Category: <span>Climbing</span>

Denmark Ice Climbing

February 23, 2010
Climbing
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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

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

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

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

Ice Climbing Skåne

February 4, 2010
ClimbingNews
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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

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+

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 testpice Järnvägsfossen 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!

Cracked 7+/8- (5.12a)

August 11, 2009
Climbing
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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

Anders climbing Cracked 7+/8- on Kullen

Almost too cold for rock climbing

December 17, 2008
ClimbingNewsPapersProducts
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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.

Anders (in green) leading Svenskerruten in cold conditions (Photo by C. Hylleberg)

Leading the classic Svenskerruten in rather cold conditions (Photo: C. Hylleberg)

Cool on Kullen

September 9, 2008
Climbing
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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

Anders Strange climbing Harlekin, 7- on Kullen

First Ascent of Holka Risset

August 9, 2008
Climbing
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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

The first ascent of Holka Risset, 7a, Holkadalen, Bornholm, Denmark.

On the cover of Klatring

June 9, 2008
ClimbingGeneralNews
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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!

Klatring Frontpage

Inside the magazine there is a full featured story with more of my photography including the centerfold article about my Pico de Teide ascent.

Teide Article

(Click the picture to read the article in Danish)

My best year

May 18, 2008
ClimbingNews
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This spring has turned out to be my best season on rock, ever. I feel solid climbing around grade 7 on our local crag Kullen. It’s amazing to be warming up on routes that only last year tested me sorely. It’s impressive what training and experience will do. My objective is to climb ten grade 7 routes within a year. So far my count is seven, so I seem to be getting there.

I am taking a few days of now since i feel a bit over-trained and lack motivation. I should be back training in about a week. Later this summer, the plan is to take my newly acquired rock climbing skills to the big mountain rock routes of the Alps.

Deja Vu (7) Kullen

Anders sendning Deja Vue (7) on Kullaberg, Sweden
A desperate unshaved wannabe rockstar sending Deja Vu (7) on Kullen.
Photo by Morten Johansen

A good time on Tenerife

March 16, 2008
Climbing
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I had a very good time on Tenerife with my small family! It was nice and warm and the climbing lived up to the expectation. I went to the summit of Pico de Teide (3718m) on the 7th of Feburary climbing via the Altavista Hut (3200m)

The temperature was about -10 on the summit, but it was a very beautiful sunrise though it smelled very bad of sulphur on the crater rim. The climb was non-technical and only a small amount of snow and ice on the crater-rim was encountered.

Sunrise on Pico de Teide

I did also manage to do some bouldering at ‘Arico Nuevo’ I worked and finally climbed a fun 7A called ‘Nave Esp.’

Nave Esp. 7A

Plans for 2008

November 16, 2007
ClimbingGeneralNews
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In February 2008 Heidi, Sif and I will be on the island Tenerife for a whole month. I am really looking forward to this since my plans on the island include an ascent of the highest mountain in Spain ‘Pico de Teide’ 3.718m – a marvellous snow covered extinct volcano.

La Teide, 3.817m

Also in the plans are rock climbing and a good deal of relaxation together with Heidi and our young daughter Sif. Tenerife has several good areas for both bouldering and rock climbing. I really like going to the beach, but after a while I usually get bored and want to go climbing. Baby Sif is of course still to young to go climbing; hopefully she plans to sleep while I’m doing it.

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