"I´m Shane McConkey, dammit, and I´m not done yet!"

Shane McConkey

Unfortunately Shane is has finished. This extremely talented skier passed away in the Dolomite mountains. He was working on a new MSP film with JT Holmes and Scott Gaffney (whom I worked with for a few days last year) when the accident occurred. Here is an article from Scott http://www.mspfilms.com/news/1354

Shane will be sorely missed. He was truly an idol to me.

Had a tribute to Shane day...looked good with the orange headband which is missing in this pic! He would have done it!!!

The greatest man that ever lived

So, made it through another season of ski work! Now its just Pre-exam, 5 days at SOL Mountain (check it out at http://www.solmountain.com/) and then the full ski guide exam it self!!! Oh yeah

I decided to drive back to Banff in one-go last night from the land of Cherryville (that has less life and culture than a yogurt), I got to Lake Louise at midnight (best time ever) and had to refuel...but all the pumps in LL did not work so I had to sleep in the car until 6AM. Then the gas station opened up and I could continue...it was frigging cold, but at least I had strange dreams!!!!

Now its "relaxing" until Wednesday, then back to training like a maniac!

Stay tuned for some more fun

Home sick

The viking ship "Íslendingur" or the Icelander coming to take me home to the Motherland

yep, missed home as I was wandering around the ice fields these past two days with the strong winds in my face! The guys I was with kept saying "this is intense" but I kept feeling like I was at home in Iceland again!!!

So needless to say I look like a child that was conceived by a lobster and a raccoon! Wind/sunburned with a great looking goggle/sunglasses mark on the face. Ready for modeling lolKinda look like this except without the facial hair

Yeah, not sure if I told you that I joined the New Age and bought an iTouch. Oh yeah, little freon has upgraded from the old mini disc player! But, I did buy it used and my computer is way too old to actually put some new music on this thing...and I need that! A new computer would also allow me to post videos here for you to enjoy. Like seeing the fun of being in a whiteout this week up on the Wapta. Still managed to get a peak even though we could not see most of the time (I think we were on a peak...felt like we were going up?)

Anyhoo, back to work on Sunday for the final 7 day shift! Then its all exam time until the 25th of April! Good times

Into the wilderness again

short trip this time! Heading into part of the Wapta for some exam training with two candidates for the asst ski guide exam (Dill and Alexis) and Mark Corb´s will come along as well. Will more than likely have my video cam with me but unfortunately I can´t post it on here as I have an ancient computer...think from from the Maya period???

Erin and I went into Canmore yesterday to talk to the bank and see what our options are for getting our own place. It looks ok but we need to look around a bit for options on what to get! Erin is going in to see a person about a new place so we are crossing our fingers.

I found out that my exam is in the Selkirk's Lodge and I fly in on April the 18th and come back out on the 25th. I am starting to feel the stress of that coming up but I am approaching this as is!!! If I am ready, then I will pass...if not, well

Will get back to you after this short Wapta trip and let you know what we scaled and got up to

All or nothing

At the top of Grand Sentinel...POSER

It´s on like Donkey Kong! When the blog starts, then it not few and far between anymore! Here is a short one with pictures from two summers ago. Wiktor, one of my great climbing partners took these (he is a professional photographer and has had stuff published in, for example, Black Diamond catalogs). Enjoy

Me at a belay station on the Grand Sentinel

Climbing on Yamnuska. The flight of the bumble bee 5.9 trad

The squeeze on Grand Sentinel

Wiktor and I chilling between multi pitch routes on Yamnuska

Friday the 13th

Yes, time to stay at home and do some office work for a while.

Did go out yesterday with Fraser to attempt Cathedral Mountain (did last in 2004). It is a technical mountain as you have to negotiate mandatory avalanche slopes. We tried all our options and after getting a fairly big "whumpfh" we turned around at noon!

Here are a few pics all taken by the amazingly talented photographer Fraser....First of all, the trees where horrible as the facets took you to ground in every step

Options A, B and C. All spooky but the C (last one put poops in the boots)

Let´s see

Yes, went to look at an apartment yesterday...getting close to the time that little Friðjón has to settle down with his significant other! You know! The better half!!! Good thing about the world tanking economically is that housing-prices does go down...good for some but bad for most. Hopefully good for ME, cause that's what it´s all about...ME ME ME he he Those that know me can decide if that is true or not?

But, we are looking for a place of our own, I have been here for three days now and not had one night of good sleep. Last night I fell asleep at ca 1230 and was awake the morning before at 0400....always nice to come home to relax and having to stay up for 20+hrs because people around you are (pardon my french) dickheads!!!

On other notes, got a free pass to the gym here for a week! Which means that I am going every day in there to milk it good. I sweated my ass off today...need some way to vent so I don´t take it out on the neighbours!!!

Took in a couple of my skis today to have the almighty BD Verdicts mounted with the so-ever-light dynafits (the lightest version) so I should be ready to race around the hills after tomorrow. Am going with Miles tomorrow to have a "sports-day", where we will review beacon searches etc.

Say hi to Never Never Land

We´re not gona make it! No, we...

..nice to actually make it but that Twisted Sister song was starting to manifest in my brain during the last few days at the lodge he he

But, here I am. Sitting in my room, typing on my own computer...so I made it back to Banff to my sweety. MMMM, shes the best and takes good care of me, now its my turn to return the favour and I will!

Last day of skiing was epic but before that we had very touchy/feely snow pack that reacted to farts...even the girly ones! Nature keeps you humiliated. If it doesn't, then you will get messed up in a bad way, Dude!

Got a ride with our dishwasher last night to Revelstoke and we went straight to the bar with Alexis taking along! Had a few to drink including shooters and it was well deserved after 17 days in the wilderness. Then I got a ride with CMH from Revy to Banff so that worked out perfectly.

Now its time to "Buckle-up Buttercup" its time to start training like Mark Twight..."I train, and I puke"