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Blamannen is a 450-meter granite wall on the Norwegian island of Kvaloya, close to Tromso, which rises to an altitude of 861 meters. It is generally overhanging, compact, solid granite giving well-protected aid routes of around ten to twelve pitches. Centered on the wall is Arctandria.............
Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/
Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:
Congrats to Heid and Auer - an amazing effort. the Rockfax grade tables suggest that 5.13d puts it in solid E8 territory! And all gear place on the lead - just excellent style.
Kvaløya is such a superb place, and not very far from Tromso airport (you could hitch or bus to the start of the walk-in pretty easily I would think) I'm really quite surprised that not more Brits seem to venture there.
There is even a guidebook available now with all the routes, winter and summer and mountaineering traverses in it: http://www.blixt.no/KvaloyaArchives/
On the other side of the mountain to Blåmann (BTW - "å" is the "Swedish o" Mick, so if you haven't got an å on your keyboard I guess writing it Blomann is closer to the Norwegian) is Hollenderan which has more reasonably graded trad routes which many who have climbed there reckon to be amongst the best granite crack climbs in Europe - from the one I've done which didn't get many stars I have no reason to doubt this, the views are superb!
Every climber who thinks of themselves as a serious mountain rock climber should try and make the effort to visit! It's a fantastic place.
Congrats to Heid and Auer - an amazing effort. the Rockfax grade tables suggest that 5.13d puts it in solid E8 territory! And all gear place on the lead - just excellent style.
Kvaløya is such a superb place, and not very far from Tromso airport (you could hitch or bus to the start of the walk-in pretty easily I would think) I'm really quite surprised that not more Brits seem to venture there.
There is even a guidebook available now with all the routes, winter and summer and mountaineering traverses in it: http://www.blixt.no/KvaloyaArchives/
On the other side of the mountain to Blåmann (BTW - "å" is the "Swedish o" Mick, so if you haven't got an å on your keyboard I guess writing it Blomann is closer to the Norwegian) is Hollenderan which has more reasonably graded trad routes which many who have climbed there reckon to be amongst the best granite crack climbs in Europe - from the one I've done which didn't get many stars I have no reason to doubt this, the views are superb!
Every climber who thinks of themselves as a serious mountain rock climber should try and make the effort to visit! It's a fantastic place.
In reply to TobyA:
Blaamann would be better, aa can replace å in Danish and I'm pretty sure it's the same in Norwegian
> ... to Blåmann (BTW - "å" is the "Swedish o" Mick, so if you haven't got an å on your keyboard I guess writing it Blomann is closer to the Norwegian)
Blaamann would be better, aa can replace å in Danish and I'm pretty sure it's the same in Norwegian
In reply to ebygomm:
<is there a Norwegian in the house? Any Norwegians please? And none of you southern softies from Oslo - we need a proper northerner with the right accent!>
> Blaamann would be better, aa can replace å in Danish and I'm pretty sure it's the same in Norwegian
<is there a Norwegian in the house? Any Norwegians please? And none of you southern softies from Oslo - we need a proper northerner with the right accent!>
In reply to TobyA: Actually I'd have thought that 8B climbing protected by two copperheads was closer to E9 than E8, not that I have any experience of operating anywhere near that level.
In reply to TobyA:
<hijack> cont...
from wiki
Transcription
Since Å is a letter with a distinct sound, not an A with an accent, it is best to keep it when referring to Scandinavian words and names in other languages. However, in Danish and Norwegian, Aa is widely known as the old way of writing Å, used until first part of the 20th century, and a fully functional transcription for Å when using a foreign keyboard.
Ok, so it's wiki so may be wrong but...
</hijack>
<hijack> cont...
from wiki
Transcription
Since Å is a letter with a distinct sound, not an A with an accent, it is best to keep it when referring to Scandinavian words and names in other languages. However, in Danish and Norwegian, Aa is widely known as the old way of writing Å, used until first part of the 20th century, and a fully functional transcription for Å when using a foreign keyboard.
Ok, so it's wiki so may be wrong but...
</hijack>
In reply to TobyA:
å is alt+a on an Apple
Chris
PS. I am still struggling with Ørsvågvaer, my attempts always make my Norwegian hosts laugh!
å is alt+a on an Apple
Chris
PS. I am still struggling with Ørsvågvaer, my attempts always make my Norwegian hosts laugh!
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:
Good to see this is now official news. It sounds like a fantastic route. There is a previous thread including a comment from Markus Haid here:
http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=254083
Good to see this is now official news. It sounds like a fantastic route. There is a previous thread including a comment from Markus Haid here:
http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=254083
Mick, can't help but notice your report bears an uncanny resemblance to the one at Alpinist.com!
Anyway, great effort. looks like a stunning climb
Anyway, great effort. looks like a stunning climb
In reply to duncan:
Thanks Duncan - I totally missed that, I think I was in my car somewhere between the Midlands and Finland at the time!
> There is a previous thread including a comment from Markus Haid here:
> http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=254083
> http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=254083
Thanks Duncan - I totally missed that, I think I was in my car somewhere between the Midlands and Finland at the time!
In reply to TobyA:
Harstad is far enough North!
Å is indeed aa
Ø is oe
Æ is ae
That's what we all write on foreign keyboards. And web adresses which can't hav å ø æ in.
Blåmann is pronounced Blormann for and english person.
Ørsvågvaer would be pronounced Uurrgh-sh-vorg-ver (ver sounding like 'where' with a v)
Stå på!
> <is there a Norwegian in the house? Any Norwegians please? And none of you southern softies from Oslo - we need a proper northerner with the right accent!>
>
>
>
>
Harstad is far enough North!
Å is indeed aa
Ø is oe
Æ is ae
That's what we all write on foreign keyboards. And web adresses which can't hav å ø æ in.
Blåmann is pronounced Blormann for and english person.
Ørsvågvaer would be pronounced Uurrgh-sh-vorg-ver (ver sounding like 'where' with a v)
Stå på!
In reply to TobyA: Thanks for the info Toby looks like a really good place to go...
Plans maybe afoot!?!
Plans maybe afoot!?!
In reply to Nj:
So how do you pronounce the town at the end of Lofoten which is just delightfully called Å? It's the opposite to Llanfairgylgn...yadayadayada...gogogoch in Wales.
> Å is indeed aa
So how do you pronounce the town at the end of Lofoten which is just delightfully called Å? It's the opposite to Llanfairgylgn...yadayadayada...gogogoch in Wales.
In reply to GDes:
It is that report. As it says, by Alpinist, and the source, and the credit.
by Alpinist
Lindsay Griffin reports at Alpinist.com
( Source: Alpinist )
I think I may announce news on the forums under the byline "UKC News" in future.
> Mick, can't help but notice your report bears an uncanny resemblance to the one at Alpinist.com!
It is that report. As it says, by Alpinist, and the source, and the credit.
by Alpinist
Lindsay Griffin reports at Alpinist.com
( Source: Alpinist )
I think I may announce news on the forums under the byline "UKC News" in future.
In reply to datoon: There are some pics in my gallery of Hollenderan and the area around. If you climb at E4 you'll have loads to go at - but take a shed full of cams with you! Even if you go in midsummer you could also take an ice axe and crampons and go alpine mountaineering in Lyngen as well.
In reply to TobyA:
Put my name down. The place looks amazing!
> (In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com)
> Every climber who thinks of themselves as a serious mountain rock climber should try and make the effort to visit! It's a fantastic place.
> Every climber who thinks of themselves as a serious mountain rock climber should try and make the effort to visit! It's a fantastic place.
Put my name down. The place looks amazing!
In reply to Tom, UKC News Editor: It's funny I thought of you Tom. The pics from your trip to California a couple of years ago reminded me a bit of Hollenderan.
I've got a load of crag shots of Hollenderan at home. I'll try and stitch them together and post them on UKC so people can get some idea of how extensive the cliffs are there.
Perhaps the only thing against it is that there aren't that many easier routes - we did one of the easier-graded ones and that was HVS/E1-ish. But for people climbing in the low to mid E grades who like amazing granite multipitch cracks, it looks like heaven. I'm going to go back sometime, hopefully with someone who can lead the hard pitches!
I've got a load of crag shots of Hollenderan at home. I'll try and stitch them together and post them on UKC so people can get some idea of how extensive the cliffs are there.
Perhaps the only thing against it is that there aren't that many easier routes - we did one of the easier-graded ones and that was HVS/E1-ish. But for people climbing in the low to mid E grades who like amazing granite multipitch cracks, it looks like heaven. I'm going to go back sometime, hopefully with someone who can lead the hard pitches!
In reply to TobyA:
Funny you should say that. I had the same feeling looking at this news report as I did when I saw Greg Epperson's superb photos of Airstream - Croft's 13a on the Incredible Hulk in the High Sierra's. Though Croft's route was excellent, it was slightly marred by the number of bolts he had used. Though it would not be considered cool to diss Croft, it's even more inspiring to see hard lines being done in Norway on similarly great looking rock, but with minimal fixed gear. I bet the weather's not as good as California though
> (In reply to Tom, UKC News Editor) It's funny I thought of you Tom. The pics from your trip to California a couple of years ago reminded me a bit of Hollenderan.
Funny you should say that. I had the same feeling looking at this news report as I did when I saw Greg Epperson's superb photos of Airstream - Croft's 13a on the Incredible Hulk in the High Sierra's. Though Croft's route was excellent, it was slightly marred by the number of bolts he had used. Though it would not be considered cool to diss Croft, it's even more inspiring to see hard lines being done in Norway on similarly great looking rock, but with minimal fixed gear. I bet the weather's not as good as California though
In reply to Tom, UKC News Editor:
I've now posted a picture of Hollanderan: http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=72126 the major free crag of the area (as until recently Blåmann was seen as mainly an aided big wall). The main wall at Hollanderan - the Baugen (the right end of the photo) - is maybe 300-400 mtrs high - perhaps even more, steep, and seamed with continuous cracks systems. There are some easier routes on to the right, and the route I did - Gallionsruta - takes pretty much the far right skyline of the Baugen.
There used to be all the route info and topos on the net, but since they published the book they have understandably, if slightly annoyingly, taken that down.
The walk-in is a slog. We moved fast and pretty light, but it was still 3 hours of hard untracked hiking. We went just for the day, but should have stayed in the hut up there and done more after the walk-in effort! The alternative walk-in is supposedly better but involves more driving if you are coming from Tromso.
Good pic of Blåmann here: http://patagonia.fi/blamannen/
and of the Baugen here: http://patagonia.fi/baugen/
Blåmann topo: http://www.saunalahti.fi/~apollard/blomannen/topo.html
I've now posted a picture of Hollanderan: http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=72126 the major free crag of the area (as until recently Blåmann was seen as mainly an aided big wall). The main wall at Hollanderan - the Baugen (the right end of the photo) - is maybe 300-400 mtrs high - perhaps even more, steep, and seamed with continuous cracks systems. There are some easier routes on to the right, and the route I did - Gallionsruta - takes pretty much the far right skyline of the Baugen.
There used to be all the route info and topos on the net, but since they published the book they have understandably, if slightly annoyingly, taken that down.
The walk-in is a slog. We moved fast and pretty light, but it was still 3 hours of hard untracked hiking. We went just for the day, but should have stayed in the hut up there and done more after the walk-in effort! The alternative walk-in is supposedly better but involves more driving if you are coming from Tromso.
Good pic of Blåmann here: http://patagonia.fi/blamannen/
and of the Baugen here: http://patagonia.fi/baugen/
Blåmann topo: http://www.saunalahti.fi/~apollard/blomannen/topo.html
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:
What would be the "E" grade of this route? By the looks of it, close to E9?
What would be the "E" grade of this route? By the looks of it, close to E9?
In reply to TobyA:
To see some more pics from the guys cruising the incredible Arctandria, take a look at: http://www.blixt.no/KvaloyaArchives/slideshows.html
There are also some general pics from the climbing on the island there.
To see some more pics from the guys cruising the incredible Arctandria, take a look at: http://www.blixt.no/KvaloyaArchives/slideshows.html
There are also some general pics from the climbing on the island there.
In reply to maarten:
Maarten - or should that be Mårten? (see above discussions!)
Thanks so much for the link. The photos are superb, and the climbing looks equally superb. For me there is something very special about granite from an aesthetic point of view. I know lots of sport climbers talk about certain hard limestone routes being wonderful lines, but I often can't see it myself. I've never found limestone a particularly pleasing rock to climb on, it often feels like it is line of bolts that shows you where to go. This I know is personal, beauty is in the eye of the beholder etc. but the photos of that P2 of Arctandria Free just so granite climbing at its best - like the best pitches in Yosemite, there is clearly only one possible way to go.
The other slide show is superb as well - although the ice climb "Smørstabben" makes me shiver just to think how terrifying leading something like that must be! The picture of Brensholmen brings back happy memories of last summer. My mate lead one of the sports routes next to where the people are climbing on the left, a 6a+ I think, and I then toproped it but unusually for me got completely psyched out by the exposure and the horrible feeling of swinging out from the rock over 30 mtr drop, compounded by the fact we were using a new skinny 9mm single rope! I felt like a total beginner and completely pathetic, but after that 'warm-up' I led Stordiedret (the very obvious corner in the middle of that photo) reasonably competently and went on to enjoy the rest of the day there.
Great pics. I hope the new guidebook is selling well!
Maarten - or should that be Mårten? (see above discussions!)
Thanks so much for the link. The photos are superb, and the climbing looks equally superb. For me there is something very special about granite from an aesthetic point of view. I know lots of sport climbers talk about certain hard limestone routes being wonderful lines, but I often can't see it myself. I've never found limestone a particularly pleasing rock to climb on, it often feels like it is line of bolts that shows you where to go. This I know is personal, beauty is in the eye of the beholder etc. but the photos of that P2 of Arctandria Free just so granite climbing at its best - like the best pitches in Yosemite, there is clearly only one possible way to go.
The other slide show is superb as well - although the ice climb "Smørstabben" makes me shiver just to think how terrifying leading something like that must be! The picture of Brensholmen brings back happy memories of last summer. My mate lead one of the sports routes next to where the people are climbing on the left, a 6a+ I think, and I then toproped it but unusually for me got completely psyched out by the exposure and the horrible feeling of swinging out from the rock over 30 mtr drop, compounded by the fact we were using a new skinny 9mm single rope! I felt like a total beginner and completely pathetic, but after that 'warm-up' I led Stordiedret (the very obvious corner in the middle of that photo) reasonably competently and went on to enjoy the rest of the day there.
Great pics. I hope the new guidebook is selling well!
In reply to maarten: p.s. What grade is "Thanatos"? This pic: http://picasaweb.google.com/Marten.Blixt/KvalYaSlideshow/photo#505379951816... is enough to get even me to the climbing wall this winter. The stuff of dreams.
In reply to maarten/TobyA:
Thank you for posting these photos. The place looks amazing. I think I'll have to give Norway another go. When is the rock climbing season?
Thank you for posting these photos. The place looks amazing. I think I'll have to give Norway another go. When is the rock climbing season?
In reply to duncan: We went in mid-August and had pretty good weather. Soggy snow seems to cause trouble approaching Blåmann and Hollenderan early season, although if you had firm snow - getting up there might be easier than when its snow free?
In reply to TobyA/duncan:
The summer climbing season goes from about May to October, with sketchy periods in both ends. Best season for the long trad routes is usually July/August (driest), but in mid-August the midnight sun disappears.
Thanatos is simply a magic route, it is norwegian grade 7+, around french 7A. What that means in the E's and stuff you through around is beyond me.
For the note, there are few places on the planet with the same quality on the granite.
/Mårten
The summer climbing season goes from about May to October, with sketchy periods in both ends. Best season for the long trad routes is usually July/August (driest), but in mid-August the midnight sun disappears.
Thanatos is simply a magic route, it is norwegian grade 7+, around french 7A. What that means in the E's and stuff you through around is beyond me.
For the note, there are few places on the planet with the same quality on the granite.
/Mårten
In reply to maarten:
Thanks you.
About E4 I would guess. 6+ was usually E2, 7 around E3 from what I remember. Although American grades would be most appropriate. A truely amazing looking line.
I believe you!
Thanks you.
> Thanatos is simply a magic route, it is norwegian grade 7+, around french 7A. What that means in the E's and stuff you through around is beyond me.
About E4 I would guess. 6+ was usually E2, 7 around E3 from what I remember. Although American grades would be most appropriate. A truely amazing looking line.
> For the note, there are few places on the planet with the same quality on the granite.
I believe you!
In reply to duncan:
Bums - sounds a bit hard for me but if it is just jamming and I do some training....
Anyway, in Norway I've only climbed in Lofoten and Kvaloya/Tromso/Lyngen areas. After three trips to Lofoten I thought I was pretty cool, onsighting 6 on multipitch routes. NJ on this site had warned me that Hollenderan has tough grades, so we picked Gallionsruta as it was "only" 5+. The crux pitch is absolutely fantastic crack and corner climbing http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=51125 but felt very hard to me. No easier than those grade 6 pitches on Lofoten! Normally Finnish grades are half a grade harder than Norwegian (i.e. Finnish 6- is Nor. 6) but in this case it felt the opposite way around.
> About E4 I would guess. 6+ was usually E2, 7 around E3 from what I remember. Although American grades would be most appropriate. A truely amazing looking line.
Bums - sounds a bit hard for me but if it is just jamming and I do some training....
Anyway, in Norway I've only climbed in Lofoten and Kvaloya/Tromso/Lyngen areas. After three trips to Lofoten I thought I was pretty cool, onsighting 6 on multipitch routes. NJ on this site had warned me that Hollenderan has tough grades, so we picked Gallionsruta as it was "only" 5+. The crux pitch is absolutely fantastic crack and corner climbing http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=51125 but felt very hard to me. No easier than those grade 6 pitches on Lofoten! Normally Finnish grades are half a grade harder than Norwegian (i.e. Finnish 6- is Nor. 6) but in this case it felt the opposite way around.
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