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.

Zen and the art of Sparkling

The endless story continues, the decorating my house. I wish I had never started, I hate it... With vengeance! It just not my thing, I am a hammer and nails man that has been forced to become some Zen like higher elevated plain thing when I try to plaster the wall. Its an art, I take my hat of to them all Sir, its that east. Who needs a beer! And when I am finished it will look crap, oh boy back to the wall, quite literally.

anyway positive thinking, no thank you...

Avalanche part 2

It would seem my last post has become even more poignant of late. Received an email from Andy one of my climbing buddies in Scotland saying his mate Will had been killed by an avalanche on Ben Nevis a few days ago.

I am fascinated by avalanches in general, although many people who get involved in them don't share my point of view. They are truely amazing things, how can something so unstable remain, sometimes hours, days weeks, just waiting for one person. Its not Russian Roulette or some chance in a million you can work it out, you just have to want to and that is the hard part because the rat inside says "yeah its all right go for it" because we suck at making decision that say, climbing back out or don't shoot the powder bowl.

After returning from Finse (minus 29.9 at one point!) it was very apparent how many people just don't think about it, and just ski. Lucky buggers! I just can't I have started on that road of avalanche inquires and so it is always there. There must have been a time when I did not think about it, but my first winter season way back in time, all that changes when a windslab avalanche came down the gully I was climbing. it missed me, not because I was good, but because I just happened to be not in its way.

The mountains are beautiful.

Jamie's dice with death...

Or slow asphyxiation... which I have always pencilled in as one of those nasty ways of of becoming dead. Anyway I was off my game a bit today, but still went skiing in Myrkdal ski area, it was busy which irritated me, so I nipped back to the car found some skins and went ski touring instead. Took the tow to the highest point and skinned up the local peak. I did noticed the scoured snow, and that it had been really cold with blue skies for days (facet crystal alarm) but just seemed to block all this out. Many people had been skiing the lower off piste slopes, even in areas I have thought are prime time avalanche trigger zones. I have been to a few and they really give me the creeps, especially as some many people take off at the tow and just slide across into them. Oblivious it may seems. Anyway I skinned up to the top, chatted with some guys who had just skied the face already and were getting ready for another shot, and then spoke to Siri on the phone. So of I went the snow was great, real powder, and deep. I was aware the slope was getting steeper so, traversed over to a new line, and suddenly found myself in unknown ground, steep. The slope to my right was a notorious avalanche spot. Normally cornice collapse of a rock face. To the left was a classic convex, concave slope on one of these steep bluffs I wished to avoid. Or straight down following some other guys tracks, which looked steep. I should have gone straight down (in hindsight this would have taken me into the run out zone), but hesitated not being on the ball, and traversed right through the key zone on the convex, concave slope, trying to get 30-40 m or so to a defined rib. This had also been skied. I crossed it, and about halfway across I saw that distinctive cracking below me, silent. Angular blocks, rotating, randomly, I checked above me, nothing was happening, and checked around me, nothing, I skied on heading for the rib and large boulder as sanctuary. Between me and the boulder was a hidden gully, not big but it was to risky to try and ski though it to the boulder, so had to go straight down. The avalanche by this time had finished in the key zone, and would not elongate to my new position. I watched it run out for 200-300m. I moved as quick as I could being careful to choose a new line, following ribs and getting ready to run and hid, but I had one thing on my mind, and that was simple get to the ranger station and tell them nobody was trapped in the debris and I was the only person involved. The snow was deep at the bottom and I could not get speed up. Slowly I go to the piste and shot down to the tow, where I found the rangers gearing up for a rescue. They seemed very understanding all considered. One of the rangers a Brit told me it was only 5 mins after the avalanche that a Lifty (tow operate) told him! And so if I had been trapped it would have been way past 20mins before they would have started a rescue. Which would have meant death for me. I never go into the hills expecting rescue, I never expect it ever, but I am sure at 4am tonight I will wake up in bed and have that dreadful thought of but and if and what's. Today I totally screwed up, but on a positive side when the slab avalanche occurred I did not panic and calmly assessed and skied out. On a negative side, today I went down a slope I new could avalanche, fully in this knowledge and skied straight into the key or trigger zone with full knowledge. And for that I am a idiot!

Vinteren kommet tilbake

Well suddenly the ski season stated with a trip to Hemsedal! Normally at this time of year you go to Hemsedal for a social and a bit of skiing on fake snow – ice thing and wonder why you bothered, but this year fresh snow had plastered the mountain. Elisabeth drove up, giving me a break as I have just driven back from the far north seeing Siri. It was good drive up and the road wasn’t to icy so I could relax in the back while our other passenger Jess from Canada periodically shut her eyes when it all got to much, which reminded me of my sisters black Labrador that is a shy and neurotic wreck and copes with everything by going to sleep. This occurred in the weirdest places like a visit to the pub. She would get nervous and just lie on the floor sleep while all danger had to skirt round her. To be a dog, may be I should learn from this, and fall asleep in scary Statoil Hydro meetings! Anyway I digress, it’s a habit don’t you know…. Hemsedal…. So off we went… and we found fantastic conditions in the forest (Jeg ha kompis i skogen!), and suddenly the mist of desire over took me, my usual diplomatic self evaporated, the impatient and impulsive person came out, dropping straggerlers and wasters at my side I charged off alone, wanting more of this powder filled forest drug. I skied harder, harder, steeper lines, only black runs and beyond to my legs burnt and the ghost within my mind where forced to the dark recesses, obscurity and beyond. But this wasn’t enough and as the road was blocked on Sunday night we stayed another night and found fresh snow, and for a few hours on Monday skiing between the trees I was invisible, and this lasted some time until my legs could take no more and I retired with grace before I broke something.


The best therapy is a steep run, with a fresh snow….

Ice has arrived…. That deep feeling of fear starts to awake, I sometimes wonder if it will ever stop knowing at my cranium, nibbling at my resolve, it would be so easy just to say no and go skiing, but I drive through the valleys the girls in the car giggles, your like a dog staring out of the window and they had never seen me so focused. Ice fall after ice fall, dominated my thoughts, I wish I had never seen them, which had slept through this journey, but I have seen them know…. I must go and see…

Cold Fingers part 3

I forgot to add!

If you like Radiohead? Yes I do! Then you might just like Radiodread! by Sugar Minott, its the reggae version of radiohead songs and is great. Just great!

Enjoy, especially Let down again!