Fossen Failure!

Today Keith and Jamie the intrepid adventures of Bergen tried an epic ascent of Starefossen this slightly less than gigantian frozen waterfall that almost dominates Bergen, leaving a few in its shadow, especially the people that live very close to it, but not many more. The epic ascent started with a very late alpine start at 4pm, after we faffed with Keith´s crampons, as I did not want to repeat the lending fiasco that had previously occurred. We elected to drive from Keith house a few hundred meters from this fall to limit the walk in, and to stop people asking why were we carry axes and other sharp things. The walk in, over slightly angled snow and occasional slippy tree roots brought us to this mighty fall, in approximately 30 seconds, I was scared. Keith pointed at the proximity of the hospital, which was of little comfort. We talked in short burst, giggling nervously as I fumbled with the rope and tried to ignore the amount of water running behind the majestic frozen(ish) fall. I started up the fall, axes blazing, and decided very quickly due to the ice quality the best technique was a light jog. Occasionally I placed an ice screw, but this was just for fun, as they were completely useless. At the first belay I contemplated the next pitch, a slight sweat soaked my body. Keith joined me on the ledge, and we had a con-flab. I gingerly attacked the second pitch, easy angled snow, grass and trees brought me to the first ramp, which shuddered to my axe and accepted a ice screw which would be as useful as a chocolate fire-guard. I relished in the moment, before moving up to find the next section of ice was suspended above a 10cm void. Gingerly I traversed to the left and peered into an increasing hole to find the ice was suspended above the howl rock face. I contemplated my next move, the ego is strong in this one, and drive to throw all caution to the wind was great. The ice was good, but I would get no meaningful gear, and if the the howl thing collapsed nothing but the ground would catch me. I agonised over the decisioned, and then thought fuck it the ice above the ramp looked as sun bleach as sun bleached babe on bondi beach. There was no choice but to retreat, tail between my legs, and with each axe blow the ice sounded hollower and hollower. We rappelled, and ran back to the car and made for the comfortable bivi of keith´s house for tea and pancakes!

We left it to late... May be if there is another freeze which is foretasted we might have another chance but...may be not....

Brattfossen - Isklatring

After what would seem an eon, I finally get out and whack my new axes into some frozen water, but all the usual problems prevailed. Success was had, and as always many things learnt. Keith, somewhat reluctantly came along, and as you can imagine the advertising of such experience is a little low on selling power. Frozen water to be climbed, will be cold, probable scary, quite high real danger factor, fun might take some time, like several days to sink in, might not happen at all. I have always felt in the world of Jamie´s climbing that frozen ice falls would be the first to drop off, or may be it would be long walks into remote Scottish corries to scratch my way up some half frozen vegetated cliff... But anyway... I digress... On the road to Eikedalen (The oak valley) there is this waterfall called Brattfossen (Steep water fall), its quite striking, and in full flow which is quite often, very impressive. In cold winters it freezes, but you need a deep freeze as there is so much volume of water behind it. History has it that a newly married couple, possible from France crashed there car her and died, and the brides veil was found. Locals call this fall Brides veil (but in Norwegian off course!) The old road, bypassed by a swanky tunnel was also the seen of an ambush by Norwegian resistance (Listen very carefully Øyvind I will only say this once.....KAaaaaa!) to the invading Nazi´s. All this was however lost on me at the time. Keith wasn´t able to fit his ancient crampons on, so I dutifully gave him my spare crampons that wouldn´t fit his ski touring boots, so he got my ice climbing pair and I took the semi climbing, mainly walking pair. We park the car at the top of the fall, and as I don´t like abseiling down climbs first we walked along the old road in knee high snow to a gully that fell to the base of the route. The gully was full of unconsolidated snow, and Keith and I swam down, and eventually perfected the technique of rolling sideways in a diagonal manner to get to the base of the route. This action made me very dizzy and I nearly vomited. But we were at the base of the route! and I had only half the hillside of snow in my trousers and boots! Keith has happily come along on these mini climbing adventures and its a credit to his character, as normally they start and finish in a farce. The golden rule of taking someone climbing is to be confident, which I struggle with, be slick, which I can do but normally forget and finally be savvy! Which clearly I am not. To do and say all these things you need to have been to the climb first, done it, walked away with a big smile, so when you take your mate who has never climbed it before you can swagger in all confident, slickly climbing the route and look all savvy at the top. Keith comes anyway and is probable getting use to the idea none of this ever happens on our little ventures.

Quick ice climbing lesson over, I had off, and after 10m hit this small scoop of a ledge, at this point I have become aware of several things, one ice often looks amenable, not steep and friendly, until you get on it and all this fades away. I always forget this one. Secondly, my walking crampons have these front points that only extend 5mm from the front of my boots so front pointing is more delicate to useless than the pair I lent Keith. Thirdly I noticed a bit of a problem with the axes I have, these being Black Diamond. They are very good axes but the pick has a habit of working loose, and one of mine had as I climbed up. This needed tightening, which can be done with the other. This is very precarious when you are climbing on the lead! Fourthly I suffer from Ledge syndrome, once a ledge is found I can´t leave it. At this point John, Sandy and another swim to the base of the fall, and give offer advice and some grief in an effort to encourage me to continue with my upward quest. It works, and I again start wobbling my way upwards. I suffer greatly from The Mind Monkeys! These devious little monkeys wait quietly in my head, until I got climbing, or lots of other things and then they start drinking fizzy pop and start dancing around telling jokes and generally running a mock. There are a few called doubt that really go to town, and I have to fight the little monkeys all the time. Anyway those monkeys of doubt started dancing around and I kept climbing up until I reached a sort of natural ice ledge and belayed Keith up. By the time Keith came up the water that was visible thundering under the ice seemed to be getting more powerful, which is natural as the day goes on, but it makes me wonder about the precarious nature of this fall. I started enjoying it, and even Keith seemed to be in a crazy sort of way. The last pitch was so much easier that first, but the ice was poor quality and some huge ice block seemed only just frozen in. At the top it was all quiet, the fear gone, we chatted with Sandy and John and then wondered back to the car. All very civilised.