Big ice climbs in Norway
We spent 10 days in Sognefjord with Aymeric Clouet and Michel Coranotte. Sognefjord is the biggest fjord after Greenland Fjord.
The conditions were very good this season with a lots of ice. We decided to stay in Flam : a central place with many possibilities around. We warmed up with some shorts climbs on south side of Gudvangen valley, which gave us a good view on the other side.
We climbed Fosslimonster (6+ M7 800 meters) in a big day, finish with cramps in the biceps...
Fosslimonster was climbed in 2009 by Jasper an Schali ; the german climbers used a drill and place bolts. In Norway, the rules are : no bolt above the treeline. Some norvegian climbers tried the route in good style and were very annoyed. This ascent created a controversy which led to the trial of Jasper.
I saw a thin line just right to the route Into the wild. I came here many time and I never saw it. The ice crux is a freestanding hanging over a roof lying on huge jellyfishes strangely attached to the wall. We climbed this route in 14 hours and we called the route "Kraken".
We climbed other routes in Gudvangen valley, Undredale and Laerdal, Norway is really the ice Climbing Mecca!
