Events Calendar
To Sunday 23 February 2025
Rjukan is home to hundreds of easily accessible icefalls of all difficulties ranging from easy slopes to hard multi-pitch test pieces with free hanging pillars. Rjukan is approximately 2.5 hours west of Oslo in Norway. The valley's east-west orientation and the stable cold climate of the region provides excellent conditions for ice climbing. For those who are interested in spicing things up, there are mixed routes too. Most of the routes are situated just a short walk from the road but more adventurous approaches requiring abseils or skis also exist. On rest days you can choose to go to Rjukan Badet swimming pools, ski on the slopes of Gausta Ski Centre, or visit the old Heavy Water Factory (a.k.a. Norwegian Industrial Workers Museum). There are restaurants and cafes within walking distance of our base.
Clive Greenwood climbing in Rjukan with the backdrop of the town centre
Accommodation: We will be based in Rjukan Hytteby huts in the centre of Rjukan. The huts are self catered, have ample living space, kitchens, and bathrooms.
Guidebook: Heavy Water / Rockfax (2005) Jon Haukåssveen, Tom Atle Bordevik. Now out of print but the area is included in the Rockfax app.
Required skills: This is a meet for competent winter climbers. You should have general multi pitch climbing skills such as setting up an anchor and rope management in addition to winter mountaineering skills including using crampons, technical ice axes, and placing ice screws. Winter navigation skills are not required for the majority of the routes in Rjukan. There are no formal arrangements for training in ice and mixed climbing. If you are interested in attending, but unsure about your level of relevant experience, you are very welcome to contact the meet coordinator to discuss. (Aspirant members are welcome to attend)
Reserve your place: There are 10 places available, the accommodation cost is NOK 3000 (approximately £320) per person for the full week. Members will book and pay for their flights to Oslo and we will group into multiple rental cars, which will be used for travelling to climbing locations during the week as well. Please contact the meet coordinator to secure your place.
Contact: Efe Tunc (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
Rafa? Malczyk and Colin Scotchford on the first pitch of 'Lifoss' (WI4) in the Kong Vinter area
FAQ
- What is the size of the trip? There are ten places on the trip.
- Who can come to the meet? All alpine club members including aspirant members can join the meet provided that they have the necessary skills and equipment. Members may bring a guest at the organiser’s discretion and availability of spaces.
- Do I have to have a partner to come to the meet? This is not compulsory. There will be an opportunity to join others or pair up if you don’t have a partner.
- What skills do I require to join the meet? You should have general multi-pitch climbing skills such as setting up an anchor and rope management. You should have winter mountaineering skills including using crampons and technical ice axes, placing ice screws on WI3 or similar routes. Winter navigation skills are not required for the majority of the routes in Rjukan.
- What maps are required for the meet? The vast majority of the routes are in the valley of Rjukan which has an east-west orientation. These routes are accessible from the road in the valley and will not require a map. The routes higher up Gaustatoppen mountain can have Scottish conditions and may need compass navigation. The map of Gaustatoppen is Turkart series 2657 1:25000. It is worth buying if you intend to do ski mountaineering.
- What is the guidebook for the area? Rjukan Heavy Water by Rockfax. Out of print. However the routes are available on the Rockfax app.
- What are the expected climbing conditions at the time of the trip? The ice is most stable in January but to take the advantage of longer daylight hours February and March are preferred. In February the routes on both sides of the valley are expected to be in condition as opposed to March, when the waterfalls north of the river are usually unstable due to sun but those on the south and in the gorge usually remain solid until early spring. Routes deep in the river gorge are protected from the wind and always in the shade.
- How much does the accommodation cost? We are paying approximately 18000 NOK for a cottage with five beds. (i.e. two huts for ten people) This includes bed sheets and towels but excludes the cleaning fee at the end. Per person cost for the whole week is approximately £350. This is the website for Rjukan Hytteby: https://www.rjukan-hytteby.no/kro
- How much does the transportation cost? Although the public transportation in Norway is very good, a private vehicle is required to transport to the routes and gives more flexibility for airport transfers. Estimated cost is £230 per person including fuel. The climbers will arrange their own transportation to Oslo (Fight to Oslo airport is recommended)
- What other costs can we expect? Supermarkets cost approximately twice as much as Tesco for fresh produce. If you eat out, a big pizza and a drink will be around £30. Cinema and other non-climbing activities also cost about twice as much as in the UK.
- How can I reserve a place on the trip? If you meet the skill and membership requirements you can reserve a place on the meet by paying a deposit of £150 to the meet organiser. (The deposit is to confirm commitment to the trip and discourage you from cancelling at a later date. The accommodation is available at multiples of 5. If a person cancels at the last minute we'll have to pay more per person.)
- Can I cancel my reservation and get my deposit back? The meet organiser will try to give your place to another person in the waiting list or change the accommodation to match the numbers. If this cannot be done you will lose your deposit.
- Is it compulsory to be able to drive a car? Although we are going to use rental vehicles, it is not a requirement to be able to drive in Norway to join the meet.
