Archive for the ‘Climbing’ Category
Yes, we are going on a big summer/autumn climbing road trip starting August 7th. We will be on the road for 7 weeks driving around in Europe. We will visit classic climbing destinations like Chamonix, Val di Mello and the sunny rocks of Provence, but also more unknown destinations like the sandstone crags in Alsace, France. We will be driving around in a trusty camper van, a white VW California 1993 2.4D equipped by Westfalia.
We did a successful test run this weekend to Kulleberg in Sweden. We had good fun sleeping in the camper and trying the facilities in the car. I will try to keep this blog updated when we are on the road, documenting our climbs and life on the move!
Summer has finally arrived here in Denmark. Today the temperature is just around 20 degrees and the sun is out. When I look out and see the sun from my office window here in Copenhagen, it gives me the usual craves for touching rock. Fortunately I’m going on a weekend climbing trip to Gothenburg in only a couple of days. I have been a regular at the local climbing gym and I have been punishing my body at the training board in my carport.
While browsing the internet I saw that the strong Swedish ski mountaineer Fredrik Ericsson is now at K2, trying to make the first ski decent. I had the chance to meet Fredrik on several occasions. First when I was trying to climb Pik Kommunizma in 2003 and later on in Chamonix when he worked at The Bellevue. His project looks very ambitious, but he definitely has the skills to pull it off. You can look at his blog for updates. I wish him the best off luck!
Fredrik Ericsson - Photo (C) www.fredrikericsson.com
I participated in the Banana Park Open climbing competition on the 8th of May. The reason for the competition was that a new climbing has been built here. The wall is rather impressive and is 14 meters high, featuring overhangs and 3D structures that gives it a real rock feel.
To spice things up I wore some rather colourful 80’s climbing Lycra tights. The tights provided me with many laughs and comments. In the competition I came in at #8 out of approx 50 starters. The results can be found here
Anders climbing in retro tights at 'Banana Park Open 2010' Photo (C) by Martin Paldan
It was a good day, and I was quite happy with the result!
The only place in Denmark where it is possible to climb ice is on the island of Bornholm in the Baltic sea. Conditions are not reliable and it has been many years since it was possible to climb ice here. The winter of 2010 is the exception, there is solid ice all across the island. I made a day trip to the island on the 17th of February and I had a great day climbing with my friend Kim who lives in this isolated region of Denmark.
Anders climbing ice on Bornholm (Photo: K. Sørensen)
We explored several ice falls in the centre of the island. Many of these climbs where probably first ascents, and in any case there is no recorded knowledge of previous lead ascents. This is quite understandable since ice climbing is a rather rare activity here.
Kim on a first ascent
The ice formations are fantastic, and there is plenty of lines left to be done. I will have to go there again before the winter ends.
Yet another fantastic line to be climbed
Kim works as a gymnastics teacher on Bornholm and he has taken his class out to teach them ice climbing on several occasions. This was documented by the local TV Station. It’s possible to see the clip here
This year has been a fantastic year for ice climbing in southern Sweden.? We have not seen conditions like this for more than 10 years. Skåne is not really a big ice climbing destination, but when conditions are good it’s great to go ice climbing on day trips from Copenhagen. Usually we go to Norway or the Alps, but that is hardly a day-trip thing.
Some of the best ice in Skåne can be found around the town Båstad. There is a nice seaside attraction at the cliffs of Hovs Hallar
Morten Johansen climbing 'Hovsfossen' WI4 at Hovs Hallar Skåne
Closer to Båstad there is an old quarry with some really good climbs that rarely forms. But this year they are in perfect conditions. These climbs are not often done, so it feels like a big privilege to go climbing here.
Morten Johansen climbing 'Sidesporet' WI4+
The main attraction is the wild and beautiful 27 meter high ‘Järnvägsfossen’ that comes in at WI6
The Skåne ice testpiece 'Järnvägsfossen' WI6
More pictures in the Gallery
Winter in Denmark and southern Sweden is normally a grey slushy thing, so it’s really spectacular when we got a long spell of cold weather.? I do hope it will last for a while!
On the 9th of August I climbed this thin traditional route on Kullen. It was first climbed in 1987 by the legendary Australian climber Kim Carrigan. Since then it has been climbed only a few times and never by a Danish climber. It took some soulsearching and I had to dig deep to get this route done. It is by far? the best Kullen route of my climbing career!
Anders climbing Cracked 7+/8- on Kullen
I went to Dansk Bjergklub’s X-mas meet on Kullen last weekend. This involves climbing on very cold rock during the day and consuming insane amounts of Christmas food and alcohol at the club hut during the evening. The temperature was just above freezing and it is has a pretty masochistic feel to rock climb in conditions like this. We did however enjoy ourselves and had a good time on the rock and at the feast during the evening.
Leading the classic Svenskerruten in rather cold conditions (Photo: C. Hylleberg)
I am having a great time climbing all grade 7 routes on Kullen. If I keep up the pace I will run out of routes within a few years. This photo was taken by Camilla Hylleberg last weekend. We had a good time on one of the most impressive walls on Kullen ‘Vandflyvervæggen’ The route is ‘Harlekin, 7-’ and it’s bolted, but only just. There are some very scary run out sections and the top is close to unprotected. It’s a good route in any case!
Anders Strange climbing Harlekin, 7- on Kullen
On Thursday I discovered a fantastic probably unclimbed line on the island of Bornholm, Denmark. It was only 6½m high, but what a line! A clean thin finger crack came down the grey granite of Holkadalen. It had to be climbed by me.
Should I climb it as a Route or just try to do it as a scary highball boulder? It looked hard and I figured that I would have no chance of placing gear while climbing.I brought out the crash pad and recruited Heidi as my spotter. It was hard, my fingers could barely fit in the crack and brutal finger locks was the only way of progress.
It took me a few tries to condition myself to accept the pain while jamming my fingers. I was at the point of resigning, but all of a sudden it all came together. What a fantastic line, this will surely become a classic.
The first ascent of Holka Risset, 7a, Holkadalen, Bornholm, Denmark.
Me and my photos from Tenerife has made it to the frontpage on the May issue of ‘Klatring’. The frontpage photo was shot early in the morning with self-timer on the summit of El Teide, 3718m – The sun is just about to rise!
Inside the magazine there is a full featured story with more of my photography including the centerfold article about my Pico de Teide ascent.
(Click the picture to read the article in Danish)
