Grown blog – high tech and eco

Grown in the shade of the tree. The last tracks of the season in Lenzerheide, Switzerland.

This pic reached us from the Californian High Sierra and a spring skiing trip of an international girls crew “SHEtours” at the Swall Institute. The Sierra recently received a series of storms and have awesome spring skiing conditions.

The new version of the Telemarkzone Ski for Nature Svalbard movie by Colin Witherill is now online, as well as a slide show of 250 photos from two Arctic expeditions.

Check it out and dive into a wild and vulnerable world

Business meetings can be such a waste of time… I have been sitting in that damn conference room for more than two hours now.
My view from the office is both a blessing and a curse: The mountain range of Black Forest stretches from one side of the window to the other. It had been raining this morning when I rode my bike to the office, and the tops of the Black Forest have been blessed with a fresh cover of white gold. Finally the meeting is finished. It’s 5.15 pm. I quickly check the webcam (looking good!), google for the time of today’s sunset (6.18 pm. We can make it!) and start calling ski buddies when rushing out of the office.
Half an hour later we arrive at Stollenbach, where an old farm and a small skilift mark the beginning of our tour to Feldberg, the highest peak of the southern Black Forest.

As we start skinning up, annoying contract negotiations and the daily rush of business emails suddenly seem to be far away. The sinking sun is now just over the French Vosges, sending us golden rays of light. From the summit we catch a last glimpse of the surrounding Black Forest with its typical pattern of wooded slopes and snowy meadows.

We ski down during one of the most amazing times of the day, when sunset has just ended, but nightfall is not complete yet. Stars are shining in the still blue sky.
Our skis turn easily on 10 cm of fresh light snow…turn after turn, we are becoming more and more ectsatic. We feel like children who just received their best present ever..
…this is it!

Matthias Knöpfle, Grown friend

Entering 50° on the Outgrown. Tobias Luthe at Disentis, Switzerland.
Picture: Franziska Heidenreich

Sport Kiefer, a traditional high quality mountaineering and sports shop in Freiburg, is the first dealer of Grown skis. In addition to our online shop Grown skis can now be looked at in real at Sport Kiefer, Freiburg, Black Forest, Germany. www.sport-kiefer.de

Philipp Schneider. Disentis, Switzerland.