why fly?

A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege to go for a flip over the Swiss Alps in a small 2 seater plane. It was absolutely spectacular to see the Alps, which over the years have become our snowboarding and mountain biking playgrounds, from that birds-eye perspective.

And this is what we saw...

insomniac, I am

I have been thinking about this edit for awhile (yes, lying in bed at night). Didn't come out exactly how I planned, but it was still great having an idea and bringing it to life. The bike footage was shot last weekend at Mottolino bikepark in Livigno, Italy. Enjoy!

galapagos edit

prima La_/gnar\_vino: Canada this is Europe

European sign language for lets get rowdy!

After being back in Swissi for a week, we had itchy feet already: it was time to get on the road again. And what a better way to reunite with friends than out in the Alps? For once, the weather actually agreed. So the plan was a couple of days destination Livigno.

The Shore

"Few places on earth have had as much impact on the mtb world as Vancouver's North Shore mountains. From way back in the day it has been featured in countless freeride films and inspired trail builders and bikers around the world to replicate "The Shore" style of riding."

mountainbikingbc.ca/community/north-shore

The cup of coffee ripples through my conscious, turns eddies into the first thoughts of the day. It's not that the coffee is strong, but jetlag and streetparade that have left us feeling a bit like zombies. And probably also why we are still unsure if we dreamt our return to Zuri.

A Tree of Life

If you don't like trees (or suffer from megalobotanophobia) then don't bother coming to Canada. 

Cathedral Grove was humbling. What awe nature can inspire, leaving us feeling so insignificant in the grander scheme of things! 

But then 800 year old trees will do that...

island style

Simone mind's the gap, which seemed much bigger on our last visit.

After riding technical trails for a couple of days we were looking forward to scoring some flow when we pulled into Mt. Washington. Only a couple of trails were open, so we opted for the repeat-repeat-repeat approach. Great for building confidence and getting to know the trails, eventually we were able to send the drops, gaps and step downs that Wizzard and Big Brother offered up to us.

Placenta Descenta

Standing on the beach I stare out to sea. 

My chest tightens and throbs. 

I watch the horizon as small waves wash ashore.  

My eyes moisten...

Had Nelson touched us so deeply that leaving town stirred our emotions? 

Rumplestumpskin vs. TNT (the curse of chinese laundry)

Another tough day at the office: Fernie TNT!

It was Friday.
It was definitely laundry day.
Teased all day by thunderstorms that never came, we rolled into town with the confidence of those who have soap (got soap?). We set our load to spin, and decided for a cold beer instead of going to the grocer while our washing washed.

That was when the storm arrived.

Its entry was rather simple, turning off the lights (and our washing), leaving us sitting and sipping in the dark, spinning our washing wasn't. We thought that we had been struck by the curse of chinese laundry...

T-Dub Moose Shuffle

Yes, we did see mice (plural of moose?), but the shuffle came later...

Mom moose watches closely before teaching sonny to swim.

Our few days of rest were spent enjoying some of the scenery that Canada has to offer and dipping our tired bodies into the springs at Radium before heading along the road.

Nomad Inclinations

Welcome to Kamloops Kountry!

2 weeks of our trip has already past, 9 days of which have been spent on our bikes (>30'000m decent?!?). Last night we rolled into Vernon ate our broccoli mushroom pasta at 11pm before dropping dead into bed. Its time for a well deserved rest!

Rock 'n roll on a Sun Peaks slab.

lost in pemberton

Overnight Sensation rock roller with Pemberton in the background.

Anyone who has ever been to Pemberton will know that it has probably never been referred to as paradise. But the town itself wasn't what pulled us there…

Driving out of Whistler, we were filled with anticipation: Whistler is one of those 'must see' places with insane biking, but a somewhat plastic and superficial feel to the town. So leaving felt like the true beginning of our trip. We had equipped our camper and pretty much had the freedom to stop wherever we liked.

wicked in whistler

It was only a few months ago that we decided to jump ship and head out of Switzerland. So everything has happened very fast. Arriving in Vancouver, picking up our bikes from Matt at North Shore Bike Shop and our Wicked Campers minivan and heading straight out to Whistler has felt like a bit of a dream.

Bling, bling & more bling!... and also our home for the next 5 weeks. I love bananas.

Homeless, Jobless & Loving Life!

So it's done...

Just Letten it be, one more time.

After a week of running around like headless chickens, we have succeeded in packing up our lives into a few cardboard boxes and are ready to leave. Next stop Vancouver, today.

T=7, 6, 5...

A couple of weeks ago I was walking through downtown Zürich with a friend enjoying the stunning weather, when he asked: "Peter, why would you even want to leave Zürich?"

Bye, bye, Züri!

It was a valid question. Why would we want to leave friends, family and our lives here behind?

prelude - god's window

Filmed a couple of months ago on our way up to Kruger National Park. Enjoy ....