Hakon Hansen's Blog

Sun, Lofoten and Doseth

Hakon Hansen — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 21:47:13 +0000

What a fantastic winter! Sun almost every day. Have done 11 new routes the last two weeks. 5b,5b,6a,6a+,6a+,6b,6c+,6c+,7a,7a+ and 7b+. When I started to bolt routes in Biar I thought that 130 was a good number, but the problem is that I find new walls and new lines all the time. There will be at least 70 more, so I need another year before I take a rest. I see that the Lofoten guidebook is on the way. I have been there, and when you have good weather it is a fantastic place to go. The scenery and the climbing is absolutely top class. There is also good bouldering close to Henningsvaer(the best place to stay). Close to the island there is a peak called Stetind. It is the most beautiful mountain in Norway. I have twice done the easiest route, grade 3-4. Only 15-20 meters with climbing, the rest is walking/scrambling. In good weather you have a great wiew. In Lofoten you find some of the best climbing in Norway on own protection. Presten(the priest) is good, 400 meters, good protection all the way, and very good rock. I did the classic route, around 6b many years ago. Superb!!!The other area in Norway with the same quality is the area outside Stavanger. This area is bigger, with the 900 meter granite wall of Kjerag as the most interesting, together with the Dirdal wall . Pat Littlejohn did some hard big wall routes up to 7b+ in this area more than 20 years ago. On sight. Impressive! I have 2 first ascents at Kalle in Lofoten on own protection. In 97 I freeclimbed “ButterArms” 8a, an old aid route, and I also freeclimbed the 7a+ next to the classic “Doseth risset(crack)”. Hans Christian Doseth died on rapell after doing the first ascent of Trango Tower back in 84 with Finn Daelhi. At that time it was the hardest big wall route in the world. He was a great allround climber. The best of all time in Scandinavia. He has also done some hard ascents in the Troll wall. I was so lucky to climb with him on one occasion, at Dale outside Stavanger, a month before he went to Pakistan in 84. He was my hero, and I will never forget his huge personality. I remember I felt really small beside him.

slow start

Hakon Hansen — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 22:09:01 +0000

Slow start to the new year. I was ill for many day, absolutely not in shape. But today I finally feel good. Cleaned 2 routes around 5/5+ in the morning. Have only done 2 new routes the last weeks, a 7a and a 6a. The last days I have cleaned some of my old projects, so now I have 6 routes ready for leading beetween 5+ and 7b. Got 63 bolts from the local climbing club to use on easy routes. I will give them the easy routes they are looking for. After a crab salat and a beer at the best local restaurant, I went to sector Amarillo in the afternoon. Clogged 2 7bs, one that I have led before and one project. It is my favourite sector, maybe not the best, but I am allways happy up here. So there must be something. Sun from the late afternoon(climbing without t-shirt in january!!!!). And when you go up alone, which I almost allways do(and I like it), it is a great place with a fantastic wiew and silence. I really like silence, except when I am listening to System of a down, Slayer, Slipknot or Tool. The weather this january has been great! At 900 meters today it was 10 deegrees in the shade. This is one of the main reasons why I moved to Spain. The next weeks I also hope I have time for some tries on Chorizo and Cuerizo at sector Chao Chao. They are really really steep and around 8a+/8b. Some weeks with training I might have a chance. Good routes! Life is getting better again.

107-108

Hakon Hansen — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 20:58:23 +0000

Did two new routes some days ago. Both at the new sector “Kraftwerk”. The first one was “Man machine” another 6b+(I think I have 14 or 15 at that grade), and the next one was “Autobahn”. I first thought this one to be 6c+/7a, but I graded it 7a+/7b. Very good route. I am ill at the moment, probably not the only one. In few days I hope that I am active again. I have so much to do so this illness was not good. But so is life. I wish everybody a happy new year! If someone wants to come to my place for climbing I welcome you and show you the routes I have done so far, and I also have an appartment where you can stay(270 euro per week). There is still a lot of routes to bolt, but there is absolutely enough here for a couple of days…..

Cold

Hakon Hansen — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 00:10:43 +0000

It is cold! Almost like in Norway. The only difference is that it is dryer here. In Norway it rains or snows. It can happen here too of course, but only for one or two, sometimes three days. I live in Biar, and I am developing the climbing at a mountain called Fraile. Biar is a small town with 3-4000 people. It is an old town with a castle and an old church. I love this town! I have lived here for almost three years and here I will stay for the rest of my life. There are 2 areas in the Rockfax guide close to here. One is Penya Rubia and one is Reconco. They are only few minutes away. The area where I am bolting is much bigger and much better. Penya Rubia is shit. I have not been so active the last week, but I have started to develope a new sector called”Kraftwerk”. There will be 6-8 routes here. Clogged one of them today. 6c+ or 7a(Autobahn). Good line with seven bolts. Have also started on 2 more. About the same grade. On friday I go back to sector “la vida” with Gareth. I think the route right of the first route here(la vida 6b+)will be around 6b+/6c. I have a lot of projects on other sectors, but I do like my sherpa and my friend on Cho Oyu who did a new route on an eighthousander and was asked about how it was possible to do this route: ”A little monkey here and a little monkey there……”Well, life will be really good again when the temperature gets above 10 degrees. Wintertime is the time to do most of the work. In the spring I want to climb. It will be hard to start training again. I have climbed 8a for more than 20 years. To be honest I am really fed up with climbing. I want to do something else, like travelling to a place without any possibility for climbing(the north pole or an island far far away). But I am a climber and tomorrow I can get new motivation. Nobody knows.

new sector, new route

Hakon Hansen — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 18:44:21 +0000

Yesterday I found a new sector. This sector is really good, and it is in the sun most of the day. Today I went back with my De Walt drill, bolts and Gareth, who lives half an hour from here. We bolted and climbed a really good route. Solid 6b+. We called it “La vida”. The sector will share the same name. There are beetween 20 and 25 lines here from easy to hard that I hope to bolt the next months. The climbing in the area is at around 800-1000 meter above sea level. Cold in the shade during the winter months, but today I got more than enough sun on my back. This was route number 106, hope to do beetween 5 and 10 more before new year.

Short trip

Hakon Hansen — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 20:51:58 +0000

Had only one hour available today . Bolted one easy route at the new “easy sector”(one day I find a better name for the sector). I think it will be around 6a. Took away some threes very close to the climbing as well. I have been in a meeting with the Major and the vice Major of the town, they are both very positive to my climbing activity, so I am not afraid of the botanic group in town. The botanic group are not many, but the few are really extreme. They do not like that I am cutting threes(it is not often I do it). I do not like them. The route I bolted today needs 1 hour or 2 with cleaning. To take away all the loose rock or the vegetation on a route is sometimes hard work. I can spend 2 days just to clean a route. I am not very happy then if someone tells me that the route is not good. But that is life. There are idiots out there(who never bolts, who has never cleaned a route, but are complaining about the routes). The local climbing group wants easy routes, so I think I leave all the rest of the work to them(except bolting). Of course I join them and tell them what to do….. They have a meeting every friday so I think I have to go there this evening to ask them if they want to share some first ascents(and drink a bottle of beer). Good people. Now I go on a holiday for 2 days. I go to an appartment with my family 20 meters from the beach. I hate to go to the beach(I have red hair so my body does not like to much sun), but I love to go to the pub to watch premier league. Everton has been my team since-74.

105

Hakon Hansen — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:37:29 +0000

Another day at sector Parking. Normally I change sector all the time to stay motivated. I do a little bit here and a little bit there. It is boring to go to the same place all the time. But, now it is close to winter and this sector is in the sun. Very much of the climbing here is in the shade most of the day. Good for the warm days. Did 2 new routes both 2 stars and both 7b. Maybe one of them will be downgraded to 7a+. But who cares. It is more important that the routes are good. At the moment I have 15 new routes here that I have graded 7b. When you call a sector “Parking” it is of course not a long walk to get there. It is 30 seconds. Today I also went a little bit further in the forest to have a look at easier lines. There will be at least 15 routes between 5 and around 6a. In few days I tell you where my climbing paradise is. I will also make my own homepage with topos and I have already an appartment to rent out. The nearest airport is Alicante.

103

Hakon Hansen — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 17:13:32 +0000

Today should have been a rest day. I have many rest days. I do not like rest days, but I am getting old and tired. The weather was very good today and after a good meal I asked my wife if she would belay me on a new route or two while our daughter was at school. So we went up to sector Parking. I did “Vienen los Moros” and graded it 6b. A very good route. 20 meters long. I tried another one just right of it, but it is still unclimbed. I think I have to start training again. Well, one new route is better that no route. 13 new routes last 4 weeks is OK.

November

Hakon Hansen — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 21:34:21 +0000

November is my favorite month. Not allways of course. When you come from Norway it can rain for 30 days without stop. Then you have bad luck. But I have have been several autoums in Buoux climbing 4-5 days a week, watching at that time all the hot shots, Moon, Moffat, Raboutou, Edlinger, Le Menestrels….. Anyway, for me it was more satisfying to climb myself. No I live in Spain, that is even better. I also have birhday in November. Then I did 3 new routes at my local climbing area. “Stiff little fingers” 6c+, “Johnny Was”7a+ and “Alternative Ulster” 6c. The first one was first ascent number 100 in Spain.