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Norway or Canada for a season of ice |
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17-Feb-2014 7:53:06 PM
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Hello All, Just looking for opinions from people that have experienced ice climbing in the Canadian Rockies and Norway. How do they compare, logistics, cost, ease of finding partners etc. Have done a season in Canada and not sure if I should return next season or check out Norway. Thanks
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17-Feb-2014 7:56:18 PM
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Could you share your info on canada? I'm looking at heading there this northern winter
Cheers
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17-Feb-2014 10:14:43 PM
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Having only been to Norway, my guess is that Canada is much cheaper
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17-Feb-2014 10:30:02 PM
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Best to stay in Canmore, centre of the major climbing areas and less touristy than Banff I stayed at the Alpine Club of Candia $25 a night in a dorm with a YHA card or if your a member. Most crags are within 30-60 min drive. Plenty of options for craiging on mixed or ice lines. And lots of multi pitch waterfalls to spend a day on.
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18-Feb-2014 12:12:23 PM
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I've climbed in Canada a few times, not in Norway but had a trip planned there last year, cancelled late.
Yep, no doubt Canada is cheaper, Norway is ridiculously expensive. Rjukan is the popular area, lots of close accessible ice and relatively reasonable accommodation. But Setesdal and other areas west are becoming popular especially with Brits.
You really need to go over to UKClimbing.com and ask on either the Expedition & Alpine forum or the Winter Climbing forum.
http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/i.php?f=7
I have the guidebook for Setesdal, there are Rjukan guides online still, I believe. They have a climbing festival in late Feb, so don't go then ;-)
I'd love to go there, so much big, moderate and accessible ice. Just need more money and footwork.
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18-Feb-2014 1:05:53 PM
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On 17/02/2014 nomadiclimber wrote:
>Best to stay in Canmore, centre of the major climbing areas and less touristy
>than Banff I stayed at the Alpine Club of Candia $25 a night in a dorm
>with a YHA card or if your a member. Most crags are within 30-60 min drive.
>Plenty of options for craiging on mixed or ice lines. And lots of multi
>pitch waterfalls to spend a day on.
Can second most of this info! Sleake and I just got back last weekend from a 6 week Ice climbing trip in Canada. We stayed at the Alpine club hostel in Canmore for a lot of the trip - seemed like the best option. Bought a car in Vancouver which was the best decision of the trip. Got a Jeep, new winter tyres, 4wd. It only took half a day of driving to see multiple cars in ditches to see the value of a smart snow/ice car. We climbed pretty much every day until I got cleaned up by ice fall on Polar Circus (thanks for the rescue Sleake) in the last week of the trip. There is just too much climbing to be done there. If you have any questions let me know and i'll try help out.
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18-Feb-2014 3:17:07 PM
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you can break up a stay in Canmore by staying up at the Rampart Creek hostel (Icefields Parkway) or at Lake Louise for the Field routes.
Winter tires make more difference than 4wd, & driving sensible speeds.
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18-Feb-2014 8:13:34 PM
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Thanks for backing me up Dave. I hit steve up about info on buying a car. Will u be back there next season?
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19-Feb-2014 5:56:00 AM
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Rjukan is great - we had 2 weeks there when we were almost complete ice numpties, and there are a lot of accessible, moderate & consistent multi-pitches climbs - which was great for us to get mileage and confidence. (And a lot of routes for the non-numpties too...) Lots of info on UKC about norway.
Also great was that we could drive there with a van packed full of 2 weeks of food and booze rather than paying the bankrupting Norwegian prices... we went out for pizza one night and it was painful... Booze? fuggedaboudit.
They have also had a few mixed seasons over there i think - check the conditions on UKC. Should be different further north.
Lofoten looks amazing... and I think there are a lot of great (and new) routes opening up around the country.
But Canada will be cheaper, pretty reliable and all-round easier to organise I'd think.
And you shouldn't run out of things to do there ... especially if you have a Ghost-capable car.
Hopefully I'll be in the rockies again next week! Should post in the stoked thread!
The Alps - France, Italy, Slovenia would also be great - Ecrins, Aosta (Cogne etc)... maybe more crowds though and conditions haven't been stellar this year.
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19-Feb-2014 7:35:33 AM
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If u need any gear i still have a pair of fusion tools(will throw in umbilical leashs) and some G14s crampons im looking to sell!
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22-Feb-2014 10:15:00 AM
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I have a pair of BD Cyborg and a grivel panpipes I am happy to sell.
I am currently in Canmore flying home tomorrow.
The avi danger is high at the moment and has been so for the last week.
There is still crags to climb at around Canmore when the avi risk is high.
For accommodation jump on to airbnb.com and you will find lots more options.
Cheers.
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