Oct 30, 2011

Tech tips from the Van

Le Tech

Today I had a really nice experience and then not just from climbing some fine cracks above the sea at Ringkallen
I made a controlled rappel of the rope, using an other rope as a backup.
Why? Just to get a feeling of how it would be. And believe me, it didn't feel to nice. Even though I had an other rope to break the airtrip after just a short distance.
But, now I know the feeling!

Yes! Great feeling after topping out "Jemtland jemtland Regnar Stendut, 7, & Stressgubben, 7, Rope solo

Oct 2, 2011

BLUEBERRY HILL

Last Monday I had a quite good day on "Blåberget" with a easy strol up the classic "Vikingasvärdet" graded 6+, UIAA VII something.
So today, I thought lets free solo the thing. After giving the direct version a bit of scrubbing on some mossy sections, a variation I put up some years ago. It felt better than ever.
And after warming up on "Belsebub" a 60mts 5+/6- I felt ready to go for the object of the day.
But, to be honest, first I had an espresso to free the mind...

The sun was hitting the east face of the wall really nice when I got to the cliff. It was warm even, so the down sweater went off in a hurry.

Blueberry hill in the autum light. Vikingasvärdet follows the shade line on the right side

Vanja at the watch

Vanja on the watch
Forcing my self to look down one more time before I pull my self over and up on the big ledge just below the top! I am sure I have done a couple of stupid things, but this wasn't to clever maybe:-)
One look and then off to do no. 2. I don't know if it's because of the espresso or the climb, but it is rapidly in a big hurry.
It's the last of the routes in this grade I had left to do before I had all of the 6+ in the "free solo bag" But this one was sick!
Rapped down to the base, put on my new 5-10's anasazi and starting up the first bouldery section. Which is the hardest on the whole climb actually. The start goes easy, to easy? The rubbet sticks like glue, (have i heard that in a song?)