UKC

I've just organised a three day trip to Bohuslän. I've had the guidebook for years and have always wanted to go. I even recruited a Swedish speaking partner to help me understand the guide, but am looking for any tips or beta. Obviously going to Bohuslän I want to climb cracks - but I'm not very good, so up to about E1/E2 or if you prefer: 5.10 something, 6b, Nor 6, Finnish 6- etc. I guess that's about Swedish 6?

Which are the crags you must visit, or routes you must do up to that sort of grade or easier?

Cheers all.

I think E1 corresponds rouhgly to swedish 6-.

Top ones I can think of: (not in any particular order)
* Välseröd (handful nice routes between 5 and 6)
* Hallinden (great place, 5+/6-/6 and then up)
* Galgeberget (a few nice easier routes)
* Skyggeberget (many great routes around 6)
* Häller (the most impressive crag, 2-3 routes for mere mortals, but worth it)
* Nordens ark (very slabby, soft grades)

Be aware that some "easier" routes, like 4+ and 5(+), can bite unexpectedly hard.

Check out the update to the guide for new routes, corrections and access issues:
http://www2.idrottonline.se/ImageVaultFiles/id_344405/cf_91986/bohusf%C3%B6...

In reply to Mr Andersson: Thanks a lot! Anyone else?

In reply to TobyA: Hi Toby!
Lots to do down there, if you are taking a car and just staying for a few days i recommend visiting two or three crags a day and just do the star routes and then move on.

Best place to stay(if you are camping) is at Klättertorpet www.klattertorpet.se they got fresh water, fridge etc

Best crags:
*Häller - Very impressive, lots of really hard routes but two really good "easier" ones too, "Mallorol(6-, E1)" and "Chapman"(6, E2?). Those two are definately "must do" routes.

*Välseröd - A couple of walls, lots of really good routes, the route "Willskudd(6-, E1) has been called Swedens best route in a american magazine. Not sure I agree about that but it's damn good.

*Skälefjäll - Another great crag, this one is facing north so good if the sun is out and it's warm. "Machete"(6, E2) is one of my favourites, "Stålfål"(6-, E1) is right next to it, a really nice jamming corner, often wet though.

*Hallinden - One of the biggest crags in Bohuslän, several walls but not so many routes on some of the walls. Got two really nice E1's on the first and biggest wall, "Vad är otid?"(short fingercrack) and "Prismaster"(long, some fingercrack, some layback...) and on the smaller woods in the forest there are a few really nice jamming cracks although slightly harder, they are well protected and could always be toproped."Afterburner"(6+, E2?), Ont blot"(6+, E2?), "Pekkas Diplomtur"(6, E1)

Hope you have a good time and remember to tape up, the granite is pretty rough in some places!

In reply to TobyA:

Bergkirstis polska (6-, E1) @ Svaneberget is a classic fingercrack that you should try.

In reply to TobyA:

3 days... Man I hope you´re lucky with the weather. Top tip would be to bring a car so you are able to move down south to Gothenburg area or Kullaberg if it´s raining. Or Norway or inland if it´s really bad. If its a bit wet and the rain aint pouring, Kleven with its extremely rough granite is usually climbable, Tjörnbroklippan (sport) dries fast.

Second tip would be to bring lots of gear if you intend to onsight a lot at your limit, a lot of the classic routes are in the 35-40m range so bring plenty of cams.

Third, stay, as stated above, at Klattertorpet. The owners Hanna&Petter have probably climbed everything worth climbing in Bohuslan and will be more than happy to give you pointers about routes, access etc.

Fourth, the grades will feel pretty hard compared to Lofoten grades (Lofoten 6= roughly 6- bohuslän) and more like other northern Norway.

Fifth, have a look at
www.headwall.com, www.8a.nu,

and more importantly www.sverigeforaren.se and http://www2.idrottonline.se/default.aspx?id=218157 for new routes and updated access info. There is a lot of access info which has changed, like where to park, closed crags during some periods etc etc.

At the crags mentioned above I would def. add the following at beloved Skälefjäll.
"En liten bit granit" sv6 (with Hassan chop finish for extra lenght, same grade, "Hot´n tots" sv6-/6 and if you like diedre, "Björnbärssnårigt" sv6. The beauty Granitbiten at soft and well protected sv7- might also be within reach, a wild guess, E2/E3? Skälefjäll is sadly not only climbing heaven but also tick paradise, so check yourself carefully after....

Other crags,

Högberget, lots of quality routes not in guidebook web only (headwall.com)
Svaneberget, classic crack Bergkirstis polska sv6-
Tåsteröd vatten (Nixten sv6)

Have fun! (I´m sure you will if the weather gods are friendly)

In reply to all: Tack så mycket dudes. I'll report back on how it goes. We are driving over from Stockholm, so there are other possibilities inland if it looks wet on the coast - but fingers crossed!

Have been trashing my fingers in rough, not so great Finnish granite today to get in training!

In reply to TobyA:

I need to do a correction, when I said "Skyggeberget" I really meant "Skälefjäll", as others have brought up. Don't know what I was thinking...

In reply to TobyA:

Having bought the 'Crackoholic' DVD earlier this year, I was inspired to get over there too. Sadly, the logistics of a 4 day trip from Glaswgow didn't make it worthwhile, so it'll have to wait till I have more time available. I'd be really interested in hearing how you get on, so please report back.

In reply to TobyA:

Mmmm Bohuslän looks great! Does anybody know when is the best time of year to visit? I've heard early Autumn is a good bet, but what's the biting insect situation like? Might it be better to wait until next Spring if bugs are a misery? Ta(ck).

In reply to pdhu:

Late spring (apr-may) and autumn (sep-oct) is probably best, usually too hot in the summer, but then it's most beautiful in the summer.

The "biting insects" situation might be bad at times and places (generally summer in shady crags), but not really a BIG issue.

In reply to TobyA:

Prismaster is superb.

Not much to add exceptit it is all quality and you will probably have the crags to yourselfs. If we are climbing there and we see somebody else we say "Busy today!"

Granite grotto is a huge over hanging place and is dry in the rain. It is somewhere to play around in the wet.

In reply to Mr Andersson:

Ticks can be a big problem so have a good check each evening.

In reply to JWB:


Yeah, we all got some. Cue four naked men standing in lake staring intently at each others privates. Two of them were doctors though, so that's OK.

The weekend I was there the climbers campsite was packed - really full. I think there were two public holidays either side of the weekend so many Swedes were making a holiday of it. Nevertheless the crags weren't too busy (not by UK standards anyway) just because there are so many of them. I heard there were queues at Hälle though.

Some pics here: https://picasaweb.google.com/114922424602799039677/Bohuslan don't why but Picasa totally loses the time order so they are all over the place currently and some of the climbing pics are from Ågelsjön which isn't in Bohuslän.

In reply to JWB:

True. In my experience, our ticks are very found of englishmen

In reply to Mr Andersson: I was climbing with two Germans and an Irishman, so actually they do not seem too picky!

In reply to TobyA:

Oh well, as long it's something foreign and exotic they'll have a feast!

In reply to Mr Andersson:


Or at least me! I always find at least one on me and my friends say they never find any. This is also when we are out in the Uk to.

I say they are not as good at looking for them as I am. They say I attract them. What ever they are nasty little bleeders!

In reply to TobyA: Another thumbs up for 'Prismaster' @ Hallinden...also 'Trottsmossans tystnad' @ Vettekullen was good value. There are many other very impressive pitches at Halliden (if they are ever dry...they could very well be running with water - much of the crag was, one July, when I visited).

In reply to TobyA: I've finally done a trip report with lots of pictures from my trip, I think Fraser at least was interested so here's the link: http://lightfromthenorth.blogspot.com/2011/06/bohuslan-climbing-trip-report...

In reply to TobyA: Do you reckon it is worth travelling to from Britain?

reason is that I never got round to going when I lived three hours drive away but now I'm quite tempted.

In reply to Hannes: I guess it depends on what you want and how much it would cost. For me now having been, if I could get a cheap flight from the UK to say Gothenburg or to Turin, I might be inclined to try some alpine multipitch rock in the Italian Alps first. But if you have local friends, or could borrow a car from family not too far away, then Bohuslän would make sense. A Finn I know had a very good week there climbing a shed load of routes, so you can get a lot done if you are motivated.

I should add, speaking Swedish or something similar would help with the guide book

In reply to TobyA:

There seem to be some knowledge/local people replying here. I'm in Gothenburg for work next week and have the whole of Wed 6th free - anyone able to hook me up for some climbing somewhere local?

Cheers,

Andy

In reply to TobyA:

Hey thanks, I've been interested in the climbing there for a bit, ever since I watched Crackoholic--or maybe I'm actually more interested in having the life that the Swedish climbers in Crackoholic seem to have, apparently consisting 90% of drinking coffee on nice wooden porches in sunny weather while having a good chat, then climbing hard routes with ease, and maybe going for a nice cycle or a run afterwards!

In reply to TobyA: I could borrow a car from my parents (3hr drive up) and raid their fridge so it'd probably be a fair bit cheaper than the alps but good to know. I do speak Swedish but since I haven't climbed much there I don't know the terms, can't be too hard though, not like left and right in French.