Field Journal

‘There are rare moments when the drudgery of normal life spills from your thoughts, like water tumbling from a high fall. It’s in these moments, these fleeting glimpses we so infrequently see, that a life lusted after becomes reality. When our inner core screams out to the stars and beyond: ‘I’m here, I’m alive, I’m free!’

‘I’m ready now, ready for the thrill of the descent. But before setting off I unzip the trigger toggle of my avalanche airbag. Just as a base jumper practises the muscle recognition of reaching for the pull cord, I reach for the toggle on the left shoulder strap with my right hand two, three times. I’m ready. Raising an arm, I shout, ‘Dropping!’ and I’m in. Navigating the first icy pitch before rolling over a blind spot into a pristine couloir of deep powder, my speed increases and I’m flying over the landscape.’ – Pete Coombs

The First Day of Summer, a film made by Zak Emerson, Pete Coombs and Jake Armstrong is the first in a trilogy of films exploring the personal and group rationalities of placing oneself at risk, while seeking adventure through the isolation of splitboarding expeditions. Shot in Iceland ‘The First Day of Summer’ is Pete Coombs personal reasoning, while their second film (soon to be released) shot in the Lofoton Islands of Norway, explores the camaraderie of group adventure.

Read the story from the expedition, ‘Splitboarding Iceland’, here on Sidetracked.