Snowboard rider Krister Kopala packed the motorhome in November, with Lyngsalpan as the hiking destination. It ended in three epic lines and the scariest fall of the century!
We parked the car with a certain sense of stress -- rumors went that several people had thought to go to the same area. But when we got there, it was completely empty. We were the first in place and ended up walking the whole trip alone. The clouds and fog hung heavy over the mountaintops, although YR had promised sun. Typical. After interminable many kickturns up tomasrenna, we finally reached Tiananmen Square. I had hoped for the legendary view up here -- but no. The clouds lay like a lid, just like the rest of winter. We decided to boot up against Great Salmon Vine, although visibility was still poor. At the top we stayed for over an hour waiting, while Vetle sat down in the sea of fog and froze. There was still some indication that the weather could turn.
And suddenly -- a flash of sun.
We were getting ready for the first line. It's a line I've run many times before, but the crux I haven't always jumped. On this day, the snow was a bit harsh, so we decided to split the ride in half. I drove first, and Lars came after -- with so much speed towards the crux that I didn't think he was going to be able to stop in time. Well down we met Vetle and we decided to take another round. This time we aimed our way onto an east-facing line from the same mountain. Vetle joined in, and filmed some close-up shots. Lars dropped first, I as number two and Vetle as number three. I got some pre good speed and had to jump over a glacier lip at the bottom -- almost out of control. Vetle got into trouble with his own sluff after a little too many swings, but got down safely.
After a quick lunch break and a new set of traps, we moved on to the next goal: Tomastinden. On the way up we talked a bit about the area and the lines, we followed our backs to the top, and Vetle got some epic shots along the way. The top of Tomastinden offered surprises — the descent was much steeper and more exposed than we had thought. Lars dropped first and cruised down in style - jumping, swinging and floating downwards... until he hit a rock and was catapulted forward into a real snout. Fortunately, he quickly recovered. I took it calmer and followed.
At the bottom of the gutter, Vetle took the tease to film someone party shred-shots. On the fly I got a real spray that hit Lars in the middle of the fleise — and he smiled again. There was a roar of laughter at the bottom. The perfect rounding off on a long day.
We cruised together down to the car, amazed at how much we had actually managed. A long, intense and memorable day in the mountains.
I would love it if you want to watch the movie and follow us on our journey!
Regards Krister
Krister Røhme Kopala, 34 years old and raised in Tromsø. Now residing in the west of Norway, more specifically Luster. He has been interested in nature and adventure all his life, and since he was a child he has spent a lot of time outside in the winter and most of it with a snowboard under his arm. Kopala has developed to become one of the foremost in his field and is world-renowned for running some of the steepest and most challenging mountain slopes in the world. In addition to his snowboarding career, Kopala works as a powerline worker, giving him physical work and the opportunity to balance his job with his passion for the mountain. Kopala is also known for his openness about past challenges with drugs and how snowboarding became a positive driving force in his life. He has participated in several film projects, including his own film “The White Giant”, which documents his attempts to drive down the steepest lines at Jiehkkevárri in Lyngen. Krister has his own Kope show on YouTube, and you may have seen him in the NRK series Exposed.
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