Lee Harrison Climbing

Plan A had been to visit Romsdal for the week but there was too much rain forecast in the North. Particularly along the coast. Staying in Southern Norway looked to be the safer option if we wanted some mileage. The new plan would be first Setesdal and then Rogaland, which would hopefully offer some contrasting variety. The former would provide some long multipitch slab climbs and when we were bored of slabs there would be some steeper single pitch climbing waiting for us in Rogaland. After my brief ice climbing trip to Setesdal in February I was curious to return in the summer months. Anna was still finding her feet on long, more committing, multi-pitch routes so a bolted friction slab looked a good medium with which to progress, as no doubt we would climb it comparatively quickly. There was the minor issue of spaced bolts (one pitch had three bolts in 60m for example) but I anticipated there would be protection where needed. Plus we were feeling tuned to the rock after some single p...

I had plenty of annual leave to take during the second half of 2013 as a consequence of being out of action through the first half of the year. Trips to Ariège, Bregalia, and Lundy had started the ball rolling. Even with an ice climbing trip to Cogne booked over Christmas and New Year I still had a week to play with. Where to spend a week in November? Wadi Rum appealed but was maybe too long haul for a week. We considered the Alps but concluded November might prove too much of a gamble. There was always the UK but the wet weather did not overly inspire us to stick around. In contrast the South of France sounded appealing. Particularly in light of the great trip to Ariège earlier the same year. There would be sunshine, cheap wine and good cheese on offer and hopefully some good climbing, albeit with weak fingers. Most of my prior training had focused on winter. Lots of chalk climbing and weights. Not much time at the wall pulling on plastic and one very wet weekend at Port...

I started up the steep corner lay-backing and bridging off thin holds. The footholds soon gave way to smooth granite at half height needing a powerful crimp to overcome. At first attempt I backed-off and quickly retreated down to my bridged stance below. I felt at my limit but with twenty-three pitches to follow I simply had to dispatch the initial steep 6a crux pitch. I tried again, this time improving my footwork to aid my upward thrust. Above the difficult moves I stopped to control my heavy breathing and let my pumped arms recover. Easier slabby ground rose left towards my belay with some minor seepage to cross. I clipped onto the belay above the tree line with relief. With the crux dispatched I felt halfway to the summit already. View down the first pitch crux corner The second pitch continued in the steep vein up an arête that formed the edge of a slab but the rock was now juggier and technically easier to climb. By the thir...