Trad climbing in Sweden

07.09.2019-08.09.2019 - The evening before it was already dark and raining cats and dogs when we arrived at a suitable resting place near Lysekil. When we wake up in the morning listening to the splashing rain, we find ourselves in a beautiful little bay. Having a leisurely breakfast, we slowly start into the day.

The areas around Bohuslän near Lysekil are known for their trad climbing routes and especially for their cracks. The landscape is very different from Norway. At first you think that it is far too flat for climbing here. The hills are overgrown and not really high. There are also no deep valleys. However, there are huge granite boulders rising out of the meadows and forests which are perfect for climbing. The granite has a different color than in the north of Norway and is usually reddish brown.

Overnight stay: N 58.40256, E 11.41100

Galgeberget

07.09.2019 - Around noon the sun appears and thanks to the wind, the rocks dry quickly. In the early afternoon some routes on the south walls are climbable again even if some cracks still feel a little bit slippery. Sigi teases me for being so lazy, but he makes up for that. I want to take it easy on my arm and shoulder and not to make the pain worse. I went to Norway with an aching elbow. Three special massages just before the departure could not fix the problem. The unconscious posture led to stress on my shoulder. These days even belaying is painful. In addition, I have to climb at least the last route because we need to collect all our trad climbing gear.

On this first climbing afternoon in Sweden we meet five young Belgians. As it happens, they anchor with their sailboat in the same bay which we are using as our base. In the evening they invite us to have a look at their boat. It is a nice atmosphere where many travel experiences are exchanged.

It comes to an end

08.09.2019 - Sigi wants to make the most out of the last climbing day. For this reason, we are ready to leave shortly after nine o’clock. Our first destination is Håller. Unfortunately, none of the worthwhile routes are dry.

We head on to the south facing climbing area Vettekullen where we spend a few hours at pleasant temperatures. There is a mixture of sun and clouds and Sigi can climb a few more routes.

Drive home

08.09.2019-09.09.2019 - We wash ourselves, put on some coffee for the ride and get the cookies ready. Then we set off towards Trelleborg. In Gothenburg we avoid both the city toll (Mon-Fri 06:00-18:00) and any traffic jams because it is Sunday afternoon. Accordingly, we make good progress and reach the port of Trelleborg at 21:00. There we spend the night on the parking space next to some other campers because our ferry leaves early in the morning.

The self-service machine of TT-Line works perfectly and after a few minutes we are waiting in the line to get on the ferry. Boarding starts on time and proceeds quickly. The lounge on the ferry is well furnished and offers more than enough space. Unfortunately, some people are louder than pleasant. Especially small children are a little bit exhausting for us at the moment because we have not been around them for a long time. After the crossing we continue by car. Due to the many construction sites, the drive in the rain from Rotterdam via Berlin and Leipzig is very exhausting. After four hours I am quite tired and hand over the wheel to Sigi. We see a convenient traffic sign on the motorway: Munich - Nuremberg - Lederhosen. We are almost at home. Sigi drives the remaining four and a half hours to Fuschl am See. We arrive late in the night.

Lessons learned

• We definitely have to return to Sweden, especially to Bohuslän for trad climbing. You can find perfect training conditions there.
• Sweden is quite different than Norway: swanky cars with lots of horsepower vs. electric cars, 130 km/h vs. 80-90 km/h on the highway, fast food at every corner vs. expensive food (unhealthy food and alcohol are highly taxed).