Back in October 2010 Cotswold and Rab ran a competition at UKClimbing.com - the 'Climb Norway Challenge'.
We showed a photo of the mighty Hydnefossen in Hemsedal, Norway, a classic grade 5 ice climb that is one of the favourites of Rab sponsored climber and mountain guide Nils Nielsen. Competition entries were made by plotting your ideal route up the icefall and marking the best belay stances to divide it into 5 pitches. The entry that matched the line chosen by Nils won an ice climbing trip for 2 to Norway to be guided by Nils Nielsen at Rjukan, the classic ice venue in Southern Norway (see the winning route line below).
We had lots of entries and the competition was won by Emma Knight of Penrith, who chose to take boyfriend Ewan along with her.
Early in January Emma, Ewan and Rab sales manager Neil McAdie met Nils Nielsen in Rjukan for 3 days of icefall climbing, learning a few skills and ticking a few classic routes. We stayed at the Climb Inn which is conveniently situated just a few minutes walk from the routes. Nils ran a skills course on Saturday at Krokan where Emma and Ewan learnt about setting ice screw belays, making ice V threads and got to climb some great short routes. On Sunday and Monday we climbed longer 3 pitch routes in the Upper Gorge including the area classic Sabotorfossen. Emma and Ewan received some of the latest Rab clothing to test on the trip as well as a pair of mountain boots from Cotswold. It was a great weekend and a big thanks goes out Nils for the guiding, Cotswold and UKC for helping to run the competition and of course to everyone who entered.
Check the pictures showing Nils instructing, and Emma climbing at Krokan, and Neil McAdie on the top pitch of the classic Sabotorfossen.
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