Skiing the Planet

"Mongolia is kind of close, right?" Story about an attempt to ski everywhere in the world where there's snow. And in some places where there isn't. On and off-piste skiing on all continents, skiing into craters of live volcanoes, climbing, photography, and travel.

The blog about skiing around the world. The most recent blog articles can be found in Blogspot. This page lists all the skiing-related articles from this blog series.

It's dark, we're wearing sunglasses, and ski season just opened
It is pitch dark. Raining heavily. The whole place is closed. But I'm on a mission, so I grab my skis and walk to the bottom of the hill in my boots, as there's a rumour that there's some snow in the hill. And when I get to the bottom, what I find is a group of teenagers with just a couple of flashlights -- skiing, jumping the jumps, riding the pipes and rails. Wonderful!
Full story
(TGR version)

October 2021, Hyvinkään Sveitsin hiihtokeskus, Hyvinkää, Finland
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Hiking)

Swinghill Season's Opening
It is snowing in Swinghill, the lift is running, and I opened the season. Cool.
Full story
(TGR version)

September 2021, Swinghill, Espoo, Finland
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

Birthday trip, full of fun!
How much fun can you pack into one birthday trip? I started with a drink ... non-alcoholic, of course. And then things starting going faster after that: a sauna at the Oberstegen, continued with skiing on the Hintertux Glacier, went for a SUP paddling tour in an ice cave river under that glacier, and ended up climbing to the Grafenloch and Rossstall caves, and doing a 3D model of them. Not bad, and that was just the first day! Maybe for my next birthday I'll try to come with an active program.
Full story
(TGR version)

September 2021, Hintertux, Zillertal, Austria; Hintertuxer Gletscher Eispalast, Hintertux, Zillertal, Austria; Grafenloch, Oberaudorf, Germany; Rossstall, Oberaudorf, Germany; Gasthof Oberstegen, Stockach, Söll, Austria; Gasthof Oberstegen, Stockach, Söll, Austria
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Caving (Basic, Boating, Surveying, Ice); Caving (Basic, Rock, Rock-Limestone, Surveying); Hiking; Sauna (Normal, Infrared); Travel

Bus parking
So this is where the busses are parked in the summer...?
Full story

August 2021, Hintertux, Zillertal, Austria
Skiing (None)

This is better skiing than last week
Last week I skied on my own yard, with snow carried in cardboard boxes. This week I'm skiing in Austria's glaciers. Not too shitty, as we say in Finland!
Full story
(TGR version)

August 2021, Hintertux, Zillertal, Austria
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

July skiing done at the last moment
This month's skiing - check. Falling & road rash - check. Edges didn't work so well on rock.
Full story
(TGR version)

July 2021, House Arkko, Kauniainen, Finland
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Hiking)

June and the Grani hill is still going strong
It is June 6th, and Grani ski hill *still* has snow! Thanks go to the ski hill maintenance team who made and piled a lot of snow during the season.
Full story
(TGR version)

June 2021, Kauniainen ski hill, Kauniainen, Finland
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Hiking)

Kauniainen is melting!
Kauniainen ski hill is melting! Just a few days ago it was almost completely skiable, but now... just two plots of snow left.
Full story
(TGR version)

May 2021, Kauniainen ski hill, Kauniainen, Finland
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Hiking)

Vihti. And then the car breaks down.
Clutch failure. Stranded in Vihti... waiting for the call from towing company ...
Full story
(TGR version)

March 2021, Vihti ski, Vihti, Finland
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Car

Serena at the quiet hour
Today's outing was in Serena, a small commercial ski hill in northern Espoo. Serena combines skiing with summer activities from downhill cars to tree climbing routes, and one of the largest spas in Finland. It has been very popular... the Corona times have hit it as well, however. Nevertheless, skiing was great.
Full story
(TGR version)

March 2021, Serena, Espoo, Finland
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

Yet Another Abandoned Ski Area
While looking for ski areas I could go ski at, I came across a nearby ski hill that I had not even heard about: Klaukkala's Tornikeskus, or Tower Hill. Unfortunately, they just closed permanently. That doesn't mean I couldn't go ski there, of course :-)
Full story
(TGR version)

March 2021, Tornikeskus, Klaukkala, Finland
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Hiking)

Be the ski lift
Today’s exercise was to be the ski lift for sister’s twins as they tried out skiing for the first time on a small hill (not visiting a ski resort yet, this was a more relaxed setting). They made lot of progress, snowplough, turns, how to fall, etc. Fun day!
Full story

February 2021, Tuusulan urheilukeskuksen pulkkamäki, Hyrylä, Tuusula, Finland
Skiing (Snow, Outdoor, Hiking, Training)

Espoonkartano tree skiing
Covid. Lines everywhere. Commercial skiing... maybe not for us this year. Fortunately, Jarmo knew a place where we could get some forest skiing in. And even the sun was shining!
Full story
(TGR version)

January 2021, Mynttilän kukkulat, Espoonkartano, Espoo, Finland
Skiing (Snow, Outdoor, Hiking)

Maintenance!
I've been putting this moment off for some reason. But now they are there: both of my main skis are in maintenance and repair holiday at the Ski Service. Lets see how shiny they come out!
Full story

November 2020, Ski Service, Pitäjänmäki, Helsinki, Finland
Skiing (Equipment)

Not broken
It isn't broken. It just needs more duct tape.
Full story
(TGR version)

October 2020, Ruka, Kuusamo, Finland
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

Birthday skitrip
This month's skiing was a bit of a challenge. Travel is difficult, unlike in August. Many of things that one could do were already done.
Full story
(TGR version)

September 2020, Kauniainen ski hill, Kauniainen, Finland
Skiing (Outdoor, Grass, Snow)

This is the 6th set of articles. The previous sets were set 1, set 2, set 3, set 4, and set 5. The next sets are set 7, set 8, set 9, set 10, set 11, set 12, set 13, set 14, set 15, set 16, set 17, set 18, set 19, set 20, set 21, and set 22.

See also the Planetskier blog articles about caving, urban exploration, climbing, cycling, flying, swimming, and saunas. There is also a full list of all articles regardless of topic, a list of services "approved by the Planetskier, and a world map of all skiing related destinations from the blog series:

	It's dark, we're wearing sunglasses, and ski season just opened It is pitch dark. Raining heavily. The whole place is closed. But I'm on a mission, so I grab my skis and walk to the bottom of the hill in my boots, as there's a rumour that there's some snow in the hill. And when I get to the bottom, what I find is a group of teenagers with just a couple of flashlights -- skiing, jumping the jumps, riding the pipes and rails. Wonderful! Full story (TGR version) October 2021, Hyvinkään Sveitsin hiihtokeskus, Hyvinkää, Finland Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Hiking)

	Swinghill Season's Opening It is snowing in Swinghill, the lift is running, and I opened the season. Cool. Full story (TGR version) September 2021, Swinghill, Espoo, Finland Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

	Birthday trip, full of fun! How much fun can you pack into one birthday trip? I started with a drink ... non-alcoholic, of course. And then things starting going faster after that: a sauna at the Oberstegen, continued with skiing on the Hintertux Glacier, went for a SUP paddling tour in an ice cave river under that glacier, and ended up climbing to the Grafenloch and Rossstall caves, and doing a 3D model of them. Not bad, and that was just the first day! Maybe for my next birthday I'll try to come with an active program. Full story (TGR version) September 2021, Hintertux, Zillertal, Austria; Hintertuxer Gletscher Eispalast, Hintertux, Zillertal, Austria; Grafenloch, Oberaudorf, Germany; Rossstall, Oberaudorf, Germany; Gasthof Oberstegen, Stockach, Söll, Austria; Gasthof Oberstegen, Stockach, Söll, Austria Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Caving (Basic, Boating, Surveying, Ice); Caving (Basic, Rock, Rock-Limestone, Surveying); Hiking; Sauna (Normal, Infrared); Travel

	Bus parking So this is where the busses are parked in the summer...? Full story August 2021, Hintertux, Zillertal, Austria Skiing (None)

	This is better skiing than last week Last week I skied on my own yard, with snow carried in cardboard boxes. This week I'm skiing in Austria's glaciers. Not too shitty, as we say in Finland! Full story (TGR version) August 2021, Hintertux, Zillertal, Austria Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

	July skiing done at the last moment This month's skiing - check. Falling & road rash - check. Edges didn't work so well on rock. Full story (TGR version) July 2021, House Arkko, Kauniainen, Finland Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Hiking)

	June and the Grani hill is still going strong It is June 6th, and Grani ski hill still has snow! Thanks go to the ski hill maintenance team who made and piled a lot of snow during the season. Full story (TGR version) June 2021, Kauniainen ski hill, Kauniainen, Finland Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Hiking)

	Kauniainen is melting! Kauniainen ski hill is melting! Just a few days ago it was almost completely skiable, but now... just two plots of snow left. Full story (TGR version) May 2021, Kauniainen ski hill, Kauniainen, Finland Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Hiking)

	Vihti. And then the car breaks down. Clutch failure. Stranded in Vihti... waiting for the call from towing company ... Full story (TGR version) March 2021, Vihti ski, Vihti, Finland Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Car

	Serena at the quiet hour Today's outing was in Serena, a small commercial ski hill in northern Espoo. Serena combines skiing with summer activities from downhill cars to tree climbing routes, and one of the largest spas in Finland. It has been very popular... the Corona times have hit it as well, however. Nevertheless, skiing was great. Full story (TGR version) March 2021, Serena, Espoo, Finland Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

	Yet Another Abandoned Ski Area While looking for ski areas I could go ski at, I came across a nearby ski hill that I had not even heard about: Klaukkala's Tornikeskus, or Tower Hill. Unfortunately, they just closed permanently. That doesn't mean I couldn't go ski there, of course :-) Full story (TGR version) March 2021, Tornikeskus, Klaukkala, Finland Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Hiking)

	Be the ski lift Today’s exercise was to be the ski lift for sister’s twins as they tried out skiing for the first time on a small hill (not visiting a ski resort yet, this was a more relaxed setting). They made lot of progress, snowplough, turns, how to fall, etc. Fun day! Full story February 2021, Tuusulan urheilukeskuksen pulkkamäki, Hyrylä, Tuusula, Finland Skiing (Snow, Outdoor, Hiking, Training)

	Espoonkartano tree skiing Covid. Lines everywhere. Commercial skiing... maybe not for us this year. Fortunately, Jarmo knew a place where we could get some forest skiing in. And even the sun was shining! Full story (TGR version) January 2021, Mynttilän kukkulat, Espoonkartano, Espoo, Finland Skiing (Snow, Outdoor, Hiking)

	Maintenance! I've been putting this moment off for some reason. But now they are there: both of my main skis are in maintenance and repair holiday at the Ski Service. Lets see how shiny they come out! Full story November 2020, Ski Service, Pitäjänmäki, Helsinki, Finland Skiing (Equipment)

	Not broken It isn't broken. It just needs more duct tape. Full story (TGR version) October 2020, Ruka, Kuusamo, Finland Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

	Birthday skitrip This month's skiing was a bit of a challenge. Travel is difficult, unlike in August. Many of things that one could do were already done. Full story (TGR version) September 2020, Kauniainen ski hill, Kauniainen, Finland Skiing (Outdoor, Grass, Snow)