Ice Climbing in Norway

Ice climbing in Rjukan, Norway, is a thrilling experience for climbers of all levels.

With routes ranging from easy to difficult, there is something for everyone in this stunning setting. Stepping away from the bustling crowds of London, Alex Serban, manager of our Stratford store, ventures into this enigmatic paradise, setting the stage for an unforgettable and awe-inspiring adventure.

Dark. Cold. Tired.

We landed at Oslo Gardermoen, picked up the rental car and marked the beginning of a new adventure. Both James and I have been waiting for the cold season since our last trip to Cogne. With high hopes for a cold season with lots of ice, we drove on never-ending snowy roads until we finally reached Rjukan. A small town with no more than 3700 inhabitants, who had to build a mirror up the mountain so they can have some sunlight. But Rjukan is also known as a top destination for Ice Climbing with countless routes between grades 2 and 6. It is the type of place where you can park by the road, get out of the car, and start climbing. There are a few supermarkets open till late, a local pub with friendly people and a few restaurants that sadly do not have anything traditional on the menu. Daylight fades quickly here and the initial plan to go and explore had to be scraped and we’re both in favour of cooking and getting ready for an early start the next day.

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Being here for the first time, neither James nor I knew what to expect, but the Oxford Alpine guide, while not very detailed, gave us an idea of the approach times and routes. Our plan was simply to climb as much as possible. There are a few famous lines in the area, though grades 5 and 6 are just above our level so we were happy to set as a goal a couple of Wi4’s.

Ozzimosis

We landed at Oslo Gardermoen, picked up the rental car and marked the beginning of a new adventure. Both James and I have been waiting for the cold season since our last trip to Cogne. With high hopes for a cold season with lots of ice, we drove on never-ending snowy roads until we finally reached Rjukan. A small town with no more than 3700 inhabitants, who had to build a mirror up the mountain so they can have some sunlight. But Rjukan is also known as a top destination for Ice Climbing with countless routes between grades 2 and 6. It is the type of place where you can park by the road, get out of the car, and start climbing. There are a few supermarkets open till late, a local pub with friendly people and a few restaurants that sadly do not have anything traditional on the menu. Daylight fades quickly here and the initial plan to go and explore had to be scraped and we’re both in favour of cooking and getting ready for an early start the next day.

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Being here for the first time, neither James nor I knew what to expect, but the Oxford Alpine guide, while not very detailed, gave us an idea of the approach times and routes. Our plan was simply to climb as much as possible. There are a few famous lines in the area, though grades 5 and 6 are just above our level so we were happy to set as a goal a couple of Wi4’s.

Lower Gorge

Here, progress was slow and required patience, navigation skills and a fair amount of effort. Moving through waist-deep snow and trying to not fall into the frozen river is not an easy task. In the end, the inevitable happened and James ended up with a damp jacket and me with a wet boot. But with great effort comes great reward and after a quick warm-up on the popular Camillas Foss Wi3, we had the best climb of the trip.

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“Needless to say that we looked like idiots trying to shovel what proved to be meters of hard compact snow just to park the car. In the end, we gave up..."

Swiss Army – Wi4 right/ Wi5 left. This prominent waterfall on the north side of the river was simply untouched and a joy to climb. At least until we started the second pitch and cracked the whole thing with a swing of an axe. You just can’t help but feel frustrated and annoyed at the time, but sometimes there’s no point in crying over spilt milk.

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Whilst James was done for the day, I couldn’t resist having a go at the left pillar. After all, it was about to be my first grade 5. Super steep and overhanging at times, with poor foot placements and very draining. While I didn’t take any falls, I’m also positive that I wouldn’t have had the mental strength to lead it. The joy of reaching the top though is impossible to describe in words.

Krokan

Vemork Bridge

As the middle section of the gorge, there are options to climb either by the bridge by dropping onto the riverbed, or above the power plant. Climbs here are harder, more committing and often with 2 or more pitches.

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After warming up on the only easy waterfall in the area – Susses Veil, we descended with one final goal in mind – Vemorkbrufossen. We still had the bitter taste of not finishing the last climb in Cogne so this was our chance to redeem ourselves.

Vemork Bridge

But time goes by fast and again we found ourselves packed and ready for a long drive back to Oslo, where we stopped for a few hours to visit the city.

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A successful trip, with lots of climbs done, good ice and good company. We went back to London with the promise to return and attempt some of the harder routes in the area. It is these journeys where true friendships arise.

How To Do It Yourself

The Weather and When To Go

In general, predicting an ice climbing season is quite difficult and can vary greatly from year to year. Recent global warming has had a big impact on ice reliability and some of the routes don’t even fully form in some seasons.

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Norway however, is one of the few locations in Europe where you can still find ice even when the winters are milder. Ice starts to form as early as November and lasts well into March and even April. If you want the best conditions, with reliable ice, consider going between mid-December to mid-March, with February being the best month. Too cold, and the ice is brittle. Too warm and everything is wet and dripping.

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In mid-season, you should expect -8 to -12C temperatures during nighttime and just below 0 during the day. It's not uncommon to be much colder than that or, as we’ve experienced, positive temperatures during the daytime.

Getting There

There are several airports serving the area but the most convenient is to fly to Oslo. Gardermoen is the main airport and has better international flights, but Torp is closer. Regardless, you should expect a long journey. A minimum of 5 hours of driving is required and depending on the weather and traffic, this can easily increase to 8 hours.

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‌Using public transport to reach Rjukan is possible but quite a hassle and requires multiple changes between trains and busses. Once there, being dependent on an infrequent local bus is a big disadvantage and you really want to be able to drive where there is ice, especially if the weather is warm.

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Renting a car is much more convenient but also the more expensive option. There are several companies at the airport and booking in advance is strongly recommended.

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‌We’ve rented a small Toyota automatic from Sixt for £350/week. The checkout desk is connected to the airport and is easy to find by following the signs. They charge a £200 deposit for the tolls chip that is mounted on the car and standard for rentals in Norway. This is refunded at the end – tolls and gas, unless you return a full tank. There are no snow chains included and usually not permitted on roads which are always cleaned and pretty much free of snow.

Accommodation and food

Rjukan is a small village and accommodation is limited and expensive. We almost always use Booking.com for our trips but at £100+/night this was out of the question. We instead tried Airbnb and luckily found better options and settled on a small apartment for just £355/week. The place was simple but welcoming and felt like home. Had a fully equipped kitchen, free parking and was within walking distance of the local supermarket.

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Despite the size, there are 2 big supermarkets, open till late, and a liquor store. Norway is very strict when it comes to alcohol, and on top of the hefty taxes, there are special stores to buy hard alcohol. Supermarkets are only allowed to sell beer and only until 8pm on weekdays. You should expect to pay the equivalent of £5-£7 for 1 can of beer. 2 times that in the local pub. Food is good quality, especially the raw meat but again, more expensive than anywhere else in Europe.

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There aren’t many places to eat out or go for a drink. A pub, a local restaurant, Shaorma fast food and that's pretty much it. They are so expensive that locals rarely go out and prefer to cook at home. We did the same.