Arctic Ice Voyage

Arctic Ice Voyage

March 2019

Look down from Finnkona, Senja 2018 - picture Tanja Schmitt

“Hauling winds are bounding forward like a pack of hungry beasts, swirling snow flakes start flying upwards, then descending suffocatingly, discharged from a  blackening sky. Temperatures are dropping rapidly, warm blood starts turning cold. A new perception arises,  an increased attention in the eye of threat, the thorough knowledge of danger ahead. There s no way to deny reality: Norways primal forces, untamed and powerful, have arrived upon us in a blink of an eye, emerged from a raging sea nearby. Without any warning or proper foreboding we are caught 500 meters above the ground, beneath threatening ice masse looming immanently  above us, amongst them ice daggers big like church domes. There is no choice but hurried retreat. Skredbekken, a climb of 700meters, nestled in the dark ridges of the Bardu region, high above the arctic circle  has turned us down.”

Our first attempted climb on Skredbekken lies now over a year back, on the 17th March 2018 to be exact.It has been our seventh year climbing ice in Norway but our first into the high north, over the arctic circle, into the regions of Troms, Bardu, Salangen and Lavangen. We had been stunned by the far north’s scenery, it’s breathtaking beauty and rough nature.

When we returned the following season, the 6th of March 2019, Tromsø was besieged by an upcoming snow storm and again we found ourselves in the middle of it. But this time was different: We took it as a good sign, those snowflakes swirling around us -like a welcome, an icon that the might of winter was still prevailing in the northern hemisphere.

There was no way to drive the roads to Salangen in a forthcoming, complete whiteout. So we stayed the night at the Camping Tromsø and listened to the familiar sound of hauling winds outside, fully awake, stoked to be back in Norway.

Our road to Fjellkysten the next day took us through freshly white shimmering mountains and along the mighty sea. The air was filled with the salt of the water and the cries of circling sea gulls. 

I instantly relaxed. The far north seems to shine in a timeless  beauty, calm and majestic, aloof the concerns of modern complexity. There seemed to be an untouchable truth in its nature, a wisdom in its ageless sea, a purity in its pale light.

After a rather poor season in the Alps our goal was to get as much climbing in as we could. So we heeded to those places we already knew -and promised to be of spectacular ice formations. 

We climbed Øvervatnet on March 8th in Salangen once again for a great warming up.

Tanja Schmitt on Flågbekken, Troms, Norway - picture by Matthias Scherer

Then we approached Storstampen. This year we needed actually snowshoes for the ascent. With a lot of snow, freshly fallen and thick, the risk of avalanches was not to be underestimated. So we kept an eye and all our senses on this matter while approaching the steep canal upwards to the climb. At the start of the climb we racked up and Matthias heeded up first. I went for the second pitch. The ice was as expected in Norway, brittle and hard to protect. The Fall was queer: small little icicles, running with water on my left and hard but treacherous ice on my right. This was exactly the kind of climbing where your logic mind gets irritated but soon settles for a total zoom in, fully getting absorbed. This is when you forget about time, when time feels actually non existent.  I loved climbing every meter of it. The third pitch was just huge. Matthias went for the giant pillar with astonishing great ice quality.

We approached Rubbenbekken under a cloudy sky. Again a predictable weather change was in the coming. We strolled up the little forest with company: the farmers dog was not to convince to stay back. One more in the pack. Where the avalanche danger became evident, he returned and we went on. Some animals are just smarter than others... On the foot of the climb we get ready and Matthias went for the first pitch. We climbed the second pitch which led under a huge stone curtained by huge ice masses. A great shelter. Matthias climbed on till we reached the jewel of the climb: an impressive pillar formed in wild, aesthetic ways, untouched and majestic. It was clear from first sight that we all wanted to climb it. The day was still young so we decided to give it everyone a go. Matthias went first, then rappelled and getting all screws out. Heike was next and I had the pleasure to go last. And it was worth the commotion- however odd it may have seemed for out-standers. By the time I was on belay at the top Heike and Matthias were seconding up to keep warm. The wind was by now picking up speed, but with all Abalakovs we had already put in for abseiling on the way up we were fast rappelling down. We reached ground by the early afternoon and heeded back to Fjellkysten in high spirits, eating chips and enjoying with  green apple flavoured Arctic water.

Again Skredbekken was on our list. Rumours had it that it couldn’t been climbed this year but we wanted to give it a try. We had already our drill about how to tackle this longer ice- endeavours. So Heike started out first, leading all the pitches towards the head-wall with the first steeper pitch. I then overtook, leading one really big pitch right under a sheltered belay. When Matthias and Heike come up my task for the day was to climb on the foot of the big pillar.

I quickly gained the balcony from where I get a first impression of the crux: a looming crazy formed freestanding tower of ice, it’s pure sight dazzling, compelling and daunting at the same time.

I reach the conus and build up a belay. The teams comes up and while we start out to check the situation it becomes clear that the formation of the gigantic pillar this year is far from calculable risk. It is broken so many times it’s a wonder how it resists the call of gravity. Disappointed we decide to rappel down. No storm this time, a bluebird sky, but again the odds are stacked against us !

To have some more fun on steep stuff we opt for Søylefossen in Spansdalen on the next day. It takes some approach climbing on more flat terrain to gain the interesting part of the climb: a steep looming pillar, impressive and big. I can see that sparkle in Matthias eyes that tells: we’ve found another gem, something out of the ordinary, something to wake up - the game is on, once again..

We’re back now from Norway and our memory is full of arctic colours, of sea bound smells, of glassy sounds and icy winds. In our heart dwells the mighty sea and resonates the radiant energy of all the great people we’ve met.

And as I sit and reflect on things, I smile and wonder - how will  Skreddbekken  look in March 2020....

View on Lavangen Fjord from Spanstinden summit, Troms, Norway -picture by Tanja Schmitt

Special thanks to

Petzl, La Sportiva, Norrøna and Gloryfy for their trust and support

Tor Lyngmo and Fjellkysten Guesthouse for hosting us in his perfect Base Camp for Arctic Ice Climbing and SkiMo adventures