Up North Bro

Time for a change. Up north to where volcanos loom over hot spring laden beaches. ok, maybe they don't loom straight over these steamy beaches but there are beaches which they loom above.

I came to New Zealand this year after purchasing a used car at auction over the internet. The seller picked me up at the airport, drove me to a bank and then gave me the keys. It seems to be working out, the key word being SEEMS!

I am working on Mt Ruapehu, an active volcano with commercial operations. The landscape high on the mountain is bizarre. There is a lake in the summit crater steaming away at 90F with ski slopes all around it and some leading into it. You aren't suppose to go into it as it is a very sacred and unique eco-system. I however forecast that if a floating lounge chair presented itself that it just may be my ticket to enlightenment.

Shadoman III

The newest of the shadowman series. Heli, speed fly, sledalicious!

Shadowman III by air from john mletschnig on Vimeo.

The Lone Wolf

I love skiing things that don't get skied very often for new challenges can equal great reward. The grass may seem to be greener and it often is. As much as the skiing can be good in any prime location it is the journey of working through the ambiguity of something that isn't familiar that makes a descent.

Perhaps it is this drive which has earned me a nickname.

During the last week of the heli season i had a chance to ski Paranoids, a steep Couloir in the Full Support Valley. Paranoids was one of these sort of lines which i have been eluding to, a new challenge to "feed the rat," as one English guide and client Guy, who was there to ski with me would put it. Every junkie needs some adrenaline... right? Thanks Steph for putting up with us, you crushed it!

Howl !!!

I then traveled on my lone over to Valdez for some touring with the Kiwi posse of Shane, Ruari and company. We had a day on RFS and a day the Iguana Backs before it was totally evident that spring was upon us. I found myself a day later catching up with Jorge, an Argentine which i had roomed with on the Ice Axe antarctic trip the previous November, then it was off to Girdwood for more catching up with friends, sled necking and speed flying.