Falling in the no fall zone, an Olympic gold winner, and a first descent || SKAMTINDEN

[@petercogan3396]

YO NIKOLAI - This was a difficult vid to watch, and I watched it twice to make sure. Nikolai: “Perfect day, huh,” as you enter the boat. I have some thoughts on your perfect day. 1 you were 30 minutes late, and although the snowpack was isothermic, wet slides are still possible. 2 You didn’t tell your partner that you were bringing two other people on a “significant” line, a first descent, and that one had little experience; he had never used crampons before. [I would define “significant” as have serious consequences with a fall.] a. Krister: “The opposite of what you want on a big day . . . speed is safety.” 3 It appears that Oystein and Merrick have never done an ascent together, or even know each other. 4 Krister simply walks ahead of the group, while Bendik and oystein are left behind. Not exactly protocol. 5 Nikolai: “we’re being assholes” for walking ahead. Perhaps, but you are definitely being a terrible partner. 6 And then you separate into two groups at the top, letting an inexperienced backcountry skier to go it alone. 7 and she doesn’t have a radio Oystein:“the right people who knew what they are doing.” I would argue the right people did NOT know what they were doing, and they put you - and themselves - in danger. Nikolai - I wish you all the best; you are certainly a superb skier. However, watching you make a series of major backcountry errors, combined with the significance of the lines you choose, makes me wonder not if, but when. [ I’ve spent 4 decades managing risk in whitewater kayaking, technical rockclimbing, and backcountry skiing/snowboarding, and I’m still alive - ]

[@Nikolai_Schirmer]

Hi Peter, and thanks for a thoughtful comment. I'll get back to you point by point, but generally my feedback is that it is really hard to get a full picture from a video because of two factors: 1 - This is 15 minutes of a multiple hour day. 2 - It's in the director's interest to portray this day as challenging as possible, focusing on the perspectives that found it more so. In response to your well reasoned critique: 1: The reason we were 30 min late was that it was colder than anticipated, so we made the collective decision to not rush and film those car approach shots. As we go through in the section about an isothermic snowpack at 2:49, we're well aware of wet slides. Remember the lines faced multiple aspects, so it was a tricky game of balancing the colder parts with the warmer ones. 2: Krister knew about everyone but Merrick, who joined last minute. Merrick is a mountain guide with tons of experience, so I judged her addition to the group to be more a bonus than a negative. The comment you're referring to "speed is safety", is from my interview, not Krister's. 3: This is true, Merrick didn't know Øystein. Krister, Merrick and I have all been in the mountains together before, and know well how we react when shit hits the fan, and also have had long discussions about all the mountain brings after our experience that's depicted in the Wavy film. As a group, our trio was solid in my mind. Øystein was the wildcard, and that was the reason I brought him out the day before to have a good look at the lines, and make sure he had a good understanding of what we were doing. Also just to spend a day in the mountains with him. If the line off the peak was the only way down I wouldn't have brought him. I knew there was a safer option off the side that the media crew were doing, which he also ended up choosing. Wisely, as he's new to this type of riding. 4+5: The only danger on the ascent was the subjective one of falling. No risk of cornice falls, avalanches or similar. A fall which might, if you were extremely unlucky, lead to you tumbling off the edge hundreds of meters further down. But you would have to be very very unfortunate for that to happen, I'd say a 1/1000 chance or less. You can tell how flat it is from some of the shots. Most likely you're looking at bruises. This is a trail my 60 year old mom hikes in the summer, with some ice in there that made it a little trickier. Øystein and Krister still experienced it as very scary, as it does feel airy, and so I chose to focus on that in the edit, to bring out the mental challenges they overcame on their way up. Krister only started using hard boots a few seasons ago and Øystein comes from a park background. Merrick and I have spent half a lifetime in ski boots in that sort of terrain. Had there been any real risk of death from a fall we would of course have been roped up in a tight group with proper protection. The reason we say we're being "assholes" is because we weren't considerate of Øystein's mental struggle, not because we weren't considerate of his safety. As you can tell from the video, both Øystein and Krister having a hard time up there came as a surprise to Merrick and I, and behind the scenes also to Joonas. Bendik thought we were going a more sketchy route for the final bit and told Øystein it was only going to get harder, which played a big role in him getting psyched out too. 6: Øystein descended after Joonas, followed by Bendik. He was not alone. 7: There was a misunderstanding by the car, where Merrick left her radio because she thought I had two in my backpack. I do acknowledge that I make mistakes in the mountain. There will be two more videos with people falling down the mountain the next Mondays, and I question how much of a paternal role I should take on for future objectives. Should I vet the 10 year older mountain guide as to how rested she is? Should I not only tell my little brother to go slow on the descent, but also make sure he'll follow my advice? I find those questions hard, because I know that I'd hate it if someone acted that way towards me. And still I find it very difficult to watch my friends tumble towards possible harm down serious mountains. After discussing the possible hazards and letting the group know how you'd approach them, at what point does one leave another person to make their own decisions regarding the risk they're comfortable with? I'm not sure. Hope that clarifies a few things for you, and glad you stopped by to check out the video! Have a good winter :-)

[@petercogan3396]

@@Nikolai_Schirmer nikolai - thanks so much for taking the time to respond. i watch your vids, and i think you and your extremely talented gang are consistently doing next level stuff. thanks for the clarification, which gives me some understanding of your mind set about the assorted decisions. those questions you ask at the end are hard ones, and your answer -- "i'm not sure" -- is legit. My own take is !) i'm in it for the long game, and right now that means 55 years on snow, and i still can't get a good night's sleep before a powder day and 2) in small group situations, we all have to agree and be in sync at all times, which sometimes isn't easy, but that's the mindset and the goal. enjoy your winter as well, and thanks again. i have a lot of respect for what you do. cheers -

[@dasburke]

@@petercogan3396 Just send

[@sammysizzle]

@@Nikolai_SchirmerLOOSE!

[@onhi1]

Amazing @Nikolai and crew! A well planned day in general - indeed no need to be defensive. But big thanks also to the discussion @Peter Cogan as a lot of people watch these vids and take example. So talking through critical moments and things is important beyond the "entertainment and thrill" of it. Always good when we can learn together and not everyone needs to live through close calls first hand. Keep it up! Keep it safe!

[@calvinmay]

Seeing an olympic medalist / one of the most athletic people in skiing struggle to keep up shows the caliper of skiing in these episodes. Badass!

[@sratnatozmrde]

lol, its like saying 100m sprinter struggles during cross country running. Its obvious, totally different sport..

[@Nikolai_Schirmer]

I would for sure say Øystein is the better athlete. Lines like these are mostly about mental game, which comes with experience

[@isaacschnitzer9849]

@@Nikolai_Schirmer true but he rides a snowmobile to the top of the jumps.

[@IMP3TIGO]

He's a trick skier, not a downhill skier so he was clearly out of his element, as he noted he doesn't usually like to ski steeps.

[@chrismckernan6945]

calibre

[@fjordbear3050]

If you keep dropping videos like these, Tromsø and Lyngen will see a rise in population over the next few years🔥🔥🔥

[@Vctr]

For a season from February til April? 🤣

[@mathiasweinreich1100]

Count me in

[@deetrane]

@@Vctr more like till late June or longer

[@jonassjveianhalvorsen146]

@@Vctr november til june

[@jimicob9143]

@@jonassjveianhalvorsen146 how do you skitour during the winter months without sunlight? you guys go anyway with a strong headlamp on terrain you know or on nights with full moon?

[@FjodorvS]

Niko, you are absolutely knocking it out of the park with the films this year. Despite meeting Merrick a week ago and knowing she'd be okay I was at the edge of my seat. Hope you're having fun skiing this season!!

[@Nikolai_Schirmer]

Thanks, and likewise!

[@FjodorvS]

@@Nikolai_Schirmer I’m actually really excited, did my first tour of the season today! Went to Rundfjellet at the other side of the Kroken valley. Very little snow up until the very top, but I managed some quality turns hahah

[@davidtrain]

Mate, everytime you release a video it's a cinematic experience. Thanks for doing what you do!

[@retobaumann5604]

Krister is probably one of the best snowboarders on the planet currently - insane. Completely other level type of stuff.

[@Nikolai_Schirmer]

Agreed.

[@geoffreyeble32]

I'm interested. What's the pay scale for these comments?

[@andrewgorrell2176]

@@geoffreyeble32 Lol got 'em

[@andrewgorrell2176]

@@geoffreyeble32 I've been riding for about 20 years now, taught for 5 of those, and while I've never ridden at this level, I've spent a fair share of time on the steep and narrow (minus this level of consequences, but also generally minus loose snow to dig into). Much respect to Krister for tackling this gnarly line, but, at the risk of sounding like a dick on the internet, what I saw in this video was more a very competent rider getting down a tough line safely and less an example of the best riding in the world. No hate, I would have ridden steep, heavy snow with a giant cliff at the bottom the same way. But if you're gonna throw out titles like the best in the world, I don't think 20 seconds of fully closed turns, side slips, and a quick edge change is sufficient evidence. Dude's ballsy and a dope rider (I'd like to see him in a situation where he doesn't need to throttle himself for fear of injury/death), I just don't think there's nobody else in the world who couldn't have made it look better. Get those hips over those toes (straight line from shoulders to knees delivers the most force through the boot to the toeside with the least effort, but admittedly that's not always desirable on softer snow because its harder to correct than ankle pressure), climb out of the backseat on toeside (it's not nearly deep/soft enough to warrant it, at least for the clip from the bottom of the run), and show me a sweet, flowy S in place where the bottom 99.9% would say "Oh hell naw". Then maybe we'll talk.

[@zakikhan814]

@@andrewgorrell2176 I actually felt the same but human nature when boardin on unknown terrain that steep wit very little room for error can sike anyone out

[@alejandrogutierrez6923]

Maximum respect to you and this crew. I completely take my hat off to you and really admire the tenacity and courage. With respect to this film, I'm disappointed we didn't get to see more of the actual runs - I feel like that's what I was waiting for, that cathartic moment of release and it never came because the runs were just very brief clips. You led us through the journey but did not let us enjoy the elation of the ride.

[@jonnenne]

They showed the whole run for each person. That couloir is the run.

[@Levi_Allen]

The amount of work that goes into these edits is mental

[@exodeus7959]

First time I’ve actually yelled at my screen saying “she’s in trouble”. That was scary. The funny thing about finding the razor’s edge is that you have to cross it once in a while to know where it truly is. This is one of those moments. Glad you are still with us.

[@rasvankhandro4563]

niko and krister u guys make my day ! ur chemistry and the way all of u in the end are just family , love it !!!

[@banoodel5121]

So glad Merrick is okay! Sick skiing from all of you!🤙🏽 Can‘t wait for more Nikolai and crew! :)

[@Nateinthewild]

Man this is EXCELLENT. Good storytelling, engaging people on screen, epic adventure, and really really well filmed. This is how ski films should be made.

[@CT99999]

So incredible! I love that the Olympian gold medalist felt immediately at home once y'all were at the peak and ready to ski down. It's enjoyable to see someone who is world-class at something have to improvise and succeed with confidence.

[@S1su]

Man, the thought of just finding a good lookout point (like another mountain opposite to the skiing line) to learn the line you’re about to ski down, taking notes and analysing the terrain. There’s just something so satisfying about it (Never done it my self but still)

[@JussiTaka-so8xr]

14:00 From regular stance to switch on top of a cliff is probably one of the ballsiest moves I've ever seen done on a snowboard. Pica Herry -level stuff right there... :O

[@JussiTaka-so8xr]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/l33Gk6WffM2Ca6s&ab_channel=PicaHerry

[@JakkeJakobsen]

More Øystein please! I wanna see what he can do when he's more comfortable on the big mountain lines! If his freeski abilities can be translated to touring and big mountain he'll be crazyyy!

[@kristofer091994]

allways producing quality content, Nikolai!

[@callumglass]

Ahhh howd you do this EVERYTIME. Incredible Nikolai and team!

[@McMcPherson]

“I’m okay , followed by her BRRRRR” had me in so much joy .! Rock on girl.!

[@chaseadventures]

As someone who is just getting started making adventure films, wow this is inspirational. I mean y'all are total badasses

[@mathiasweinreich1100]

Another amazing film!! I freaking love when i go to KZbin and see a new movie from you. You guys are such beasts and awesome you motivated Oystein to keep going.

[@filipcernak9975]

Can we expect a part 2 of eulogy of a steep skier now?

[@Steegwolf]

This is so so so gnarly. Please take care of each other (more). Bring 6 people up. Bring 6 people down.

[@2Fixitup]

Definitely showing my "grew up skiing mini parks in Minnesota", but that was so dope seeing Øystein join the crew.

[@ciasa9488]

This is terrifying 😱 So happy everyone got down safely.

[@geoffreyeble32]

Not terrifying enough! They had no 1st person camera footage of the exposed traverse section above the cliffs. They had GoPros, too. And the drone footage was from too far away. Plus slopes look much steeper than they really are when viewed facing them from a distance. But the footage from the high couloir showed how steep and narrow that part was. It was a really good effort, to be sure, in a beautiful setting, but the film of the descent could have been better.

[@fredrikcampbell3701]

Thanks for incarnating ski dreams ! Stay alive ! stay safe ! Love your ski videos.

[@romanzanier]

This level of consistancy in video drops and the quality🥺🥺🥺 amazing!!!

[@TheyForcedMyHandLE]

Hiccup remedy: 1. Stand up 2. Take a decent swig of water and hold it in your mouth 3. Bend over so your head is upside down 4. Breath normally through your nose and wait (mine generally disappear in 30s, or so) Learned this 30 years ago in 3th grade show-and-tell and it has never failed me. Also learned that the Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa is Hawaii's state fish :D

[@simongerber1476]

Best skiing content for sure… truly epic!

[@IamtheWV17]

I just started cry laughing at 8:40.... the moment your head sticks up above the ridge and we're right there with your looking into the couloir below... with that soundtrack! INCREDIBLE!

[@susannewilliams]

Best skiing content bar none. You are bringing us there. Please keep taking good care!

[@loops3504]

As a guy who tore his calf on a blue groomed run, I will continue to live vicariously through your videos from the comfort of my warm home. Haha

[@TheBillNye]

This felt like a documentary I should be watching on a streaming service. The quality is insane

[@LudovicFremondiere]

It really took my breath away for a few seconds ! Such a good one.

[@taylorj9920]

Hiking and climbing in even the best ski boots is more insane than the drop

[@hootedits4235]

Thanks for introducing me to Fay Wildhagen!

[@ege1384]

i live in austria and i love skiing.. i just discovered your channel and im impressed by it. my skill is nowhere close to yours but i still enjoy falling lol

[@mikeschiestl9950]

The combination with Oystein and Krister is so lovely, content is sooo sick🥳👍🏽👍🏽

[@mopel3981]

Love you content Niko it really inspires me to go out and ski and adventure in the mountains big up

[@juliusconstantinescu1016]

Wow, just wow! Fantastisk video! Väldigt roligt att se Oystein igen, följt hans karriär som park-åkare och att nu få se honom i de stora bergen var häftigt!

[@Fly1ngStep]

finally all those amazing videos getting released 🤩

[@lewisjohn2597]

Again, another class video. I'm getting anxiety just watching it from home! What would be interesting is to show a full transition from stepping down these narrow access points to transferring all of your crampons, ice axes etc to your back packs and getting your ski's on. A monumental effort under such circumstances.

[@outsidereids]

This was a joy to watch, glad everyone is safe. Great video!

[@scotthansford521]

This is your first video where I feel like you really see the steepness and how gnarly all these lines are, scary stuff haha

[@IdRatherBeHiking]

I've had that feeling sliding down moss and loose dirt while hiking its terrifying.

[@deathsicon]

This just makes me more excited for the season to get here in the mid Atlantic east coast, going to go off piste at the old resort I grew up on that shut down almost 20 years ago

[@vnderrr]

for long rocky ascent I'd have def worn sneakers with my ski boots on the back. this has proven faster for a lot of conditions actually. love the channel. thanks for sharing.

[@miromiro]

Nikola super productions, the best , yea up and down this is life, best part he is on the edge

[@haydentetreault2482]

You guys make such a great environment hyping eachother up every vid is dope

[@yonieter2]

Loving the content. It's kind of a serious adventure with funny antics. Really nice combination. That being said, I would love to see more first person gopro footage. But it's not a complaint.

[@EmilLamprecht]

I’ve been loving your videos. I’m getting back into snow sports after over a decade away from it. And while I’m trying to figure out how to start this journey from scratch in my mid thirties, and aware I may never really get to do anything remotely as crazy as your adventures, they’ve been a massive inspiration for figuring it out and enjoying the mountains to their fullest. If you have tips for a backcountry noob, would be lovely to learn from you, but in the mean time, keep crushing lines mate, and stay safe. ❤

[@calleX]

My heart skipped a beat when I saw her start sliding.

[@markthomasson5077]

Me to…though it looked as she was still a way above the true no fall zone. Thinks she need to practice those pole arrest some more….I do it most outings!

[@clarkg9805]

It was hard to tell which was more dangerous, going down the mountain, or up the mountain. Glad everything turned out ok.

[@footsy420]

thanks for the video. It reminds me of a time i got back on my ski that was still on in a no fall zone tumble.

[@jonst2832]

So Sick :) love the scenery. Massive Props to Joonas... for the camera work and the f*cking skiing 🤙🏽

[@tanguylemaitre6126]

Amazing content as always ! Thanks Nikolai

[@cellokid5104]

That kind of hike in SKI BOOTS!?!?!? Absolutely bonkers

[@Kodlak15]

Wow. Amazing video, and what an adventure. So glad Merrick is okay 🙏

[@THISISSAIGON]

Would love to ride with you guys before i get too grey... My last kind of runs like this was over 10 years ago , normally riding solo as everyone else was more interested in park riding and less in hiking and taking it all in. Amazing to watch you guys, put's a huge smile on my face seeing you guys living the dream!

[@sratnatozmrde]

Please everyone like Niko's video to help him boost the algorithm so he finally gets over 100k subs

[@meladoescraft]

Roger that sir

[@hustlecoder1673]

alright, alright, alright

[@leviof1996]

When I saw the top of the couloir, I became seriously concerned I was watching a horrible accident. glad to see y’all climb down and make it out unscathed!

[@AndreiKucharavy]

Nice to see Merrick back!

[@maxsioulas7794]

That was sick.....What an awesome clip and well done

[@karolpadiasek5461]

beautiful scenery and brave skiers! respect! one Q: why did you cut it at 13:33 (and previous skier as well, exactly same moment)? did you downclimb this part of the route?

[@jasonbbb]

Exactly wht im thinking too 🤔

[@jasonbbb]

Or go to the far right of the screen

[@PowerRepublic]

Such a cool story, thanks the rad video !!!

[@timo.muller]

Like it, go study, watch it as a reward. Hyped!

[@AndrewGustyn]

My wardrobe choice’s would’ve included brown pants. Wow that was one scary descent. Keep dropping this amazing content, please.

[@ShunkopleX]

love your stuff guys, keep up the good work. I just find myself missing some timestamp of the day of the shoot. Knowing the time of the year, helps me "feel" the conditions more and gets more immersive for me, instead of "is this now, or 3 weeks ago or last year?". Otherwise top notch!

[@Nikolai_Schirmer]

Mid March🙌😄 and thanks, I’ll add a date to the next videos

[@clint7186]

This is some radical ass stuff. Well done

[@ianzinnerphoto]

That was the best breakdown of a melt/freeze snowpack I've ever seen. Emojis for the win. haha

[@chronicstar]

I like the playful music while they talk about how gnarly the climb is and if you slip, you'll fall and die.

[@josephplischke291]

Good stuff, Nikolai ! 😀😀😀😀😀

[@almorkans3171]

Hmmm… the word insane kept repeating while I was watching. Amazing athletes!

[@jeffrochford2183]

always epic, inspiring content, with such a sweet, compassionate element

[@elimayer1237]

A master class in confirmation bias

[@moonwort1234]

You guys are impressive! Thanks for the video! Just one little criticism/question: why didn't we see anyone go over that small wind ridge where the upper couloir kind of terminates and ya gotta go left, over the wind ridge of snow and onto a wider face? I'm assuming that's the way you all went but I couldn't see it in the video. Am I missing something?

[@michaelhoelzl5882]

...also surprised me!!! Could have done only one quick snowy splash on the edge!!

[@anatexis_the_first]

Wow, that was intense! Thank you for the video!

[@Psytripification]

8:41 the view is just stunning

[@angushulme7074]

so intense... including the ski boot climb no fall

[@flamin34]

Really pleased to hear your hiccups worked out. Stay safe

[@johnwatson8192]

Loved being scared just watching it. It does make me think though that by hitting the like button am I encouraging Nikolai to push the boundaries even further?

[@kevinw1129]

Hey Niko, Inspired by your videos I'm coming to Senja next March to go ice climbing. Can't wait!

[@someusername121]

8:44 "it's super nice": vertical drop like Corbet's except it goes forever. Shoutout to that song though. Has Above & Beyond Zoë Johnston vibes.

[@WaechterDerNacht]

Haven't kept up with the whole skiing and snowboarding scene besides some podcasts and videos like yours, Antti Autti's or Jacob Westers etc. But definitely got to keep an eye open for what Øystein is up to...

[@ianmcnulty4251]

SUPER awesome skiing, place and video. Stay safe!

[@lenemauchien182]

Stoked to see Merika in the video

[@colorghost]

"it's really important - these near mistakes - that you respect them"

[@sprintermaximus]

Dude.....Merrick, insane. Glad you could com to a halt. Good vid for all of you though. Very cool.

[@Ranger_k16]

I love the part when the one dude is like, I'm confident in his abilities... you're mighty brave with someone else's body lol

[@dirtbagseth]

Merrick you are a savage!! Respect

[@neoallergren7988]

ones again a super good video!!

[@djremotion2]

Route seems from every angle extremely crazy.

[@nyc0.431]

banger as always

[@Guirakksol]

I'm in love with your videos guys, this is soooo good Thank you for sharing such a beautiful adventure I wish you the best for everything, and please be careful 🙏🤍

[@ddbbel5654]

great to see your play

[@erlendbo]

Great videos....keep them coming

[@Alastair_]

Can we just appreciate the fact that they're all speaking English. I'm from Scotland and even I can barely speak English..

[@willjensen5595]

I keep waiting for the channel to blow up. I think it has to.

[@topherdean1024]

Oh my lord, when she started riding the sluff I got pretty tense and was questioning if I wanted to continue watching the video.

[@scoopydaniels8908]

I think that elk was standing there to remind you who the king of the north really is. And that you're just visiting.