Episode #24, the 2nd of our podcasts from Swedish Lapland, here Andy from the Backdrop crew talks with Upguides’ lead guide, Fred Buttard, and with Stranda Snowboards founder and shaper, Mats Drougge. The chat was recorded in the Kebnekaiser mountain station, in the far north, above the actic circle during the Stranda backcountry hut trip, in March 2022. Expedition food is discussed, the landscape of this enormous area, the crazy weather and touring experiences that week, as well as splitboard tech, and a bunch of other topics. Regarding the La Norma Splitboard fest’ that we discuss, being run by Upguides: It's being held in the La Norma ski resort, in the Maurienne valley, in France. From Friday Jan 13 2023 afternoon, to Sunday Jan 15 afternoon, 2023. Check out more details here. And for Stranda’s Swedish Lapland Backcountry hut trip, running again in March of  2023, find out more info here. Happy listening!

Episode 24 - Runar Hjorleifsson, is probably best known for his film Fjord Lines, made with Vioir Bjornsson. During the summer months Runar is a cod fisherman in the Arctic Ocean, but come winter he loves nothing better than to explore his local mountains of East Iceland, searching for new lines and first descents. We talk; life, asperations, fishing, and all things Iceland. Watch Fjord Lines on the Backdrop Journal website.

Episode 23 - Ilia Berulava is a man on a mission, not only has he set up the Georgia Guide Office from scratch, he was also instrumental in gaining IFMGA recognition for the mountain guide training in Georgia. We chat life, culture, the mountains of his homeland, and what’s on offer in this special part of the world.  After training as a guide in Chamonix Ilia returned home to set up his own little Chamonix in the village of Mestia, high in the Svaneti region of the caucasus mountains, close to the Russian border.  It’s been a great success, increasing local on mountain employment, filling hotel rooms and showcasing the regions abundant pow to the world. “All safety comes from fear... nothing is 100% safe and once you’re in the mountains, aside from your knowledge, you have this gut feeling.”

Episode 22 - During a week Backdrop spent in the arctic region of Swedish Lapland, around Kebnekaiser, in March of 2022, we stayed in some remote huts belonging to the Swedish Tourist Association. Mats was the hut host at one of them - Tarfala - while we were there, making sure we were going to follow the rules, and crucially, how to operate the sauna. Have a listen as Mats describes how the very democratic Swedish hut system works, how he got his love for the mountains and becoming a hut host, along with a few tales of his experiences up there. (A little bit less of our FFS theme to this podcast - like, er none - enjoy!)

Episode 21 - Grabbing a solid stick from the quiver, the Backdrop Crew spent a week in the cat with Lynx Freeride. Based in the Gjeravica mountains of Kosovo, an undiscovered freeride paradise, and a place of bears, wolves, lynx, music, guns, and most importantly powder. The Lynx Freeride lodge is far off-grid, and was far better than our expectations. We chat with Sebastian Fleiss, and his all snowboard guiding crew, to get the low down on what it takes to get a startup cat operation going in the back end of the Balkans.

Episode 20 - Recorded in early January, on a Backdrop Crew visit to the Verbier valley to check out a couple mountain huts, we took the opportunity to interviewed Daniel Coquoz - Verbier’s Head Mountain Guide. The Verbier valley is renowned for its extreme terrain, especially as it hosts the Freeride World Tour final each season. This recognition has seen a huge rise in backcountry skiers and boarders hitting the slackcountry zones straight from the lifts, often without the skill set or knowledge to do so, and even more frighteningly the necessary safety equipment. Pete Coombs catches up with Daniel to hear what the resort is doing to enhance safety, and to find out more about what life as a head guide means. He also chats with local guide Richard Michellod, and hear direct from the skin-track, as Pete skins in the morning sunshine high above the Cabane Brunet Mountain Hut.

Episode 19 - Xavier De Le Rue three times Freeride World Tour winner; four times World Boardercross Champion; backcountry legend; Olympian; splitboard enthusiast… the list goes on. Yet when we chatted with Xavier De Le Rue, in his Verbier home, we found an honest and grounded individual who wears his heart on his sleeve: passionate about backcountry safety, family values and the sport we all love. In this pod Xavier talks about avalanche education, the thought process behind riding big lines, future aspirations and of course - Fear, Failure and Success. “I’m trying to broaden the range and spectrum in the mountains and transform - ice - into a feature rather than an obstacle.” “My biggest close call in 2008, when my daughter was two years old, made me feel really guilty. Seeing death so closely it’s made me extra careful. ”

Episode 18 - Mats Drougge, from Stranda snowboards, has a fascinating take on life and snowboard design. Riding sideways has always been part of Mats life, and after time in a punk band, a life of surf and snowboard travels, and an inspirational kick up the arse by his wife, he started his Stranda Snowboards journey. Inspired by 60’s longboard surfers and the directional riding of Japan and time in Colorado, Mats makes snowboards that maximise float, glide and edge hold, cause it makes him happy.

Episode 16 - Christine Feleki is Canada’s first woman to be certified as an  ACMG snowboard guide. Told she’d be better on skis, Christine simply knuckled down and proved that she could pass all the necessary assessments on her split. She started off working in various BC restaurants and cafes, to gain slope time, before beginning her 10 year journey from kitchen porter to guide. We chat guide culture, reshaping expectations and Christine talk us through the various hurdles you need to jump to become a ACMG guide. Christine rides for Phantom, Arc'teryx, Pallas Snowboards and Trinsic Optics Photo Credit Robin O"Neill

Episode 15 - Hampus Cerderholm is always pushing boundaries, be it splitboard or hard-boot (or not so hard-boot) design. We catch up with Hampus, who springs from Southern Sweden, and now lives in California, via an education in Innsbruck. Hampus is the brainchild behind the design and development of the  Furberg Snowboards Floorboard Technology,  a tongue and grove system that they claim eliminates movement between the two splitboard halves. He’s also joined forces with one of the Plum crew, to develop a new hard-boot, or as he calls it ‘a not so hard-boot’. Designed for precision splitboard touring and easy flow soft-boot feel riding. The new Disruptive boot, from Key Equipment, is available for pre -order now.