Today’s post is something a little bit different! Earthquake occurred when Robin Trygg climbed his first snow-clad mountain.
Finally, Trygg was able to achieve his childhood ambition of climbing Mt Everest. In spring 2011, He became the youngest Swede to summit Mount Everest.
Keep reading to find out a bit more about Tryyg’s adventures, and her thoughts on travel, a healthy work/life balance.
-Back in 2011 there were back-to-back earthquakes in Nepal, many people affected across the country, including at Everest basecamp, guides and porters, closing the climbing season for that year. What was that journey like for you?
In spring 2011, I became the youngest Swede to summit Mount Everest. I climbed via the south side, from Nepal, and it was an expedition that went according to plan and I had a lot of fun.
In 2015 I found out that no one here in Sweden had climbed both sides of Everest and I wanted to try the mountain from the north in Tibet/China. Instead of climbing the “normal” way, beeing at the mountain för over a month to acclimatize, I wanted to try to climb world´s sixth highest mountain Cho Oyu before Everest instead. It was a good way for me to be prepared for the high altitude at Everest and still be almost alone climbing, there is not so much people at Cho Oyu.
As you say, a devastating earthquake striked the area and thousands was killed. We were only lucky to survive. Until this day I still think about everything we saw and went through during those days.
I learned a lot about what kind of person I want to be and how I want people to remember me the day I´m gone. Until the earthquake, I had only spent time and money trying to fulfill myself. Today I have a family and three kids, trying to raise them to nice and caring adults.
– Do you go back to Nepal often? What makes it so special? How would you describe the life of the locals there? What would you say are the core values of rural mountain life?
I go back the Nepal once or twice each year guiding groups up to Everest Basecamp and to the summits on mountains such as Lobuche and Island Peak. I need to have a reason to go back even if I not climb at the same level anymore. The place is as close to a fairytale you get with high mountains, waterfalls, flowers and the worlds most kind people living in small villages up in the mountains. The Sherpa people really make you feel special and even if most of them are far from rich, I promise you that they can teach you a lot about life and how to see things to make you feel better and find a meaning. If the rest of the world where thinking in the same way as the sherpas, there would be no wars.
– Let’s talk about your own brand you created. The way you value the communication that can be created through clothing is impressive. How did you translate the style of Mountaineering which crosses over urban life and outdoor into your collection?
For many years I´ve been working with some of the worlds biggest outdoor brands and I learned a lot of how things is done. At the same time I´ve been an alpinist my whole life and now what I need when I´m out climbing the worlds highest mountains. The first thing we did was to develope a jacket exactly the way I wanted to have it. So far people liked it a lot and today it is used by both mountain guides, fighter pilots and sherpas. Last spring they used the jacket as a midlayer all the way up to the summit of Everest.
The fashion industry is also a huge part of the worlds carbon dioxide emissions and instead of complaining about how things are, I wanted to try to do it better.
Thats why the whole jacket is made by waste and restmaterial from larger brands production. It´s also an allround jacket that can be used to the activities you need such as skiing, climbing, kayaking etc. It also looks good, have a natural color and can be worn to work or in the park with your kids.
To make people want to repair the jacket instead of buying a new one, all the jackets we sell are blessed in a monastry close to Everest, and as a proof of that a “Sung-kui” thread follows the jacket.
If you order it through our homepage www.tryggtraceable.com you will also get a video where you can see the blessing.
– Lastly, what’s next for you?
Tomorrow I head up to the Swedish north making an episode for a new serie called “Svenska Äventyr / Swedish Adventures” that we do together with Visit Sweden.
In this episode I will do some skiitouring together with some of Swedens best skiers. Later this year we will both climb, mountainbike, run and kayak around Swedens beautiful nature.
You can read more about the project here: www.svenskaävenyr.se
Image credit: www.gp.se