Huston we have a degree issue,

Day six, waking up after the mini hurracaine during the night we feel pretty battered. Battered from yesterday's yomp in the trees and from a scary night in the hut. We had to open the front door last night to let the heat out as we left the heating on which made our hut into a mini sauna.

So, breakfast done,flask made,bags packed lets hit the upper gorge. Really, was there something in the air last night that made you think you were beyond the laws of physics. Ok, let's try and drive this deluded set of rhythms called brain waves which are clearly disturbed running through your head.

Fact one, its F--king 8 degrees out there, fact two the rd is piss wet through, bollocks to fact three. So whats the plan, let's go upper gorge, ok sounds cool.

Called in at Rimi, got some dead reindeer to munch on. Parked at Krokan and were walking down the rd to the abseil point, this will be a two pitch abseil so escape from the pit of hell may be difficult if shit hits the fan AKA no ice no exit.

Basically it's this way, left.

Snows pretty deep, 2-3 feet in places.

Lipton is fully formed, but looks wet and chewy based on yesterday's jaunt.

Looking from the tourist gallery deep in the woods.

Based on what we see, which is a whole lot of pain we decide to move on. Rjukanfossen looks mega thin and not pretty. It's a no brainer,pretty obvious that once in the gorge we would be trapped with no way out, even the WI3 route on the exit wall looks ruthless if attempted.

Heading back to the car we decide to head back to Krokan and at worst run a top rope on some routes due to the ice quality deteriorating fast.

Krokan is pretty busy today, lots of vehicles parked in the car park and lots of groups.

Yep you guessed it, we're out of there. We've had a great week and were not looking for top rope routes so it's back to the hut for a couple of shots of Tullamore Dew and pray tomoz gets colder and meaner.

Oh yeh, before that we had to stock up on cake un coffee at the Kondatori.

Bit on the side, well funny sign. Love to see someone run down the Upper Gorge and out run this. One of those areas were a sign maybes not require due to being bloody obvious.

So, roll on last day in RJUKAN.

Sick route on day four in Rjukan

Sykehusfossen which means (The sick house waterfall) as it's just above the hospital in Rjukan. This route has been hanging around on our consciousness like bad cold for far to long. You can see this route from the window of our hut.

It's pretty big and very intimidating, as it just sits there lookin big and fat. Yesterday was meant to be attack day on sykehusfossen but due to the high winds it felt best left alone. Intuition is a great thing, plus nowing when to walk away from a route. Yesterday would have been a serious outing if we had undertaken this route. The route is highly exposed to the elements and I am sure the wind will find a way to make you an inmate in the adjacent building below A&E.

So how did we fair, pretty well considering. The entry to this route is far from obvious, you are negotiating thick woodland built in and around a mega Boulder field with the added advantage of super deep snow. The snow was around 3ft deep in places, deeper in and around the boulders field and difficult to route find. Dean made an attempt during the week to get to the foot of this route but was beaten back, which Iam not surprised.

This was the easy bit, just gets worst as you head on in.

Pushing hard with full packs we make the waterfall in around 1hr, well pumped when we arrive at the foot of the route.

Route ahoy, this might be a good term to use as we run the first pitch. We decided to swap lead this morning as dean has copped for a couple of not so brill second leads. So looking at the route, pitch two looks like the money shot. Geared up and ready to go, my leads on.

The first pitch is deceiving, bit like a massive ramp upto a big stance on the left. Halfway up my pitch things are starting to look bad. Lots of dishing ice and super crusty snow over pretty shit ice below. Im in for about six screws by now, with a quick glance down the crag,down is not an option. So MTFU comes to mind and Iam pushing hard for the stance. The stance is a good distance away and I've got six screws left, not over used them on the way up its just a big run out. Quick bit of mental arithmetic and I work out with my belay stance covered I've got two screws left for about 20 yard runout on shit ice.

Right, moving now, feet pushing through the ice. I can see straight through to the back of the waterfall at this point. Guess about a three foot void between me and the main crag, looks pretty deep. So deep breath and I am moving up, feet pushing through on every step now. Start looking for a placement to wack a 22cm in, this should take a whipper if it arrives. 22 seated and the stance is looking closer, I arrive at a ledge running out left and up to the would B ledge. Not much of a ledge, just a possible stance when cut out. Before I can make it over to the stance there is a massive snow field between me and the belay stance and good ice.

A couple of swings and the axe goes straight into a 6-8 inch sheet of snowy shit sort of ice. So axe turned on its side I start walking it with a type of shovel action. Next min sheets of ice like surfboards are flying off down towards dean. Below this is average ice, not what I was looking for. Steady moves dragging line like I am setting up a washing line I arrive at the stance. Chopping the stance out I can see the rock behind the waterfall and a mega big chute going straight down. The water is running hard at this point, this route is not at its best way,to warm over the last couple of days.

Belay fixed and deans on his way up. Arriving at the stance we have a quick chat and decide we will run the next pitch which is on good ice, but only because it's near vertical for around 50 ft so no snow build up on the face. There's a mega big tree out on the right, he'll head for that and asses the upper section which runs out through the woods at an angle of about 35-45 degrees. 

This is steeper than the camera portrays, it's the angle I am at believe me it's steep. This section I'd give WI5 all day long, lower section WI4 on good ice but sectchy as hell today so I am havin 5 for it.

As dean makes his way up, he strikes the axe into the ice, you can hear hissing. Never heard this before, it's air rushing out from beneath the ice due to the gap between the rock and ice,mega weird.

I arrive at the tree and its game over, deans made the assessment and we ain't goin no further on this route today. The upper section is rotten, it's no day for heroes, so we set up and abseil off.

With a full abseil of 60m straight down to the bottom, straight down the main face. All in all a great route but would have been better with a bit more ice and mega more stability.

Last nights pizza came in handy, to much is never a bad thing. Cold pizza is mega just after a route.

Heading down is quicker than up but mega tricky finding your way through the woods in deep snow.

Sunday's in Norway are real family days but no good if you want to celebrate and get some single malt to chill out with. So it looks like we'll be off to the Husset bar for a couple of scoops later.

Another grate day on the ice in Norway.

Windy nights, day three.

Windy nights, banging windows and rockin roofs.

Last night saw what sounded like a hurracaine passing through the valley. Woke up in the night to the bathroom window trying to exit the building. Bit of a late start today due to a long hard day on Sabotørfossen, anyway up un ready to go. Looking out of the window, looks like the trees are Ballet dancing on the valley sides. The intended target today was Sykehusfossen above the hospital, but things looked pretty wild up there today. We took the decision to run this route another day, don't fancy been blown around when we can do it another day.

So plan B, plan B is on its way, just need to work it out.

Ok plan B is head up to the lower gorge and climb some routes.

Lower gorge, not how we left it last year eh cliff. I think someone replaced the river with one that flows.

Broke back crag, eh Cliff.

Oh those wild days, 

Ok, back on track.

This ain't gonna let us cross,with ease, nope it ain't havin none of it. We're off, back up the amazingly long long hill. The upside is some really nice person has put a notted line from top to bottom which makes the pain a whole lot better.

Plan C is hatching as we roll down the road back to town. We head off to the Svadda area to try and salvage the day, ok let's not. Wind wind, now snow and I think a bit of rain mixed into it. Car grinds to a halt with the reality of Ozzimossis being the only option left, for me its a tough one as I am not a fan of crowds and it's Saturday which means only one thing, guides un crowds of people.

Cool, heading up to Ozzy we round the corner. Ok it looks good, one car,two car,three car oh no VW van long wheel base. Ok well have to dump the car further up the rd due to NO PARKING left.

Up and over the crash barrier and down into the woods, people power. Yep it's pretty crowded, quite a few groups here today. We head over towards the left of the upper crag and run the first route of the day, great route at around WI3. We bag another two routes further left WI3 un 4s.

Deans flexing on a nice bit of thin ice.

I bagged a cracking route with some great moves on super chewy ice. A bit of dishing here and there, but overall good ice.

Before we head down to the lower section of Ozzimossis dean fancies a bash on a tricky slab with super thin ice at the start. 

We finished off buy dropping down into the lower section and leading a great route, bit dishy but good solid climbing.

Back to the hut and the aquasition of our super sized pizza for four at the special sat price deal of 50% off. So we went for the all on pizza, all on it was. Wow what a pizza, mega massive and mega tastey.

Oops, not much left.

So, we will have to see what tommorrow brings.

Sabotørfossen, day two.

Previous BLOG showed a picture and a bit of hype around us doing the amazing climb called Sabotørfossen. This route is steeped in history, http://www.hydro.com/en/About-Hydro/Our-history/1929---1945/1943-The-Heroes-of-Telemark/ well worth a read, these guys climbed this route to get access to the hydro plant in Rjukan, amazing feet of courage and bravery.

So, the day started as per usual, but without the music Cliff. So music less we gained access to the fridge and feasted on,

Bacon

Eggs

Fried potatoes

Jarlsberg cheese

Brown bread

Bit of pre climb toon.

Super combo, plus uber amounts of coffee. Ok, ready to go. Kit prepared the night before we're off heading up to Vermork bridge to gain access to the gorge.

We head down into the gorge and make our way over the river. 5 mins later were at the foot of Sabotørfossen, looks awesome.

Heading up the gorge, not much sunlight here.

So, first leads mine as dean finished off yesterday on his super vertical iceicle climb. Sabotørfossen is a three pitch climb, so by my recon in pitch three is mine. From the guide book pitch three is the crux pitch, not sure what I am going to find but from the initial recky from the road head yesterday all looks good.

So let's get this ball rolling.

My lead, high up on pitch one and alls going well. Easy ice with great placements, I reckon it's too easy, something's waiting up above I just know it.

Looking out from pitch two.

Dean sets off up pitch two, weird little move around an amazing ice stack.

Like a trap door from nania.

Deans long gone, way up into the gods. Theses pitches are not far off a full rope length, 60m required to be safe. 

Couldn't get any pictures of dean on pitch three as he was well below me and we'll out of site. This route is like a hidden cavern, feels like Raven crag gully in Borrowdale but bigger.

Dean takes the shot of death, at this point there's a shower of ice coming down and my radio is popping with the  sound of dean requesting less ice if you please. My reaction is dulled by the fact that my brain cannot take in anymore than, strike pull move screw, pray. The praying bit comes from the fact that the ice is shit and scaling off quicker than a Mormon from my front door.. I manoeuvre round to an ice pillar were I can get a strap round it, but it won't fit as the strap is to small cos the piller is so fat. Ps the strap is a 240, yep fat piller.

So moving on into a really weird move out the the right, really tricky in the hand movement dept due to leaning out and round not knowing if it going to hold. Well it held and I am off un runnin, oh shit it's a fuckin big run out, no opologies for swearing, if you were there I reckon the words would be the same.

So quick look at the gear cellar, lookin bare one screw left and no runners. I make my way out, no goin back as there's no were to go. Mounting the slab on thin ice I make my way up and get a good screw in a fat piece of ice, stress levels lowering now. Amazing how, excuse the pun a well placed screw calms your nerve. Ok could have said that many different ways, take it as you see it.

I am happy to say that this is my hardest lead to date. There is no doubt that this route deserves the grade of WI5, its five all the way.

Eventually I make my way out and off the slab of death and into the snow palour of hell. As soon as I am out I meet a wall of snow, I reckon a minimum of 3ft deep. No ice underneath just bits of bush and slabs. Bushes make a perfect anchor point when I get them. So it's about 10-15 yards up the snow field to the tree line. I get to the tree line and wack a strap round the first tree in sight, after a couple of mins I send dean a radio message (I     Am        Safe       And        Alive) the gaps are me trying to string the words together as at this point I am absolutely boxed out, but mega pleased. Whoop bloody whoop.

Abseil in place, dean rapping down to pitch two to set up another abseil point.

We rap off and arrive back on terra firma pretty chuffed with our performance.

Time for coffee and cake, cup koffa and Eplekake to be precise.

Back to the hut for a well earned tea.

Next BLOG same time tomoz.

Rjukan day one

So, day one. Weather forcast has given -14, not sure it looks like -14 from inside the hut. Ok, it's definitely cold as we exit the hut and start loading the car.

But before that a little bit of pre climbing entertainment.

The cold is definitely bitting now.

The little cars looking good, no three foot slab of snow on it so alls well.

Well Cliff,John our old hut is allocated to someone else this year. We definitely got a willy wonka ticket this year as we bagged a four man hut for the price of a two.

Anyway were did we get too today, Krokan the old favourite for a warm up day. Parked smart this year, experience pays off. Past the Krokan parking bay on the right and headed straight for the rd and 

parked in the gateway, cool loads of space and saved the slog up the rd.

Selfie at the car, reckon its definitely around -14 now, cutting on your face.

KROKAN

Checking out the climbs around Bullen area, interesting wander.The guide book today feels a bit more real, most of the climbs are looking like they were when originally taken and used in the production of the Heavy Water Rockfax guide. The routes this year are certainly thin,thinner than last year.

First route of the day, Scottish gully. Dean on lead, deans on the right, unknown Italian guy on the left. The route is logged as unknown in the guide book but Scottish gully looks and sound right, so that's how it is.

Next routes mine, nice little WI2. Ran this route last year, but is was smashed out with mega amounts of snow. This year it was clean so I took a right line up this route with a short near vertical section at the start. So probably put the route up to a nice WI3, at least.

Cliff, little bit of past SPA training technnique coming into play, nice, worked well.

                                      CLIMB ON

Ever heard red rag to a bull, well the rag is on the floor and it been picked up. Dean is up for a nice little bit of WI5, ps this was just after we had the chat, let's just use today as a warm up day. (What ever) the route were goin for has a little defect in it, not dean the crack in the bottom,I think this makes it free hanging. The route is classed as unknown in the guide, shame as it deserves a name, mega route and mega pumppy. The route is slightly over hanging, not easy to see your feet and the stack is also pretty thin. Steady climbing required due to the thinness, no mad kicking here, not today anyhow. So how did it go. The route was sustained and pumppy, snow banked out on the top of the stack to about 2ft. This made the move out onto the top sketchy, just had to go for it then get an axe in when you stood up on the top, that's the plan.

Dean working the moves on the first vertical section.

Yep, the snow on top is pretty thick and pretty shit. The ice beneath the snow is like a wave of new ice but but not very stable so it gives the impression you've got good axe placements. So route done abseil off and gears packed, we're off to have a look at Sabotørfossen WI5

Rucksack shot, new montane medusa 35 lt. Ace piece of kit, uber amounts of stowage. I just love the pole and axe holders, work really well and easy to load.

Wandered over to Vermork bridge, Vermorbrufoss vest is very thin and very steep.

A quick thrash through the woods to check on sykehusfossen WI4, the route above the hospital.

Ok back to the coffee shop for a well earned coffee and sandwich.

ICE 2 ICE

Not a lot has changed other than the fact that the snow is deeper and the ice is OMG so fat.

Not going to say much as it's the first BLOG of the trip. Yeh I know, most of you are saying thank god, or Odin or some Norsk God which I am sure we will meet at some point.

So away with the text and in comes the pics, cliff.

Trip start.

Empty the van of kit.

Buy whiskey

Board the plane

What an amazing shot of the Lake District, wasdale is top left.

OMG it's empty

Get ready were heading in, last year we did three fly bys due to weather conditions. Yep it's a bugle, were on time.

Well earned rest in Kongesberg, and yes I ordered everything in Norsk, well pleased.

Past friends, past times. John,Cliff.

Ok, time for a shot and a chat about the attack. Pretty glad I paid for final cleaning at the Hytterby as I reckon by next week there will be a pretty big mop required.

On a finishing note, past times past friends.

So crack on, we're off to Kroken tomoz to rack up a few climbs then onto the hard stuff. So stay tuned as we've got some pretty sick lines to do, the routes out here are looking well fab.