Leo Bøe Opens a 5.15a Sport Route in Norway
Bøe makes the hardest first ascent by a Norwegian climber with Hafgúfa 5.15a
On September 14, Leo Bøe made the first ascent of Hafgúfa 5.15a (9a+) in Norway. The route is mega steep, almost horizontal, essentially from start to finish. The first section begins in the cave and is climbed with crash pads, ending with a double knee-bar bat hang rest, during which Bøe roped up for the remainder of the route. From the rest, the climb moves to the edge of the cave where the climber finally has reprieve from roof climbing. But not for long, as the route traverses along the outer lip and finishes with an exit on a pillar on the outside of the cave.
The line was discovered by Elliot Ashe on Havsteinen, an island near Flatanger. It was Bøe who bolted the project. The name of the route, Hafgùfa, is a creature from Old Norse mythology. Legend has it that the creature is so large it may be mistaken for an island. Bøe recently released footage of Hafgúfa, which you can watch below.
The 25-year-old Norwegian climber has had a year for the books. On October 4, he sent Adam Ondra’s Change 5.15b/c in the Hanshelleren cave in Flatanger, Norway. It was Bøe’s first of the grade. Hafgúfa was his second 5.15a ever, his first was Change P1 in September of last year. He has at least sixteen 5.14d routes to his name.
