Blog
2009-03-27 01:41:45
Bolts, here we go again!
There is a not so interesting (yet strange) discussion going on among ice climbers in Norway now. Somehow I'm now personally involved in this, and I feel that I have to comment on it.
I feel it's time for a quick introduction to the subject of this discussion, that is still on a web forum based level. A climber named Robert Jasper, that has visited Norway quite frequently during the last couple of years, climbed a new line in Gudvangen earlier this winter. I spotted this line years ago and I saw the potential when, if ever, conditions should make it possible to climb it. This year it came in and Jasper sent it. I might be an overly positive person, but my immidiate reaction to when someone climb a new cool route is to say "Congrats dude, good climb, gimme beta so that I can go and do it myself and have a good day out!". Oh, not so fast here, I forgot, Jasper commited one of the seven deadly sins (it is one of them ey?), HE USED BOLTS! As we all know, placing bolts on a route in god knows where in a country that most of the world's population has not even heard about, is on the list of global issues on the UN agenda, right after poverty, education and peace on earth. Well, seriously... No wait, let's not get too serious here, because like I said before, this is weird stuff.
NTK, short for Norsk Tindeklubb, published an article/statement that you can read here. To make it clear, NTK is an exclusive club and to become a member you have to be approved by them. Some of the criteria for approval is to list 3-5 ascents in addition to approval from two existing members of NTK. You can also become a member if you have done some kind of scientific contribution to alpine climbing (whatever that means). Based on this I find it both disturbing and annoying when NTK in this article speak on behalf of a unified Norwegian climbing community. I dare to say that I probably climb more ice than anyone else in this country, simply because I live in Rjukan and it is my profession and I don't agree with NTK that there is such thing as an established standard or even loosely defined ethics about placing bolts on long ice routes. At least, no one has ever told me about it. If NTK has defined their own sets of "rules" and guide lines for how they want to climb ice in this country, good for them, I accept that and they should go ahead and climb in whatever way they want. Then it's only natural to assume that NTK will show the same respect for climbers that has a different oppinion. Again, we are not talking about matters that actually makes sence here, like feeding starving kids in Africa or solving the middle east conflict.
Time for a brief lesson in Norwegian ice climbing history here. Norway is a great country for ice climbing, I consider it to be the best in the world. Norway has what most other places lack, an unknown number of really long, steep ice routes. The majority of the first ascents of the ice routes in areas like Lærdal, Eidfjord, Gudvangen and Rjukan are done by climbers from other parts of the world. These are routes that in my oppinion in some ways has helped ice climbing becoming the sport it is today, in Norway. Let's list some of them:
Lipton, Rjukan
FA by Franz Fischer and Carlos Wagner. The route was graded WI7, because it was by far some of the most technically difficult routes that had been climbed in Norway back then.
Haugsfossen, Rjukan
FA by Carlos Wagner, I think 12 years ago (I might be wrong about the year though). Graded WI6 (still is), and considered to be one of the hardest routes at the time.
Vettisfossen, Øvre Årdal
FA by Rob Taylor and Henry Barber. They climbed this route in 1977 and it's still considered to be a challenge by Norwegian standards.
Eidfjord
An area that Will Gadd and myself visited some three years ago. When we went there, only a few of the intermediate routes had been done, mostly by climbers from Bergen. At the time it was really hard to get any information about what had been climbed in that area. After we both published articles about our trip, this place started to see a lot of first ascents.
Mo Valley, Lærdal
In this valley you find some of the world's finest ice, with routes up to 400 meters. As far as I know, these were all done first by Hari Berger, Ines Papert, Guy Lacell, Will Gadd and myself.
And now Robert has climbed this amazing line in Gudvangen, that climbers have been looking at for years.
I can go on, but I think I have made a point here. Visiting climbers have pushed ice climbing on long, hard(er) routes in this country for years and based on this I find it very hard to accept that NTK can claim the right to define ethical guide lines for how myself or anyone else should climb these routes.
Someone said to me that bolting is against Norwegian law. This is incorrect. In a situation where bolting can avoid a rescue situation and/or people getting injured, it is allowed. My personal oppinion is that bolts, if they can prevent dangerous situations and the use of public rescue services, should be used more. I think it's a selfish and pretentious attitude that NTK shows here, encouraging climbers to expose themselves to unnecessary dangerous situations, risking the lives of people and exposing the whole sport to negative publicity in the media. People that actually suggest to take legal actions against bolting does not know what they are doing and they are causing damage to the sport (and thus the community) with their own ignorance and foolishness. When it comes to these subjects, a low profile is a good profile, trust me.
If anyone can give me one good reason to why not use bolts on routes that present a great danger, please let me know, because I'm getting pretty fed up with having this discussion every season. If someone want to climb a bolted route in a "clean" way, would it be a possible solution to simply not clip the bolts? To me, this seems like a reasonable solution, so that these routes can be climbed by both the tough guys and the rest of us. Just a thought...
There is a not so interesting (yet strange) discussion going on among ice climbers in Norway now. Somehow I'm now personally involved in this, and I feel that I have to comment on it.
I feel it's time for a quick introduction to the subject of this discussion, that is still on a web forum based level. A climber named Robert Jasper, that has visited Norway quite frequently during the last couple of years, climbed a new line in Gudvangen earlier this winter. I spotted this line years ago and I saw the potential when, if ever, conditions should make it possible to climb it. This year it came in and Jasper sent it. I might be an overly positive person, but my immidiate reaction to when someone climb a new cool route is to say "Congrats dude, good climb, gimme beta so that I can go and do it myself and have a good day out!". Oh, not so fast here, I forgot, Jasper commited one of the seven deadly sins (it is one of them ey?), HE USED BOLTS! As we all know, placing bolts on a route in god knows where in a country that most of the world's population has not even heard about, is on the list of global issues on the UN agenda, right after poverty, education and peace on earth. Well, seriously... No wait, let's not get too serious here, because like I said before, this is weird stuff.
NTK, short for Norsk Tindeklubb, published an article/statement that you can read here. To make it clear, NTK is an exclusive club and to become a member you have to be approved by them. Some of the criteria for approval is to list 3-5 ascents in addition to approval from two existing members of NTK. You can also become a member if you have done some kind of scientific contribution to alpine climbing (whatever that means). Based on this I find it both disturbing and annoying when NTK in this article speak on behalf of a unified Norwegian climbing community. I dare to say that I probably climb more ice than anyone else in this country, simply because I live in Rjukan and it is my profession and I don't agree with NTK that there is such thing as an established standard or even loosely defined ethics about placing bolts on long ice routes. At least, no one has ever told me about it. If NTK has defined their own sets of "rules" and guide lines for how they want to climb ice in this country, good for them, I accept that and they should go ahead and climb in whatever way they want. Then it's only natural to assume that NTK will show the same respect for climbers that has a different oppinion. Again, we are not talking about matters that actually makes sence here, like feeding starving kids in Africa or solving the middle east conflict.
Time for a brief lesson in Norwegian ice climbing history here. Norway is a great country for ice climbing, I consider it to be the best in the world. Norway has what most other places lack, an unknown number of really long, steep ice routes. The majority of the first ascents of the ice routes in areas like Lærdal, Eidfjord, Gudvangen and Rjukan are done by climbers from other parts of the world. These are routes that in my oppinion in some ways has helped ice climbing becoming the sport it is today, in Norway. Let's list some of them:
Lipton, Rjukan
FA by Franz Fischer and Carlos Wagner. The route was graded WI7, because it was by far some of the most technically difficult routes that had been climbed in Norway back then.
Haugsfossen, Rjukan
FA by Carlos Wagner, I think 12 years ago (I might be wrong about the year though). Graded WI6 (still is), and considered to be one of the hardest routes at the time.
Vettisfossen, Øvre Årdal
FA by Rob Taylor and Henry Barber. They climbed this route in 1977 and it's still considered to be a challenge by Norwegian standards.
Eidfjord
An area that Will Gadd and myself visited some three years ago. When we went there, only a few of the intermediate routes had been done, mostly by climbers from Bergen. At the time it was really hard to get any information about what had been climbed in that area. After we both published articles about our trip, this place started to see a lot of first ascents.
Mo Valley, Lærdal
In this valley you find some of the world's finest ice, with routes up to 400 meters. As far as I know, these were all done first by Hari Berger, Ines Papert, Guy Lacell, Will Gadd and myself.
And now Robert has climbed this amazing line in Gudvangen, that climbers have been looking at for years.
I can go on, but I think I have made a point here. Visiting climbers have pushed ice climbing on long, hard(er) routes in this country for years and based on this I find it very hard to accept that NTK can claim the right to define ethical guide lines for how myself or anyone else should climb these routes.
Someone said to me that bolting is against Norwegian law. This is incorrect. In a situation where bolting can avoid a rescue situation and/or people getting injured, it is allowed. My personal oppinion is that bolts, if they can prevent dangerous situations and the use of public rescue services, should be used more. I think it's a selfish and pretentious attitude that NTK shows here, encouraging climbers to expose themselves to unnecessary dangerous situations, risking the lives of people and exposing the whole sport to negative publicity in the media. People that actually suggest to take legal actions against bolting does not know what they are doing and they are causing damage to the sport (and thus the community) with their own ignorance and foolishness. When it comes to these subjects, a low profile is a good profile, trust me.
If anyone can give me one good reason to why not use bolts on routes that present a great danger, please let me know, because I'm getting pretty fed up with having this discussion every season. If someone want to climb a bolted route in a "clean" way, would it be a possible solution to simply not clip the bolts? To me, this seems like a reasonable solution, so that these routes can be climbed by both the tough guys and the rest of us. Just a thought...
2009-03-12 17:43:24
Going big!
2009-02-17 22:12:01
Ice climbing - mind updates
This season I have been climbing routes and been working on projects that have forced me to think in new directions about ice climbing. Ice climbing at your limit can be very self exploratory in the sense that you quickly find out what you are not able to do. Ice climbing is nice that way, you get instant feedback, hard lessons. This is a few reflections on details that I had reconsidered recently:
- Weight, the less the better. When doing big ice routes I'm going LIGHT, and I mean it. The general idea I have had before is that I can carry a "comfort" pack with me when I follow, but it's just not true when the climbing get hard enough. I leave behind everything that is not necessary to climb the route, like water, food, med-pack, camera and those extra shiny bits that "you might need somewhere up there".
- Warmth. When you get cold your body starts working, burning the fuel you need for climbing. Ice climbing is a pretty rough mental game and I hate it when I have to start leading a pitch being cold. It takes me at least half a pitch of steep climbing to warm up, physically and mentally. I now lead with a small Norrøna Off-Track pack, with only a light belay jacket and an extra pair of gloves in it. It's worth the effort of carrying an extra half kg to have a belay jacket at the end of the pitch.
- Self locking belay devices, like the Petzl reverso, is cruicial. It's safer and faster. I cannot be without a self locking belay device on a big route.
- Approaches. I've done some gnarly approaches recently and I've learnt that it's not about how big the approach is, but more about how difficult it is. Instead of do the obvious looking approach, find alternative ways. Often it's easier to ski to the top of the route (at least in Norway) than it is to do a 3 hour walk in deep snow from the bottom of the valley. Bring a sled if necessary, to transport the gear in.
- A suitable vehicle. A 4-wheel drive or a snow mobile can save you hours of walking.
- Plan the route. If possible I like to study a photo of the whole route I'm going to climb, to find the good lines. It's easier to do this at home or in the hotel, with a cup of coffee, than to stand in front of the route trying to figure out where to climb (note, we are talking about big routes here). I like to do a recon mission before I climb to have a look at the route.
- Never stop moving. This is a tough one, but it's really important. From you start the approach to when you are back in the car the focus should be on the climb and nothing else.
- I always start leading. I climb better if I get to start the day by leading a pitch or two, even if it's low angled. This is probably only me though.
2009-02-06 20:00:34
Reflections!
This is what ice climbing is all about! We have been here on the west coast together with my bud Seth for some time now, scouting huge areas, climbing some, failing some, learning a lot every day. I have done some of the most interesting approaches in my life here, on skis, with snow mobiles and in off-road trucks. If I ever write a book about ice climbing I'm going to have a chapter called "Approach techniques" and it's going to include stuff like how to secure a jeep with ice screws to keep it from sliding off the road.
It's the total package that motivates me to climb now, the search for The Perfect Climb, The Motherload of Ice and nature itself. Routes that does not give in easily, that makes you work for it. That's what it's all about.
This is what ice climbing is all about! We have been here on the west coast together with my bud Seth for some time now, scouting huge areas, climbing some, failing some, learning a lot every day. I have done some of the most interesting approaches in my life here, on skis, with snow mobiles and in off-road trucks. If I ever write a book about ice climbing I'm going to have a chapter called "Approach techniques" and it's going to include stuff like how to secure a jeep with ice screws to keep it from sliding off the road.
It's the total package that motivates me to climb now, the search for The Perfect Climb, The Motherload of Ice and nature itself. Routes that does not give in easily, that makes you work for it. That's what it's all about.
2009-01-13 02:11:01
Wars of the ice
Today we had a day out on ice, despite pretty fucked up conditions (rain and 5 C). We scanned the area around the Vemork bridge for something that looked like an ice route and less like a waterfall. The only route that was in ok shape was Vemorkbrufoss East (yep, it's the one east of the bridge) and at the bottom we roped up to swing some tools and have a good day out. There was one team above us, but this route has space for more than one party, plus I must have done this route about a million times or something, so I'm pretty confident doing it, even with other climbers above me. The other team was doing the left line and though they were moving slow I didn't want to pass them, which is why I chosed the far right line, and stayed out of their way.
So I'm climbing happily, minding my own business, when suddenly the leader of the other team starts yelling at me, saying I shouldn't climb below them, because "it was dangerous". I'm always trying as long as possible to keep a low profile and don't cause any problems when I'm climbing, but today I just wasn't in the mood. Might have been the shitty conditions and general frustration that made me shout back to this guy that he should just keep doing whatever he was doing and let me worry about the rest. The punk rocker in me came alive. As long as I don't bother anyone and mind my own business, I want others to show me the same respect. Unfortunately I've witnessed similar things more and more often during the last years here in the valley. It seems like some people lack common sense and respect for others. If we can't respect each other while doing something as trivial as climbing ice, there will definately never be peace on earth.
Peace out!
Haugsfossen in Rjukan, a less crowded route...
Today we had a day out on ice, despite pretty fucked up conditions (rain and 5 C). We scanned the area around the Vemork bridge for something that looked like an ice route and less like a waterfall. The only route that was in ok shape was Vemorkbrufoss East (yep, it's the one east of the bridge) and at the bottom we roped up to swing some tools and have a good day out. There was one team above us, but this route has space for more than one party, plus I must have done this route about a million times or something, so I'm pretty confident doing it, even with other climbers above me. The other team was doing the left line and though they were moving slow I didn't want to pass them, which is why I chosed the far right line, and stayed out of their way.
So I'm climbing happily, minding my own business, when suddenly the leader of the other team starts yelling at me, saying I shouldn't climb below them, because "it was dangerous". I'm always trying as long as possible to keep a low profile and don't cause any problems when I'm climbing, but today I just wasn't in the mood. Might have been the shitty conditions and general frustration that made me shout back to this guy that he should just keep doing whatever he was doing and let me worry about the rest. The punk rocker in me came alive. As long as I don't bother anyone and mind my own business, I want others to show me the same respect. Unfortunately I've witnessed similar things more and more often during the last years here in the valley. It seems like some people lack common sense and respect for others. If we can't respect each other while doing something as trivial as climbing ice, there will definately never be peace on earth.
Peace out!
Haugsfossen in Rjukan, a less crowded route...
