flickr and an album merged from 3 cameras is on Google Photos.
In March 2008 me and Kolo hiked for a week in Morocco in High Atlas in altitudes ranging from 2500 to 4000 metres carrying everything we needed in our backpacks. Precisely 5 years later the two of us planned a trip of similar difficulty, a week of ski touring and mountaineering beyond the Arctic Circle near the highest mountain in Sweden, Kebnekaise.
After months of research and preparation I was really excited to go. Well, not so fast! 4 days before we were supposed to leave I got a 40-degree fever and could barely move. Maybe it didn't make sense for Kolo to fly to Sweden from Boston after all. Luckily, just a few hours before his flight the doctor told me that even though I had influenza, I could be skiing on Monday or Tuesday.
We started our trip as planned but the first day I stayed in bed at Kebnekaise fjällstation while Kolo went alone for an easy trip. On Monday I tried to ski but only for 3 hours, since my lungs were now fighting with a secondary bacterial infection and were still very weak.
On Tuesday we decided to go to Tarfala, another mountain hut in the area. The weather was horrible but at least we had the hut and the valley only for ourselves. In the afternoon we went for a ride on Isfallsglaciär. The snow was awesome but the slope was not steep enough for sufficient speed.
According to the forecast, Wednesday was supposed to be without wind. When we woke up, the Tarfala valley was silent. We started climbing towards Kaskasatjåkka (2076 m), but when we reached a saddle at 1800 m, the wind picked up speed again. We skied down in a complete whiteout sometimes not knowing if we were going up or down. Sometimes I hit a small hill but I couldn't see them, because everything was white.
We decided to take a shortcut through Kebnetjåkka lilltopp, ending with a downhill ride right to the doors of Kebnekaise fjällstation. "It's half past one, we have 5 hours to do this", said Kolo. I laughed, because it looked like 2 easy hours. Little did I know what was going to happen next. After we reached a plateau the wind got so strong it was difficult to maintain balance while standing. It must have been between 60 to 90 km/h, no wonder this is the windiest place in Sweden with a record of 292 km/h (and then the station broke). We turned around for the second time today and continued in the valley with less wind. We reached the hut just before six.
Thursday was the last possible day for ascending Kebnekaise sydtopp (ca. 2110 m), the highest mountain in Sweden. The weather was great, clear sky and almost no wind, so we made it without big problems. The view from the top was simply breathtaking.
Countless stones made the descent harder, but at least I trained skiing in 3-meter narrow snow fields surrounded by stones. After the hard part we were rewarded with a ride in an awesome powder just below Tolpagorni. After climbing 1800 height meters and 9.5 hours we were back at Kebnekaise fjällstation. This was one of the hardest day trips I have ever done and my lung infection and temperature between -10 and -15 degrees didn't make it easier.
On Friday morning I woke up completely exhausted and still coughing too much, so Kolo went alone for a ride in the sunny weather.
Finally it's time to go home after a week long Arctic experience. We will be back!
After a few stressful weeks I needed a vacation in April. The first plan was to go skiing above Arctic Circle but in the end it was Stubaier Alpen in Tyrol in Austria with Martin.
Everything looked perfect on Saturday. The weather and snow conditions were great and I knew that we'll have a lot of fun with Martin. Unfortunately, when we arrived at the Amberger Hütte, he got a fever and a stomach ache. Luckily, he was feeling much better on Sunday after 12 hours of sleep. The weather that day was awesome. When I reached Kuhscheibe (3189 metres), I could enjoy an endless view and the air was still. This doesn't happen very often. It was one of the best views I had in my life.
The next day was the same, except that this time I was the one with health problems and Martin had to go to the top of the southern top of Windacher Daunkogel (3301 metres) alone. But at least I got a new profile picture.
All in all, the trip was exactly what I needed. We got great views, skied on awesome snow and had a lot of fun. And we also learned a lesson that you can burn you lips within 3 hours on a glacier in April.
I realized that ski touring is better than hiking, because not only the ascent but also the descent is fun. Which is why I'm planning to spend most of my vacation in winter in the future. See you in the mountains!
The photo album from the trip is on Google Photos and selected pictures are on Flickr.
