advice needed! Where's the best place to live???

[antarctic tom]

Hi, sorry for writing in English!
I am a very keen climber and alpinist from Sheffield, England (although I'm currently working in Antarctica). In the next year I may well be moving to Sweden. But as a trad rock climber, ice climber, and especially as a mountaineer, where are the best places to be based in sweden? Where is it best to meet people, get lots of routes done etc.?
In sweden, or southern norway, do people go in for scottish style trad mixed routes?
If anyone replies, thanks for your time!
If you want to reply direct I'm at tomspreyer@hotmail.com
Thank you!
Tom

 

[Tinydoh]

Hi, sorry for writing in English!
I am a very keen climber and alpinist from Sheffield, England (although I'm currently working in Antarctica). In the next year I may well be moving to Sweden. But as a trad rock climber, ice climber, and especially as a mountaineer, where are the best places to be based in sweden? Where is it best to meet people, get lots of routes done etc.?
In sweden, or southern norway, do people go in for scottish style trad mixed routes?
If anyone replies, thanks for your time!
If you want to reply direct I'm at tomspreyer@hotmail.com
Thank you!
Tom

The best Swedish alpine and ice climbing is found in the northern part of Sweden, in Kebnekaise and Stora Sjöfallet, respectively. Also the national park of Sarek offers a lot of first ascent potential in a remote wilderness setting. A suitable base for going on these climbs would be the city of Kiruna. You'd then also be close to the Norwegian granite mountains of Lofoten, offering much better rock quality than most of what Sweden has to offer. Note however that the rock climbing season in the north of Sweden and Norway is suppressed by short summers and long, cold winters.

If you want long trad routes on excellent rock or steep ice and mixed climbing you'd be best off going on little trips to Norway, meaning living somewhere in the middle of Sweden could be suitable.

/P

 

[Xander]

Hi Tom,

Another alternative is to live on the south west coast of Sweden (Gothenburg and northern surroundings). In Bohuslän you have probably the best trad climbing in Sweden, comparable with Scotland. You also have some good ice climbs from January to mars. Otherwise for ice climbing and mountaineering Norway is probably the best destination, i.e. Rjukan take 4 to 6 hours driving. Gothenburg and the west coast also have a considerable active climbing community.

You are welcome to contact me.

Cheers.
/Alexander (Gothenburg) cormery72@yahoo.com

 

[Tempest]

Gothenburg or Kiruna

I agree with both Tinydoh and Xander! One good possibility would be to live in Kiruna or Gällivare/Malmberget, another to live in the area around Gothenburg--Strömstad. I suppose Östersund would be a third acceptable possibility. For meeting people Gothenburg would be best, for mountaineering probably Kiruna. (By the way, my Dad lives in Sheffield, and my love for climbing started when he took me and my brother to Stanage Edge!)

 

[antarctic tom]

thanks for all the advice!
Tom