Can't get enough Bohuslän

It might have something to do with the crap weather in England but I still haven't fully transitioned back since our trip to Sweden. It's always a little unfortunate when your climbing psyche is for boulders that are a long way away.  Since returning I've found myself looking at old pictures/videos from Bohuslän and jonesing to be back.  Man I love that place.  Anyways, I thought I'd share a few pictures from Bohuslän to entice and motivate folks.  

And for those that don't know, every blogpost is labeled by country, city/town and region/area so if you want to see all the posts from Bohuslän (or somewhere else) just scroll to the very bottom and click on the appropriate label.  I wanted the blog to function like a climbing reference of sorts and at some point I'll make it more user friendly.  Hope you enjoy the little photo tour of Bohuslän  

Most of the areas in Bohuslän are small but the quality of problems are often exceptional.  This problem is located at an area consisting of only a few boulders but they are well worth the visit.  I can't remember the name of this problem Kim is doing but it is classic.

Sunshine Arete is a problem I miraculously managed to FA on a warm summer day and is located at the same area as the previous problem.

This granite cave has serious potential for some hard enduro lines.  Two of the three most obvious  straight-outs are done and here John works on the undone project.  We almost did all the moves that day but have never been back.

Another shot of John on the same project.  The next move is the one we never managed to do.

Abiyoyo is one of my all time favorite FAs and I even did a whole blogpost about it.  As far as I know it still hasn't seen a second ascent.

Sioux City Sarsparilla is one of my FAs that actually see lots of traffic as it is regarded as one of the best in Bohuslän.  This one also gets it's own blogpost and there is even a video of the FA.

 Yet another FA, Cuerop de Hombre can also be counted among the best in Bohuslän.  It is located in Häller, which is considered the epicenter of climbing in Bohuslän for both bouldering and trad-climbing. There is also an old video of the FA.

Hippopotamus is another classic problem in Häller.  This power-endurance problem has alluded me and is one of the established problems I'm most excited about getting back to.

Incredible rock, world-class bouldering and spectacular settings combine to make Bohuslän one of my favorite places in the world.

I tend to put an emphasis on harder problems as the sparsity of grips and general blankness that make climbs beautiful also tends to make them difficult.  Fortunately Bohuslän hold lots of amazing moderates as you don't have to be a crusher to enjoy the climbing.  Here Spang demonstrates how it's done on his classic problem Falsifierbarhet.

And for those of you that are crushers there are plenty of projects to be had.  This particular project will require strong fingers and a good head as the hold gradually get smaller the higher you get.

This project should have been done years ago but we've never been back to it as one needs a boat to reach the island.  One of these day.......can't wait to return to Bohuslän.

Home Sweet Hem: Bouldering in Bohuslän

It's funny how you sometimes have to leave a place before you can really appreciate it.  I always thought the climbing on Sweden's west coast was exceptional but it wasn't until it was no longer my backyard that I realized how incredibly good I had it.  We just arrived back in England after a whirlwind 3-week vacation in Sweden and I'm missing the place more than ever.  I wish I had more time to revisit all the places I love but instead I'll just have to look at pictures......  

Here are a few photos from the first week of our trip spent in the mecca of Swedish climbing that is Bohuslän.  It was awesome going back to some of my favorite areas and I even got to explore and put up a couple new problems.

Johan on the classic Beach Bum at South Beach.  South Beach is a small area that has several great problems right on the beach

Another shot of Beach Bum that shows the idyllic setting.

About 50 meters of water separates the sand of South Beach from a small island called Blåbergsholmen.  We spent an afternoon exploring and found quite a bit of climbing, with a couple walls that are well worth a return trip.  I only actually managed to do this one new problem as it took more time and effort than anticipated (and I was shut down on the other things I brushed up). 

The first move of North Beach is a dyno to the lip of the roof.  A lower start is possible for those with long arms and strong fingers.

The 2nd to last move is the crux, requiring a long reach from an odd "crimp-mantel".  Good times.

Another idyllic climbing area in Bohuslän is Ulorna.  While Ulorna is known primarily for its trad-climbing there is also some top-notch bouldering and an impressive amount of potential.  Of course if you're looking for fa's here you'll need to be bold, fix some landing or have plenty of pads as most of the boulders are located in a jumble at the base of the cliff.

Markus on Lego, one of the few problems in Ulorna I know the name of.

This hanging arete is rarely done despite having a decent landing.  Maybe it's the locker heel-hook and tenuous moves at the top that deters people.  

Not all the development in Ulorna requires lots of pads.  I brushed up this one because I could climb on it by myself.  I ended up figuring out all the moves but never pieced it together.  Here Jesper tries to find purchase in the summer heat.

This striking arete/dihedral has seen some attention in the past but to my knowledge it had never been done.  We spent about 3 hours figuring out some cryptic beta that leads to a committing windmill-dyno at the top.  I managed to send by the skin of my teeth and I'm calling it Apple Bomb.