This year we are venturing north again to the Hemsedal Valdres area, which involves a similar transfer time from Oslo, but has climbing at a wider range of altitudes than Rjukan, giving more reliable conditions when the weather is unseasonably warm. We travel outward on Saturday morning 16th Feb 2019, returning to the UK Saturday 23rd . Flights are possible to Oslo Gardermoen airport from Manchester, London Stansted, and some other regional UK airports (be careful to avoid flying to Oslo Torp or Rygge, as you would need to take a transfer bus/train to Gardermoen). We need to arrive at Oslo Gardermoen airport no later than 5pm on the 16th.
The trip on to Hemsedal by road in a hire car takes around three hours. Sunday to Tuesday are spent on the ice, learning or honing technique at single and multi pitch venues.
Wednesday is usually a day off the ice, to rest and recuperate. For the more energetic it is possible to ski on this day as Hemsedal offers excellent skiing. Time off is weather dependent, so some years we move this day around to make the most of the forecast.
Thursday and Friday we consolidate our new skills climbing multi-pitch ice routes at an appropriate grade. Instructor:client ratio is 1:2 throughout.
Hemsedal offers ice climbing from grade 2 (Scottish grade 3) upwards, with more than 150 routes spread over multiple areas. There is something to suit nearly every ability and aspiration. You don’t need to have climbed ice before but some experience and preparedness for cold outdoor conditions will be helpful, as will hillwalking, basic climbing or scrambling experience in the UK or elsewhere. The trip will be difficult to enjoy if you are very unfit.
We will be staying at a warm, comfortable chalet in Gol, located just South of the main ice climbing areas, and very close to the Golsjuvet gorge. There is a self-catering kitchen, and we put together a kitty for buying food, and all contribute to the cooking and washing up.