After what seems like an eon of trying to find someone to climb with, being in the wrong place at the wrong time and therefore missing climbing buddies, or being in the right place at the right time, but no climbing buddies I finally got all the ducks lined up and found last weekend gave two days of fantastic ice climbing. This last weekends saw new friend Dave and I out in force on some local Hordaland ice climbs . Armed with fresh of the phone information from John we headed to Tvindefossen, a picture waterfall by the road between Voss and Myrkdalen ski areas (Same road that takes you to Lærdal and beyond). This wonderful waterfall, easily seen from the road, is your typical tourist honey trap - stereotype waterfall for tourist, lovely casting water off huge steps. We climbed most of the route in 3 pitches, but the final steepness was melting fast and I was no longer able to ignore this. We rapped off. The next day we headed back to Bulken, which is located between Bergen and Voss. Bulken has a few frozen falls overlooking the end of the lake. I have often looked at them and wondered what they would be like, most times when driving pass I crane my neck at eye them up, trying to work out walk in and would they be worth the effort etc. Normally this involves nearly crashing the car. John called up and said he had climbed it and Sandy another climb had done it a week before. They both reported a good climb, better than it looked and being very long at 5-6 rope lengths. Dave and eyed it up, but I was running low of steam after the previous days climb. This was l due to the fact i was doing all the leading. In fact i was in guide mode. After a faff and this and that I pulled my finger out and post holed across the farmers field to find Johns tracks. We played Russian step roulette with the old foot holes and in a somewhat sweaty mass found ourselves at the base of the route. The trees in the area had hidden the first pitch. It looked steep and quite long, but also exciting! In a slippery soft of way! The ice looked really sun bleached and I was concerned about the quality. I started up the first pitch and at about half hight cut the rotten ice away and placed an ice screw. I was not impressed but pressed on. Hacked a but more and placed another screw. Feeling better I pushed on and with each new ice screw the doubt grew. Finally after about 20m I found a tree belay and lassoed nyself to it and brought Dave up. The next pitch looked very relaxed so I headed off and the first half was very slack but it steepened up with some short steep steps and bulges. While Dave followed I looked at the next few pitches, they looked good, but I was concerned about continuing. The ice was good to climb but poor to protect, and I was getting tired with having to cut 5-10 cm of ice away to place every screw. I was also worried about my ability to get Dave up and down and 5-6 pitch climb as I was doing all the decision making and basically guiding. It was difficult to decide to abb off, the last two route I have abbed off due to conditions and I was wondering if I was getting soft. After abbing off and realized that I could easily get Dave off the route but I still think i made the right choice.
That sums up a problem I have when climbing with new people, doubt about my abilities, which in reality is unfounded and in reality I am a good safe climber. This may seem arrogant thing to say, but this year I have guided 2 people on 4 ice routes without any hitch. I like it and it makes me wonder if I should do more of it, but I also wonder if by becoming a qualified instructor I would become just a job and the fun would fad away... something to think about. Both Keith and Dave had a good time, I now this as they were vocal about it. I like taking people climbing, you see a different side to them, before and after the climb. Its like an exposure of the sole, something I really like, a window of honesty and I always respect it, as in reality I am as open if not more open then they are.
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