If there’s one thing you know you can never predict on the west coast of Norway, it’s the weather. As the sales team of Norrøna were wrapping up a meeting in Romsdalen, a couple of other guys from the office decided to meet up with them for a long weekend of skiing, hiking, biking or whatever the conditions would allow.

Before we left, the weather forecast did not look very promising. As we arrived Wednesday evening, the day with the brightest prospects, we decided to go for a late night skinning-trip aiming for some nice skiing before the clouds got too heavy. We realized as we started our hike that not only did we not get any rain, but the weather would actually exceed all our expectations. The clouds slipped away and the evening light with the sun setting made all the mountains around us glow in hues of pink, red and yellow. That was our first meeting with Romsdalen.

The following days we all stayed in a cabin together not far from Åndalsnes, surrounded by mountains, high and easily accessible mountains. With the weather gods smiling at us, unpredictable as always, we actually could just have a look around and choose our favorite mountains to ski. Smørbotntind (1188 moh), Nonstind (1573 moh) and Blånebba (1421 moh) were some of the mountains we got to experience with heavy hiking up, and slushy skiing down. With long days and good weather, the only problem is that you have too many options. You want to bike, you want to hike, you want to ski, you want to climb! “Luckily” we ended up with one grey day, so that we could all agree on some indoor climbing, and checking out the “Molde-pool” for some regeneration of our exhausted bodies.

Spring skiing in Romsdalen was definitely worth the risk of the unstable weather reports. Check out more pics from the trip here:

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It was late and fudging foggy. We caught the last lift, and, as is normal for Chamonix, there would be a few other crazy bastards, friends with special minds, going for the same idea. Skinning across the glacier in a whiteout it was easy to imagine hanging ice, the big white faces, and steep couloir, invisible, but towering above us. The Back 9 are some of the most condense NE facing lines on the planet, and only a short slide away from the Refuge d’ Argentiere.

10 friends going for different runs, old friends really, strange to already know some of them for 15 yrs. So many memories flooded back while relaxing with the brothers. Sipping a glass of wine on the porch, staring out into the white, I realized how lucky we were to still be alive, sharing in the power of this place.

After trying to sleep, dreaming fitfully, of what could be, I was happy to be awake and put my boots on. We started off at dawn feeling fortunate that there were stars and the outline of the peaks in the wakening sky.

As the sun crested the Aiguilles to the east, our objective was clear, “Qui Remus.” First skied by our master, the late, great, Remy Lecluse. I remembered fondly, asking him about the line years ago. Remy was the reason I believed and first skied it.

Crossing the rimee/bergshrund it was hard to tell if it was gonna be good. The breakable crust and a lot of sluff coming down made it easy to want to turn around.

Ced was feeling shitty and Mark just got off the plane so they made the call and turned around. I had a feeling it was gonna be good, so with the brothers watching from the glacier, I had extra power to make it to the top.

Sunny, clear and above it all, I clipped into an old sling and drank deeply of the energy.
The Chocard came, two of them, soaring the Col and saying hello. The best of signs. It was easy to feel good, give thanks, and step into my skis.

It’s like I just woke up, wild to feel alive again. Clear and confident, I made big turns above the ice, flying in a dream, down to my friends who were waiting to embrace me on the glacier below.

It’s just one descent, but hey, that one smooth run can change your life.

Thanks, Cedric, Nate, Damien, Mark and Remy Lecluse.

Text by Michael “Bird” Shaffer
Photos by Bird & Cedric Bernardini

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For once my travel update will not be about food. I realize I’ve previously gone on and on about Serrano, fine wine and smelly cheese. This time I’ve, with a few exceptions, no culinary experiences to share, however I will share a whole lot else.

The pictures speak for themselves. England was amazing. Incredibly sweet, funny people, combined with cool rocks, powerful sea cliffs and English countryside.

Previously I’ve always associated climbing in England with the words unsecured and scary. After having actually been there I can say; yes, there are plenty of scary routes. But, there is also cool, well secured climbing. (With that said I have to admit that I was impressed daily by the English way of climbing where top ropes don’t exist and people are very brave.)

The pictures are from Stanage, Gogarth and my new love; Pembroke. Both for the landscape, the peaceful countryside in sharp contrast to the cliffs overlooking the Atlantic and for the climbing, that offered awesome, long, one length routes straight up from the ocean waves.

P.S I wish I could profess that I dug the English ale, but in all truth I found it to be flat and warm.

Photos and text from Norrøna ambassador Hilde Bjørgaas.

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The boat was floating softly in the fjord locked into the thin sparkling ice in the middle of nowhere. A morning of blissful silence. Nothing stirred. Nothing sounded. Only the wind whispered across the deck. We arrived at our first destination the island Arnøya. 850m laid before us, ready to be conquered.

Ready for adventure, a new three member crew from Norrøna S.W.A.T team united with the Free Rider Crew and their lovely friends from Germany, Austria and Portugal.

The heaven-touching peak of the mountain was drenched in brilliant light. The colorful Norrøna clothes moved upwards like a rainbow in the sky. Only the sound of our skis and split boards crunched through the powdered snow. And the view brought tears of joy to our eyes.

After our first victory what could be more joyful and relaxing than a dip in the hot tub! We all tried to squeeze in, taking shifts submerged in hot water, surrounded by a panorama of heaven, blue skies, the glittering fjord and waves of white mountains around us. We were all happy faces, full of laughter, kicking back a few beers to relieve the little aches in our muscles.

The seashell-white mountain of Kågtind jutted into the sky. Spikes of thin sunlight impaled the snow in a sparkling ocean. The beauty of the mountain in front of us and the fjords around us would be true companions in our journey to the top.

We all managed to reach the top plateau. Even though the insidious fog ensnared the crown of the mountain and covered us all in mist. But the sunlight found its way back to reveal a view that was breathe taking and far exceeded our expectations. The blue sky above us and on either side, enormous mountains loomed, enfolding their glory. The veiw of the fjord, mind blowing, reflecting the sun beams back into our hearts.

Each time we looked behind us or up, the view was even more magnificent. The sun shimmering through the clouds. The mountains rising around in secret and you feel you are in the middle of a fairytale!

A short visit to a very cozy village called Havness brought a hint of nostalgia back in our mind. Wandering in between the little enchanted houses and trails gave us an idea how populous and hectic this place once had been. You could still feel the atmosphere of former times, once the largest trade station around Lygnen, and the smell of stockfish that hung impressively along the water.

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More awesome snapshots:

Text by Marta Balcerzak
Photos by Franca Chiesa

Luckily there is an Alaska in Norway as well. Called Lyngen. A little less PBR but other than that a lot alike. Form the 6th of April to the 20th we set up camp on the Koppang glacier just south of the Strup glacier. Our hope was to ski the surrounding mountains.

Or to be more accurate, we hung out in Koppang for three days riding in the woods because the post Easter snow was raging like a kid who just hit the terrible two’s. By the time we got up to camp, half the crew was down sick for two days stuck in the tent, instagramming while a snowstorm passed outside. Funny thing. The only real difference from being on the middle of a glacier and in the city, is going to the toilet is always a tad bit drafty. The tweets follow you no matter what. All the same, Lars’s solar powered travel speakers (they work despite overcast weather?!) spewed out disco and we enjoyed ourselves.

And at last. All’s well that ends well. The sun came out, the snow stabilized and the boys got to ride some steep powder. A girl showed up too. Minna Riihimaki joined us from Chamonix along with Bruno Compagnet and Giuliano Bordoni.

Catch the full movie after the summer. In the meantime, enjoy the pics with Lars Andreas Nilssen, Andreas Strømseth, Vegard Rye, Eirik Verlo, Steinar Aarberg, William Hansen, Bruno Compagnet, Minna Riihimaki and Giuliano Bordoni.

Written and shot by Nikolai Schirmer.

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Rodellar is a place I have spent a lot of time in over the years. Usually it offers cooler temperatures than other climbing crags in the area, due to the altitude. The sector Piscineta is one of the newest sectors in Rodellar, yet in my opinion the best one. I had been there only once before. Back then I took the one hour long trail over the mountain, this time we wanted to try going up the river with a little inflatable boat we bought at a supermarket.

I didn’t know when the sun would hit Piscineta, but I knew it was a morning crag, the sun would hit sometime during the day, so time was of the essence. We got up relatively early for what we thought would be a 1,5 hour drive from Santa Linya, but roughly 5 kilometers before Rodellar we had to wait an hour due to roadwork on the narrow mountain road. Not a good start. Getting up the river proved to be a cold affair. After 10 minutes on a trail alongside the river, it suddenly stopped. There were 20-meter cliffs on both sides of the river and we could not see the end of it. The little rubber boat could only hold one person and our bags, and the rest of us would have to swim, for how long we did not know. As I was the one to suggest Piscineta, I felt it was my responsibility to swim first. It proved to be only 200 hundred meters, but felt like ages. I had to grab on to some holds I could find on the way just to catch my breath and get my body above water for a few seconds. The fact that we swam against the stream made it even worse.

Photo by Henning Wang

After getting to the other side, I could only wait for the boat to come with my warm clothes, hoping that this was it, and that there would be no more swimming. Luckily there wasn’t, but on several occasions we had to walk up the river with water above our waists. When we finally reached the 55 meter long cliff of Piscineta two hours later I was both freezing and sunburned at the same time. We sat around for almost an hour to dry our clothes and gain energy to climb. Surprisingly enough my body actually felt pretty energized and awake after the cold swim. I started warming up by onsighting the first pitch of Black Pearl 8a+. Things felt good, despite the epic journey we had getting there.

As usual I went there without any plan but as I was feeling strong and psyched I wanted to give something really hard a good insight burn. My eye was set on Cosi fan tutti. In my opinion the best line on the wall; 55 meters of overhanging climbing.

Photo by Henning Wang

The first part of it is 8a+, which I managed to climb without any difficulties. I got through a wet part of it without hesitation. The first part was followed by some easy climbing before I got up to what I thought was the physical crux; a section of some small, but positive holds. Again I didn’t hesitate. I got through the part, by looking at it, choosing a sequence and sticking to it. I started getting pretty pumped, but got it back on some jugs higher up. I was now on the very top of the route, all that remained was getting around the lip and a few meters of slab. I stalled as I couldn’t see any obvious holds. From a good undercut, where I could rest, I grabbed a two-finger pocket and reached as high as I could in hopes on finding something to pull on. Many times I retreated to the undercut. The sun was shining directly on the slab and in my eyes, making it even harder to see where I was supposed to go. After repeating the process of searching for holds and resting I knew I had to do something before getting too tired to have any chance. So I grabbed the pocket, reached as far as I could. I only got two fingers on a sloppy edge, and thought I was going to fall. I then bumped to get my remaining fingers on the hold, before I jumped to a decent looking hold. My feet cut, and I desperately got them above the lip. I grabbed some sloppy crimpers without any chalk. Then reached out to the top hold, thinking I could fall at any moment. Not until I had clipped the chain I was safe.

Photo by Henning Wang

It was a very satisfying feeling to for once win a desperate on-sight battle expecially since only 4 other climbers have ever on-sighted an 8c+ route before (Patxi Usobiaga, Adam Ondra, Alexander Megos (9a) and Ramon Julian Puigblanque). I feel like I’m in the shape of my life after investing so much time in Neanderthal. Unfortunately it didn’t go this season, but at least I got to put the shape in good use.

Photo by Chris Holter

Text by Magnus Midtbø

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Magnus Midtbø and Chris Sharma, discussing the crux on Neanderthal.

Magnus Midtbø started on the project of sending Neanderthal last year. Magnus, professional climber and Norrøna ambassador, is competing in competitions as well as doing his own projects. This year he is back in the cave for a second try on the route.

At this time of the year all the tourists are replaced by climbers. Climbers from various places in the world are drawn to this scene, and to this climate. The sun is just starting to warm up the area, but the air is still fresh and gives good friction between skin and rock. As long as it doesn’t rain, this is the time for great achievements in the wall.

Coffee time. As you can see, the tourist season hasn’t really started yet. You don’t have to fight to get the good spot.

With lack of hotels in Santa Linya, “Casa Wang” turned out to be the place to stay for people in the climbing environment, a place that gathers just as many dust bunnies as climbers. Rather sparsely furnished with only a couple of mattresses in each room, show that this is a place where people have focus on one thing; climbing. The day starts with coffee at around 9 am, and an hour later Magnus is in place down in the cave. The amount of energy that is required to climb this route makes it impossible to do more than one or two tries before it’s time for lunch and more coffee. The next climbing session starts at around 5 pm, after the sun has passed. That’s basically how the days go. A lot of repetitions. A lot of patience.

Out on the daily search for wifi, while waiting for the sun to pass the wall.

To be able to send this route there are several factors that come into play. The weather conditions needs to be on its best; no rain, not too sunny, the right temperature. The physical strength needs to be on top level, something that is hard to maintain when you climb at the top of your limit and don’t get to climb as many meters as you usually would on an easier level. The skin needs to stay intact, and last but not least there is the psyche, the belief that you can perform better than you ever have before. This ascent requires the utmost perfection on all levels.

On the route; The Neanderthal.

Magnus is definitely in shape, he makes one of the hardest routes in the world look like a playground, as he rapidly moves upwards. He still needs to work on the dynamic move on the crux, the hardest part of the route, before he reaches the very top, but he is psyched and motivated. This time he is ready to wait out the rain with his one-way ticket to Spain.

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Norrøna’s partner in Japan; Fullmarks, have been working with many other Scandinavian throughout the years, and is the perfect partner for Norrøna to ensure a successful release of the brand in Japan. You can view the Japanese site here.

The official release was held on Friday the 22nd of March at the Common Gallery in Tokyo with approximately 200 guests attending, and turned out to be a great party. We are happy to say; Welcome to Japan!

Video from the release party:

NORRØNA from shinya kobayashi on Vimeo.

Pictures from the release party:

What do you get when you put 50 Norrøna employees on one plane, in one hotel and in one ski resort? You pretty much get a color overdose. The rest of the plane had to deal with our loud anticipations and over excitement. We filled up the pool, the sauna, and the dining area in the hotel, and we took over the mountains, piste and off-piste. Norrøna is out of the office and everybody was more than ready to practice what we preach.

For this year’s company trip, Disentis in Switzerland was our final destination. The skiing resort itself is not that big, but the possibilities for top touring and freeriding are many. As the forecast had predicted snowless cloudy days, it was with even greater pleasure we experienced some great snow with the sun shining from a blue sky. With that many active people gathered in one place, we pretty much covered the whole range within winter sports; skiing, skinning, snowboarding, splitboarding, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. Together with our friends from the guiding team Bergfühlung we ascended the highest peak in the area; Oberalpstock (3328 m), and conquered the only after-ski in town; Nangjiala, twice. In other words, we were both high and low in Disentis this weekend.

No need to go into all of the details of the happenings this weekend but let’s just say that sometimes we have to wonder why insurance companies don’t raise the cost for people working in the sports industry; one broken shoulder, a twisted knee, and a bruised tailbone are just some of the souvenirs we brought back home. Despite these small injuries, the mood was on top. Champagne and strawberries for the snowshoe group, panorama mountain view and German style sauna for the spa group, and sunny conditions for both skiing, snowboarding and after skiing.

Disentis, CH from Village I Productions on Vimeo.

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