A few pictures from last weekend for the sake of completeness as much as anything else. In the last two days I've been hit like a hammer with hay fever. Considering I was outside in the woods last weekend on both days with out as much as a little sneeze, it's amazing how quickly it starts. One day you're out in the forest enjoying the beautiful spring weather, the next day the birch trees release their pollen and suddenly you are a miserable, bunged-up, snivelling, red-eyed, ball of snot, regularly exploding in another fit of sneezing - much to the disgust of innocent bystanders who happen to have been within the kill zone.
Jani the chef bouldering at Koivusaari.
The Baltic shines in the background.
Koivusaari is probably Helsinki's coolest bouldering spot, even if I am too crap to get off the ground on many of the problems.
Ville on Keväthuuma (4+/HS 4b) at Havukallio, near Hollola
It's some years since I last climbed at
Havukallio, we've been so involved in developing new crags over the last couple of summers that I haven't been back to some of the old classics. I even did an excellent 5-/VS 4c that I hadn't done before - "Taisteluplaneetta Galactica" which I'd recommend for anyone looking for a good, old fashioned struggle.
Tony on Porahakaihottuma, 6c+
"On" in the case of the pic above covers a multitude of sins and should not, in any way, be confused with more definitive terms such as "climbs" or "does". A more accurate account would be Tony gets to first bolt, tries next moves, falls off lots, lowers off. Toby has a go, also get to first bolt and also falls off lots but after much cursing and slapping ineffectually manages to get up to next bolt that he promptly grabs and rests on. Then, failing to make much further progress, gives up. Tony goes back up and armed with beta, gets past first and second bolt reaches the third where he again grinds to a halt. Some call this "projecting". "Being not very good" would be an alternative description. :-)
Jani the chef bouldering at Koivusaari.
Ville on Keväthuuma (4+/HS 4b) at Havukallio, near Hollola
Tony on Porahakaihottuma, 6c+
4 comments:
Nice sky on the Porahakaihottuma butt shot!
Toby, I've been enjoying your blog for some time now, is there enough rock climing in Finland to make a trip worth while? Keep up the Blog - Tony
Personally I wouldn't come to Finland only to climb, but if you wanted to come here to see the country and do cragging as you go, then that could be nice. There are lots of cliffs, but it is basically all single pitch cragging with the vast majority of cliffs being about 25 mtrs or less. Olhava is one bigger cliff, but is quite unique in that respect.
For lots of single pitch granite cragging the Gothenburg/Bohuslan area on the west coast of Sweden is meant to be very good and closer (cheaper to get to than the UK).
Thanks Toby you seem to be at least getting much better weather than we are! Tony
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