Banff Mountain Film Festival Magazine 2019 Scandinavian edition

Banff Mountain Film Festival Magazine

Magaz

in

Free oe f Charg e!

SCANDINAVIA 2019

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? ICE & PALMS MIRNAVATOR RJ RIPPER

Tickets & More info www.pathfindertravels.eu

A program of

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CONTENTS

Banff Mountain Film Festival Magazine

“Mountain biking is part of my soul. It has changed my whole outlook on life”

SCANDINAVIA 2019

Departments 04 Welcome by Aleksander Gamme 10 Red Program 12 Blue Program

P. 08

Where are they now?

“Survivor of the fittest” across Greenland with a broken back.

22 Last Words

Features 08 Rj Ripper The rise of Asia´s fastest mountain biker 14 The Mirnavator Fit despite being overweight: a paradox?

16 Ice & Palms Two mountain bikers and freeriders crossing the alps in 42 days

P. 14 Cover Photo: Valentine Fable on the east face of Dent du Geant on the French/Italian border. ©Ben Tibbetts Top: RJ Magar in RJRipper. ©Joey Schusler Above: Mirna in Mirnavator Photo: ©Jenny Nichols

Above: Sarah McNair-Landry in the film “Into Twin Galaxies- A Greenland epic” Photo: © Pablo Durana

Banff Mountain Film Festival Scandinavia 2019

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Welcome to the 17th edition of the

Scandinavian Banff Mountain Film Festival!

Alexander Gamme during his 2012 solo expedition to the South Pole documented in part in the film: Crossing the ice

O

ne of our strongest drives is to acquire. Things. Material. Resources.

The greed for more is a natural evolutionary consequence of our improved possibility for surviving and attracting a mating partner.

Some would probably claim these are prehistoric thoughts - we`ve changed into a more intellectual species based on rationality in a modern civilisation. Really?

For loads of us, we have the urge for more material trash every day, even though we have more than enough.

A new fancy car, a bigger house, or just these exclusive down jackets which are way beyond a reasonable budget.

You show off your resources and it builds your social status. It`s exactly the same when a rhino is spreading it`s faeces around to mark it`s big territory.

It`s primitive, you probably just don`t think about it. But the shopping makes you happy, you say?

Yes, that`s true, science proves your new happiness lasts - for something between three and a half and twenty minutes.

You don`t have to be a rocket scientist to see how this core drive to acquire stuff conflicts with how we need to find a new and more sustainable way into the future, do you?

But, can our evolutionary drives, developed through thousands of generations, be changed to eliminate our cravings for mindless overconsumption?

Let`s be honest, it`s not easy to rewrite that gene code, for sure.

Fortunately, we have other basic core drives. We love to bond in relations with others, and to feel loved and valued.

We need to satisfy our curiosity with learning, and to defend and protect what we love.

And not least, we are made to desire emotional experiences like pleasure or excitement.

Or transcribed for the Banff audience adventure and adrenaline.

And here is the really hot potato!

Let`s exploit this desire for emotional experience for all it`s worth. Embrace what you love to do out there, and you won`t miss out on anything.

Explore the power and beauty of mother nature, to become fulfilled way longer than a shot of shopping-mindhack.

Sit down, take a deep breath, and stay tuned to all the amazing content of this year’s Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour - and you for sure will amplify your emotional experiences instead of consuming more stuff.

THAT must be the very best way to save the world for our next generations.

Aleksander Gamme

A

lexander Gamme (42) is often referred to as Norway’s most versatile adventurer.

During the last fifteen years, he has led a wide array of spectacular projects and creative expeditions worldwide.

Among other things, Alexander has climbed Mt Everest and a number of other high mountains, cycled a tandem bike in the Sahara, flown with small helium balloons, paddled lake Mjøsa in a bathtub,and is a trained safari guide in South Africa.

He has also been the presenter of the national TV (NRK)’s “Dream Tour” and “Mission Nansen”.

Together with his ex-girlfriend Cecilie Skog, the couple’s sailing trip was documented through “Familie Fryd”,while his own series “Expedition Queen Maud Land” was nominated for ”Gullruten” 2016.

He has also filmed and assisted in the development of “The world’s longest ski trip” - a documentary about his trip to the South Pole and back, in 2011/ 2012.

Aleksander Gamme Aleksander Gamme www.gamme.no

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Banff Mountain Film Festival Scandinavia 2019

About

Banff Mountain Film Festival Scandinavian Tour Dates 2019 May

17 Sept 16,17

Utehelg, Värmdö Sweden

Cøpenhavn Denmark

Sept

18

Aarhus Denmark

Sept

19

Lund Sweden

Sept

20

Malmö Sweden

Sept

23, 24, 25,26

Stockholm Sweden

1,2,3,4,5

Hillsea

Oct

Smart spoon

8,9

Helsinki Finland Media Partners:

8,9,10,11,12 Oct

15,16 Nov

12 Nov

16 Nov

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Göteborg Sweden Supporting Partners:

Oct

Oct

Presenting partners:

Oslo Norway

Tickets and more info:

Norrköping Sweden

Luleå Sweden

www.pathfindertravels.se Scandinavian Banff Film Festival Tour Organizer:

Pathfinder Travels, Göteborgsvägen 3, SE-443 30 Lerum, Sweden Scandinavian Festival Coordinators:

Lofoten, Leknes Norway

Pelle Aronsson & Adrian Nordenborg Contact:

adrian@pathfindertravels.se Phone:

Vemdalen Sweden

+46 739 33 50 74 Graphic Designer:

Imam Haja Min 17 mm bred

Printed by:

During the past years, we have done a hard job to reduce our carbon footprint and since 2011 we are a printing company that is totally climate neutral!

3041 0129

Climate neutral print

Banff Mountain Film Festival Scandinavia 2019

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Survival of the Fittest

How Sarah McNair-Landry defied the odds

BY RYAN PR ATHER AND AFTON AIKENS

The team navigating a frozen river in the film Into Twin Galaxies.

OPPOSITE: Sarah Mc Nair-Landry (left), Ben Stookesberry (centre) and Erik Boomer get ready to kayak the ice cold waters of Greenland.

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Banff Mountain Film Festival Scandinavia 2019

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

S

ARAH MCNAIR-LANDRY has the Arctic in her DNA. Hailing from Baffin Island, she was the first woman to be recognized as a Master Polar Guide and is the youngest person to reach both the North and South Poles.

In 2016, Mc Nair-Landry, along with Erik Boomer and Ben Stookesberry, went to find a barely-known Arctic river they had seen on Google Maps. They set off on a 1,000-km kite skiing/kayaking adventure of a lifetime across the Greenland Ice Cap pulling 45-days worth gear behind them. Their exploits are documented in the film Into Twin Galaxies — A Greenland Epic.

Early into their trip, on the southeastern edge of the Greenland ice sheet, a blast of Arctic wind hit the three kite-skiers. Sarah McNair-Landry’s safety latch jammed and the gust took her flying six metres into the air. She dropped headfirst onto the ice, cracking her helmet and briefly blacking out.

But they were on a mission. McNair-Landry carried on, despite the pain, traversing dangerous terrain on uneven ice to kayak a wild Arctic river. Here, we talked to McNair-Landry about the trip.

You’ve crossed Greenland six times now. On this trip, you were seriously injured early on. What made you decide to push forward? Or did you consider turning back?

I broke my back (a 40 percent compression fracture in my T8 vertebrae) early on in the expedition.

Even though we were able to consult doctors with our satellite phone, we weren’t able to diagnose the problem in the field, which made it a tough decision as to whether I should stay or be evacuated. I just had to play it by ear and keep going.

all photos: © Sarah Mc Nair-Landry

How did your recovery impact the experience of the expedition for you?

I was in a lot of pain throughout most, if not all, of the expedition. The first two days I wasn’t carrying any weight; the guys were carrying my load, which meant we were travelling really slowly. It definitely made the whole thing harder.

“We all had our moments where we were the weakest, and we all had our moments where we were the strongest” more mentally prepared for that type of stuff I am. My strategy — similar to Ben and Boomer’s strategy — is you just have to kind of laugh at things. The fact that the first river wasn’t even there…maybe we were laughing a little less, but you do have to see the humour in it and it is what it is.

Before you started this journey, your team found the rivers you wanted to kayak on Google Earth and named them Twin Galaxies. Tell us about the moment when you first saw those rivers in person.

How surreal was it?

The whole landscape surrounding the river was so much bigger than we had ever imagined. The river we scouted using Google Earth mapping was from 2012 and seeing it in person, it was so much more dramatic.

It really felt like everything had been scaled up from what we imagined and it humbled us.

Nowadays you’ve taken up paragliding. How has that experience been?

In some ways the wings are similar to kite skiing but not being on the ground makes it incredibly different.

It’s been a pretty fun experience but slightly terrifying at the same time.

You were on this journey with extreme kayakers Ben Stookesberry and Erik Boomer (also your boyfriend) and you brought your expertise in kite skiing and navigating glacial terrain. How did each of your strengths interplay?

I think we made an awesome team because we all brought something to the table. We all had our moments where we were the weakest, and we all had our moments where we were the strongest. Because we all had different skills, we really had to trust each other and we really had to work together.

You’ve said the conditions on this trip were worse than you expected; you had to cross crevasses with heavy gear in tow, day after day. On a 45-day expedition of this nature, how do you keep your spirits up?

Ha ha…Well Ben’s a really good singer, we sang a lot of 80’s songs. I find the more expeditions I do, the Banff Mountain Film Festival Scandinavia 2019

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FILM FEATURE: RJ RIPPER

RJ RIPPER

The rise of Asia’s fastest mountain biker

K

est in bikes, gave him a BMX. Later, he spent months doing odd jobs saving up the $25 it cost to buy his own second-hand mountain bike. He then taught himself how to ride by analysing YouTube videos of famous bikers.

Soon enough he wanted to upgrade to a downhill bike, but money was tight. Magar’s mother worked as a house maid and his father a construction worker, and poured what little money they had into their children’s education.

So, Magar made the decision: if he couldn’t afford a new bike, he would just have to make the bike he wanted himself. He got to work and began constructing a downhill bike from junkyard scraps of metal — an old spring from a scooter and a GI pipe, more commonly used for household plumbing.

Unencumbered by any fear, he rode that same bike in his first race, the 2013 Nepal National Championship, and cruised home in sixth place. In the years since then, Magar has gone on to become the four-time National Champion, is Nepal’s fastest mountain biker, and in 2018 he was also named a National Geographic Adventurer. He also now earns a living as a professional mountain bike guide.

“What we really wanted to understand was why was RJ was so enthused by mountain biking and what it was about mountain biking that made him try so hard,

“I’ve never heard of or seen a story like this” —Joey Schusler

credit: all caps

IDS AND BIKES tend to go together.

And though Nepal, more usually associated with mountaineering exploits, is not the likely breeding ground for worldclass mountain bikers, somehow Rajesh (RJ) Magar has managed to carve out the position as one of Asia’s top mountain bikers.

All from racing on a bike he built himself, forged from junkyard scraps and tested on the rugged trails of the Himalaya.

Magar’s story caught the attention of filmmakers Ben Page and Joey Schusler, who also share a love of mountain biking. In The Frozen Road, Page documented his solo cycle through Canada to the Arctic Sea in 2016, while Schusler’s 2014 film, The Trail to Kazbegi followed four riders on an epic bikepacking expedition through the Caucasus Mountains in the Republic of Georgia.

When the pair heard about this gritty Nepali biker making a name for himself on a ‘beat up clunker’ he welded together, they knew they had to investigate the story further. “I’ve never heard of or seen a story like this,” said Schusler.

RJ Ripper documents RJ Magar’s life growing up in the poor confines of Kathmandu. When he was about 10 years old, a stroke of fate intervened and an employer of Magar’s mother’s, seeing Magar’s keen inter-

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Banff Mountain Film Festival Scandinavia 2019

below: © Ben Page; inset photos: Joey Schusler

in the face of so many hurdles in his life, to succeed,” said Page. “That’s what we were really interested in.”

Shusler agrees. “These kind of success stories don’t really exist in Nepal because mountain biking is a very expensive sport that most people can’t afford to partake in,” he said. But for the 21-year-old it is an intrinsic part of who he is. “Mountain biking is part of my soul,” Magar says. “It has changed my whole outlook on life.”

In making RJ Ripper, Page and Schusler spent a few weeks in Kathmandu getting to know Magar before heading up to the Mustang Valley to film him on the trails of the Himalaya.

And since the film was released, Magar’s profile in Nepal has exploded. People are starting to take notice of the boy from humble beginnings with the dogged determination to pursue his dream.

And next on the cards?

His aim is to compete in the mountain biking World Series, which takes place mainly in Europe and North America — difficult locations for Nepalis to gain visas to compete in.

Schusler remains eternally optimistic and philosophical about Magar’s future: “If RJ’s tale is one of overcoming hurdles and obstacles then this is just another life obstacle which I’m sure he’ll be able to overcome by the sheer force of his own will and determination.”

ABOVE: Magar with the remnants of the bike he made himself.

BELOW: RJ Magar, One of Asia’s fastest mountain bikers, ripping it up in the Himalaya.

PATHFINDER TRAVELS

MTB IN MOROCCO! PATHFINDERTRAVELS.SE Banff Mountain Film Festival Scandinavia 2019

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Red Program

SURVIVING THE OUTBACK (EDIT) Could you survive alone across hundreds of kilometres of remote outback for a whole month, trekking and sailing on a makeshift raft, with nothing but a time capsule of antique stuff from 1932? Mike wasn’t sure he could pull it off either!

(44 minutes) Filmmaker: Michael Atkinson

©Michael

© Aaron

Atkinson

Munson

©

RJ Ripper film

RJ RIPPER FAST HORSE FAST HORSE follows the return of the Blackfoot bareback horseracing tradition in a new form: the Indian Relay. Siksika horseman Allison Red Crow struggles to build a team with second-hand horses and a new jockey, Cody Big Tobacco, to take on the best riders in the Blackfoot Confederacy at the Calgary Stampede.

The chaotic streets of Kathmandu may not seem like a typical breeding ground for world-class mountain bikers, but then again nothing is typical about Rajesh (RJ) Magar and his beat-up clunker.

(19 minutes) Filmmaker: Joey Schusler © Rogue

Elements Film

(14 minutes) Filmmaker: Director: Alexandra Lazarowich* Producer: Niobe Thompson

ROGUE ELEMENTS: CORBET’S COULOIR Anyone who has ever skied or snowboarded Jackson Hole knows just how nerve-racking it can be to send it into the infamous Corbet’s Couloir, even in the best of conditions. Doing it in icy conditions on mountain bikes is nothing short of insane, and that’s exactly what we did.

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Banff Mountain Film Festival Scandinavia 2019

(4 minutes) Filmmaker: Teton Gravity Research, Todd Jones

LIV ALONG THE WAY

The Accord © Slider

Ever since she first summited Mont Blanc as a teen, Liv Sansoz knew she would make her life in the mountains.

In 2017, at 40 years old, Liv set out from her base in Chamonix, France to attempt to climb all 82 of the 4000-metre peaks in the European Alps in a single year. As she’s learned several times throughout her life, things don’t always go as planned.

(22 minutes) Filmmaker: Mike Douglas and Anthony Bonello

FOR THE LOVE OF MARY

© Simon

Perkins

When 97-year-old runner George Etzweiler dons his lucky ancient green running shorts, he’s not just running to the summit of Mt. Washington, Etzweiler carries something else special with him: The memory of his late wife of 68 years.

(6 minutes) Filmmaker: Simon Perkins and Kirk Horton

© Matt

SKIER VS. DRONE

Crowley-Snowbird

It’s the classic battle of man vs. machine but Olympic Bronze Medalist ski racer, Victor Muffat-Jeandet isn’t worried.

(4minutes) Filmmaker: Mike Douglas

THE ARIO DREAM (EDIT)

©

Paul Diffley

This is a gripping account of expedition-style cave exploration and at the apex are the cave divers, pushing into the unknown in deep sumps where rescue is not an option. The tension, as each diver disappears into the blackness, is genuine…

(24minutes) Filmmaker: Paul Diffley

Banff Mountain Film Festival Scandinavia 2019

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Blue Program ©

THIS MOUNTAIN LIFE: COAST RANGE TRAVERSE SEGMENT

This Mountain Life Film

A mother-daughter team set out on a six-month ski traverse in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia, Canada.

(39 minutes) Filmmaker: Grand Baldwin, Jen Rustemeyer

©

Greg Mionske

©

Philipp Becker

REEL ROCK 12: BREAK ON THROUGH

ICE & PALMS Bikepacking, summiting mountains and skiing some iconic lines along the way, friends Max and Jochen have one dream – 5 weeks, 1,800 km and 35,000 vertical metres self-propelled across the Alps.

Margo Hayes, a little-known 19 year old from Boulder, Colorado, she has moved to Europe to train and climb with the goal of succeeding on two of the most iconic 5.15s in France and Spain. But by pushing her body and mind to the absolute limit, she risks injury and failure in her quest to be the first.

(26 minutes) Filmmaker: Peter Mortimer, Matty Hong, Nick Rosen, Zachary Barr

SURFACE In a photographic niche defined by familiar angles, Ben Thouard is driven by his desire to create something original in surf photography.

(7 minutes) Filmmaker: John Rodosky

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Banff Mountain Film Festival Scandinavia 2019

(25 minutes) Filmmaker: Jochen Mesle, Max Kroneck

©

Greg Gyselinck

The Accord

FAR OUT: KAI JONES Eleven year old Kai Jones isn’t old enough to go to the movies alone or order a sandwich at the pub, but in the mountains age doesn’t matter. He is following in his family’s ski tracks… right into backflips and tricks off of cliffs.

(5 minutes) Filmmaker: Teton Gravity Research

©

© Alegre

THE MIRNAVATOR Ultra-runners overcome obstacles with

Jackson

© Jenny

Nichols

© Caleb

Weaver

every stride. Force of Nature Mirna Valerio never thought she would have to overcome the negative voices that believe she doesn’t belong in the sport.

(11 minutes) Filmmaker: Sarah Menzies

The Moment Film

THE MOMENT (EDIT)

CHOICES

In the backwoods of British Columbia, three small but dedicated crews of adventure seekers were quietly changing the course of a sport and carving their paths in history. The Moment captures the birth and success of the original free ride mountain bike movement.

A mountain biker has an amazing menu of rides to choose from but which will he pick?

(15 minutes) Filmmaker: Darcy Tennessey Turenne

(2 minutes) Filmmaker: Director: Tim Dacosta Producer: Caleb Weaver

Banff Mountain Film Festival Scandinavia 2019

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The Mirnavator

Fit despite being overweight: a paradox?

©

Mirna Valerio is

passionate about running ultramarathons, even though she does not look like a typical ultramarathoner at first glance. ”People like her“ do not belong on the trail and that ”real runners“ could not be overweight are things she has to hear at nearly every race.

But the question here are: Who has the problem? And how could we solve it?

Jenny Nichols & Text: Daniela Schmitt

”I am feeling good in my body“ Mirna Valerio There are several things that could ruin the joy of sport.

Sometimes it’s an injury because it’s keeping you longer on the couch.

Or it is your weaker self, that you are not able to overcome.

But what is even worse: If you feel absolutely fine and about to reach top form - and other

INSTAGRAM Mirna Valerio is documenting her activities on her Blog: ”Fat Girl Running“.

You can find her on Instagram under @ themirnavator. people try to talk you into believing that something is wrong with you. Mirna Valerio knows how that feels. She loves running and is finishing a few ultramarathons every year.

Her problem is that there are some people having an issue

that she is participating in these races.

These people ask what an overweight person is trying to accomplish at a professional running event. These people who doubt in public if she really could consider herself as a runner. This criticism is absurd because the standard advice to overweight people is: healthy nutrition and more motion! To someone who has never has done any sport in their lives, the latter is a real challenge. Not only because of being untrained, but also because you might be really ashamed to expose your body doing sports.

“I am feeling good in my body” Mirna Valerio

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Banff Mountain Film Festival Scandinavia 2019

Photo: Jenny Nichols & Text: Daniela Schmitt

“We are so much more than just our bodies” Mirna Valerio

about sport and fitness. And until then it seems Mirna has to do some more ultramarathons. ”I think, that people have difficulties that ”fit“ could have different shapes“ says Mirna Valerio, ”but I will not stop to place my big bum there, where other people believe it should not belong“. Her mode of expression is as robust as her intentions.

In 2018 she was honored by National Geographic as ”Adventurer of the year“. And that is a statement. ”We are so much more than just our bodies“ Mirna Valerio

Mirna Valerio grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and become an outdoor Following this logic, runners like Mirna should not be criticized.

They do exactly what everyone tells them to do! (And in defense to everyone who wants an easier start to fitness: There are several alternatives to ultrarunning).

The simple fact that there is any criticism at all shows how much contradiction there is in our society about the issue. The Outdoor Industry is a part of that problem. There are almost

no ads that do not show young, dynamic and especially slender people; that you are not able to get most of the products in oversize is a lesser problem. Until now movies like ”The Mirnavator“ have been very rare in the outdoor documentary world, and they are a step in the right direction because they finally make people visible that do not fulfill the classical definition of ”fit“. Only in this way can they become role models and in best case scenarios also empower others to get active with sports - no matter if they are overweight. The media influence in this process should not be underestimated. For example, in the past, many people weren’t ok to put a seatbelt on in the car because the big movie stars did not do it. But after putting the seat belt on became common in the movies and other media, most people started to use seat belts. They adopted the behavior.

Today using the seat belt is quite obvious. It would be nice if it would be possible to establish new and progressive habitual patterns

fan at the age of eight. She discovered her love of running during college. When she started working her life become more stressful.

Due to private and professional challenges she had less time for sports and started gaining weight, which didn´t stop her from starting running again a few years later.

Banff Mountain Film Festival Scandinavia 2019

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Ice & Palms

16 meters of Snow: The episode at the Furka Pass

Š

Philipp Becker

House-high snow walls can be quite threatening. Especially if you know that they will block the entire road during the following day at least. And that the only way past, is to try to go over.

Jochen Mesle is a free skier and climber from DĂźrbheim in South Germany.

In 2007 he moved to Innsbruck and exchanged his cross country skis for freeride skis. In the mountains he likes to combine creative and technical skiing by using his experience as an alpinist.

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Banff Mountain Film Festival Scandinavia 2019

T

rethink their way of traveling.

They planned to travel the whole part of the trip on their bikes.

But right here, in the middle of the journey, at 2429m above sea level, some remains from last winter put a spoke in their wheels.

The road at the Furkapass was still buried under a 16 meter thick layer of snow.

hese two mountain bikers and freeriders

Jochen and Max had about 50kg of luggage with them. 50kg for each of them!

crossed the alps in 42 days.

Max Kroneck grew up in the mountains and has been trekking and ski touring since his early childhood. He is a mountain climber but he also masters slopestyle and halfpipe. He combines technically advanced skiing and creative freeriding

The journey took them from southern Germany to Nice but not as you might think on the shortest route; they took the route that was most likely to combine their two passions of biking and skiing.

At the check-in of an average airline you would have heard the word ”Excess baggage”. But there is no such official limit for MTB. You just stack on what is possible - as long as you are able to move the bike, and as long as it is rolling, the problem is gone.

When they arrived at the Furkapass, on the 15th of May, in Switzerland, they had to

But what to do if you stand in front of deep snow and the bike itself is becoming “excess baggage”?

You might be happy if you brought a pair of skies with you. There was no other way for the guys other than to strap the bikes and all the bags fixed onto them, so everything

The itinerary in detail: Dürbheim 26. April 2018

München

Zürich

Mailand

Italy

Nice 7. June 2018

DAY 1:

Dürbheim (Jochen) 26. April 2018

2:

Bad Waldsee (Jochen) / Munich (Max)

3:

Reutte (AT)

4:

Warth

5:

St. Anton am Arlberg

6:

Prutz

7:

Zernez (CH)

8:

Pontresina

9-11:

Diavolezza

12:

Silvaplana

13:

Julier Pass

14:

Trin

15:

Disentis / Muster

16 - 18:

Andermatt

19 - 20:

Furkapass

21 - 24:

Valais

25:

Customs

26:

Martigny

27 - 28:

Bourg-Saint-Pierre

29 - 30:

Grosser St. Bernhard

31:

Aosta (IT)

32:

Pont-Saint-Martin

33 - 35:

Val della Torre

36 - 38:

Briançon (FR)

39:

Jausiers

40:

Col de la Bonette

41:

Isola

42:

Nice 7th of June 2018

Banff Mountain Film Festival Scandinavia 2019

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©

blowers suddenly started to continue their work.

Philipp Becker

It resulted in an odd but quick alpine start. Luckily they were going downhill this time.

In Nice the palms and the Mediterranean Sea were waiting. Mission completed! could be carried on their backs. Even if they could have paid to get their luggage transported to the final destination, it would not be in the spirit of the project.

Jochen and Max wanted to reach

Nice self-supported.

This said, you sometimes have to ignore an official roadblock, as well as the disbelieving stares from the hearty locals. There were not so many onlookers anyways.

At least they had enough snow, so that Jochen and Max could enjoy a couple of turns - regardless of their additional load.

They were really exhausted in the evening and quite

The people behind the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour in Scandinavia & Finland ©

Oscar Alsing

happy to pitch their tent between two snow blowers.

But the protected place came with a disadvantage. They received a very rough wake up call the next morning when the snow

The Furkapass crossing was one of the most exhausting parts of the whole alpine trip. It would have been the moment where even an SUV had given up. But not Jochen and Max! Where does the power for that bike and ski tour come from? Lets take a look at the menu

Robin Hallsten Where do you live?

I live on a farm outside Vänersborg with my parents in the little county of Dalsland.

Which movie is your favourite this year?

“For The Love Of Mary” is my favourite because I’m a trail runner myself but also the dedication and the whole portrayal of George is so powerful.

What do you like to do in the outdoors?

I’m a dedicated trail runner who loves to explore the wild on foot. I also love to swim in lakes all year round, especially during winter season when it’s more of a challenge. I also love to sleep in a tent with some friends and to be woken up by birds chirping.

What is the best thing about working with this film festival?

The thing that drew me to work with Banff M.F.F. was the challenge of entering the stage in front of a large audience in order to expand

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Banff Mountain Film Festival Scandinavia 2019

Daily menu á la ”Ice & Palms“ Breakfast: 500g muesli with fresh fruits.

In between: Approximately 16 muesli bars.

Lunch: A big pack of noodles with 4 dl of Pesto.

For the Coffee break: Bündner nut cake with cream!

In between: What you find on the side of the road.

Evening dinner: Something warm and the rest of the muesli bars.

Bon appetit!

my comfort zone. I also love to watch these inspirational films and the people featured in them and draw inspiration from them in my own life. I also like to meet grounded people at the shows, people who share a passion for the outdoors.

What do you do when you’re not on stage presenting the films?

I do a lot of different gigs.

Working as a courier at the family business, holding yoga retreats, coaching, doing inspiring lectures about mental health issues, hosting my own trail running competition Ragges Runda, creating podcasts; this fall, I’ll be driving the music group Promoe’s tour bus through Germany.

What’s your future plans?

To inspire millions to become their best authentic selves.

Ylva Asker moved to

Lofoten, Norway from Sweden a few years ago, and she has not looked back. Rather, she has looked up.

There is something for everyone in the Banff film programs. She wants people to be inspired, and maybe to go on their own adventures!

Ylva has been on more mountains in Lofoten than most people, and you can often find her in places you did not think was possible.

Climbing and hiking in the mountains and pitching a tent in remote places are her favorite activities - she loves the simple outdoor life.

Ylva is involved in the local Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT Fjellsport Lofoten) and has a great love for nature. Thanks to Ylva, the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour takes place in Leknes, Lofoten.

What she likes the most about the festival is the wide variety in the films. There are so many different outdoor activities represented: climbing, skiing, kayaking, biking, hiking, etc., showing exotic places, different cultures, and stories of the human experience.

She is also one of the volunteers behind Lofoten Rangers, a non-profit organization with the goal of increasing awareness of the rules and ethics for hiking and camping in nature. The main area is Lofoten, but the principles apply everywhere.

Cecilia Sandström

Cecilia and her partner Dirk Koolwijk are running Luleå Travel. Together they want to introduce people to the beauty of the northern part of Sweden. With many years of guiding she is never happier than being outdoors in nature and giving guests an experience that will give them a lifetime of memories.

In her spare time she loves skiing and hiking in the mountains with her dog Annapurna, partner Dirk, and their little daughter Eira.

was born in Sweden but lived almost 10 years in The Netherlands. She traveled the world with her parents as a child. Because of her childhood adventures, she has continued to explore the planet: climbing mountains in Africa and Nepal, crossing the Amazonas by boat, traveling through Siberia by train, and kayaking in the waters of Svalbard. These travels instilled a love of languages and today Cecilia is fluent in Swedish, English, Dutch, and Polish, as well as passable in Spanish and French. During her worldwide travels, she discovered that her true passion aligned with snow, ice, and cold waters. This made her study and also work as a guide in Svalbard.

The last few years she has been living in Luleå, where

The people behind the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour in Scandinavia & Finland

Ylva on a peak in Lofoten with lake Solbjørnvatnet in the background

Ylva will continue exploring the islands of Lofoten and the rest of Northern Norway, never far away from the mountains and the sea - always searching for her next adventure.

ylvaasker lofoten.rangers lofotenrangers.no

What do you like most about this film tour? _”To get a glimpse of different cultures and to get inspired!!!! Also eye-candy, awesome footage, great mix of local adventures to extreme expeditions, always something for every taste, the focus of the films is often on the soft human values and not on being cool and brutal”

Future plans?

-”Living in the moment! Keep on exploring Swedish Lapland,

it’s hidden gems and still secret destinations. I`m also longing for a longer hike with Eira and Annapurna, perhaps combining scenery with culture, along the trail to Santiago de Compostela. But first enjoying summer again, with good fresh food and swimming naked in mountain lakes!” www.luleatravel.com

Luleå Travel @Luleatravel

Cecilia is introducing the films and taking care of the shows in Luleå.

Cecilia on one of her many ski trips on Svalbard, with the dogs Quickstep and Annapurna.

Photo: © Sara Orstadius

Banff Mountain Film Festival Scandinavia 2019

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Where are you from and where do you live?

“I’m born and raised in Sundsvall. Nowadays I live in a little oasis hidden among horse meadows and large oaks, on Värmdö island outside Stockholm.”

How do you prefer to spend your time outdoors?

“Breathe huge breaths of fresh air.

Drink coffee. I prefer to do it with really tired legs, high up in front of a beautiful view that I have reached by bike. I’ve been fortunate enough to call this my life, for 1,000 consecutive days, when I biked all around the world on my own slowly but surely. Catch me during the intermission and I promise to give you the coordinates of the world’s most beautiful tent site.”

What is the best thing about working with Banff Centre Moun-

Pelle Aronsson I live in Lerum, 20 km outside Göteborg, on the west coast of Sweden.

During the years I have done a lot of trips to different parts of the world, both personally and through my job, for biking, skiing, etc, but the bulk of my outdoor life I have spent locally.

tain Film Festival World Tour?

“Very often all my sprawling personalities wrestle with each other, but right here at the film festival Banff World Tour, they find their home under the same roof.

I get nourished and crammed with adventure, mountains and adrenaline! I get to live out my inner lazybones, which just want to lie down on a lounge chair and watch movie after movie after movie. And I may also devote some reflection to the utterly terrified 12-year-old I once was. She was too shy to talk at the table in the canteen, but dreamed of her very own stage. Above all - I get to enjoy completely maximized evenings all around Scandinavia - together with epic people who make the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour so much more than just a film festival.”

I went to my first Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour screening in the mid nineties and started to bring the film festival World Tour to Scandinavia and Finland in 2003, together with Adrian Nordenborg.

I spend a lot of time in the surroundings of Lerum; the lakes open up for a lot of skating (Nordic tour skating) during winter time.

During spring, summer and fall, mountain biking and trail running are my favorite activities and I also like windsurfing on the sea on windy days.

The best part of Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour is sharing these fantastic stories with so many different people.

The festival has turned in to a giant meeting point for people with the same interests over the past 17 years and I found it great to catch up with old friends that you may not see every week.

(I am really bad at keeping myself updated on social media.)

In 1999, after a ski touring trip in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco with my friend Nicke Sundström, we started Pathfinder Travels together.

I don´t make plans too far ahead, I try to live a simple life and leave room for flexibility and let the cycles of the local weather, wind, ice and snow, run my life.

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Banff Mountain Film Festival Scandinavia 2019

Anything else?

“Last Spring I launched the book about the great adventure, printed both in English and Swedish –”Around The World in 1,000 Days” / ”Jorden runt på 1000 dagar”. Last autumn, the film with the same name was born. Today, I travel all around Sweden as a lecturer and have to pinch myself in my arm almost every day. At the same time, I drool over the world map and let the dream slowly but surely take shape; the dream of the next adventure.”

Like the last 16 years during the festival, you will find Pelle all over the place, on stage, back stage, in the ”engine room”, as a master of ceremony, scanning the tickets, chatting with the visitors, collecting evaluation sheets, at Pathfinder Travels stand, and so on…

No crowds in the soft powder of Kyrgyzstan. If you want to join in, check out: www.pathfindertravels. se/resa/skidakning-kirgizistan/

www.fredrikaek.se @fredrikaek The Bike Ramble

At some locations you will find Fredrika on stage introducing the films, at the door scanning tickets, signing her books, and she can also tell you about bike packing, and much more...

Favorite proverb: “Things will turn out great, or turn into a great story”

Pelle returning to the base camp, after a great day ski-touring in the Tien Shan Mountains, Kyrgyzstan.

Photos: ©Jörgen Karström

Fredrika Ek

Photos:©fredrika is taking a rest on a cliff in western sahara

The people behind the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour in Scandinavia & Finland

Photo: Christian Strömqvist caught Adrian on the go, during the construction of the Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi.

Adrian Nordenborg

grew up just outside Gothenburg, but for the last 25 years his “Base Camp” is next to the park Slottsskogen, in central Gothenburg.

The people behind the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour in Scandinavia & Finland

Gothenburg, who arrived by train to Kiruna.

Together they hiked to the top of Kebnekaise (the highest mountain in Sweden).

They continued with a trip to Jukkasjärvi and visited the famous Icehotel, where Adrian has been working building up the hotel for five previous seasons. After that Adrian waved farewell to his friends who travelled on the overnight train back to Gothenburg. Then he went out to the road and hitchhiked back home.

Selfie when Adrian worked as a photographer aboard the Swedish East Indiaman sailing ship “Götheborg”.

He has hitchhiked through about eighty of the approximately 100 countries he has visited. At the age of 19, he lived for a while in a cave in the spectacular landscape of Cappadocia in Turkey; in Borneo, former head-hunters taught him how to build traps and the skills of making traditional bark clothes.

Adrian still thinks that hitchhiking is a great way to get around the world and to meet people. In two years time he´s turning 50 and his mother thinks he is too old to hitchhike, but Adrian doesn’t agree. Last summer he hitchhiked through Sweden to the mountains north of the Arctic Circle, where he met up with some friends from

He also thinks that cycling is a great way of transportation whether it is in a city or in nature. He likes to paddle a kayak whenever he is given this opportunity: “It is a comfortable way to get around, and you can bring a lot of food with you, without having to carry heavy luggage, compared to hiking.”

When Nicke Sundström and Pelle Aronsson, (who founded the Swedish travel company Pathfinder Travels) met Adrian dressed in bark clothes (during a lecture about his travel experiences) they decided to invite Adrian as a partner in their firm.

Since 2003, Adrian has been responsible for booking the festival screenings in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland. He also bikes around in town to outdoor shops and climbing gyms to put up posters, trying to find sponsors, as well as scanning tickets and greeting all the guests welcome at the festival.

Adrian is a trained cabinetmaker but loves to travel, so becoming a guide was a natural career to choose. He has scared off nosy polar bears getting far too close to him in the Arctic, ridden camels in the Gobi Desert, crossed the Northeast Passage, paddled a kayak in New York, found mammoth tusks at Wrangel Island, flown a hot air balloon over Africa, skied in Iran, tracked Bengal tigers in India and in Nepal, sailed through the Panama Canal, visited the penguins in Antarctica as well as the giant turtles on Galapagos Islands – all this during his working hours. Before this became his profession, he also traveled a lot, however back then on a minimal budget.

Adrian likes the film festival because it offers a lot of inspiration and it also serves as a meeting place for everyone that enjoys being outdoors in nature.

He still thinks that the best part of the festival is to meet everyone who visits the event.

Adrian doesn’t have his own website nor Instagram but he enjoys using his camera. National Geographic, among other media, has published some of his photos. On his Facebook there are some captured memories from different parts of the world.

What is his future plans? “I will try to learn how to wave surf, before I turn 50.”

Favorite proverb: ”Strangers are just friends that you haven’t met yet”

Adrian Nordenborg Banff Mountain Film Festival Scandinavia 2019

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Last Words Festival and World Tour tidbits and your feedback

Heard around the world…

Give this man an award I came home after the festival so inspired that I found myself doing push-ups. Kid you not.

A lifelong love affair I’ve been coming to see films on the World Tour since I was 12 when my father took me.

I have been hooked ever since. Now I am 27, my father has passed on but the tradition lives, and every year I sneak out of work (with no regrets) and get inspired to take on my own adventures. Thanks for the smiles, heartaches, laughter, and knowledge!

Soul food I watch these films to be inspired to be “more”. I am amazed at what people are doing and how they are living life untethered. I want to aspire to be “more”, enjoy “more”, live “more”... Seeing and hearing these adventuring spirits shows me a window into a world and life I didn’t know existed or could be desired / accomplished. Thank you!

Lost for words I was left incredibly inspired and speechless. My passion for exploration, outdoor adventure and international culture was ignited and stimulated by each film in their own individual ways. I want to thank you for showcasing these daring, profound, and beautifully cultivated perspectives for the risk takers of the world to aspire to emulate within our own lives. I strongly believe that organizations like these are what keep the

• @BanffMtnFest • @banffcentre • #BanffWorldTour

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• BanffMountainFilmFestival • BanffCentre

Banff Mountain Film Festival Scandinavia 2019

world moving by connecting us through important messages like these. Thank you for making it possible!

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countries

550,000 people

Listen to your school teacher…

I plan to bring my entire gifted and talented class to the show next year. It will be a blast.

Higher Love Every year, at least one of the stories brings me to tears. All the films inspire a sense of adventure, demonstrate joie de vivre, and show how strong the human spirit is. There is nothing like this out there, I LOVE this film festival. Thank you for sharing it with those of us that can’t make it to Banff!

Social Media @daddybookins: When you realize tickets are sold out for @BanffMtnFest in #Tucson for your kiddos birthday and can’t make it to the #Sedona venue so you purchase tickets for #Pasadena and gear up for a 380 mile road trip. That’s some dedication! @lalovesdurm: An incredible, adrenaline-filled world tour, yet again! Thank you @nathanocracy: It’s the @banffcentre film festival world tour tonight. The highlight of my year. @mozeeski: Enjoying some breathtaking views at this year’s #Banff Mountain Film Festival @xavermatt: Inspirational night out @BanffMtnFest London. Keep pushing those limits!

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• @banffmountainfestival

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films shown in…

…1,100 screenings around the world

20,000 attend the Festival in Banff each year

leading travel clothing brand Banff Mountain Film Festival Scandinavia 2019

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mountain experiences

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