FEATURES
Norway
New Ice in Setesdal
By Kevin Kelly
The beautiful and tranquil Setesdal valley constrains the Otri River as it flows through a series of lakes, to empty into the sea at Kristiansand. I was fortunate enough to make my acquaintance with the Setesdal valley as a guest of Brian Davison in the February of 2003, who asked me to join him, Geoff Hornby and Geoff's wife Susie on a trip to exploit some of the choice unclimbed ice lines that the valley reputedly had. Geoff Hornby has one of climbing's biggest black books and had spent a great deal of time researching and documenting activity in the valley, that had seen ascents of such classics as Paul Ramsden and Jim Hall's Code Red, probably one of the valley's most compelling lines, and the routes of the Rysefossen walls to name a few.
A ferry from Newcastle, in the company of the aforementioned Ramsden and the irreverent Andy Kirkpatrick, who were on their way to attempt a winter ascent of the Troll wall, saw us arrive mildly hungover, in an overcast and relatively mild Kristiansand. A 90 minute drive on quiet roads through the Norwegian countryside delivered us into the Setesdal valley, where it was blatantly apparent that the numerous steep walls, gorges, and sweeps of granite slabs were a climbing mecca waiting to happen. There are many documented rock, ice and multi day aid routes in the valley, but as far as we could tell we were the only human beings in the whole place. Throughout the trip, human company other than our own was rare.
Brian, as keen as ever, hit the ground running. We had no sooner organised our lodgings, but we were gearing up at the first of many unclimbed lines that Geoff would point us at. A couple of minor single pitch lines in failing light, in the back of the gravel pit quarry by Sordal, was enough to satisfy Brian such that he would allow us to return our lodge. Day two and Geoff took us to a steep sided gorge below Loefjell, some ten minutes snow shoeing (it snows in Norway, lots!) from the road where we made a committing series of abseils into the bottom of several impressive lines. We were spoilt for choice. Our first sortie into the gorge gave us the consistently steep 100m Crowning Glory WI4+. Brian would go to great lengths to engineer an ascent such that he would always enjoy at least one ice cave belay. This practice meant that I would enjoy at least one scary and committing series of moves out of said cave and onto the face of whichever pillar Brian had chose to hide behind. In this case the crux would involve climbing through a window in the main ice curtain on to the face. The last pitch then climbing a dead tree that was trapped inverted in the ice and barred exit from the ice fall. Our second trip saw us despatch the neighbouring line, Monarch of the Glen WI5 a couple of days later.
On the west face of Straumefjellet, across the lake from Rysstad, we had spied several large ice lines that were crying out for closer inspection. Previously Paul Ramsden and Jim Hall had crossed this lake in the dead of winter (the hydro scheme keeps it from freezing) using a pedelo. On the return trip they were blown miles off course and came close to sinking in the increasingly stormy conditions. This trip gave the aptly named Captain Pugwash. The line that we had spotted lay close enough to the head of the lake that we thought it more prudent to walk. In cold conditions enough of the lake edge freezes that you can skirt the coastline. As it was a bit on the mild side we had to boulder hop for over an hour to our route. Tsunami WI4, 215m, climbed an increasingly steep and striking line, with pitches of beautifully consolidated water ice and neve. At three quarters height the water course broke cover from behind the ice to empty down the lower walls. I was lucky enough to have the pleasure of leading across this as Brian looked on from the dry security of his cave as I tottered, barely in balance, as the freezing torrent cascaded over me. Thoughts of drowning replaced those of falling. I rush to stress that this route name predates the disaster in Indonesia in 2004.
As we had trundled back and forth on the quiet roads of the valley we had repeatedly passed a large rock buttress looming over the hamlet of Hagen. This wall had seen one previous ascent - the magnificent Code Red. Brian was fixated by a line of hanging icicles and pillars that would give the sister route to the valley's premier line. I had spent the week purposefully staring at anything other than the 1,000ft mega line that caused my mouth to go dry and gave me the urge to urinate. However, by day four Brian could contain himself no longer and refused to entertain anything other than this line as the next day's objective. After a sleepless night and a 'torturous' fifteen minute approach we were geared up at the bottom of the route. A Few Good Men is a sustained and increasingly difficult WI6, some 360m long. In the day we saw seven long pitches and the daddy of cave belays, and exits, at the very top of the main ice pillar. I dropped a screw from this pitch and watched it free fall 250m to the bottom. Two and a half hours abseiling in the dark through the tree covered ledges delivered us back to our starting point some 10 hours after having started the climb. Exiting ice caves doesn't bother me anymore, I think A Few Good Men cauterised that particular nerve. It is the finest of lines and in retrospect I thanked Brian for not letting it pass.
We would go on to climb several more lines during the rest of the trip. Beyond the Fringe WI4, 320m on the South Face of Sordalsheii being one of the more notable. So-called because of the complete collapse of the top (crux) pitch some thirty minutes after we had climbed it. In the 10 day trip we would clock up 2,400m of new routes. Even on the day of departure Brian dragged me out of bed at 5am so that we could bag a line and still make the ferry!
By chance we bumped into Andy and an injured Paul on the returning ferry. The following day we were back in Newcastle, but this time very hungover.
SETESDAL FACT FILE
Supplied by Geoff Hornby
The Setesdal valley runs due north from the port of Kristiansand in Southern Norway. The 90 ice falls climbed to date all lie between the towns of Evje and Hovden. This 60 mile corridor provides good ice most years between late January and early March. In particular the west side of the valley holds ice consistently as it receives very little direct sunshine.
Virtually every route has received its first ascent by British climbing teams including Len Atkinson, Paul Ramsden, Geoff Hornby, Brian Davison and Kevin Kelly. Snow shoes can be an advantage after heavy snow falls.
Accommodation is available in roadside cabins that can be rented by the day or the week in Evje, Byglandsfjord and Valle. Expect to pay £15 a night per person. These cabins are self catering and small supermarkets are available in every village.
Fly to Oslo Torp on Ryan Air from Liverpool (plus 2 hours driving) or take a ferry direct to Kristiansand from Newcastle (then 2 hours driving). Winter tyres are advised.
There is no published guide book at this time, but a home printed comprehensive guide book is available from Geoff Hornby at geoffhornby@yahoo.co.uk