Recommendations for ice climbing

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 olddirtydoggy 07 Mar 2023

Last year we had a holiday in Rjukan and this year we went up to Hemsedal and both venues delivered some fantastic routes. We have become comfortable on WI4, pushing it a bit on WI5 and happy on WI3 multipitch.

It would be great to get some input from members who have travelled around a bit for perhaps another destination to try out for only ice routes, not mixed. We are looking for venues with fairly reliable conditions, I am aware that some places are marginal. Many thanks.

Post edited at 15:16
In reply to olddirtydoggy:

Setesdal is another obvious choice, as you seem to like Norway There's a new guidebook due winter 2023.

Alternatively, two great spots in the Alps for pure water-ice climbing in a similar style are...

Cogne it Italy (https://online.anyflip.com/xdyb/rzbc/mobile/) or the Ecrins/Queyras region in France, which includes La Grave, Fournel, Freisinnieres and Ceillac. (https://online.anyflip.com/xdyb/mjbx/mobile/)

 beardy mike 07 Mar 2023
In reply to olddirtydoggy:

Here is an online guide to the area around my place in the Dolomites. Conditions aren't as reliable as Norway for sure, but the pizza is better. There's plenty more in the surrounding area, just not written it up (yet)...

http://wildpettorina.com/sports/ice-climbing-val-pettorina/

OP olddirtydoggy 07 Mar 2023
In reply to Steve Broadbent:

I'm wondering what conditions could be like south of Rjukan. As we drove south yesterday we noticed that as we got towards Drammen and Sandjeford airport that the snow was virtually gone.

In reply to beardy mike:

What has your season been like so far this year? We bumped into a pair of French blokes a few days back and they were in the area due to a lack of ice back home.

We're still learning about reading ice routes and conditions but these 2 posts are very useful. We're also looking at making sure there are other activities to do it the weather plays up. Thanks very much.

 TobyA 07 Mar 2023
 Moacs 07 Mar 2023
In reply to olddirtydoggy:

Where can you get to without flying?

9
 beardy mike 07 Mar 2023
In reply to Moacs:

The Dolomites is 13 hours drive from Calais.

OP olddirtydoggy 07 Mar 2023
In reply to Moacs:

Scotland, but I want to go abroad.

 Moacs 08 Mar 2023
In reply to olddirtydoggy:

Then Mike has your answer!

1
 beardy mike 08 Mar 2023
In reply to olddirtydoggy:

To be fair, anywhere in Germany, Austria, Switzerland or France is going to be quicker than 13 hours from Calais. Which will matter if you only have a few days. I mean hell I've done the Ecrins (where there is a huge amount of cascade ice in Fressinere, La Grave, the Queras and other areas) in 14-15  hours total from Bath. It's not THAT much slower than flying and you don't have silly baggage allowances which when you are ice climbing is a serious issue...

 Offwidth 08 Mar 2023
In reply to Moacs:

Driving isn't always that much better than short haul (see BBC link).

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-49349566

The ethical individual thing to do on carbon is to reduce our budgets but that includes kids, houses, work. More importantly, given the urgent crisis, we need to campaign politically, protest, and educate. If we decide to travel, there are great UK offsetting opportunities that make a massive difference compared to even the most honest forestry offsets: in particular, moorland peat bog and salt marsh regeneration.

https://www.moorsforthefuture.org.uk/our-purpose/tackling-climate-change

https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/natural-solutions-climate-change/saltmarshes

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 MB42 08 Mar 2023
In reply to olddirtydoggy:

Oppdal is another option in Norway and further north than either Rjukan or Hemsedal without being (too much) of longer drive from Oslo. The grades felt a bit harder than either of those two though

Re travel:

When we were living in the UK we did Plymouth to the Alps by taking the train to Lyon and hiring a car from there; for me it was more pleasant than flying or driving all the way, I could work on my laptop the whole journey so saved holiday days, and by booking advance tickets marginally cheaper than flying (total cost - the plane tickets were cheaper but once you added baggage, getting to the airport and difference in car hire cost it was more expensive). I realise I'm lucky to have a job (and boss) that lets me work from a train but definitely worth considering if its an option.

It even works for Norway; I'm doing Oslo - Chamonix this summer (again train and ferry to Lyon and car from there, working on the train) and my parents are coming to uk - Oslo by train

Post edited at 16:34
 Myr 08 Mar 2023
In reply to MB42:

Thinking of train options for ice climbing in Europe. Using the excellent seat61.com.

If you get the first train of the day from somewhere in the south of the UK, you can be in Grenoble (for La Grave) that evening or Aosta (for Cogne) that night. Unfortunately they don't do 2-day Interrail passes, but even the 4-day one is only £191 in the current sale (£144 if you're <27). You need to pay a bit more for seat booking, but overall the price isn't bad, especially as (if you can WFH) you don't need to spend any days' leave while travelling.

Although you can get to Stockholm in 2 (full) days of travelling, realistically Norwegian locations are currently 3 days each way on the train. £260 7-day Interrail pass + seat bookings + overnight accommodation. 

OP olddirtydoggy 08 Mar 2023
In reply to olddirtydoggy:

Thanks for all the answers and help so far. Looking at the options my wife has said she would like to try somewhere other than Norway now for a change. I love places like Rjukan as there are many ice areas concentrated in just once stretch of valley rather than having to travel around much.

The Ecrins have popped up a bit and I'm wondering how reliable conditions are there compared to somewhere like Norway. If we were looking at Germ/Aust/France, what area would we look at that has a fair bit to go at and fairly reliable out of all those options.

Really grateful for all the posts, UKC delivers.

 MB42 08 Mar 2023
In reply to Myr:

You can actually do e.g. London to Hemsedal in 2 days; the first Eurostar of the day will get you to Eemshaven in time for the overnight ferry to Kristiansand and from there the train will get you to Gol for 7pm. Setesdal is only a 2 hour drive from Kristiansand so that would be even quicker.

The frustrating thing about the Eemshaven ferry is the rail connection there is rubbish but trains to Delfzijl are more common and it's only a 15 min taxi from there.

 msjhes2 08 Mar 2023
In reply to beardy mike:

Mike, I followed your link and it looks really good, but it also mentioned access issues and getting arrested!   It also has very few logs on UKC and none since 2019?   

How popular is it and do people climb there  a lot?

 beardy mike 08 Mar 2023
In reply to msjhes2:

The Serrai di Sottoguda is officially out of bounds, but it is easily accessible, now, the gorge has been cleaned up massively pending them reinstating some sort of road up it. You basically just duck the fence. There's no machinery etc in there during the winter. I suspect things will progressively get easier. That said, none of the other areas described are out of bounds, and I suspect even in the gorge you you be given a stern ticking off. And besides you would need to ne caught, or have an accident. Before the storm it was extremely popular, as it is pretty damned regular. The storm affected certain watercourses but the main lines are as strong as ever.

In reply to olddirtydoggy:

> The Ecrins have popped up a bit and I'm wondering how reliable conditions are there compared to somewhere like Norway. 

I reckon Ceillac is as reliable as anywhere. Based somewhere like Argentiere-la-Bessee it's possible to climb at Ceillac, Fournel etc, or drive north to La Grave if conditions are better there. It's drivable from Calais in 11 hours if you really want!

 Eduardo2010 09 Mar 2023
In reply to olddirtydoggy:

If you are thinking DACH, perhaps Switzerland?

Earlier in Feb we did a couple of days. Started at Adelboden which is an artificially irrigated cliff with properly equipped top rope infrastructure. 2 minute walk from the lift and I suspect it will be fairly reliable as the gulley it is in doesn't get much sun and is at altitude. Adelboden alpine school maintains a webcam on the cliff and charges a modest fee for access (CHF15 ish? We had a guide so didn't pay). I'll add some photos to my profile - the guide brought a trainee photographer who needed to take some photos to complete a professional qualification, so we got some epic images for free.

You could also hit Kandersteg. Our second day was outside Grindelwald, but this is a less reliable venue as it is valley level. 


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