VIDEO: Andreas Fransson skiing Poincenot, Patagonia

by Jack Geldard - UKC Chief Editor Dec/2012
This news story has been read 8,731 times

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+Andreas Fransson skiing the Whillans Ramp, Aguja Poincenot, 120 kb
Andreas Fransson skiing the Whillans Ramp, Aguja Poincenot
UKC News, Dec 2012
© Bjarne Sahlen, Endlessflow

+Aguja Poincenot with the line of the Whillans Ramp clearly shown., 62 kb
Aguja Poincenot with the line of the Whillans Ramp clearly shown.
UKC News, Dec 2012
© Bjarne Sahlen, Endlessflow Blurring the line between skiing and climbing is Swedish steep skiing specialist Andreas Fransson.

Earlier this year, accompanied by Swedish film-maker Bjarne Sahlen, Andreas travelled to Patagonia in South America to climb and ski some futuristic lines. Perhaps the most stunning line of that trip was The Whillans Ramp on Aguja Poincenot.

In an interview on PlanetMountain, Andreas commented on that particular descent:

"I'm always looking for special lines that stick out and when my friend Colin Haley pointed me to this one a few years back I got really interested in doing it. It's an obvious line and he felt it was one of the most far-out steep descents in the world. Now, in retrospect, I think so, too. It's steeper than anything I have ever skied before and it has the most extreme exposure you can imagine: it's not a couloir, but an outward leaning ramp. It was definitely at the limit of what I can do."

Bjarne has documented the trip in a two part film and has just released part 1 online (shown below). Part 2 is coming next week.

VIDEO: Andreas Fransson: Patagonia Mountain Skiing (Part 1 of 2)

+Fitzroy and Poincenot, Patagonia, 56 kb
Fitzroy and Poincenot, Patagonia
UKC News, Dec 2012
© Bjarne Sahlen, Endlessflow


* Forums ( Read More... | 23 comments, 20 Dec 2012 )
I never mentioned abseils. My criteria don't rule out any of the lines on the Midi as you ski in the top and ski out the bottom. All the abs do is link up snow fields. Quite different from the route on Poincenot. I'm...
Dave Kerr - 20 Dec 2012

For instance there's not a single line on the nth face of the aiguille du midi that isn't slightly contrived e.g. requiring at least an abseil even when in perfect conditions. In fact the vast majority of the routes...
Frank4short - 20 Dec 2012

I knew that post was open to misinterpretation which is why I was at pains to point out that I didn't mean to devalue the achievement. Do you think it's a good line? It certainly doesn't meet my criteria but then the...
Dave Kerr - 20 Dec 2012

Well using those criteria that rules out I'd say somewhere between half and 90% of the most highly sought after/extreme ski descents in the alps, as not really being great lines. No, you're completely devaluing it,...
Frank4short - 20 Dec 2012

Doubtless an amazing place to be on skis and balls of steel on the man but... Can't ski from the top, can't (from what I can see) ski to bottom, so not really a great line. Not devaluing the achievement but that...
Dave Kerr - 19 Dec 2012

I saw a tweet from one of them showing the picture of the Whillans Ramp in Powder magazine. It said something like "really happy to have my photo in Powder", but didn't seem to pass comment on the other side...
TobyA - 19 Dec 2012

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