On the wrong side of vertical.

The weekend was spent on the positive side of vertical as both Saturday, Sunday as well as Monday were spent slab climbing. Saturday was dedicated to Scott Mooneys newly established route Moonwalker at Bistaberget, a rather short route with a bouldery slabby crux. Pretty difficult. I failed, Martin failed while young, gifted and slack Erik Lundquist also failed but eventually sent in qood style. Super cool and I guess I've gotta go down there again quite soon. The next two days I spent Västerås to visit my parents and visit some customers and I took the opportunity to boulder at my beloved Gryta boulders, just a couple of minutes walk from my parents house. During my highschool days I spent a lot of time bouldering there and it's as close to a home climbing area it can get for me. I had my eye on a slab that's been on my mind for ages, one of the area's last great problems (not so great maybe, but one of the last obvious lines at least), first as an impossible wall, and later as a possible project. Together with local boys Jonas Franzén, Johan Ernlund and Tommy Torsne we figured out the basics of the moves quite quickly but it took tons of tries spread out over two sessions before I actually sent. Through out the process I think I fell on every possible position and move. Eventually, when my tips where shredded and taped up, it finally went down. Nordväggen direkt, The Direct North face



Johan had a good day as well and sent Nitty Gritty later on. Wicked!

Inspiration

Bjørn Eivind Årtun på Dracula. Ph: Colin Haley

För nån vecka sen damp "Tidskrift for Norsk Alpinklattring 11" ned i brevinkastet och precis som av förra årets utgåva blev jag mycket imponerad. 80 sidor fullspäckade med bilder och text om klättring och klättrare. Återigen har redaktionen bestående av Mårten Blixt, Geir Arne Bore, Bjarte Bø och Audun Bratrud gjort ett gediget arbete med att blanda förstahandsbeskrivningar av nyturer i norska fjell, inspirerande intervjuer med ett par av vår tids mest spännande profiler, återblickar till svunna tiders äventyr med filosofiska betraktelser och fiktion. Några exempel är Andreas Klarströms berättelse om sin förstabestigning solo av Mardalsmysteriet i Eikesdalen, Hilde Bjørgaas om Hanna Melins och hennes bestigning av Hoka Hey på Kjerag, Bores intervju med en av skandinaviens mest imponerande alpinister, Bjørn Eivind Årtun, Colin Haleys referat från hans och nämnde Årtuns Piolet d'or-nominerade nytur på Mount Foraker i Alaska, Dracula samt Hans Jörg Auers beskrivning av deras lite ifrågasatta nyturslink-up på Blaamann Nordvegg. Bland mycket annat. Jag ska självklart inte glömma Bjartes unika intervju med Sindre Sæter. I övrigt, fina bilder, tjockt och lyxigt papper, sober lay out och inte minst det där som får en att bara vilja komma sig ut bland berg och stenar och klättra.

Förhandsgranska

Köp blaskan från Kvalöya archives web-shop

Spring, for real!

Style is everything. Simon Andersson climbing Cosmos Kid, yet another of Stockholm's classics. Maja Fresk and Hedda the Basenji sucking up some UV-rays.

Spring in Stockholm

Stefan Wulf sticking the final dyno on Mr Magister to make the first send of the year and by doing so earning himself a beer. Photo: Erik Lindvall

Travelling back from Chalten was maybe not a nightmare, but definately not pleasant. nearly 60 hours of travel via El Calafate, Ushuaia, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo and London before landing at Arlanda where Sofia, Audun and Hilde where waiting to suprise me. I once again was reminded of the fact that I really don't like travelling, more hate it, but I certainly love visiting new places. It's a quite big difference.

Anyhow, it's great to be back home in Stockholm with my family as well as friends. Climbing wise it feels like I got the timing just perfect. The winterseason was just diminishing as I left for Argentina and now as I get back spring season is accellerating. Saturday was the first day on rock for me after coming home last week. Splitter winter weather made climbing on the south facing Dödskalleberget quite pleasant and it attracted quite a crowd. These first days of early spring on Dödskalleberget have sort of become an institution for the Stockholm climbing scene and even though I've climbed these routes countless times it's so nice to feel the sun gradually heating up the rock after it's winter hibernation. It's good to be back home.

Topping out Holidays in Eden, one of my favorite routes around town. Photo: Erik Lindvall

Patagonia: Random Pics from the Chocolateria

[caption id="attachment_621" align="aligncenter" width="409" caption="La Choco"][/caption]

One of my favorite places to hang out at in El Chalten is the Chocalateria josh Aike. Great coffee, awesome chocolate, sick brownies, rustique atmosphere and loads of climbing mags.

[caption id="attachment_611" align="aligncenter" width="403" caption="Josh Aike Chocolateria"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_607" align="aligncenter" width="614" caption="Paradise"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_614" align="aligncenter" width="614" caption="David vs the choclateria."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_610" align="aligncenter" width="409" caption="Andreas Bergström dreaming."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_608" align="aligncenter" width="409" caption="Anabel making some of the best chocolate out there."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_619" align="aligncenter" width="448" caption="Magnus and Thomas."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_618" align="aligncenter" width="614" caption="David"][/caption]

Patagonia: An inspired Moment

Thanks to Seba at Aylen Aike for making our stay so pleasant. Thomas posing for the wall of fame.

After a wet departing party for some gringos and long night and a long night that ended up at the lokal Tango place in El Chalten, Thomas Meling and I got inspired to make use of the last little window of good weather. We started our hike up to Paso Guillamet after an early dinner and made it up to the bivi well past midnight. After a few houres sleep in the pass followed by a shot of coffee and some Clif bars we started scrambing up the Brenner route in head lights and summited at 8.30 am. We rapped the Amy couloir and were back by 10 just as the wind picked up, just as the forcast had predicted. A mellow lunch at the pass before we raced down the talus and made it back to the Rio Electrico bridge in 2.40 h. 17.40 CTC. Way better than submitting to being hung over and watching movies at the hostel.

Scrambling in magic morning light. Fhoto: Thomas Meling

Patagonia, a late update.

A lot of stuff has been going on over last couple of weeks but too slow inetrnet connection. David and I have mostly unsucessfully attempted various things. A lot of cool stuff has been done by other climbers. Such as Magnus Eriksson's and Thomas Meling's integral ascent of the Mate y Porro" on the north pillar of Fitzroy just houres after the first complete ascent. Here are a few pics from David's and my attempt of the Pendulorama-Kearney/Night on the north pillar of Fitz. Unfortunately David got sick and started puking on the first bivi. A pity since conditions were perfect.  The pendulorama variation was not as bad as people have been saying and is in my opinion an excellent option if the gully from the other side isn't in. A brilliant line in it's whole that's worth coming back for. Definately! We descended via the regular approach gully (bowling alley). Not recomended in warm weather! To quote Jules in Pulp Fiction: "That was divine intervention".

[caption id="attachment_576" align="aligncenter" width="553" caption="Stemming up a not to bad corner on the Pendulorama. Photo: David Fält"][/caption]