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.
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.
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