Jesper Tjder & Emma Dahlstrm Conquer Peruvian Sand Dunes

pros

Dec 6, 2016

Snow? Who needs snow? Jesper Tj der and Emma Dahlstr m sure as heck dont. All they need are skis and bit of creativity. Earlier this year, with a GoPro crew in tow, the two athletes set out on an adventure through Peru to ski on the slopes of one of the highest sand dunes in the world.

The dune of Cerro Blanco sits at roughly 2100m above sea level and requires hours of hiking in the sun to reach the top. Once at the top the dune can provide runs for over 1km-a truly unique experience in sand skiing, and an opportunity for some epic content.

Jesper, Emma and the small GoPro began their adventure building and shooting the freestyle segment of the piece in the sand dunes surrounding Huacachina. With custom-made rails built last-minute by an old local blacksmith based off rough drawings done by Jesper, the crew tackled the sand mass in front of them, Using the powerful combination sand buggies and good ol fashioned human strength, they dragged the huge rails (one was 12 meters long) out into the desert and over dunes, ultimately burying them into a sweet spot in the sand.

Rails anchroed, the adventurers prepared strategic kickers made by filling up big old potato sacks with sand, stacking them on top of one another, and covering all with sand.

That first day, however, brougth with it some unfortunate weather. Overcast & wet, conditions proved challenging and frustrating, both for shooters and skiers.

Thankfully, the team woke up to sunshine on day two and Jesper took full advantage, successfully sticking the big 12-meter 'S' rail on his first attempt. As the sun moved across the sky, Jesper and Emma thrived in the sand, and the GoPro crew stacked up the nabger shots. By the end of the day, a tired but triumphant crew hung up the production boots for the day, smiles glowing through sand-covered faces.

With momentum at their back, the crew continued their journey south to try and hike and ski one of the highest sand-dunes in the world, Cerro Blanco, which sits at nearly 2100m above sea level.

The hike up the Cerro Blanco dune is nothing short of painstaking. The initial ascent is several hours through the mountains just to reach the base of the dune. From there, its slow-stepping trudge up the sand under the cover of night,

Once at the top, an exhausted group set up camp and were rewarded with "one the most beautiful star-filled nights [theyd] ever seen."

A 5am wake-up call initiated the final leg to the summit of the dune, then a short run down about 200m to get those golden sunrise shots. With some amazingly lit shots in the can, they hiked back up in the searing heat, cleaned up the camp site and made their way to the peak again for the final run-top to bottom.

Back at the top, they knew we only had one chance for the final shot-there was no way anyone would have the energy to hike back up for a second attempt. The team took their time at the top to choreograph the final shot like a dance, to maximize the run and get both the follow cam & clean POV shots they needed.

Obviously, they nailed it.

The heat, challenging hikes, scorpion encounters, sleeping under the stars ,& the final run down one of the highest sand dunes in the world made it an incredible adventure the crew wont soon forget. Better yet, the rest of us have a beautiful video to experience it alongside them over and over again.

LINK:	https://gopro.com/news/Jesper-Tjader-Emma-Dahlstrom-Ski-Peru-Sand-Dune...
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