Vasaloppet

Vasaloppet is a long distance cross-country skiing race that is held annually in Sweden. The race distance is 90 Km between the village of Sälen and Mora and is the oldest, the longest and the biggest cross-country ski race in the world. It is held in the first week of March each year. Legend has it that King Gustav Vasa was escaping the king of Denmark toward Norway. He first tried to convince the people in Mora to start a rebellion against the king and they refused. He continued toward Norway and was later caught in Sälen on skis. The people in Mora had changed their mind in the meantime and now wanted him to lead the rebels against the king. 

Having started my own adventure on a pair of cross-country skis this year, I got curious about Vasaloppet. On the day of the race, I woke up a couple of minutes prior to the race by chance and got to see the a mighty and jaw-dropping sight: 15800 skiers at the start point! I somehow felt like Jalal Al Ahmed in "A straw in Mecca"...a tiny drop in the ocean...gave me goosebumps directly. Next thing I know, I am stuck in front of the TV and watching the race until the first person (Jörgen Auckland from Norway) passed the finish line. Hell, I have fallen much into XC skiing that I even had some favorites in the top 10 and wanted them to win (Daniel Tynell and Jörgen Brink, both from Sweden who finished 2nd and 4th respectively). Needless to say, I have never bothered to care for Vasaloppet all these years but like everything else when it comes to skiing, I noticed that I have been missing something big so far. Ah well, better late than never, eh?

Here are some pictures of the event:

Here's the winner of the race in 2013, Jörgen Auckland as he was about to pass the finish line. Funny thing that the Daniel Tynell just behind him took the 2ns place...for the 2nd year in a row!

And here's the starting point as seen on the TV.

And finally, here's me drinking coffee in my kåsa and having cakes while watching the race and hoards of people were killing their bodies by double poling for a good 6-7 hours. I just couldn't help it so I put on my hat and XC glasses on while 'watching' the race!

On a irrelevant note, cross-country skiing has nothing, and I repeat NOTHING, to do with downhill or alpine skiing. The mindset and the the way that its joy is considered is totally different to begin with. I would even claim that one of them (and I'm not sure which one) should even be called 'skiing'. I just leave it here although I am fully aware that this is subject to massive debates.

So mightily alright!

Massive snow landfall started yesterday and it is still continuing, seems like my prayer on the puking of the clouds is finally answered, is it the track aka spår calling for me? Or the slopes? I surely hope that this season includes some new and exciting adventures on the holy white powder.

Puke baby, puke!

On the road

Resolution 14. Shaving is prohibited while being on the outdoor trips e.g. ski, hiking trips and etc.

Not that it has any meaning or significance...

Another midday prayer

"With the hands held high into a sky so blue

As the [fjäll] opens up to swallow you" 

Time: 12:44

Date: 2012-04-13

Place: Ramundberget

On XC track

Playlist XVII.

1. "Diesel Power" The Prodigy

2. "Mindfields" The Prodigy

3. "Climbatize" The Prodigy

4. "Smack My Bitch Up" The Prodigy

5. "Funky Shit" The Prodigy

6. "Voodoo People" The Prodigy

7. "Best of You" Foo Fighters

8. "Narayan" The Prodigy

9. "Block Rockin' Beats" Chemical Brothers

10. "Hey Boy Hey Girl" Chemical Brothers
11. "Shake Break Bounce" Chemical Brothers
12. "Links 2 3 4" Rammstein
13. "Keine Lust" Rammstein
14. "Du Hast" Rammstein
15. "Ich Will" Rammstein
16. "Du Riechst So Gut" Rammstein
17. "Sonne" Rammstein
18. "Los" Rammstein
19. "Sehnsucht" Rammstein
20. "Stein Um Stein" Rammstein

Oh...so mightily!

First snow has landed today and I can't be happier about it. So happy that I don't know what got into me and I took my bike to work today, I can't remember when was the last time (if there has ever been a time at all!) that I rode my bike in the snow. Of course most of the trip to and from work will be done by train but still...

So glad that I just bought my cross country gear and I am almost good to go, looking very much forward to substatial workouts in the tracks and hopefully some consequent weight loss. That depends wholly if my prayer below is accepted by whoever is in charge of these issues:

"May the clouds puke mightily!"

By the way, this is how the city looks like today at 10:41 AM.

On a somewhat irrelavant and or perhaps quite relavant note, I said no to another trip to Courchevel with the guys althought it was quite 'painful' for me to say no them and also the Courchevel II post is still in draft (the latter is very unlikely to be materialized as it stands now). I did so in the hope of settling for new place which could be organized via other friends but that seems a bit far fetched now so...we'll see what happens, fingers crossed! 

Waiting for P & S

Place: Geneva airport

Courchevel

The love of the mountains and the thirst for feeling the raw and unfiltered speed were sufficiently quenched by one week of staying at propbably the largest ski resort in the world. The picture below does the justice to the beauty and the greatness of the 'matter' at hand more a thousand words.

Photo courtesy of AB.

One of the many subjects that the company of ours touched during this trip was the reason why we are so passionate about mountains. Answer (according to me): Because they remind us how minuscule we are in terms of being a 'being' and that, somehow, not only makes us happy in a strange sort of way but also creates a sense of passion and respect. The same goes with the stars and heavenly bodies or bodies of water in the nature. It's just that different people choose different paths; some choose the mountains, some choose the sky and some choose the sea. This long discussion is better left unfinished here and in conclusion, on a sort of irrelevant note, I wrap up by a quote by non-other than his holiness(?) The North Face which was reminded to us by Mr.P himself:

"Never stop exploring!"

A new hobby

Right after having a lazy Christmas break which was marked with gluttony and sloth, I yearned - yes, that's right, yearned! - for certain circumstances like heavy mountain climbing in bad weather for a couple of days that would leave me dead tired so that I would have a very nice and smooth recovery afterwards. Obviously, it came from excessively practicing those two deadly sins during the break and a book that I was reading at that time. My friend finally talked me into try skiing, and after resisting all the calls in the past 9 years, I gave it a shot and after first 3 sessions, I was not attracted to it at all.

Well, here I am now: I have skied at least once a week in the past 2 months, sometimes in some demanding conditions i.e. -19 degrees, heavy winds, power snow, fog, darkness etc. I have even bought all the necessary gears, and I am having a blast! I can't believe myself changing mind so quickly and keep on pushing despite all the minor and major incidents that have happened from time to time.

Some final remarks:

1. Right now, I do feel like that there is some time lost and I should have started earlier but hey, better late than never, huh?

2. I guess one should make the best of the conditions. Given the climate that I live in, better to make something out of it rather than being depressed by it. I am now falling from the other edge; I don't want the winter season to end!

3. Understatement: Skiing is much easier than Baseball!

4. My friend, P, told me, " Skiing is one of the few pleasures that you can do, with your clothes on!"

5. Strange thing that I was not a bit inspired by Winter Olympics at all. However, when it comes to weather and the amount of downpour, this was possibly the best timing to start this thing.

Snow

Well, here it is. The very first heavy snow of the year has landed and I don't like it a bit. You see, I am not like the rest of people around who are excited with snow and skiing and stuff. I can't care less for the Christmas mood. Winter is definitely not my favorite season, I like spring much better. All I think about now is the slippery roads and consequent ice everywhere in a matter of days, falling down and breaking your body parts (stupid!) and above all, the dirty slush that will be there for months staring at you and mocking your dislike of the season. Hell, allow me to freely state that I genuinely disgust it.

Postulate 1. Where the hell is global warming? Cuz, sure as hell, I don't see it around here!

Postulate 2. It never snows in Florida.