Skogshorn Solo Part 1: Siluetten (n3+/4)

The first couple of pitches of Siluetten were not feeling optimally in control. Not what I was hoping for given this was a solo effort. The rock wasn't strictly 'loose', it was more 'suspect', which was actually worse because of the greater element of doubt playing on my mind. Many holds needed careful checking to ensure they would not dislodge, which slowed the climbing to a crawl at one point. To add to this, some powerful westerly gusts were blowing across the face and making my slow, fitful progress all the more sketchy. One prolonged gust in particular made me consider whether to continue but as it happened this proved to be the last one of note.

Skogshorn from the road

The route starts up the left side of the triangle in the lower right of the photo and then continued up the rib on the skyline 

After the first couple of pitches the climbing became much easier. Both in terms of technical difficulty and with regards the rock stability. All of which improved my confidence to commit to simple moves with greater efficiency. The route followed an indistinct curving rib along no particular line. After which a long scramble lead up and left to another section of rock that continued to the top. The easy ground linking the two sections was still partly covered in a soft layer of wet snow, which collapsed easily with each foot advancement.

Slow on the easy scrambling ground

The small ridge continuing to the top proved an easy affair and rather short-lived. Here lay the hardest pitch according to the guidebook but with better rock quality the relative difficulties went unnoticed. With such fine weather it was a good day to continue to the summit, although my lightweight approach shoes were far from fit for the job.

Selfie from the top of the route

View from the summit

Siluetten it has to be said is not a great route. 'Route' being used in the loosed sense because the long scramble leftwards at mid-height felt like an overly contrived attempt to link some nondescript sections of rock. The route also lacked any features to force a 'line', apart from the initial short corner.

That said, any route on Skogshorn is still a good mountain day. Being the nearest major mountain venue to Oslo this route was going to get climbed sooner or later. Plus with a less breezy forecast in two days time there was every reason to treat this as a warm-up for something a bit more imposing.
Location: Skogshorn, Hemsedal, Norway

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