What a start of the new year! After celebrating Christmas with the family it was time to visit Pelle, Ayse and the K3 at the Skiers Lodge in La Grave. It has been a while since I last went there but this year La Grave has a great base, the forecast was good and I needed to get some steep skiing in anyway so the 8 hours car drive seemed to be worthwhile.

Greated by “Orginial Rockers” posters everywhere in town it was nice to see that besides rockered skis La Grave is still the same. Nice and friendly people, great terrain and a laid back atmosphere one can´t find anywhere else.

After skiing the classic couloirs we celebrated new year´s under a well-illuminated La Meije, took a day tour to St. Christoph down the backside on the first day of the new year and welcomed 2011 with a bottle of champagne. No complains so far!

So if you ever go to La Grave and want to ski some steep couloirs make sure to stay at the Skiers Lodge, www.skilagrave.com, as not only the skiing is great but also the deserts…

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La Grave: A Skier’s Journey Ep2 from Jordan Manley Photography on Vimeo.

Jordan Manley
The second in a series of 3 ski-travel episodes (Ep1: Kashmir – A Skier’s Journey / Ep3: Freshfield Icefield – A Skier’s Journey), skiers Chad Sayers and Tobin Seagel continue their worldly winter journey arriving in La Grave, France – home to the Téléphérique La Grave-La Meije, a quirky yet stalwart cable car that transports skiers to 3200m, high in the Southern French Alps.

Here, the terrain is wild, unmarked, and unpatrolled – a stripped down, raw version of big mountain skiing. With 2km of vertical drop, a simple ski run journeys through a labyrinth of glaciers, couloirs, and forest glades. Local freerider Bruno Florit, and UIAGM mountain guide Joe Vallone share how unique and special La Grave is, but also reveal the respect a skier must have for the mountain when in search of such deep rewards.

Production – Jordan Manley
Skiers – Chad Sayers, Chad Manley, Tobin Seagel, and Jordan Manley (POV)
Narration – Chad Sayers, Bruno Florit, and Joe Vallone
Animation – Chad Manley
Music – “Comme des enfants (Le Matos Remix)” and
“Fondu au noir” by Cœur de pirate
“Moth” by Brian Borcherdt
Audio post-production – Marlowe Northcott
Special thanks to Michel Morere, Téléphérique La Grave-La Meije

Kashmir: A Skier’s Journey Ep1 vimeo.com/13085385

Trailer for Legend Of Aahhh’s

From www.freeride.seGlen PlakeFoto: Ola Melin 

K2 Backside Ski Pole with Mike Hattrup

Fredrik Ericsson

www.fredrikericsson.com

Fredrik ”Frippe” Ericsson

Fredrik Ericsson är uppväxt i Umeå men spenderar sedan 2000 större delen av året i Chamonix i franska alperna. Under vintrarna jobbar han tillsammans med olika fotografer på skidorter i alperna och exotiska bergskedjor runtom i världen. När Fredrik inte åker skidor är det klättring som gäller och han spenderar sommaren klättrandes i Mont Blanc-massivet.Här nedan följer ett litet axplock ut Fredriks skidåkar-CV:” 2003 – Peak Somoni (7 495 m), Tadzjikistan. ” 2004 – Centrala toppen på Shisha Pangma (8 012 m), Tibet. ” 2005 – Gasherbrum 2 (8 035 m), Pakistan. ” 2005 – Laila Peak (6 069 m), Pakistan, åkte skidor från 5 940 m.” 2007 – Dhaulagiri (8 167 m), Nepal, åkte skidor från 8 000 till 4 700 meter.

K2 Update

Early this morning I was woken by a call from Trey´s girlfriend. ´Frippe was killed…´
The bottom of my world fell out. Facts and information are impossibly inaccurate at this altitude so I got started making my way through the grim channels to find out where the truth was. With the help of Field Touring Alpine and my friend and guide Fabrizio Zangrilli I was able to get most of the story straight.
Fabrizio in 2005 k2

Some of what he reported was first hand knowledge while at camp 4 and part was from his conversation with Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner who was with Fredrik when he fell. At about 1:30 AM Trey, Gerlinde and Fredrik left camp 4 at about 8000m to move to the summit. The weather was less than the good forecast but it was also supposed to improve during the upcoming day. Fabrizio and a few other climbers elected to remain in camp 4 to see what happened with the weather. Several hours later, as the three climbers reached the base of the bottle neck, Trey decided to return to camp 4. He arrived back at about 5:30 AM in low visibility and high winds. According to the conversation Fabrizio had with Gerlinde, Fredrik was fixing rope to the rock in the bottle neck above her when he lost purchase and was unable to arrest his fall.

This happened some time between 7 and 8 AM. Later it was determined he fell about 1000m and did not survive. Weather was said to become more challenging as time passed and Gerlinde´s safe return to camp 4 was aided by climbers that had stayed at camp 4. By evening of that same day the remaining climbers made their way back to camp 3 at 7000m. All the tents left at 3 were ´thoroughly ruined´ by rock fall and ruck sacks were needed as shields from the constant rain of rocks. Gerlinde reportedly continued down to camp 2 at about 6400m. All will make their way to base camp tomorrow with the hopes the colder night temperatures will reduce rock fall. They will be safe when they are at basecamp.

It is almost impossible to get the facts straight in these situations as each version is a blend of facts and perspective. It is also difficult to understand the situation without being there. I give my most sincere condolences to Frippe´s parents, family and friends. I have no words to express my sorrow. This information in an effort to help you understand the details – though they can only tell part of the story. Everyone I have had contact with, both on K2 and off, said he was liked by everyone at base camp, that he brought a positive atmosphere everywhere he went. You will be missed, Fredrik by all of us fortunate enough to have known you. I will remember you with the memory of beautiful Chogolisa in the background.

Chogolisa (mountain) is right across the glacier from the Cesan route Frippe´s body is resting at about 7000m. It seems like retrieval would be exceptionally dangerous. Additional information can be seen on Gerlinde´s site www.gerlinde-kaltenbrunner.at.
David Schipper
Outdoor Labs

In a dramatic and deadly day on K2 it appears that Swedish climber and skier Fredrik Ericsson is dead. He plunged far down K2 when attempting to climb  for the summit with Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner. There is a report that he plunged 1000m down the side of the mountain but none of this confirmed yet. It will need Kaltenbrunner to to tell the details of the fatal climbing accident to see what has happened.

The last reported sightings of them were around the bottleneck. No one else has been that far this year. So climbing conditions are totally unknown at that height. These reports are fresh and are from translated German newspapers but all of it appears to be correct.
Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner turned around as soon as Ericsson had the accident. She is now heading back to camp 4 and one would expect that she would continue down the mountain when she is able to. Fortunately, Kaltenbrunner is unharmed.

The weather was far worse when they went out and tackled the bottleneck. They were the only ones to attempt to climb K2 this morning. Fredrik Ericsson wanted to be the first person to ski down K2. His courage and ambition were fantastic. If indeed this has happened then it is a sad day for those that have been following him. Last year his climbing partner Michele Fait died while skiing on K2.
www.k2bottleneck.wordpress.com

Open MIC at K2 PUB started a Monday night 2009 when some local ski bums and Skiers Lodge staff got together at K2 pub. At the time  Steve and Libby who worked with us had brought their instruments from Uk to La Grave. Turned out that Steve was awesome on his guitar and Libby playing both base and trumpet  in between running up to the kitchen finishing off washing the dishes. Joe the drummer Vallone had found an old suitcase used as adrum. Duncan our lodge manager from Argentina played guitar together with Linus the ski bum. This winter 2010 Linus, Duncan and Joe came up with the idea of organizing open mic again this winter but since there was no instruments since Steve and B was not working with us any more. We decided to buy some  guitars, a base, a drum set and PH system and anyone was more than welcome to come up and play.
The rest is history with lots of fun nights!