The Romsdal Method, directed by Hans Kristian Smedsrød, is a raw, immersive journey into the rugged training ethos of Romsdal, a Norwegian valley transformed into a living, breathing performance lab. Inspired by Kilian Jornet and Emelie Forsberg, three elite/ultra athletes: Ida Nilsson (Sweden), Jon Albon (Britain), and Petter Engdahl (Sweden) join this hub to progress their careers. What begins as a quiet exploration soon morphs into a testament to friendship, mutual respect, and the transformative power of place-based training.
There are no egos here, on the contrary, there is a calm, understated respect of experience and knowledge. At the helm, the inspiration for Jon, Petter and Ida comes from Kilian who has pioneered the way for training in Romsdal.
Petter sums it up in a moment of reflection:
“Being the best in Romsdal and being the best in the world is kinda the same thing, it’s what makes this valley so insane.”
Jon, the Brit, is very much the scientist, the thinker, the analyst. He has a dry British humour that even Kilian acknowledges. Jon is a legend of the sport, a powerhouse athlete and he is the calming element that binds the group of three. Training sessions for Jon need to make sense, they need to be specific. His unassuming presence and measured discipline highlight the balance between elite drive and heartfelt connection with place and people.
Ida, with a career that stems back to track running is an introspective, warm, and has a complete dedication and passion for sport. Sincere, sometimes quietly exuberant, Ida is motivated to perform, she’s looking for performance gains but at the same time, as shown on a ski mountaineering trip on a beautiful day, just being in the mountains for hours is what makes this life tick.
Petter, is calm, quiet, solid. He’s about grit and focus. He’s the silent undertow who likes his actions to speak louder than words, providing testament to a man pursuing the edge. He moved to Romsdal to be with and train with the best; Jon and Kilian. He acknowledges, that sometimes, particularly in his first year, that this ‘training’ in itself can be too much.
In many ways it can be summed up with a sound bite from Kilian Jornet:
“And many of the routes where we are training, if you do a mistake, if you slide, it’s not that you will break your ankle or hurt yourself, it’s that you will die!”
Romsdal isn’t just a backdrop or place, it’s arguably the key protagonist of what shapes the story, the experiences, the life and the training of those who live there.
Towering granite, unpredictable weather, rivers through valleys, every scene in the film places Romsdal as central, it plays as a coach, mentor, and even antagonist. Ascending steep slopes, scrambling or racing up and down ski-mountaineering routes; the mountains demand creativity, humility and respect. As Jon says at the end of the film, this is maybe not the best place to live to train for many races that I do, but, I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. Romsdal forces adaptation: intelligent, situational, and deeply rooted in respect for nature. A prime example coming from the Nesaksla session, which Petter admits, has been copied by athletes around the world.
Kilian, the legendary Catalan mountain athlete, appears less as a star and more as a guiding spirit. His cameo moments, on screen and in conversation, provide quiet counsel: pushing boundaries, listening to one’s body, respect for the mountains, he embraces why we move and he has an immense respect for his peers. Kilian has pioneered the way; his deep bond with the mountains humbles the athletes. He is arguably the spiritual north of Romsdal.
The film is called The Romsdal Method but there is no one answer here and Hans Kristian does a nice job of letting the location, the athletes and yes the weather, do a job of explaining that Romsdal requires creativity; multi-disciplinary skills, and community-driven training. A series of vignettes that show this, from epic ski mountaineering scenes, scrambling and climbing, cycling and yes, even the use of indoor sessions such as the treadmill.
It’s this layering of elements, skimo, run, scramble, climb, gym, cycle, heat work that defines the “method.” It’s adaptive, multi-modal, and very creative. It’s as much mental and communal than physical. And it’s deeply place-based: Romsdal is a training partner.
The first hour of the film lays the foundations for the Western States story, what sets The Romsdal Method apart is its emphasis on the collective group and how they each influence and help each others process.
These athletes didn’t relocate to Romsdal for solitude, they came to live and breathe together. From group runs, scrambling trips, skimo adventures and the sharing of knowledge indoors while next to a treadmill. Egos are not present, just respect: they challenge each other and they all listen and learn.
Hans Kristian made this a passion project. He spends the first 6-minutes of the film looking at a camera providing some history and outlining why the film came about. He’d be the first to admit that he came to this with little filmmaking experience and dare I say, this is arguably what makes The Romsdal Method appealing. Like the athletes, Jon, Petter, Ida and Kilian, Hans Kristian keeps the film raw and simple. There are some epic drone shots, wide angle shots of ridges, tight head-cams but ultimately, this is one man and a camera.
At its core, The Romsdal Method is about belonging through movement. Each athlete finds clarity and authenticity through their pursuits and Hans Kristian manages to capture this through simple conversation.
A bigger budget could have added more effects, more cameras, extra editing time and countless other transformations, but, would it have made the film better? In a world chasing flashy results, screen time, and metrics, this film says: slow down, surround yourself with people who respect the story and let the athletes and the story do its job.
When we get to Western States, we are of course interested in the outcome, but, in many ways it almost seems secondary. Each athlete, of course, has a story to tell and each athlete performs at the highest level. Each viewer, I am sure, felt the pain of Petter’s fall and the potential disaster that this could create, his turnaround was phenomenal. We relish seeing Jon put the ice plan to use and make a top-10 debut in his first 100-mile race. We see Ida push with grit and determination and despite not feeling great, once again makes the top-10 and smashes the masters record. The Western States story is told both visually and with a series of post-race interview soundbites. The stories here just confirm that The Romsdal Method worked.
In conclusion, The Romsdal Method is not just a training film; it’s a journey into how place, community, and friendship can redefine performance. There are no shortcuts, it explains that a love for the sport, sweat, raw practice, and the joy of connection with others is what brings results. You, as a viewer are invited to reimagine your own training and ask simple questions of, ‘how do I train, where do I do it, who do I do it with and why?’
If you crave friendship, mountains, and the satisfaction of honest hard work, Hans Kristian’s film is essential. It may not be slick, but it has a genuine soul. And in a world drowning in disconnect, The Romsdal Method is a reminder that the deepest gains come not from gadgets, but from dedication, grit, passion all under taken under open skies that blanket Romsdal.
All images are used with permission of Hans Kristian Smedsrød ©
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The 2019 The Coastal Challenge today came to an end on the stunning beaches of Drake Bay on the Osa Peninsula.
IAN CORLESS 