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Messages 1 - 74 of total 74 in this topic |
Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 30, 2013 - 08:19pm PT
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Recommendations and tales sought.
Lofoten.
Setesdal.
I'm especially interested in places that have longer front-country climbs.
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Topic Author's Reply - May 1, 2013 - 11:14am PT
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Thanks, Ed.
Someone must have a tale to tell.
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Prod
Trad climber
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I have a pal who I believe has climbed there. Just sent you and him an email.
Watch out for Vikings.
Cheers,
Prod.
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Topic Author's Reply - May 1, 2013 - 11:28am PT
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Gracias. It's going to take a while for the guidebooks I ordered to get to the US, so I'm greedily consuming info from anyone I can so that can get planning!
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Alan Rubin
climber
Amherst,MA.
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You might try posting a query on UKClimbing under the "rock destinations" forum. Quite a few folks on there have climbed in Norway. The website also has an "articles" section that almost certainly contains some on Norway.Also the Rockfax website has good information on Norway. They publish a guidebook to Lofoten and some printable "miniguides" to a few selected climbs, including a long, moderate "front-country" climb on Stetind. Norway is a place that has long been on my list. Unfortunately much bad weather and VERY expensive.
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Topic Author's Reply - May 1, 2013 - 12:03pm PT
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The expense is kind of shocking. (Why?) I'm hoping to beta it down a bit, but I think it is what it is.
I've ordered the Lofoten guide and found the freely available intro on the roxfax site pretty helpful for that area.
I've been trying to pull together bits mainly from the European internet and ukclimbing, but I haven't posted there yet. The latter is tough b/c most of what I find is more like the specific discussion of routes like we have for Yosemite on ST, and I have no context for it. Interestingly, the tourist-beureau (visitnorway, etc) sites give overviews of climbing areas in fairly technical terms compared to what we see here. Does anyone know how crowed/popular to expect most areas to be?
Part of what I'm looking for that I can't find online is a comparison between areas from someone who has been around the country quite a bit, since I will probably have time to spend a week or so at about 3 places and maybe do crag days along the way between them. I don't want to be the equivalent of someone who came all the way from Norway and ends up booking a week at the Manteca Best Western to climb at the Grotto...both fine enough things to do, but maybe not the best choice for a once-in-a-lifetime trip.
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phylp
Trad climber
Millbrae, CA
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booking a week at the Manteca Best Western to climb at the Grotto
LOL, Melissa, that would be tragic!
Sounds like your trip will be a great adventure. Have fun!
Phyl
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Alan Rubin
climber
Amherst,MA.
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Melissa, I think posting a specific query on UKClimbing along the lines of what you just posted on here would garner some useful responses.
Did you print the Stetind mini-guide from the Rockfax site? The guide includes mention (and a few tempting photos)of some other nearby crags and it isn't too far from there to the Lofotens. Remember that Norway is a big place, and the roads aren't quite as easy to drive as the ones here---often interrupted by ferry rides across various fjords. Have a great trip. I'll be jealous.
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michael feldman
Mountain climber
millburn, nj
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You should shoot Seth Hobby an e-mail (http://www.alpineguides.no/);. He's an American now living and guiding in Lofoten (and elsewhere). I am sure he can provide you with some good information.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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There is good cragging a short train/bus ride from Oslo at Kolsaas (the double a's
are pronounced like our 'oh'). The Norsk Alpine Club has a hut there. It
has been a while so I forget if there is a kitchen. I do recall
you need to bring all your food .
Of course, you know the weather often is, uh, slightly less than cooperative.
I sat at the base of the Troll Wall for 'a while'. Sometimes I even saw it.
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BMcC
Trad climber
Livermore
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Beautiful country and have gone there twice climbing ice (spectacular!), but no rock climbing stories.
Have fun!
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Once in a Lifetime - be sure to get the right weather.
Lofoten - Presten - Vestpillaren
[Click to View YouTube Video]
[Click to View YouTube Video]
Ed: Reilly - Melissa just has to order the right weather - it's as simple as that... The route is there waiting for her. I haven't been there... I'm a sportclimber...
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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SuperTopo Truth in Advertising Notice:
Marlow works for the Norwegian Tourism Board!
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Fishy
climber
Zurich, Switzerland
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I spent two weeks just in Lofoten in the middle of summer.
Brilliant place with heaps of world-class rock - I barely scratched the surface even with the 24 hour daylight. You certainly dont need to move beyond Lofoten if you are only dealing with a couple of weeks of climbing.
Even in summer the weather is mostly very variable - you can be lucky and get a patch of 3-5 solid sunny days, but there is probably only a 25% chance of you hitting that sweet spot.
Climbing Vestpillaren on The Priest was one of only a couple of places in Europe which gave me that big granite feeling that you find in Yos. You wont regret the trip, thats for sure.
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orle
climber
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More Lofoten - Seb Michaud
Good grief!
I was in Lyngenfjord (north in Troms) two winters ago and there were some really steep long couloirs like that, some of them ended right at sea-level next to the road. Lush place..but with horrible crumbly rock.
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Topic Author's Reply - May 4, 2013 - 11:36am PT
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Thanks for posting, and keep it coming! (vær så snill!)
My husband got the green light to "telecommute", so it's on!
Does anyone know how the summer crowds at popular areas in Norway compare to popular places in North America (Valley, Tuolumne, Lovers Leap, Squamish, etc.)
Ordering every $50 guidebook to the country to make a more informed choice seemed too much, but these ones are on the way and likely stops for us:
Lofoten Rock (for sure destination)
Eresfjord
Climbing guide to Molde and Omegn
Climb Norway (sounds like this one is an all-over-sport-crag selects...maybe good for stop offs or city-visiting as we road trip?)
I tried to get the guide to Valle, but it's either not yet in print or not in stock where I was trying to buy it. Does anyone know if this is on the shelves in Norway yet?
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raymond phule
climber
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Does anyone know how the summer crowds at popular areas in Norway compare to popular places in North America (Valley, Tuolumne, Lovers Leap, Squamish, etc.)
I haven't climbed in Norway in many years but I really doubt that there are anything close to a crowd in the places that you mention. I believe for example that we where mostly alone at the cliffs in lofoten when we where there.
Another place that is good is Romsdalen. There are good a couple of pitches long climbs at Hornaksla (I believe that is the name, the bottom of Romsdalshorn), Mongenjura is a quite nice 1000 m 5.10, easy "alpine" routes on Romsdals horn, of course the troll wall and probably much much more.
There are also some nice long climbs in Nissedal south west of Oslo but we only climbed two days before the weather turned bad.
As other people have said. It takes a long time to drive between the areas mentioned. The roads are not very good and it is not allowed or possibly to drive especially fast. It is also very expensive to drive to fast if you get a ticket.
The weather is nothing like Yosemite and you can get quite long periods with really bad weather but the weather can also be quite good. Bring warm clothing because it can be quite cold also in the middle of the summer.
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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And after the last day:
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Larso
Boulder climber
Trondheim
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May 22, 2013 - 09:22am PT
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Hey, I live in Norway and have done a bit of climbing. If you have any questions about climbing in Norway just ask.
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pneame
Trad climber
Tampa, FL
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May 22, 2013 - 02:41pm PT
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Seconded for Romsdal - rock a trifle sketchy sometimes, but stunningly beautiful and some nice long moderate climbs. Not very fashionable these days.
Norway is really a fantastic country with a great variety of outdoors activity.
Not been to Lofoten or Stetind - both have been on my "list" for a long time
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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May 28, 2013 - 07:57pm PT
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Seconded for Romsdal - rock a trifle sketchy sometimes
Bwa Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha! Jo visst!
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Jul 15, 2013 - 04:19pm PT
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Bouldering in the Northern part of Norway - Mjelle, Straumvassbotn, Andkilen, Gjerdalen.
[Click to View YouTube Video]
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aliebling
climber
San Francisco, CA
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Jul 15, 2013 - 07:32pm PT
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I know collecting guidebooks is a mini-hobby in and of itself, but if you're really only going to visit an area once and are an AAC member, you can check out up to 10 books mailed to you for FREE (you pay only the return shipping).
It is a brilliant service.
http://americanalpineclub.org/p/library
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phylp
Trad climber
Millbrae, CA
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Jul 15, 2013 - 11:32pm PT
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Melissa, we want some news about your trip!
Phyl
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BMcC
Trad climber
Livermore
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Jul 16, 2013 - 11:14am PT
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ditto what phylp wrote - post some stories and pics on your Norway climbs.
Have fun!
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 18, 2013 - 05:27am PT
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
sawatch choss
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Jul 18, 2013 - 09:28am PT
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Melissa I'm so glad to hear y'all are getting up there! Always wanted to go to Lofoten...Tell J to stay dry and have a great time.
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phylp
Trad climber
Millbrae, CA
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Jul 18, 2013 - 12:59pm PT
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Yay! You're there. Happy adventuring! I hope there will be some photos with sunshine too.
:) Phyl
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Jul 18, 2013 - 01:07pm PT
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Anonym Astmatiker has posted a weather forecast. The weather is gonna be great except for Saturday.
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 18, 2013 - 05:18pm PT
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^^Good thing we're in sunny Setesdal now: no good weather to mess up our sense of epic struggle and two weeks of daily rain in Lofoten! Seriously, it was beyond amazing up there even w/ the rain. The rock was rough enough to climb anyway if it wasn't too bad. yr.no lied a lot while we were there though...
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LiadB
Sport climber
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Jul 21, 2013 - 11:24am PT
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Hey,
I'm planning to get to Lofoten on next week (alone), I wonder about two things:
1. Are there lots of sport routes or just trad ones?
2. Is it easy to find people to climb with? Is there a special place I should go to hook up with other climbers?
Thanx,
Liad.
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Nov 12, 2017 - 12:17pm PT
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A trip from Molde to Åndalsnes to Trolltindene.
Molde in Norway
The trip from Molde to Trollveggen
Molde
Aandalsnes
From Tony Howard's 1966 guide to Romsdal
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katiebird
climber
yosemite
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Nov 12, 2017 - 06:58pm PT
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https://vimeo.com/231920007]
We spent about 2 weeks there this past July. We were very fortunate with weather and climbed everything we wanted and then some.
The granite is some of the best I’ve climbed - very clean, very textured.
Preston is an obvious must climb formation amongst many other routes .There is some really good sport climbing around and the bouldering is amazing.
We took a ferry out to Reine and did some routes as well - this is a cool experience and so beautiful. Highly recommended.
We also climbed Storpillaren - an awesome day
24 hours of daylight - is very liberating.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Nov 12, 2017 - 09:58pm PT
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Nov 13, 2017 - 08:58am PT
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Katiebird: That's a fantastic video. TFPU
Troll Wall
The Troll Wall was first climbed in 1965 by a Norwegian team. The Norwegian team, consisting of Ole Daniel Enersen, Leif Norman Patterson, Odd Eliassen, and Jon Teigland, finished one day ahead of the British climbers Tony Howard, John Amatt and Bill Tweedale, who established the most popular climbing route on the wall, the Rimmon Route. As of 2003, this route was reported unclimbable because a rockfall in September 1998 destroyed five of its pitches.
The wall saw its first winter ascent in March 1974, when Wojciech Kurtyka from Poland spent 13 days repeating the 1967 French Route.
In 1979, the wall was free climbed for the first time by local climber Hans Christian Doseth and Ragnhild Amundsen.
Today, there are many routes on the wall, ranging in length and difficulty. The classic Rimmon and Swedish routes were normally free climbed in a day or two until being heavily damaged by the 1998 rock falls. The longer and more engaging aid routes, such as the 1972 test piece Arch Wall (climbed by Ed and Hugh Drummond in 20 days), or the 1986 Death to All/Pretty Blond Vikings, which cuts through the steepest part of the wall, require advanced knowledge of big wall climbing and several days on the wall.
Due to the serious character of the wall, in addition to a cold and damp climate, new routes on Troll Wall are rare. In February 2002, a Russian team established the Krasnoyarsk Route during 19 days. The 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) long Krasnoyarsk, graded f6c+/A4+, is generally thought to be the hardest aid route on the wall and was awarded first prize in the 2002 All Russia Winter Mountaineering Championships.
In July 2010, Arch Wall, previously a serious aid route of difficulty up to A4+, saw its first all-free ascent by local climber Sindre Sæther and his father, Ole Johan. Arch Wall is about 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) of climbing over 37 pitches, and it took the two a total of 36 hours of climbing to reach the summit.
In July 2012, Sindre and Ole Johan Sæther repeated the feat by free climbing the Krasnoyarsk Route.
The most recent contribution to climbs on the Troll Wall is Katharsis, established by Polish climbers Marek Raganowicz and Marcin Tomaszewski over 18 days in January and February 2015. According to Planetmountain.com, the new route shares the first two pitches of the French Route, before forging a line between the Russian Route and Arch Wall. The team reported of difficulties up to A4/M7.
On 11-26 January 2017 Polish climber Marek Raganowicz made the first solo ascents wall in winter.
A video from the FA: https://www.nrk.no/video/PS*218376
FA of Trollveggen 1965: Eliassen, Patterson, Teigland, Enersen
The British team who reached the top soon after
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Scole
Trad climber
Zapopan
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Nov 13, 2017 - 04:34pm PT
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Trolls can be a problem, especially the mountain trolls
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limpingcrab
Trad climber
the middle of CA
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Nov 13, 2017 - 05:23pm PT
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Cool history and a great video from Katie bump
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Nov 13, 2017 - 06:01pm PT
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great vid, tfpu!
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Nov 14, 2017 - 03:15pm PT
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hey there say, marlow... wow, very very nice photo shares, here...
thank you very very much...enjoyed these...
:)
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Nov 14, 2017 - 09:21pm PT
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Great article, Anders! They did a great job reproducing those photos!
Liked this line:
"Det kan ikke ha vært flere jomfruer i Muhammeds himmel enn det var ubestegne vegger i Romsdalen.
There can not have been more virgins in Muhammed's heaven than there
were unclimbed walls in Romsdalen.
Sounds like heaven to me!
BTW, I, of course, knew of Leif in Seattle but I never knew whether he
was born in Norway or Canada.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Outside the Asylum
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Nov 14, 2017 - 11:16pm PT
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Leif was, of all things, born in Hammond, Indiana, in 1934. His father was working there. It's probably best to describe him as Norwegian-American - he did the required service in the Norwegian military, but also did his doctorate at MIT. So was probably eligible for both a Norwegian and a USA passport, at a time when you couldn't have both. But in the late 1960s he and Marijke settled south of Golden, BC. Somewhere I have a letter from him about this.
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tallguy
Trad climber
tacoma
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Mar 13, 2018 - 10:23pm PT
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Resurrecting this thread.. I will be in lofoten this july doing some climbing and touring. Anyone have the lofoten climbing guidebook they are willing to part with? Looking for one.
Would also love recommendations for 5.9-10 climbs.. especially climbs or areas beyond the obvious ones. Doing a bodo lofoten bodo loop over 3 weeks or so.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Mar 13, 2018 - 10:55pm PT
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If yer tall go do the Sydpillaren on Stetind. You could cut the number of
pitches in half with a good reach. :-)
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tallguy
Trad climber
tacoma
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Mar 14, 2018 - 05:13pm PT
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Thanks Johnokner,
I was wondering about the grades, 10d can go either way for me in a legit trad area. Soft grades give me a bit more confidence to jump on that. Thanks for the recommendations..
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Mar 14, 2018 - 06:53pm PT
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Yes, the Katie Lambert video is a peach!
She says:
It's like, I don't know if you can expect for something to be so spectacular.
Yo, Reilly, come at me bro: how many languages do you read?
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Mar 15, 2018 - 08:42am PT
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Tar, as long as I avoid Asia I won’t miss my train or mis-order from the menu, although I did
suffer momentary confusion upon seeing Spotted Dick on the menu in Olde Blighty last year!
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tallguy
Trad climber
tacoma
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Mar 15, 2018 - 09:19pm PT
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Awesome john, would appreciate that...
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Mar 25, 2018 - 09:47am PT
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Yes, "Bare Blåbær" can be translated to "Just Blue berry". When Norwegians say "Bare Blåbær" they usually mean "Easy"...
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Mar 25, 2018 - 10:24am PT
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En glente var sett i går nær Farsund lufthavn!
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Mar 25, 2018 - 01:24pm PT
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Nice writeup and pics! But none of the money pitches? 😐
I couldn’t fathom the darkness references until I went back and saw it was nigh September! LOL! 😆
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tallguy
Trad climber
tacoma
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Mar 25, 2018 - 08:30pm PT
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After that writeup, i need to do stetind too.. best not to let the wife know whats in store.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Mar 26, 2018 - 10:33am PT
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Marlow, what is the etymology of ‘Reine’? You didn’t borrow it from the French, I’m pretty
sure it isn’t the sister city of Reineh, Israel, so I’m going with it’s old norsk for rene, as in
cleaning fish?
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Mar 26, 2018 - 10:42am PT
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Reilly.
Give me context/examples where reine is used.
In my dialect "reine hender" as example is "clean hands".
It could also be used for "pure" as in "reine galskapen" (pure madness)
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Mar 26, 2018 - 10:47am PT
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Reine, Lofoten, which is why I assumed it was about clean or cleaning fish. 🤓
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Mar 26, 2018 - 11:52am PT
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Jeg forstår ikke forbindelsen. 😳
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Mar 26, 2018 - 11:55am PT
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My interpretation: "Rein" in village "Reine" is "land seen from the sea", something growing up from the ocean when seen from afar...
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Mar 26, 2018 - 12:21pm PT
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OK, if you say so! 🤨
Now, Andøya I get. 🦆
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Mar 26, 2018 - 12:29pm PT
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From Old High German reini, from Proto-Germanic *hrainiz, from Proto-Indo-European *króy-n-is, from *krey- (“divide, sift”). Cognate with Old Saxon hreni, (Low German ren), Dutch rein, Old Norse hreinn (Swedish ren), Ancient Greek κρῑ́νω (krī́nō, “separate, decide, judge”) Old Irish criathar, English riddle (“sieve”).
Something dividing land from sea.
A riddle... :o)
Reine is making a difference.
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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May 31, 2019 - 11:14am PT
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For anyone who read Norwegian:
Buy the last two numbers of the Norwegian climbing magazin "Klatring", number 150 and 151.
In 151 you get the story of Ralph Høibakk solo climbing Stetind at the age of 81! You also get stories by Dag Kolsrud - the first ascent of Trango tower among them and the story of Dag and Hank Levine climbing Hollenderan in Northern Norway shocking the locals and getting their chalk bags confiscated.
In 150 you get stories by Ulf Geir Hansen who dominated Norwegian climbing for many years and did hard ascents in the Alps and Verdon.
Ralph has written the article himself. The DK and UGH articles written by Leif Håvard Kvande. All the articles very well written...
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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May 31, 2019 - 01:23pm PT
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hey there, say raymond... this was a nice share...
as well as the original too...
thank you for sharing...
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