Anna Pfaff and Ines Papert Climb New Norway Ice
Anna Pfaff and Ines Papert have reported about their recent trip to Norway where they climbed some big new routes.
“On Feb. 18, I travelled to Tromsø, Norway to meet up with Ines Papert, Thomas Senf and Rahel Schelb to climb and explore the island of Senja,” said Pfaff.
“I arrived to Senja Lodge owned by Bent Vidar Eilertsen in Mefjordvaer, Troms, Norway in the evening on the very next day.
“Ines and I made a plan that evening to do an alpine climb as our first objective as the conditions on the island were excellent.”
The first big route the two climbed was up the north face of Roalden Peak on Senja Island.
“After scoping the lines from afar we decided to follow a vague chimney system to the upper icy covered slabs that connected the north face with the summit ridge.
“Papert set out on the first pitch of mixed climbing through a loose and insecure chimney. We initially thought the climb would only be a few pitches but rope lengths and lots of simul-climbing brought us to the ridge around 400 metres later.”
They were soon high on the face in the dark and without headlamps.
“We rapelled a pitch in the dark and then decided to call our friend Thomas Senf to drop in some head lamps. He came to our resucue with the shining lighs at the summit and we made it down without difficulty except for a few frostbitten fingers on my behalf.”
They called their new route Stumbling Stone, a 400-metre M7 AI5.
“Senja is a magical place and I am so happy to have experienced it with such a wonderful climbing partner like Papert.”
Papert stayed after Pfaff left and climbed another new route with Rahel Schelb.
The two climbed Finnkona WI6, a classic in the area.
The two then climbed a new route in memory of Rahel’s grandma who passed away while they were in Norway.
“The first real pitch seemed tricky to protect, but once I could place a short ice screw and a micro nut, I went for it,” said Papert.
It was a run-out route with little protection. “After seven long pitches we topped out to the ridge of Fjølhaugen 765 metres above Melfjord- vaer.
They called the 350-metre new route Rosalinde WI7 M6.
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