Mountain tales — Mountain Tales

Thoughts on the avalanche

Firstly, I just want to say that I have so much appreciation for the support I have felt from the community since the accident. The rescue team and hospital staff were amazing, and I have complete respect for their work. I will always be grateful for the efforts of everyone involved in this accident; the ski team that helped out initially, the mountain rescue team, emergency services, UNN staff, friends, family and Tromsø community all played a part in helping the affected people deal with this terrible situation…

Mountain talesCalvin ShackletonMarch 30, 2022Malangan TromsøAvalanche, skred, malangan, malangan avalanche march 2022, tromsø avalanche 2022 Comments

Climbing Norway's National Mountain: Stetind

The time came to get kitted up for more serious scrambling, so we donned a harness and helmet, distributed gear, and tied into either end of the rope. Most of the scrambling was easy but exposed, with some sections of protected down climbing. At several sections we had one foot on either side of a sharp knife-edge ridge, with several hundreds of meter drop either side…

Mountain talesCalvin ShackletonOctober 15, 2020Stetind, Norways national mountain, National mountain of norway, Norway road trip, road trip through norway, norwegian summer, mountaineering, mountasins of norway, mountains of norway, Climbing in norway, arcteryx ambassador Comment

Climbing Norway's Highest Mountain: Galdhøpiggen

We slowly made our way up the steep ridge towards the summit, while the snow and clouds surrounding us got heavier and thicker, reducing the visibility to less than 10-20 metres. By the time we made it to the final few kilometres, we were battling through thick snowfall and strong wind, while kicking steps into the snow and stopping every few 100 m to check our map and confirm that we were still heading the right way…

Mountain talesCalvin ShackletonAugust 10, 2020Galdhøpiggen, Mountaineering, Norway, Jotunheimen, Mountain Blog, mountaineering in norway, Summer in Norway, Norway Road Trip, Climbing in norway, Norway highest mountain, highest peak in norway, shackleton, mountain tales, calvin shackleton, shackleton blog Comments

A Mountain Rescue Experience

When you spend a lot of time in mountainous terrain, it becomes increasingly likely that you will have to deal with an accident and rescue situation at some point.

This is a risk that the mountaineering community constantly try to manage, and it is a big part of decision making well before heading out on a trip and throughout the duration of any time spent in the mountains…

Mountain talesCalvin ShackletonJuly 23, 2020Mountain Rescue, Mountain Blog, Tromsø, Store Hollendaren, REscue, Norway, Skiing in Tromsø, Helicopter Rescue, Skiing, Backcountry, 2020, Winter 2020 Comments

Lofoten Skyrace 2020

The final ascent up to Matmora at 788 m was tough. In complete contrast to the first ascent, I felt tired and slow the entire way up, battling with the heat, a lack of water, and an onslaught of flies that followed me from the forest. The pain of this last ascent was completely worth it however, as we were greeted with spectacular views in all directions, and finally the finish line was in sight…

Mountain talesCalvin ShackletonJuly 7, 2020SvolværLofoten skyrace, trail running, running, race, lofoten, mountain blog, norway Comments

Winter 19/20: The longest season

Some trips were cold, tiring, and sometimes scary, while others were social, easy, and relaxed - one thing that is constant between trips is that magical simplicity of being in mountainous terrain, and being fully focused on and present in your surroundings…