UKC

Can anyone recommend a big, easy rock climb in Norway? I want to climb something pretty big but also want a few grades in hand as it would be my first time on something bigger than Lliwedd. So I was thinking mod or diff ideally. I've not done much big stuff but I got up the diff on Lliwedd in 3 hours so i reckon I'm in with a chance on something a bit bigger.

Cheers

In reply to Red Rover:

South ridge of Bispen, Romsdal would be a good first one. Good mountain route, pretty easy to get to and has fantastic views.

In reply to davidbeynon:

Thanks that looks great. Is that in the troll wall area? If I climb there in midsummer, can I assume that being benighted won't matter is it doesnt get very dark, or is that asking for trouble?

In reply to Red Rover:
Agree with the Bispen suggestion. While in the area, if you're feeling a little more adventurous, the Nordveggen on the Romsdalhorn is a bit harder (Vdiff -Severe - something like that), in a spectacular position.

In reply to Red Rover:

Thanks for the advice it all looks great. Whens the best weather? Do you need a car?

In reply to Red Rover:

http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/c.php?i=70758

brilliant. you will need a car and a tent.

In reply to Red Rover: also the local crags in and around oslo are very good if you are based there. also skolebrod, eat one.

In reply to Red Rover: If you can climb HVS, I'm sure you'd have an amazing time on: http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/c.php?i=73851

You could also try the normal route on nearby Stetind, just a few moves HS, but loads of walking and high quality scrambling http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/c.php?i=97985

In reply to Red Rover: It all looks amazing! I cant claim to climb HVS as the HVS's i did were a few years ago and were a bit cherry picked but I'm ok on VS. Cant believe how much rock there is over there.

In reply to Red Rover:

You can see the back of the troll wall from Bispen. It's not far enough north to get midnight sun, but it should stay light pretty late.

In reply to Red Rover:

South Ridge of Bispen is a good suggestion because absolutely no chance of benightment! You start at top of Trollstigen pass i.e about 2000 feet up.

Another mod (Grade II) that's good is the North Ridge of Vengetind. A fine summit too.

You will need Tony Howard's excellent guidebook.

Trollstigen Resort, with good value log cabins, is a good alternative to camping.

In reply to Red Rover: We got up to Trollstiggen, to climb Bispen, using a bus from Andalsnes.

Likewise the Romsdalhorn, but that was a 4 to 5 mile walk in to Vengedal.

We did it at the beginning of July and didn't need head torches at all.


Some bus timetables for Trollstiggen here: http://www.geirangerfjorden.net/elink.html

and for Vengedal here: http://www.177mr.no/

Ian

In reply to Red Rover:
I did Stetind normal route in august - really good.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pyrat/sets/72157635235578268/

The 'finger crack' is very straightforward and very easy to protect.

In reply to JuneBob: Great pics - you had stunning weather. So what British tech grade do you think the finger traverse is? I had heard 4c but people on UKC seem to suggest significantly easier. We abbed down over it coming from the S. Pillar and were trying to move quickly so I didn't even have a look at it.

In reply to TobyA:

I'm aiming to go to Stetind next summer. I had heard the finger traverse was Severe, so probably not british 4c.

In reply to Chris Craggs:

Yes, thanks Chris. The east ridge of B, coming towards the camera is also good (grade III+ or 4) and the north ridge on the right (which I soloed four years ago before my eyesight got really bad) is also excellent as an unroped scramble at about grade I/II. A bit like the much of the Cuillin. Very exposed at the top.

In reply to TobyA:

Its given the norwegian grade 4+ and and by some -5, when I did it I thought about Hs,4b to Vs,4b. It wasn't the grade that made me think, just the feeling that below my feet was 700m of nothing

In reply to Jamie Simpson - Alpine Dragons:

There's a big ledge below you! I know, as that's what you ab down on to.

Actually I thought the normal route which we descended wasn't as exposed as I had been led to believe - airy definitely, but not horribly exposed.

Can't wait to get out there! Is it possible to get on top of the troll wall without climbing it? Theres the descent route that Gordon and John tried to find after doing Fiva but does that take you onto the top of the huge bit?

In reply to Red Rover:

The book "Walks and scrambles in Norway" describes the route IIRC.

In reply to davidbeynon: Ok I've ordered it. Should be a good distraction from work.

In reply to Red Rover:

I was aiming to do it a couple of years back, but the trip fell through unfortunately.

In reply to TobyA:
Thanks. It's a fun outing. It was pretty windy when we did it which made it a bit exciting at points. I plan to do the South Pillar next summer.
The big ledge you abseil down to is before the finger traverse starts. The finger traverse is 3-4 meters long or so with massive juggy cracks and just smearing for your feet. It's hard to grade for me - if you know how to use your feet a bit it's easy, but the person before me didn't and they slithered their way across hanging from the crack.
My guess is it's a HS 4a move, because even though the exposure is big, the climbing and protection is quite straightforward. But, as I say it's hard to grade because I found the climbing easy so I didn't notice the exposure.
My mate is on it here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pyrat/9595884026/in/set-72157635235578268/
I felt more uncomfortable down climbing earlier on the ridge; but then we didn't take exactly the correct route

In reply to Red Rover: You can get to the top of the Troll wall by walking up from Trollstiggen. Have a look on Google Earth.

Ian

In reply to Red Rover: Salomonsknuten in Rogaland?

In reply to Red Rover:

Yes, it's just a long (4 km) but arduous walk from Trollstigen, with a very short bit of grade 1 scrambling just before you get to Brur Skar (I did it in 2009 and again this year). Can be more tricky if there's a lot of snow around. On no account take any other route. The wrong route we took driectly into Isterdal in 1969 looks even more dangerous now than it was then, as there have been some recent rockfalls.

The summit of Store Trolltind can be reached in about 3/4 hour from Brur Skar, but it's more of a climb - a loose, grade 2 scramble (take a scrambling rope if you're not confident on the most awkward step). Not very attractive, but the summit itself is a really stupendous viewpoint, with a mile high drop on the east side of the summit cairn, and the whole Troll Wall below on the right (and the Fiva Route).

In reply to Red Rover:

There are some pictures of John and I on the summit of Store Trolltind, plus four movie clips John took with GoPro camera, on the front page of my web site:
http://www.gordonstainforth.co.uk