Keb Lines 2020

 The winter of 2020 is going to be remembered as a much different winter in many ways.
The winter of 2020 also delivered a lot of snow in the north of Scandinavia. Around Riksgränsen we could see bigger amounts of snow than ever in modern times. Not those huge amounts around Kebnekasie, but still more than usually. Almost like in the "old days"

This area isn't very crowded to start with, and 2020 with the world wide virus going on, hitting each and every little ski resort. So of course this remote place got the share of it as well. Suddenly CONVID-19 was on each and everybody lips, the oddest thing with the staff and local tourists did have much effect of it, almost not even understanding what was going on really. And then that suddenly everyone started to cancel their visits, well as with a lot of other really surrealistic things, it just didn't feel for real.

We arrived in Nikkaloukta and headed up to Kebnekasie STF station with a weather forecast that could mean anything and everything. But, at least the snowpack felt stable, with cold weather predicted.

Cascade du Quarantaine 

Since I was a bit in to ice-mode we first headed for an ice-fall a bit lower down towards Nikkaloukta, some 10km more to the east.
A route that I scanned on the way up the week before, that looked like a nice un-climbed project, possible 2 pitches.

Anna on the first pitch of Cascade du Quarantine, WI5+

Arriving at the base it looked even steeper than on distans, with an interesting roof to pass some 10-15m up and then straight up for a vertical section that turned out to be good solid climbing as well.
Finally we even got a third pitch of 45m up some shorter sections of 90° ice. In total 3 pitches of up to WI5+ on great stalactites and solid ice moments
Cascade du Quarantine 
3 pitches
WI5+
Location; Between the great ice line "Coeur du Giant" and "Couloir du Elan"
Descent, same line on abalakovs

Cascade du Quarantine

After two days of stormy weather it finally cleared up and we could head out for our planned tour over to the area of Nallo and Vistas.
This area is more to the north of Kebnekaise and even more remote, like really remote. The access on skis normally takes two days or one big day. Depending on the size of your back pack.
But the effort is worth all the sweat! This area has a huge numbers of great lines, un-skied lines!!

The great view overlooking Toulpagorni / Kebnekaise

The obligatoire Reindeer stop in Nikkaloukta

Our warm up tour to Tjäkktjatjåkka is quickly turned into a little more and bigger tour to the neighbor of Tjäkktjabakte and its spectacular looking east face.
A quick detour to pick up some more alpine stuff like crampons, ice-axes, harnesses and a short rappel rope and with the great blue skies we was on our first, and very much improvised mission!
Our 3hour schedule to the summit turned out to be very correct and at 15:30 I hiked the last bit towards the summit corniche. which I respectfully stayed away from as much as I could, just taking a short shortcut towards what looked like a safe place to get an idea of the ridge going down to the run.
Suddenly I see a crack line that is detaching the corniche and at the same moment as a jump left the whole thing just disappears down the face, still with me happily on the just departed top, #&%?!, sigh....

With an other of these cat lives just disappearing we at least had gotten a good test of the snowslopes below us, everything that stil is on place should be more than solid to ski, sort of!
After a short debriefing I start down the first section of mid-steep terrain where Anna joins me before a short exposed traverse to the next section of a steeper couloir. And then into a bigger area of more open and less exposed skiing down to the valley, a good descent of almost 750 vertical meters.
Don't fall!!

Tjäkktjabakti östvägg

Steep on Tjäkktja Bakti

Some great turns finishing on Tjäkktja Bakti Östvägg

Tjäkktjabakti Östvägg
5:1/S5/E:3/ 54° - 750m
Crampons, Iceaxe, sometimes maybe a short rope to make some 10-15m rappel is necessary

The local `Fjällväder´ in Kebnekaise

Sielmma Batni Couloir

This as a couloir that I have been looking on for quite a few years, just a brilliant line which is cut deep in the mountain dividing the small looking tooth from "Flint nålarna"

the LINE!

Easy to access via the route towards Sielmma tjåkka, but then heading up towards the corniche of Flintnålarna. A bit of tricky skiing down to the saddle and then...just a beautiful line with not even a death potential!

Overlooking the couloir

Sielmma Batni couloir
5:3/S7/E:2/ 63° - 400m
Crampons, Iceaxe, harness, 40m rope

Great times on Sielmma Batni couloir

Classic jump and turn!

Evening planing

Couloir du Silence - summit 1762 (or 1750 on old maps)

This is an other obvious line from an unnamed mountain above to the north of the Nallo hut.
It holds a couple of lines down its south looking face.

Anna, finally, on the summit ridge of "1762"

the access is best made over the small lake below 1880 and then up the north face. We put on our crampons quite low and booted up, the last bit was a fight with the suger snow covering the rocks, but after a couple of tries we finally made it. Must more difficult than it looks!
Once on the ridge its a safe last approach and then a cool line which never goes steeper than 45°

Couloir du Silence

Couloir du Silence
PD 4:1/S4/E1 45° - 800m
Crampons, iceaxe

Couloir skiing!

Keb Lines 2020

Couloir HanZo

Unfortunately everything has an end, so as this one. After some great remote days we needed to head back towards Tarfala and Kebnekaise again, cause of the food issue...!
On the way we picked a route that would give us a few longer and slightly steeper descents, before ending up in the valley of Tarfala. Since the weather had been more than perfect the last days we expected and got a hard northern wind with really cold air. But, luckily mostly in our backs.
Once back in the Tarfala terrain we scanned an other line to bring with us. This time from the east side of Norra Klippberget, just above the Tarfala refuge.

HanZo Couloir

A short skinning up Isfallsglaciären and then a section on crampons and some easy, very easy, scrambling ups to the east summit and the ridge of the peak. Payback, a beautiful couloir down the north looking face to the 1150m lake. No obstacles, just pure semi-steep skiing. A line to finish the Keb Line season with!!

HanZo Couloir
F 4:1/S4/E1 45° - 500m
Crampons, iceaxe

Fun meter ON!

HanZo Couloir

//Keb lines 2020

Keb Lines 2019

An other winter has about to passed in the Alps. But for the Arctics it is just halfway. In the Swedish Lapland there is still a huge amount of snow. Even though the beginning of the winter was everything then great, snowing wise.

As all over the globe the weather was way to warm and often the precipitation carried rain instead, of more normal, snow.

That combined with heavy winds mostly destroyed the snow pack, making it hard and avalanche prone.

But, things got lucky and just in time for our planned trip up north the weather pattern changed and we got a perfect spell of stable and good conditions for a couple of weeks. Time and snow set to do a couple of new ”Keb Lines”

Skiing with the beautiful Toulpagorni in the background

Our fist mission was to secure and put up an interesting, and new versions, of the yearly Keb Classic. A 2 day ski d´alpinism ski race that runs every year. Nicely arranged with STF Kebnekasie.

Since the beginning of the week still was a bit unstable and snowy, we had a good use of the extra day that was planned to prepare the race.

On arrival we could even get up to the Mountain hut, due to the forced winds!

Djärv Rännan

Djärv Rännan

After 2 days of preparing the course I took the first opportunity to try one of the new lines I had scanned from the year before.

A +600 meter line in the center of Skartaåive, opposite the STF lodge. 

It’s easy accessed just crossing the valley and the cause of the exposed terrain I decided to boot up the whole line., which ended with a bit of climbing at the very top of the couloir, before it flattens out up to the summit. 

On return, it meant some interesting down climbing, skis on, maybe not the best for the skis but if you use tender steeps, it mostly looks worse then it is. And, many ways it safer with less risk of loosing the skis. 

And, it saves a bunch of time. 

After the first exposed passages the ride down was in perfect grippy snow with some 10-20 cm pow all way down. 

Upper part of Djärv Rännan

Kebnepakte North West Hidden Couloir

Next day was again windy and fierce. But we desperately wanted to try out a new possible section for the upcoming race. So with a bit of luck we hoped for a clearing round midday and headed out despite the bad visibility and flat light. We could use  snowmobile to the upper part of the glaciers. But driving a snowmobile in flat light isn’t a great experience even if you know the terrain well. 

The national météo provider, SMHI, kept their promises and just as in the brochure the clouds started to break up and provided us with a blue sky at 12:00, just as they had predicted. 

So on our skis and skinning up to the col at Halspasset. Then a short scramble up the pre-fixed ropes up to Kebnepakte. With the goal to traverse the mountain and ski down towards Koupervagge, following the hidden Couloir some 300meters from the summit. A great little adventure with a bit of scrambling. 

Starting the descent the wind had blown the top part of snow away, but after just a few turns we got a stunning payback with some super cool powder snow over almost 700 vertical meter. 

The retour, up via Svarta Sjon and Kepnepakte Glacier

Skiing down to Koupervaggi via the Hidden Couloir

Overlooking Bjorlings Glacier from the start of Sapmi Wall

Sapmi Wall

Exposed terrain on Sapmi Wall

From the col between the peaks of Kebnekaise there are a few possible lines. One heading northwest, which I think is still un-skied, and two exposed lines going down the steep East face. This year the conditions looked perfect for the most eye catching line going direct down throw a narrow passage, which turned out to contain a bit of ice with a thin snow layer. 

And then, via a steep section above a big rock face above a vertical drop, the exit could be done via a narrow ledge/couloir down to the glacier. Unfortunately the snow pack had become a little to warm during the day, so it felt a little scary to ski full on. So I had to take a huge caution and go as light as possible on the middle section. 

But, it was a great shortcut to catch up with the participants on the first day on the race. Which after passing me on Kebnekasie I could again be ahead of them down at Bjorlings :-) 

The High 3 col Route Tarfala to Nallo

High Jo-Jo Route

After scanning the map and from former experiences doing the trip on skis between Tarfala and Nallo, I had thought of a possible route linking a bit more interesting route up when going on skis between these huts. Instead of the “normal” Jo-jo leden. 

Starting direct up from Tarfala going over Syd Ostra Kaskasetjakka glacier, down to Kaskasevaggi. And then instead of the normal route down to the Abri at Unna Raitas we skined up higher to get the col at Knivkammen and a nice not so steep couloir down more north west to Västra Kniv glacier. Then crossing the lake (1211) and up  to ski the to start with steep line going down to the niche glacier of Raitachokka glacier from point 1934  at Reaiddachokka. That gives a long nice run of almost 900vertical meters ending some 500meters below the Nallo hut. 

A great skiing day just a bit longer then the normal variation. But a lot more skiing. 

The High Jo-Jo Route

Boost Rampen

On the way up to Kaskasetjakka via the Syd Ostra Kaskasetjakka glacier, there is an obvious ramp of snow that ends with a vertical drop, down to the glacier. Some years higher then others, just depending on the amount of snow. This year it looked like it was in perfect mode, with some 30-40m rappel. Every year I arrange a Steep Skiing Week Kebnekaise, where I also try to include a new line for us to ski. This year a had the perfect client for this one and the optimal snowpack

Before dropping in to Boost Rampen

The route starts with a high traverse in under the cornices and then takes a 40 degree face line following the rock side on exposed no-fall terrain. Then you end up on an “Island” and a safe spot before the next section down to the rappel. I had seen that there was more ice then normal, but what is normal these days?, so I had high hopes to make an easy rappel belay from an abalakov. 

Great views from the summit of Toulpagorni

Down climbing a couple of meters to play it safe I could easily arrange the rappel, 35m down and to the rest of the skiing to the bottom of the S E Kaskasetjakka. Creating Boost Ramp, an other new Keb line. 

Since time is never enough, the other things seen has to wait until 2020 and an other Steep Keb Week

//

The rope that joins together two livings as one and if linked to a stranger will soon becoming a friend