Trip to Finnmark, May 2023

125 Years of the Grindelwald Mountain Guide Association

If the anniversary ice axe could talk: A tale from the Far North

In early May, Conny Brawand and Laura Bomio decide to take a trip to Norway. They spontaneously receive an invitation from friends in Austria to join a Sail & Ski trip in Finnmark, the northernmost region of Norway. The two from Grindelwald don't hesitate long and set off for the Far North. As the third person from Grindelwald, I get to accompany them on this journey, hooray!

Is life on a ship something for us from Grindelwald? I know I'm seaworthy. After all, my ancestors were taken on major expeditions in the 1950s, where the journey also involved traveling by ship.

So, we spend a week living in relatively close quarters on the sailboat 'Moondance', along with other ski enthusiasts from Austria, Liechtenstein, and South Tyrol. The captain and his skipper are from Holland, making us a five-nation boat.

The weather is very kind to us at first, and we find wonderful valleys and beautiful snow. It's often forecasted to be bad but turns out better, and we go on a tour every day in and around the fjords of Oksfjord, Tverrfjorden, Nuvsfjorden, Bergsfjord, and Langfjorden. From about 1000m, the area is still partially covered with glaciers.

A highlight is our tour through a couloir in Langsfjord, where we ascend about 700 meters. During the climb, I even get to help out briefly when there's some ice, improving the track. The atmosphere and the descent back to the water are magnificent!

The last day promises great weather again. We climb one of the highest peaks in the area, the 1147m high Svartfjellet. What a view!

Back to life at sea: the Grindelwald women have proven to be very seaworthy. Conny takes the helm of the motorboat and confidently steers the group ashore. Laura can't resist climbing the approximately 25m high mast of the Moondance. They also handle the local food well... but don't worry, fish still doesn't make it onto the Bäregg menu 😉

It brought me great joy and many wonderful moments to undertake the journey to the wild Finnmark. I look forward to more adventures with mountain guides and guests, hopefully on some beautiful peaks back home. 😊

People in yellow jackets and sunglasses on a sailboat, holding a sail tool.
Group of people with skis and backpacks ascending a snow-covered mountain.
Person with a backpack and ice pick hiking in the snow. Wearing winter clothes and a hat.
Two people in winter clothing with sunglasses and ice axes on a snow-covered mountain peak.
Person on skis with a helmet and backpack is skiing down a snowy mountain slope.
Person skiing down a snow-covered slope, with backpack and helmet, mountain landscape in the background.
Two people with life jackets on a boat in front of snow-covered mountains and a lake.
Snow-covered mountain landscape with a view of a lake, surrounded by rugged cliffs.
People with skis and helmets are climbing in the snowy mountain terrain.
Person skiing in a snow-covered mountain valley, wearing a helmet and ski equipment.
Person on skis with helmet and ski goggles is skiing through a snowy mountain landscape.
Person in outdoor clothing holding a large fish on a boat, with water and an inflatable boat in the background.
A person in a yellow jacket on a boat in front of snow-covered mountains and water.
Person in yellow jacket holding a plate of food, standing in front of a body of water.
Snow-covered mountain landscape with a river, surrounded by high mountains and cloudy sky at sunset.
Snow-covered landscape with a narrow river winding through the terrain.
People in red jackets are hiking with ski poles through a snowy mountain landscape at sunrise.
Snow-covered mountain peak under a clear sky, no people or equipment visible.
Snow-covered mountain landscape with rocks and ski tracks, surrounded by snow-covered slopes.
Two skis and poles lean against a snow-covered rock in a mountain landscape.
Red backpack with ice pick and skis on snow-covered mountain.
Two people in winter clothing on a snowy mountain peak, holding ice axes in the air.
Person in boat with life jacket and cap is steering motorboat on the lake, surrounded by snow-covered mountains.
Person in yellow jacket climbing on a sailboat mast, secured with a climbing harness, against a blue sky.
Mountain Guide Association Grindelwald Anniversary Ice Axe

125 Years of the Grindelwald Mountain Guides Association

An anniversary, a forged ice a...