Rockfax Description
(The West Pillar Direct) Although long called Vestpillaren this popular and brilliant climb only includes four pitches of the original line - see historical details on p.160 - but has become Lofoten's 'must-do' route, and it is worth the effort involved. The normal ascent time is 6 to 8 hours, although an efficient team can do it in a lot less if they don't get held up. Begin about 20m to the left of a steep water-washed gully filled with grass and some loose blocks, up the central one of three shallow corners.
1) N5+, 45m. Climb up a right-slanting groove for 15m, then traverse left 10m across an easy ledge to a nice crack which leads to a small ledge with a chain to the right.
2) N6-, 40m. Start up a small groove, followed by more broken ground leading to a flake/block on the left. Climb this, then make a hard move up into a thin finger-crack which leads to easier climbing up a crack to a fixed belay.
3) N6, 50m. Climb straight up the narrow groove (hard but safe) by thin finger-jamming and laybacking. At its top, head left up a diagonal ramp which leads to a fixed belay and small stance.
4) N5-, 20m. Head up a short wall and groove then easy slabs to a fixed belay on the right edge of Storhylla - the last fixed gear.
5) N4, 20m. Move right across the ledge, climb cracks up the right side of the huge block to a belay on its top.
6) N6-, 45m. Climb straight up thin cracks/grooves to a good ledge, then traverse 20m left (some rope drag and loose rock) to a belay on a higher ledge below a superb looking groove.
7) N6, 45m. Difficult moves lead up the groove. Follow the flake until it becomes a thin crack, then step left into a parallel crack system. Climb up the sustained crack into a left-facing groove and take a semi-hanging belay above a bulge in the corner.
8) N5+, 40m. Continue laybacking up the groove then head right up an easier slabby groove and belay on either of two ledges at the base of the 'Slanting Corner'.
9) N6, 40m. Layback and jam the right-leaning groove (sustained and awkward, especially with a sack on), to a tiny ledge. Continue up left then back right (or up the thin vertical crack on the right - harder) and belay up right at a block.
10) N4+, 30m. Climb up and left across ledges to a large loose flake jammed in a groove. Climb carefully up and right past the flake, then continue left up a chimney groove to reach a small belay ledge with several blocks.
11) N5, 35m. Follow the open groove up and right to its top, then move down and right for several metres, before traversing horizontally right. Make delicate moves around right into the grassy exit gully.
12) N3, 55m. Scramble up the grassy gully to the top. © Rockfax

Ticklists

ROCKFAX Lofoten Rock Top 50 , Lofoten Mid Grade Routes , Greatest E2s in Europe (or thereabouts) , Lofoten 2021

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