UKC

In a couple of weeks I will be driving across northern Europe, with my family, heading for Finland. It has been agreed after some tense negotiation that I can visit one crag while on the journey and get belayed on a couple of climbs. Considering the almost total absence of any rock near the France/Belgium/Holland/Germany/Denmark bits of our journey, Sweden makes most sense for this. We'll cross the bridge from Copenhagen (or maybe ferry from Helsingør), so then it's the E4 to Stockholm where we get our final ferry.

Basically I want a crag not far off the E4 with really easy access (there is baby in either a pushchair or papoose involved) and routes (either sport or trad). Routes have to be no more than 30 mtrs long so I can be lowered off/ab to take my gear out. And not too hard - up to about 6a/6b. I know that's very specific already, but if the place is pretty and by a lake, so the rest of the family who isn't belaying me can chill, even better (a nice cafe for ice cream and coffee would be the cherry on top!).

I have been to Ågelsjön  Agelsjon near Norrköping briefly in the past and I suspect that might be the best option, but am very open to other suggestions I don't know about. Years ago when we were doing the journey the other way, we stopped at Haggsta just out of Stockholm and that was nice too although a walk-in through a cemetery was weird!

Gavinge / Ekoberget just outside Stockholm might meet your needs  - family friendly sports cragging directly above an inlet. You can take a swim  between routes!

Not exactly on the E4 but not far away on good roads.

We did once try Soffabacken because it's the first bit of rock you encounter after the Oresund bridge but the climbing was poor quality and access was surprisingly awkward - not good for small children. 

Thanks! Looks interesting, although actually a bit beyond Stockholm. It might depend on where we spend the last night or nights in Sweden before we get on the ferry. But thanks again, I don't think I had heard of that crag before.

If you're definitely driving via Stockholm then taking the E6 to Gothenburg is only an extra 50 minute detour, according to Google. Getting to  Utby would be pretty easy. Then you could backtrack to the E4 though Jönköpings.

Easy access, perfect granite, routes 10-25 m long, mostly trad, some sport, lots of info available online!

Of course, it all depends on whether you can convince your family to take said 50 minute detour

It's two sides of a triangle though isn't it. So 50 minutes up there, then probably similar across to Jonkoping to rejoin the road up to Stockholm... hmm a hard sell to the other 4 people in the car I reckon! Anyway, just checked on google - it says from where the E4 splits off from the E6 up to Goteborg is over two hours! Do you mean only 50 minutes more in total from the Bridge to Stockholm?  

I remember the bit of the drive next to Vattern is really pretty and hilly, I'd be surprised if there are some crags around there. Maybe need to get on 27crags and www.sverigeforaren.se although my Swedish is non-existent and my wife seems to find translating climbing guides in Swedish into English for me about the most annoying thing in the world (although, has to be said she finds many things about me rather annoying. :-/ ).

I was doing from Copenhagen - Stockholm with the ferry, but with the google traffic updates that original 50 min is now 1h 17min :/

Perhaps too much of a detour!

 

And while we are on the subject of Sweden, does anyone know if the downtown Stockholm crags are all still climbed on? I remember seeing routes incredibly close to where the Finland ferry goes from - must have been: https://27crags.com/crags/kanalklippan I might see if I can get a route done there if we <ahem> "accidentally" just happen to turn up for the ferry a bit too early...

Simonsberget and the other nearby crag. Check my 27 profile or Saris UKC logbook from 2 years ago or so. I seem to recall that my profile mentioned about the best 5 sport or something.