Last weekend the 7th annual Helsinki Adventure Night took place. Originally one of the shows within the Reel Rock Tour, over the years it has evolved into a more full blown adventure night it is today, presenting hand picked films and documentaries not just about climbing. This year the event included two full movies: Antarctica: A Year on Ice and, as part of the Reel Rock Tour, Valley Uprising. A Year on Ice conveyed very well the realities of working in one of the research stations in Antarctica at different times of the year, while Valley Uprising drilled into the history of modern rock climbing in Yosemite Valley, over half a century. Filled with legends in making and other intriguing characters, clashing with authorities (and at times one another) while living their passion, it is a riveting story that continues to this day.

Long live the DSLR!

Despite various micro four thirds and other mirrorless systems, digital single lens reflex cameras are still hugely popular also amongst consumers and prosumers, especially APS-C sized DSLRs flying off the shelves. Reasons can be debated, but for me, having stepped down from a film SLR (Canon EOS 5 at the time, with the neat eye controlled focusing) to a more or less pocketable cameras and camera systems when digital picked up, DSLR represents uncompromized control and handling (on top of suberb image quality of course). Therefore, despite the bulk and vast array of mirrorless systems (some of which I’ve tested), I’ve been drawn to it time and again. Despite my constant graving, I never bought one before last year, picking up a Canon 6D - the most affordable full frame body to date.

When purchasing a fatbike roughly two and a half years ago, one of the goals was to build a rig that could easily be used for mixed terrain bikepacking, year around. Any mountain bike is a great platform already for such endeavors (such as bikerafting up and down a river), but the simplicity of a solid, non-suspended frame helps to tackle a heavy payload, and fat tires give a clear edge on varied terrain.