Finse 2013

Some pictures form our annual kiting week in Finse, Norway 02-09/03/2013:

Panoramic view. Click to enlarge.

Mika with a Beringer Skisail 8 m2. Skisails don't have lines. The bar is mounted

directly to the bridles that define the canopy.

Carving on Finsevatnet lake in great conditions! There are  three groups of

bridles: leading edge (yellow),  center  (red) and trailing edge (black). 

The bar acts directly on the angle of attack of the skisail.

A great day for skisailing.

The direction is controlled by twisting the bar with respect to the canopy. 

Now, where is that loose line going?

One of the great things about the skisails is that they are quick and easy to

set up, land, secure and take down, making them very comfortable and safe

 to handle, even in strong conditions. 

Mika with the all new Flysurfer Speed 4 10m2.

Thierry on Ozone.

Mika enjoying the new Speed 4 10 m2 on the slopes.

The Speed 3 19 m2 is huge!

Thierry on Ozone.

Mika making his way up the slopes of Hardangerjokulen.

Ronny and Mika on the summit of Hardangerjokulen.

Take-off of the mighty Flysurfer Speed 3 19 m2. This kite kite fetures textile

(tube) valves (appearing as black rectangles in the chambers to keep the

canopy stable once the chambers are inflated. This is great in particular when 

restarting the kite in weak conditions.

Speed 3 19 m2 on the slopes of Hardangerjokulen.

More Speed 3 19 m2.

Riders perspective of this exceptional kite.

Eastward view form Hardangerjokulen.

Hidden Couloir - Couloir Caché

Aiguille du Midi.

Ambiance matinale, Massif du Mont Blanc.

En route vers le Couloir Caché.

Dent du Géant.

Entrée du Couloir Caché.

L'entrée du couloir est défendue par un rappel en traversée.  Cette première
pente doit pouvoir se skier - mais pas pour nous. Pas droit a l'erreur. Elle se
termine dans le vide. Le entrée Couloir Caché se trouve sur ma gauche.

Versant italien du Mont Blanc.

Le rappel est tiré, le retour coupé. Premier virage dans le couloir. Il a été
skie la veille par une autre cordée.

La brume monte, amplifie l'impresion fuyante et

nous isole dans un univers vertical sans issue.

Glacier de la Brenva. Fin de la traversée - encordée...

Retour a Chamonix par la Vallée Noire, moyennant une petite remontée en

benne a Courmayeur.

Lumiere du soir sur les Drus.

Finse 2012

There are many reasons to go to Finse. One of the reasons is the spectacular 

landscape,  an enormous playground, right at the doorstep of the appartment 

we had rented.

Another one is the necessary space and wind conditions to take our 

beloved Beringer Skisails for a spin.

Mika gets airborne.

Kiting paradise in the backyard.

At the foot of  Hardangerjokulen.

Tour du Neron

The 'Tour du Neron' has long attained the well deserved status of an all-time classic for cyclists around Grenoble.

My second try in geolocalized videos:

Why classic?

There is the fact that its a beautiful itinerary around one of the most emblematic mountains that dominate Grenoble: 'le Neron', also called 'le casque de Neron' which translates roughly to 'Neros hat'! The meaning of this lesser known nickname became obvious in 2003, when lightning struck and the mountain was on fire for weeks.

Le Neron: one of the most emblematic mountains dominating Grenoble.

Seen from the top of Chamechaude another all time classic - on skis.

There is the reasonable distance: 27 km in the mountains are just right. Enough to get really going, but short enough, not to be discouraging for a short spin after work.

There is the reasonable elevation gain. Barely more than 600 m. And the nice elevation profile: 400 m from Grenoble to 'Col de Clemencieres', and another 200 m from 'Pont de Quaix' to 'le Gua' after a short descent.

There are the small backroads with very little traffic once beyond Col de Clemencieres.

There are the nice little villages of Quaix and Proveysieux along the way across the Chartreuse Mountains.

And there is the cycle path along the Isere with the an almost guaranteed tailwind to push one back the last 8 kms of flat in the valley from St. Egreve to Grenoble. Just right to relax the muscles after the climbs.

Effortless coasting back to Grenoble from St Egreve on the cycling path

along the Isere river.

Grenoble Chambery by bike

One of my first experiments with geolocalized videos: a crossing of the chartreuse mountains by bike.

Finse 2011

One of those days... 

GPS track of one of those fine kiting days only Finse can offer.

GPS track of a solo day-trip in south easterly winds. 

The tour was in clockwise direction. Note the zig-zag 

pattern  from beating  up-wind. Start and end: Finsebu hut. 

Total distance: 73.8 km, total elevation gain 2312 m.

...only kiting in Finse can offer!

Some still frames captured from the Drift POV camera video:

Steep slope at the bottom of Blaisen. Big brother (Drift POV camera) is
watching me.

Kiting up Blaisen.

Jokulhytta on Hardangerjokulen.

Lonely world. My shadow and the trustworthy Ozone Manta 

M3 are my only travel companions for today.

Approaching the (military?) radio station at point 1560 m.

Back on the lakes.

Finse 2010

Very little wind forced us to hike up Hardangerjokulen nearly every day.

Niko at Jokulhytta. In the background, Hallingskarvet.

Once up there, we found some wind.

My new Ozone Manta M3 10 m2.

The new and the old side by side. Manta M3 10 m2 and Acces II 10 m2.

The new and the old side by side. Manta M3 10 m2 and Acces II 10 m2

Niko kiting.

Niko on the slopes of Hardangerjokulen.

Me on the slopes of Hardangerjokulen.

Niko...