Return to Ågelsjön

Return to Ågelsjön - photography before safty!

To treat myself with life as a 29-year old I kidnaped Torbjörn and went to Ågelsjön for a weekend. We set up camp at a nice spot close to Divaväggen were we also dined and wined before bed-time.

We drow down from Uppsala Saturday morning and got within 15 minutes of Ågelsjön when the rain hit us hard. We hadn't even checked the forecast! But it passed after some leisure time with the car radio. The cliff dried in no time, and then the sun was back. The whole weekend was fantastic, great climbing, great weather, and decent food (I hade some cake left from my birthday party). One drawback of the sun is that the difference in tan between back and front is now severe.

Taking photos without a dedicated photographer is not unsafe. And you are calmed by the knowledge that your last moment will be captured for ever if you fall. ;-)

Nollan (6-/6 sport) was the second route we did. Dry as a diaper (not completly dry that is ;-). I led the even more damp Divaleden (5 trad) prior to that.
While we constantly attracted mosquitos, I led Månskäran (6-) in company of a butterfly seduced by my chalkbag.

I never dared to reach the last bolt on Tuborg (6/6+) but Torbjörn did and then took a fall to this resting point. Some bad beta from a local scared me of it. Next time Tuborg will be mine.
This is actually from Sunday's climbing. I am preparing for Gutenborg (5- trad), a nice crack at Valhallväggen. The lack of mail boxes was most annoying on this and I set a personal record on getting a big nut into a crack and clipping. The lack of photos with me climbing sort of indicates the hardness of the route, I rate it as probably my hardest trad lead this year dispite the more or less correct grade.

Torbjörn trying the old trad nerves on Lynnard Skynnard (5-/5). The bolt at the beginning proved valuable but no other placements were stress tested.
Lynnard Skynnard (5-/5) is probably the easiest route on the big wall. Ågelsjöns highest cliff with routes over 40 m long. Lynnard can be abailed down from after ~22m.

Svaplattan is a nice slab face above/behind the great wall, there was an easy unnamed 4+ crack up to a huge ledge below the wall. We did Dubbelsprickan (5- trad) and Sweet Jane (5 sport) and took heaps of pics.

The view from the top is not too bad either.

No belaying needed until first placement is made. The twisted face is a sign of the climber's faked anxiety.	Poor excuse of an ass shot. Slab is great for really resting with the whole body.
An actual photo where the routes are visible, Dubbelsprickan is the crack up towards the left and Sweet Jane goes straight up from the bolt.	I hope that this is as close as Mr. Bean ever gets to climbing.
Even though Torbjörn snaped photos like crazy he let me borrow the camera to take a couple of pics.	When you are 29 you are allowed to stay up late (and high) to climb. Torbjörn preparing for the final belay from Svaplattan.

Belaying is life. The Sunday was indeed a sunny day. We decided to go to Sjöklippan before the sun got far too hot. We swam out to it from the big wall Saturday night and tried some soloing of Flaket (4- solo). I made it up to the big flake but never started the traverse. The routes start at the water edge so we belayed each other down towards the water and then climbed up.

Torbjörn with his first stand of the day.
Tested by Jacob on one of Torbjörns few surprise falls of the weekend

Torbjörn happy after completing the dream move on Drömdiedret(6/6+). Probably the most outstanding route of the whole weekend. We also did Blue session (5-/5, 5+ end) but didn't take any pictures. It was really steep crack climbing, which is fantastic. After the two lake cliff routes we did Gutenborg and checked out Queen but I managed to talk Torbjörn out of the lunatic start. After lunch Torbjörn led Borrbult är livet(7- sport) which I was happy to top rope since it spit me of at a nasty place. Then we moved on to B-lagsväggen where we top-roped Sanna (5-) and Agdor (6+). Agdor was done with the traditional and a direct start both about grade 6+.

We left at close to seven Sunday evening with 14 climbed routes in the luggage.

Ranking of the climbs (not neccesarily the routes):
Torbjörn: 1. Drömdiedret, 2. Borrbult är livet, 3. Tuborg, 4. Blue Session, 5. Lynnard Skynnard.
Jacob: 1. Drömdiedret, 2. Gutenborg, 3. Blue Session, 4. Tuborg + Månskäran, 5. Dubbelsprickan. There is somewhat of an inflation of stars in the guidebook in my opinion.

Of course we did heaps of skinny dipping since the lake was just meters away from the hot routes.

Nollan (6-/6 sport) was the second route we did. Dry as a diaper (not completly dry that is ;-). I led the even more damp Divaleden (5 trad) prior to that.	While we constantly attracted mosquitos, I led Månskäran (6-) in company of a butterfly seduced by my chalkbag.
I never dared to reach the last bolt on Tuborg (6/6+) but Torbjörn did and then took a fall to this resting point. Some bad beta from a local scared me of it. Next time Tuborg will be mine.	This is actually from Sunday's climbing. I am preparing for Gutenborg (5- trad), a nice crack at Valhallväggen. The lack of mail boxes was most annoying on this and I set a personal record on getting a big nut into a crack and clipping. The lack of photos with me climbing sort of indicates the hardness of the route, I rate it as probably my hardest trad lead this year dispite the more or less correct grade.
Torbjörn trying the old trad nerves on Lynnard Skynnard (5-/5). The bolt at the beginning proved valuable but no other placements were stress tested.	Lynnard Skynnard (5-/5) is probably the easiest route on the big wall. Ågelsjöns highest cliff with routes over 40 m long. Lynnard can be abailed down from after ~22m.