Åland Photo Dump

Here are a few more pictures from Åland.

Kalle on Moon Arete in Fågelberget, which was my favorite area.  The approach was quite long but you are rewarded with some great problems in a beautiful setting.

Kalle pawing a glassy sloper in Fågelberget.

Kalle on one of Åland's best, Pictor in Fågelberget

 Frida oh-so-close on a sweet problem in Grottan area

 Gu fires the popular and fun Supermartikainen in Grottan.  

  Lina send Martikainen

Dodo

If there was one problem I want to go back to Åland to do it would be Dodo.  The stand start went down in a few tries but felt incomplete as the problem begs to be climbed from a sit.  While I managed to figure out all the moves a send eluded me and gives me something to go back to.

 Daniel running a lap on the standing start to Dodo

 Martin hoping the key heel-toe doesn't slip when he goes for the sloper

Åland

I had heard spray about Åland long before we took our recent trip.  It was one of those areas with a bit of hype that I new I'd make it to eventually but hadn't seen or heard much that made me want to make it a top priority.  I went into this trip without super high expectations but when the week was over I was still excited and I'm already thinking about a return trip.

The climbing on Åland is comprised of several small areas fairly far apart with settings that vary from sea side boulders to cliff-bands in the forest.  The skin friendly red granite lends itself to steep climbing and most of the popular problems seemed to be roofs.  Åland actually had less developed climbing than I anticipated but what is there tends to be good quality.  I didn't get to see all the areas but I checked out the major ones and left a few things that are worthy of a return.  All in all I'd say it is well worth a trip.

Here are a few pictures.

 

Hammie leaving some chalk marks

  One of the beautiful boulder to be found.

 Gu samples one of Åland's many roofs

The Miracle Project

It would take a miracle to find a giant granite roof with a single climbable line.  Good thing miracles happen.  Now all that's left to do is rally some folks and get to work.

The Miracle Project

The Font Trip: A Teaser

I'm an currently on Åland, the Finnish islands off Sweden's east coast, taking a holiday with the family and checking out the bouldering.  There will certainly be some posts about Åland in the near future but for now here is a teaser from the Font trip we took in March.  The full video should be done in a week or two.  

A Weak Imitation

My good friend Fredik Jutfelt took a picture of Den Gamle och Havet that ended up on the cover of a magazine.  I decided to try to take a similar shot the last time I was there and I think it's safe to say I should take some lessons from Fredrik.

Chris on the Gothenburg classic Den Gamle och Havet

New Stuff Around Town

Lately I've been spending a lot of time on Tjörn as nearly every time I head up there I find something new that requires my attention.  

Last year I started developing a local Gothenburg area called Årekärr.  Most of the initial development was in one small area that seemed the most logical place to start, leaving the outlying areas to wait until I had time.  Well, over the last month or so I've managed to get in a couple half-days and do the initial work on a couple new sectors.

Here are a few pictures of just some of the new things we've put up.  The first 4 pictures are in one sector, the cool shelf boulder is at another and Me so Thorny is totally by itself.

 Kim on cool warmup.  Good rock and awesome holds.

 This one required Kim to get creative with her beta.  In the end she summoned her Inner Frenchie to get to the top

 I didn't manage to send this bulge as I think a colder day might be needed

 I wish this little roof had a few more moves before hitting the jugs.  It was still pretty cool.

 Chris on the top moves of Shelf-life

The tricky opening moves of Shelf-life 

The tenuous reach for a jug on Shelved  

A bad picture of a good problem.  What you can't really see is the single crack you follow up the center of the boulder.  Technical and powerful with a big committing move of the lip.  I'm calling it "Me so Thorny" do to the unforgiving bushes that almost ruin the landing

Video Quickie: Jorden Runt I En Kundvagn

As of recent I've been trying to make more quality videos.  This mean taking more time to set up and shoot the multiple angles and more time editing the material before I'm happy with it (or mostly happy).  Generally it means less climbing for me, which is compounded by the fact that I also have a little girl to take care of that puts additional limits on how much I get out to climb and of course the ability to shoot good angles and sit down for enough time to do some quality editing.  It is with this in mind that I've decided to supplement my video production with some "set up a tripod" videos that I can make with little effort.  Here is one of those "quickies" on the classic Jorden Runt I En Kundvagn at Lyse Kyrka in Bohuslan.  Hope you enjoy.

Falsifierbarhet

A couple weeks ago Lina ticked off one of the west coasts finest, Falsifierbarhet in Hogen.

 Lina on her way to the send

Kim looking determined 

More from Hamburgö

As I said before, Stenkyrka is a pretty sweet area.  Unfortunately there are some access issues as the folks that have their summer house next to the boulders apparently don't take too kindly to climbers.  This generally mean one of several things....

1)  Choose an approach to the boulders that does not go through the middle of their property and don't climb on the boulders next to the houses.

2)  Don't visit the area in the summer when the residents are there.  I'm told they are there most weekend during the summer and you can generally tell if someone is home by the presence of a boat docked out front.  

3)  State you have the right to be there and do whatever the hell you want, further aggravating the situation.  

If people do get a chance to visit this area I hope there are no incidents.  Here are a few more pictures.

 Chris getting style points

 This awesome arete lies a stones throw from a summer house.  Enticing though it may be I recommended self-control when testy residence are around

 Chris finding balance on a deceptively difficult arete.  You can see one of the summer houses in the background

 Lina on the right arete of a picturesque boulder

Fredrik using the preferred dyno beta on Piraten

Lina fires for the lip

Stenkyrka FAs

A few weeks ago spent a day at Stenkyrka on Hamburgö.  This area is small but packs quite a punch as the number of quality of problems is impressive.  During our day we climbed the classics and added a few or our own.  Here are some pictures of the FAs that went up that day.

 Fredrik trying to find friction on the sunbaked slopers of Man-Diesel.  

 Hoping the topout is easy on Kyrkporten höger

I haven't dubbed this one yet as I feel it deserves a good name.  I'm sure something will come to me.