A Few that Got Away

Once again I've left behind the dark confines of Sweden for greener pastures in the "Land of the Free".  We are a week into our 4 month trip but before I start spraying about life in 'Merica I've got one (or two) post about Sweden.......

It's standard to leave behind a few projects in Sweden when I make the winter journey to the States but this year it seems I'm leaving behind more than usual.  The combo of a new baby and bad weather made the usually productive fall nothing more that a string of rainy days and dirty diapers.  So it goes.  My angst at leaving behind projects this year comes from the fact that I will not be returning to Sweden in the spring to slay said projects but instead moving briefly to England (I keep telling myself it's only a year, it's only a year, it's only a year). Fortunately these projects won't be going anywhere even if it takes awhile to get back to them.

Here are just a few of the many projects I left behind in Sweden.

Stefan on one of the west coasts best squeeze problems, Hippopotamus.  The crux is simply having juice left at the end and I thought I'd get a chance to finish off this project after punting in April but life happens. 

I showed Pyssel this problem over the summer and he styled the fa and I couldn't put it together.  Needed anther day but never got it.  

I found this gem some years ago and brushed it up just before injuring my hamstring and leaving me unable to do a requisite heel-hook.  I took Pyssel here and he fired it after some work.  Was hopping to get back to it but.... 

I stumbled upon a small area while exploring one rainy day and would later get a couple "dryish" hours to try the two best lines.  One is this off the deck mantle that took roughly and hour on rope before cracking a very tenuous sequence.  It started raining before I got to attempt it from the ground and it will be scary.

The other problem in the small area is a difficult squeeze problem.  We managed to do all the moves despite the conditions but it will be a challenge to put this guy together.  Maybe I'll have the requisite fitness when I get back to this a year and a half from now.

With the help of an orienteering map I found a solitary in the middle of nowhere.  This striking arete brought me back there one day over the summer and while we managed the stand and a couple other problems the sit-start awaits a return. 

Born again and Stavsjö

The dry-spell is over!  This is the longest Kearney Journey has gone without a post since I started the blog in 2007.  There are a multitude of reasons for the lack of posts.   The usual suspects of work and laziness were certainly involved and while competing in Ninja Warrior Sweden over the summer was exciting I'm not allowed to talk about it until the program airs.  (in the spring I think).  But the primary reason for the break was the arrival of the newest member of the Kearney Clan (Björke Shine Kearney, born Aug 3rd).

Now that we're getting the hang of having a baby again I'll get back on the occasional blogging and on Nov 2nd we'll be back in the States for the annual winter trip where I'll have ample time and plenty of content to post.  In the meantime here is a random photo to get things back on track.

 Björke a few days old.  He is the primary reason for the break in the blog.  If you want more baby pictures check out Hammie's blog.

Awhile ago I took a weekend trip to Norrköping to check out a little area called Stavsjö.  I was impressed with the quality of rock and problems and while my skin didn't allow for much climbing (bad skin sucks) I saw plenty of things I'd like to go back to.

Pyssel on the Hulk, one of Stavsjö's gems 

Sammy recently did the stand to this problem but the sit is undone and one of the better looking projects I've seen in Sweden. 

Tumle cleaned up a this problem and established a nice new highball.

 Aleksej on the classic highball Köpman Wighart

Bad skin is a curse and has ruined more than a few climbing days for me

Björke chilling with his dad

Some of the Latest Development

Here are a few pictures of some problems we've recently put up around Sweden's west coast.  I'm actually not sure what we ended up naming most of these as I've forgotten or we never found a fitting moniker.  

Novak on a random boulder I found out near Härryda.  The easier problem goes straight up but if you like it spicy you can head right to a high crux.

Tumle on a fun compression problem off Härskogsvägen. 

An awesome problem that climbs out a roof and ends with a crux helicopter dyno.  Pyssel, not surprisingly, got the FA when I took him here and I'm psyched to get back as I never put it all together.

Mathias on Ménage à Quatuor, one of Bohuslän's best moderates.  We put up a few other problems in this area but this striking rail feature was the gem.

Mathias on one of the other problems near Ménage à Quatuor.  Around the corner from this problem is an amazing project that is above my pay-grade but could go for someone with fingers of steel.

Back to Reality, and it's not so bad.

I don't live in Rogaland nor do I have the possibility to take long and frequent trips there and I just have to accept that.  And while it is a far cry from Norway, I actually live in a pretty awesome place to be a climber and have my fair share of world class bouldering.  So now that I'm over the post-trip blues I can get back to enjoying the plethora of rock around Gothenburg.

Here is a little video of a couple newish problems that were recently put up in Utby.  It's kind of surprising that these escaped our attention for so long, particularly Det första taket which is probably one of the better problems in the area (props to Pyssel for the vision).

Hope you enjoy.



Utby Bouldering: Three New Problems from Walker Kearney on Vimeo.

Gloppedalen and Lysebotn: Two areas not to miss in Rogaland

One more belated post about Rogaland.

If taking a trip to Rogaland there are two areas that should not be missed.  Gloppedalen and Lysabotn not only have world class bouldering but provide a unique/magnificent/awesome/amazing/stupendous environment that can be appreciated by anyone.

Gloppedalen has obvious appeal to boulderers as it is a massive boulder field.  If Gloppendalen was somewhere else it would have hundreds or thousands of established problems but the vast majority of the area is unexplored as folks mostly stick to the classics near the sandy beach.  It's just to hard to develop when you can go swimming.

 About a 5 minute walk to the beach and the road winds through the boulder field.  Would be nice to just go here with a motivated crew and brush for a week or two.

Ebbe working Problematikk, a tricky dyno.

Hanna on just another sweet problem at Gloppedalen

Lysebotn is perhaps the crown jewel of Rogaland.  Quintessential Norway, the area is tucked away in a fjord and I've heard several friends comment that it is the most beautiful place they have ever bouldered and I might agree.  While not to be missed it is also one of Rogaland most sensitive areas so be access minded when visiting

It's a long way down but you'll be rewarded at the end of all those turns.  The road is closed much of the year but a boat can get you walking distance to the boulders.

Hanna on the classic Moon arete.

Pyssel on Kvassteidn, an awesome knife-blade arete at Lysebotn.

Stian sending Kvassteidn from the sit start.

Tumle gets close on Mikke Mus Klubbhus, Lysebotn.  Hard to beat the setting.

Hanna digging in on Dick and Daisy

Mr Rogaland

Bouldering areas come into existence due to the hard work of a motivated few.  While most climbers don't seem to notice rock until it is clearly listed in a guidebook, covered in chalk or featured in a video, those with a penchant for development are always on the lookout and spend lots of time hiking, scouting and brushing.  Fortunately for us Rogaland has a few of these motivated climbers that are spending countless days giving the masses something to climb on.  

The local crew in Rogaland is pretty small and while there is a group that develops the driving force behind much of what has been done in the last few years is Tore Årthun.  Tore is responsible for some of Rogaland's best problems and he is one of the few climbers I know whose motivation to develop might rival my own.  He's got a backlog of projects and we had the pleasure of being shown a couple.  I could only imagine the trouble we'd get into if we lived in the same place.

It is worth saying that Tore is well aware of what he has in his backyard and while he enjoys showing folks around he is apprehensive to make Rogaland the next hot-spot.  Not having a guidebook to the region is a conscience decision and an attempt to keep Rogaland low-key and adventurous.  I've actually debated about spraying my love for Rogaland as I don't want to contribute to "ruining" the region and I'd like to reiterate the importance to being respectful and informed when visiting climbing areas, regardless of where they are.  And if you go to Rogaland and act like a jackass Tore will find you and crush you with his bare hands (Norwegians are descended from Viking after all)

That said, here are some pictures honoring Mr Rogaland (how do you like your new nickname Tore?  you're welcome).

Mr Rogaland working on his tan between burns on his project

This prow was one of the projects Tore took us to.  After brushing it up we did the stand and Tore would return later to do the sit.

The early moves of the prow.  Great moves.  Awesome stone.

Tore on another one of his projects.  This one is pretty mega and I heard it just went down, giving Rogaland another amazing test piece.

Kalle on Home Liber, one of Tore's many FAs.

Tore showing the beta on his En midtsommernatts drøm.

I thought I should also mention another individual whose name is bound to come up when perusing established problems in Rogaland.  If you look at a list of the hardest problems in Rogaland you'll quickly notice that two people  make up for about 80% of the first ascents, one is Tore Årthun and the other is Jarle Risa.  On my last trip to Rogaland I finally had the pleasure of meeting Jarle when he flash-first ascented the project we brushed up.  Before he was a bit of an enigma but I think legend might me the more apt adjective now that I've met him.  

Jarle.  The man, the myth, the legend.

This was the only picture I managed to snap whilst he was raping and pillaging our project.  Must be the Viking blood,

Getting Our Brush On in Norway

When visiting establish areas I like to thoroughly explore before I decide what to climb on and if you've ever been out with me you know I can disappear for hours in my attempt to see everything.  In all my running around I quite often find some undone lines that catch my attention and sometimes they are so good they "need" to be climbed.  In Rogaland I was pretty much guaranteed to find something good as even the popular areas have an abundance of untouched rock.  For some it might seem strange to visit an area and spend half your time bushing new problems but it's normal for me.  When I stand under a striking line I want to do it regardless of where I am or if it's brushed.

In general the problems I choose to brush are not rejects of low quality but good (and sometimes stunning) lines that haven't been seen or were overlooked for one reason or another.  In Rogaland there is no reason to climb on shitty problems as there is so much rock you can just wander around finding gems.  I could easily take a trip to Rogaland and not climb on a single established problem as world-class boulders are everywhere just waiting for someone to clean them up (and don't worry,  there are plenty of world class problems already done).  Maybe it's just my way of helping out the locals as they will need an army of developers to scratch the surface.

Here are pictures of just a couple things we brushed in Rogaland.

The first area we visited didn't have any established problems.  We stopped just to check it out and quickly realized we could spend days at this one place.  The best problems where stunning highballs that we didn't have the time to brush and we settled for a couple more reasonable problems.  Here Pyssel contemplates an awesome rail problem (bad lighting in the photo).  The last move crux was too much for us and it still waits for an ascent.  One of the highball aretes we wished we had time for is in the background.

This prow is also in the fist area and the best problem we managed to do.  The rock in this area does require a bit of brushing but it cleans up nice.  

 Pyssel climbing the right arete of the prow.  There is another obvious start under the roof to the left that Pyssel got painfully close to doing.  We will have to go back for that one.

Pyssel trying one of Tore's projects at Lilandsdalen.  

I cleaned up this line at Lilandsdalen but the landing needed a little work before I could commit.  Would love to go back to this one.

Tore took up to this amazing looking boulder and while the lines are worthy it wasn't as good as Tore remembered.  We tried the left a arete but in the end opted to save our skin.  Anywhere else we'd be chomping at the bit to climb on this boulder but in Rogaland it is nothing special.

Pyssel fondling the grips of another new problem. 

This impressive prow got 3 ascents the day we brushed it up and Tore would later return to add the obvious sitstart.

One of the best lines we saw in Rogaland was a project in Hunnedalen that a visiting Swed had brushed up in the Spring.  We worked the moves on rope and in the end Tumle was the only one to get up this technical masterpiece.  This problem should be on your list when visiting Rogaland.