Arctic Lines Episode 11: Attempting an early season dream line in Northern Norway.

The polar night has arrived here in the Arctic but just before the sun went behind the horizon for a while we were able to go for a mission in northern Norway.
Since the start of the project last winter we’ve been able to tick 9 missions of the list. The hopes for finding incredible early winter line and completing mission number 10 were high when we finally saw a weather window good enough to go for the first trip of the season.

The Arctic Circle is a harsh environment where cold temperatures and lack of daylight are a big part of the early season. To be able to complete a demanding line in the early stages of the winter is gamble. Sometimes you get lucky but most of the time the first trips of the season are based on enjoying the views and perhaps making a few good turns on the way down.

On this particular mission we are facing many questions in regarding the safety and are required to start pondering how to actually determine a successful day in the mountains.

Enjoy the episode!

Blåtinden Couloir
A exciting freeride adventure from the latest episode.
This is rather simple and fun couloir that has snow coverage almost year around.

Ascent

Approach can be done from almost at the top of the mountain while moving on an exposed ridge or using the summer hiking route to get to the valley. This is a good option in early season when predicting snow conditions and coverage is still thin.

The route starts next to a local school. Walk behind the school and follow the hiking route. This takes a while and is a bit scratchy at some points. When you reach the bottom of the valley start going up on the left side of the river. Go past a smaller mountain until you start seeing the mini Chamonix style looking mountain walls. In this point you can start searching for the most mellow way to gain more altitude.

Move towards the big walls at the end of the valley. There is a small lake, so make sure the ice is strong enough. Otherwise just go on the ground next to big boulders. Once at the bottom you can use the moraine to go up towards the mouth of the couloir.

Change your gear to hiking mode at the mouth and continue to the top. Depending on snow you can choose two different starting points. A wider that goes to lookers left and has amazing views. The other option is to go to right for the narrow one which is a bit more demanding and you will be exposed under some cornices.

Descent
Start of the couloir is a bit narrow but opens up quickly. This is an easy line to navigate and enjoy turns all the way to the bottom of the bowl. It's fun! When you are done with the main descent wwitch to touring mode and use the skin track to get back to a point where you can start descending back to treeline. Once you are back at the hiking trail it's the best to just walk back to your car.

Remember

All the freeride adventures are weather and conditions depending. You must have lot of knowledge and skills to complete tasks that might be come on your way during the day in the mountains. Going out with people you trust is highly important but what matters even more is to always listen yourself when it comes to decision making time. A great day in the mountains is not about the goal achieved but rather decisions you have made.