UKC

Norway is a paradise for the adventurous ice climber. While most British visitors to Norway flock to Rjukan, the rest of the country remains largely overlooked. Rjukan is a great playground - but why queue to climb when elsewhere in Norway there are world-class ice climbing areas, where ice cascades everywhere you look, and you are unlikely to see another climber during your whole trip? The far north is such a place.

Nick Harvey and James Booth shed some light on Northern Norway ice climbing.

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In reply to UKC Articles:

Nick, you met us lot up there as you very kindly let us bunk in your cabin! But i guess that was preplanned so doesn't count.

There is now a Lyngen Alps guide book https://www.bmcshop.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=6963 which covers ice climbing in limited detail. Interestingly considering your comments on Norwegians not claiming routes, they give FAs in that but i was amused to see one icefall that I had done before the stated FA, but Finnish teams have been regular visitors since the late 80s that I know of so I'm sure all the obvious routes were done by Finns and quieter Norwegians long before the book says. There is a small group of Finns, mainly from Rovaniemi, who have done some very impressive climbing up there that are virtually unknown, at least outside of Finland (although two just represented Finland in the ice world cup). The darkest of dark reindeer perhaps?

I want to say everyone should go visit because it's such an amazing place, but I won't because I want to keep it secret!

In reply to TobyA: I'm pretty sure I knew of this book somewhere in the back of my mind, but as you say, I think it's limited. Do you actually have it?

In reply to Nick Harvey:

No but my friend Dave does. I read it at his house two summers back when i was last in Finland. He's up in Lyngen currently with the Eagle Ski club, reportedly today was some of the best powder he's ever skied and Dave had skied a lot! Lyngen keeps on giving eh? Two weeks I'm there!

In reply to TobyA: would love to know where the ice routes are if you get a chance to find out. I mean in the book. I know where they are in the world!

Have you ever seen anything on your ski travels into the backcountry?

In reply to Nick Harvey:
From what I remember the stuff in the book is all stuff covered by your guide blog, i.e. Furuflatten and up to Lyngseidet.

I found a few snaps I took of pages that interested me https://flic.kr/s/aHskTgfDq1

In reply to UKC Articles:

well psyched for some of this at some point. Well done boys for putting this together

In reply to Nick Harvey:
I have a copy, and you can borrow it if you like. Looks like you are london based. I'm in Bristol, but do head down that way from time to time. Could pop it in the post if you are in a hurry.

In reply to UKC Articles: good read.

Just want to add the Swedish option, fly to Kiruna and stock up on booze and food there. (Not cheap but more sensible than Norway) If youre away for more than a couple of days it will be worth it, car rental is also way cheaper than in Norway.

Hopefully we'll manage to cram in a week next winter. Should be fun!

In reply to Ramon Marin:

You'd love it Ramon. So much to go at, in a very beautiful place!

In reply to DanielJ:

Kiruna isn't really that well placed for getting to Lyngen/Kåfjord. I googled mapped it from Kiruna airport to Skibotn, 4.5 hrs driving via Finland, 5.5 if you go up towards Narvik then across. Although the Northern Finnish airports are the same sort of distance, and while car hire might be no different, it might cost a bit more to get to say Kittilä than to Kiruna. I bought flights from LHR to Tromsø a few weeks ago over the Easter break and it was only about 200 quid. Can't imagine it would be much different via Sweden, although I'm meeting friends up there who will have cars so car hire isn't a big issue for me.

In reply to TobyA:

The thing with car hire is that you get an economy of scale so a large car full of people works out a lot cheaper per head than a small one. Roping in a few extra people pays off.

Last time I was up that way 5 of us in an estate car wasn't too bad per head, and the hytte we booked in Lyngen came in at around 10 quid a night.

In reply to TobyA:


True, but flying into Kiruna (or heck, fly into STKCHL and take the train) is not too bad option. Climb something around Abisko and then head to Spandsdalen/Sördalen/Senja before continuing to Lyngen/Kåfjord.

In reply to davidbeynon: well, it does get a very good review on amazon...

That's very kind, thanks, but wouldn't want to put you out. Will be a few years before our return and only being nosey!

In reply to UKC Articles:

wow that looks ace. specially with Rjukan conditions being such a gamble the last few years....its getting as unpredictable as scotland, thank you very much global warming

In reply to UKC Articles:

This. This is a nightmare if you're trying to log routes etc. Especially given the advent of online logbooks. Its even tedious for Norwegian guidebook writers. Any 'new' route that I try I give a 'first recorded ascent' as opposed to an FA, as you really just cant be sure and some ambiguous/boring name (e.g. name of stream or river). Even if you are certain its a new route, formed during an unusual season or whatever.

But, this ethic is a unique and wonderful (maybe even essential) part of the Norwegian outdoor culture and really does add a lot of excitement when exploring 'new' (read lesser travelled, lesser advertised or whatever) areas. They are fantastic at preserving the feeling of adventure, especially when you can go to amazing valleys, full of world class ice routes and be completely alone all day. The more you climb in this way the more you begin to realise that whilst guidebooks are useful, they truly do desensitize things.

In reply to UKC Articles:

Re conditions information, Signar Andre Nielsen is a good person to follow on Instagram. Also probably a good person to contact for route information.

In reply to Mr. Lee:

Is he based in Tromsø region Lee? Cheers. Will look him up.

In reply to GarethSL:


Indeed, a good rule of thumb is that unless the approach (with skis) requires less than 2 full days and the grade is less than WI5... It's prolly been climbed as a casual afternoon stroll by a local farmer, that occasionally likes to climb.


Yes, going back to the roots, so to speak... more in the line of old "pre-historic" route descriptions of mountaineering stuff in Lyngen (there is a couple of such "guidebooks" from the 80s or so). The general description is start from East and finish at the top, by an obvious route... what ever that may be .

In reply to TobyA:

Yes. Also Emma Wichardt I should say. Both work as guides up in that general area.

Toby - 'mega' snowfall out there apparently. Roads closed with avalanches. Could be perfect timing for you!

In reply to Nick Harvey:

Not mega per se... but enough to enjoy gettin' stuck in Tamok or something...

Oh BTW, Huset might also be an option for housing, if they have openned it. Aadnes other housing option are certainly more cozy & private... but you really can't beat the atmosphere of Huset.