Does anyone else experience how time seemingly moves at different speeds? When I look back upon the past year it simultaneously feels like January 2021 was a long time ago, but moments of it feel like yesterday. I’m not going to do a month by month break down of the year, but as many of you know I didn’t spend much time at home in Tromsø this year, but that I spent much of the winter skiing and guiding in Lyngen, much of the summer living in my car climbing and guiding in Romsdalen, and most of the fall traveling around Norway promoting CARE, the center for avalanche research and education. August and December are really the only months this past year where I have spent most of my time at home.
One of the achievements of 2021 that I wish to celebrate is getting accepted by NORTIND to be qualified as mountain guide. Those of you who are familiar with the process and requirements of being accepted to begin an IFMGA certification know the time and dedication that this requires. After failing the climbing portion of the entrance exam in 2020 it took a long time to decide if I was willing to put myself through the process again, but I am very glad that I did it and am happy to have started this journey with a great cohort. We already had 2 courses this past year and I am looking forward to the next three years with these guys.
I still don’t really consider myself a writer, but I am happy to have been published again in FriFlyt as well as in Tidskrift for Norsk Alpin Klatring and The American Alpine journal for the first time. Both TfNAK and AAJ where about the Jiehkkevarri descent in 2020, but they published in 2021 so I’ll take it on this calendar year. I am also co-author on an academic paper on trend effects that will hopefully be published in 2022. My mother actually is a writer – she published her book this fall!
In the world of digital media, I am still not doing so much besides my own Instagram as I rarely update here. This fall when I was traveling around Norway with FriFlyt and CARE it was surprisingly encouraging to meet people who took the time to tell me they have been following me on social media. My approach to the whole platform is to not take myself to seriously and to share what I feel like when I feel like it, while its bizarre to acknowledge that I know less and less of the people who see my posts I am grateful for the social aspect of the platform letting me keep in touch with friends and make new friends while almost constantly on the road.
While my digital media is still not so serious, I am grateful to have been in some guest’s appearances on Nikolai Schirmer’s productions last season. If you haven’t seen his content, I highly recommend it. Inspiring to see what he is doing with his ski career, both as a producer and as a skier, exciting to have some behind the scenes insight into what these productions require.
As I summarize this year, I’ll admit that I feel exhausted. It’s hard to know when 2021 began and when 2020 ended. The uncertainty brought about from the pandemic puts additional stresses on my lifestyle that already is blessed with adventure but plagued with uncertainty. Even as I summarize the year, I feel like I’m starting 2022 after comma in run on sentence, rather than an after the indention of a new paragraph. I turn 30 this March, and I’m beginning to reflect more and more about how to balance: the joy that can be found in the freedom that comes with the uncertainty; with the peace that comes with more stability.
Thank you to all my friends, family, colleagues, employers, sponsors for all your support this past year. I am looking forward to 2022 with all the joy that only unexpected adventure can bring.
Peace, love, fred og kjærlighet
Finn