Strong Climbers Crush in Norway

A handful of the world’s top rock climbers have been putting down some of the hardest routes in Norway.

The Flatanger cave in Norway has become a popular destination for top climbers. This fall, Daniel Woods, Alex Megos, Jakob Schubert and Dave Graham have been busy sending some of the crag’s hardest routes.

Flatanger was home to the world’s first 5.15c, which Adam Ondra climbed in 2012 and called Change. The first bolted route through the massive roof was by Magnus Midtbo some years before.

One of the more popular routes has been Thor’s Hammer 5.15a, which was first climbed by Ondra. It was repeated this August by Megos and shortly after by Schubert.

The most recent send of Thor’s Hammer was by Daniel Woods, who is known for his powerful bouldering. He sent the nearly 60-metre route relatively quickly.

Woods had traveled to Norway with Dave Graham, who made the second ascent of The Illusionist 5.14d.

Graham wrote on his Facebook, “I haven’t felt this level of psych since the first time I visited Ceuse in 2001. Its crazy when you can notice the start of a new era in your own climbing, inspiration like this is only congruent with jaw-dropping natural lines and the best stone in the world.

“This is just the beginning. I feel giddy, infatuated, consumed and unable to stop my mind from racing through beta and sequences of rigs I’ve already attempted or ones I dream of getting on next.”

Watch some Flatanger climbing:

–  Be sure to visit @Bearcam for more great photos from Flatanger.