Saturday, 13 April 2013

Geitaryggen. Guided tour.

Torgier and Pål visited Fjærland for the first time. Together we ski tour  Geitaryggen 1441m - spectacular ridge with hanging cornices.



Saturday, 6 April 2013

Guided tour. Frudalshesten and Troget

Team enlarged with Ola and Jørgen on our next trip.
Together we top tour on Frudalshesten 1554m and Troget 1566m.




Thursday, 4 April 2013

Jostedalen-Fjærland-Nordfjord

After a few rest days we made a trip around the biggest Norwegian glacier Jostedalsbreen. We started ski tour in Jostedalen towards peak 1678m in Vassdalsfjellet ridge.
More pictures from Jostedalen (2012) at Maciek´s Kaminski album:
https://picasaweb.google.com/107194943219483910289/JostedalenSogndal2012?noredirect=1

This is our next stop in Fjærland - awesome tour on Nyastølsegii 1505m.

The round trip we ended up in Loen at Nordfjord where we top toured Skåla 1848m.
All together ca 5000 meters up and then exiting downhill ride, mostly in very good snow condition.

Thursday, 28 March 2013

Fjærland. Kvitevardane and Melsnipa

Fjærland (at the end of Fjærlandsfjorden) is a place with special kind of beauty. It is hard to believe but before they´ve built tunnels this place was completely isolated by mountains ranges. The only possible access until 1986 led by the water

Frudalstunnelen


















Top tours are mostly 1500 meters altitude difference with spectacular view on fjord and hanging glaciers of Jostedalsbreen. We chose Kviteverdane 1445m as our first destination.

Bøyadalen


















The next day we went ski touring on Melsnipa 1547m. We started this trip from the village Jordal.

relative?



















Vetlefjorden















We´re going to hang out in this area more often!

Tuesday, 26 March 2013

Sogn og Fjordane vs Provance


Are we in Norway?
Since we’ve started our stay in Sogn og Fjordane in February util mid-April we had 95% of sunny days. This weather reminds me of our trip to Provance in 2009
(Maciek´s Kaminski album).
The ice season is finished. It’s time to focus more on skiing.
For the next two weeks Maciek Kaminski is going to be our guest, and at the same time my ski touring partner in the area. Alaskan husky dog - Sid will keep company with us.
We started with a little warm up close to our house. It was two trips, one of them over Tyin lake and another Falketind massive, both of them switched my muscle into the touring mode.


Tyin lake

Pawel Karczmarczyk Chillup Guide and Maciek Kaminski


Falketind (left) and Hjelledalstinden (view from Stølsnosi)

Sunday, 10 March 2013

Kjerrskredkvelven WI5+, ca 1000m, Gudvangen

09.03
We climbed with Martin Skaar Olslund again.
We went for a big one!
Kjerrskredkvelven ca. 1000 m route (600 m of vertical climbing) in Gudvangen

















After temperature changed the ice was very crunchy.
Some of the hits made a few meters cracks.
On some pitches the ice was loose. Climbing needed a lot of cleaning for good ice tools placement and protection.
Anyway we did good timing (car to car 11,5 h)
Awesome line!




Full photo album:
https://picasaweb.google.com/104731257111633930392/Kjerrskredkvelven?authuser=0&feat=directlink
News from Polish climbing portals:
Wspinanie.pl
http://wspinanie.pl/serwis/201303/14kjerrskredkvelven-pawel-karczmarczyk-norwegia.php
Drytooling.com.pl
http://drytooling.com.pl/serwis/newsy/klasyka-zimowa/6167-mocne-lodowe-przejscia-pawla-karczmarczyka-w-norwegii

Monday, 4 March 2013

Kjorlifossen WI5, 400m, Råsdalen

03.03
A friend of mine Piotr Rajski (sport climber) after some trays on ice asked me:
- how about some multi-pitch, grade 5-ish?
I said:
- Kjorlifossen!



I think it was a great challenge for him:-)


News from Polish climbing portal Wspinanie.pl :
http://wspinanie.pl/serwis/201303/05pawel-kaczmarczyk-vicky-vette-norwegia.php

Saturday, 23 February 2013

New variant on Vettisfossen "Vicky Vette" M7+ WI 6 OS (natural protected)


The ascent had the two stages

First (22.02)
Me, Piotr Michalak and Lars Nilsson went to try new variant on the left side from main ice fall.
I led two pitches: 1. M6+, 30m; 2. M7+ 50m, all OS (natural protected)
Because we started a bit too late and it was a bit too hard for my friends we rappel without conection to main ice fall.


Second (26.02)
I came back after 3 days with Martin Skaar Olslund and we did whole ascent.
Martin led first pitch, I did second again.
He added third pitch, he connected the variant to the main ice fall M5 WI5 OS.
Than we climbed three pitches pure ice WI5, WI6, WI6
It took 10 hours.


We left 3 pitons (one on the first pitch and two on the second).
Variant requires set of cams from 0.3-2 (or tricams), set of stoppers, 10-12 quickdrows (we used mostly long, on 60 cm slings).
For the ice part: additionaly 10-12 ice screws (also long slings, good ice for protection is behind the "cauliflowers").

New variant we named "Vicky Vette" M7+ WI6 300m.
I think it is great alternative (for the right "zig zag" variant) for those who are looking for more constant climbing when the lower curtain is not connected to the ground.

Full photo album:
https://picasaweb.google.com/104731257111633930392/Vettisfossen?authuser=0&feat=directlink
Article in Norwegian Klatring magazine:
http://www.norsk-klatring.no/Ute/Alpin/Ny-mixlinje-inn-i-Vettisfossen
News in Norwegian portal isklatring.no

Thursday, 21 February 2013

Double Whammy WI6, 300m, Årdalstangen

20.02
Toghether with Øyvind Eek we climbed "Double Whammy", 300 meters ice fall.
Over the Årdalsfjorden with amazing view of alpine scenery of Hurungane (West Jotunheimen).



Årdalstangen
Hurrungane
Full photo album: