STOCKHOLM SEMESTER

 After an endless winter of powder skiing a trip to sunny Sweden was just what the doctor ordered.
The last few weeks I've spent in Stockholm visiting my girlfriend, eating well and getting in some base endurance training. A vast system of bike paths leading to quiet country roads connected by ferries and bridges makes for great road riding. It's been nice to shift into the big chainring, breathe some O2 rich air and hammer out some flat km's. I've also been climbing at a climbing gym with great bouldering and a couple of auto belay setups which are great for prolonged endurance sessions.

Gustavsberg

Vaxholm

Bastugatan

Soder

Mariatorget

urban bouldering

Munchenbryggiet

 Now it's back to the Alps for a busy summer of climbing, guiding and training for some upcoming  exams.

FIN DE LA SAISON

  All good things must come to an end, so we say goodbye to another epic ski season. Once again Chamonix delivered, with April producing meters of fresh powder along with brief sunny spells. Allowing for some of the best lift served skiing in recent memory.

 May started out with a week of warm foehn wind escalating into a "tempete" that ravaged the valley. When the storm subsided it looked as if an angry army of giants had marched across the land, uprooting mature swaths of forest and wreaking havoc on man's fragile dwellings. With rising temperatures and a pattern of afternoon rain showers setting in, hopes were high for the fabled steeps of the massif to come into condition. During the closing weekend of the Grands Montets I was able to sneak in a few mystic runs with  longtime partner in crime Nathan Wallace. Here is a glimpse.

Into the heart of the French Alpes

Manigod

Max Taam heading up the Col des Aravis

Miles Smart on the Col de la Croix Fry

Liz and Mark pulling into the village

With spring in full bloom and the Mt. Blanc Massif rapidly transitioning from winter to summer it's time to get the roadbike out. Just a mere 20 km from the soaring confines of the Chamonix valley lies the beautiful area of the Aravis. We headed out to explore some of the classic cols that wind there way through heartland of the French Alps.