Ice Climbing - Rjukan Norway

2008 Trip Was Fully Booked - Book Now for 2009

Why wait for Scotland to come into condition when Norway is just a short flight away? This destination is both exciting and accessible with routes suitable for all grades of ice climbers. If you're new to ice climbing then there are some great routes at WI 2/WI 3 which are just the thing for an introduction to real ice climbing, if you're more experienced then the sky's the limit with routes up to WI 7!

If you're a complete novice then its a possibility that we could split the week into a few days winter mountaineering instruction and the remainder as an introduction to ice climbing. With the conditions being so reliable the options are endless. A winter skills course with a definite twist!

Our intended base will be Rjukan in the Telemark region of Norway. This is fast becoming a Mecca for European ice climbers and with cheap flights and easy access its not hard to understand why.

For some great pictures and a useful miniguide you might want to check out this site.

We'll base ourselves in a comfortable local apartment which has over 23 routes within walking distance!* Ice climbers heaven.

December 05 saw Rock Fax publish a very useful guide the area, find it (and/or buy it) on the Rock Fax web site, they also have a free download of a sample chapter.

The itinerary we'll follow will very much depend on the group's ability and aspirations. The only thing that is certain is that we'll have a great time climbing some of the most reliable ice in Europe.

Contact us now for prices and 2009 dates.

* Availability permitting - Booking early will give us the best chance of securing suitable accommodation

2008 Report & Pictures available on the blog

In 2007...

Just to whet your appetite...

Long considered too difficult to get to, too expensive, too cold, and other deterring reasons, this has now all changed for the better, thanks to Ryanair.

The steep ice climbing in the Rjukan Gorge, in southern Norway, was our objective in February this season. We longed for good conditions, reasonable weather, things not so prevalent in our usual Scottish winter and we weren't disappointed.

Flying to Oslo (Torp) with Ryanair was very straightforward and the addition of a £15 each way sports bag meant we could take an enormous amount of equipment, spare dried food, and a couple of bottles of alcohol (that is expensive in Norway!). On arrival at Torp, it was a simple routine to get the hire car and be on our way to Rjukan.

The weather was cool and cloudy, with some occasional snow showers. A 3-hour journey in those conditions was acceptable, and we arrived in the town in the early evening. We had pre-booked our apartment through the website and were very pleased to find such good quality. Soon we were wrapped up in duvets, while outside, the temperatures plummeted.

Emerging from our beds to snow falling lightly, we soon found this made little difference to our climbing plans. Our accommodation was situated within ten minutes walk of the famous Vemork Bridge, famous in the war years when the allies prevented the Germans from removing vast quantities of a special type of water needed for the manufacture of an ATOMIC BOMB!

Fortunately for everyone, with some heroics, the lads persevered in atrocious weather and wrecked the Germans’ plans, by destroying the Vemork factory. Now rebuilt for historical reference, the factory is now a major tourist attraction and receives many visitors a day throughout each year.

Our climbing days in the Gorge were outstanding, and so wonderful that each day melted into the next. Superb single or multi-pitch icefalls were flowing everywhere one looked and the guidebook (Heavy Water, by Rockfax) was easy and fun to follow.

A variety of routes were climbed, (around ten in four days) with many being straightforward and others, bold and exciting. My favourite two were Ozzimosis (WI4) in the area of the same name, and Vermorkbrufoss Vest (WI5) in the Vemork Bridge area. Both routes provided steep and sustained ice climbing but were very pleasing to climb. Access was SO easy!
There were also many routes at WI 2, WI 3 and WI 4 to go at, and time ran out just as we were getting a real ‘feel’ to the place.

Norway is a huge country and with a vast potential for fun ice climbing, I intend to make an annual visit here. January through to the end of February is the best period for Rjukan, although it often keeps cold well into March. Expect the early months to be cold!