August 17, 2023
Pete Whittaker recently travelled to Norway to climb with friends and took along some Expedition Foods meals. Pete, Mari and Øyvind took on the amazing Sørveggen (South Wall) on Gjertvasstind, a route thought to have been free'd only once in the past, by Solberg and Veslegard.
Pete sent us some photos and information about the climb:
"After a long approach including riding an e-bike loaded up like a mule that took us late into the evening we bivvyed. In the morning we walked the glacier and abseiled to the base of the climb.
Belaying on the first pitch after a long approach
This is the start of the crux pitch.
Given grade Norwegian 8. The plan was to link the two crux pitches so we didn't have to use a hanging belay climbing from ledge to ledge. I ended up linking three pitches by accident to reach the next ledge, and it turned out to be a pretty pumpy pitch.
The crux length was everything I dreamed it would be, from fingers to overhanging #6, and would have held the grade on any crag in the lowlands, when climbed in its entirety.
On the belay after the crux pitch
The team used Expedition Foods meals in the evening before our climb, and also the breakfast meals in the morning."
Thanks, Pete and friends, for sharing details of your Norwegian adventures! You can find out more about Pete and the gear he uses on the Wide Boyz website, here.
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