The mosses grow dry under the shoes, the time on the dirt roads approaches the Dakar Rally and the cracks seem to no longer remember what the sound of flowing rainwater sounds like in the depths of Solina. The forest fire risk had been on the decline for weeks on end, and the thirst of the small animals in the forests has not gone unnoticed on the roadsides. I guess no one remembers last year's rainfall. For once, the Finnish summer has pampered rock climbers right behind the shoulder, albeit at the expense of nature.
Sunsets in Åland bring a summer feeling.
I got rid of cucumber salads on May Day for health reasons. The sixteen-week cycle of illness ended like a wall after going home - leaving small, but hopefully not permanent, scars. What was supposed to be the worst climbing year ever is now shaping up to be the best year yet. Apparently, zero training out of necessity paid off, because I've climbed my most difficult mixta, sport and tree routes this spring. Even if you could project!
I've also been able to closely follow the development of new climbers who are enthusiastic about the sport. I would not have believed that with such a feeling it is possible to live with the successes and trials of others.
Now I'm packing equipment in my bags, because in a couple of days the bow of the car will turn towards the cracks of Northern Norway. Lofoten's slavs and above all Baugen's rooks call strongly, before the annual "Chamigraatio" at the end of July.
Now a screenshot for the rainy days of summer!
Joona Sipi starts the season with Eklips. Effortless shipping.
Ella Hellberg teaches the wonderful "LOSS".
Antti Liukkonen fists "DDR Myyrää". Twenty meters of fist jam!
Juho in the lead shot of "Mustan Surma". At the end of the horn, you thought you would miss your mother, even though the climbing is not very difficult.
"Salpalinjaa, 7a" is not easily crossed. Finland's best traverse. I was so excited that I forgot to put the crucial whip in the middle. When dripping, the result would have been a pendulum tilting the cotton balls.
"Kronos eats his children, 7a+", but not Anttia. Silver Mountain's finest finger crack.
"Testicles, 5" is an incredibly sweet song. Neighboring Seireeni serves high-quality hand jam for those who want it.
Ella and "The Children's Room Keys". Hopian classics.
"Hirvi, 7a" did not materialize as a site. The starting grip drilled the summer's worst holes in the fingers. Would the previous night's midsummer sauna have had an effect?
"Horst-Gunthers trauma, 7b+/c" in Karkaude. Rami Haakana's masterpiece. Karkaus kallio offers incredible hand climbing with a light hand. Photo: Pyry Karjalainen.
The Rift Titans
Suomikipeili's main goals for this spring were "Los Capitanos" and "Komiat Pärjää Aina". Both are among the top lines in our country, as is the climbing on both routes. Although I have climbed only a small part of what South Finland has to offer, I dare to say that these routes are among the best. Of course, Turunvuori's "Hiidenkirnu" and Mustavuuori's "Sagittarius A" are still on their own scale.
From Capitano, I once roped up through the loose spring ice, and I got hold of the others, but the lead race in the evening sun ended with sweaty fingers under the crux. The rock was far too hot. The next time I got to mesto was in the middle of May, when the heat raged over our country from week to week. I went top rope soloing the line once at six in the morning, after which I had time to take one step on the route before the day warmed up. On the morning of the last Olhava day, we rowed under the route again at the time of rooster crowing. "Third time true" held its itch this time, because I managed to climb the route in the absolutely wonderful morning light. The pump was pretty good! When you climb the wall from the boat, you practically have to climb all the way to the horizontal crack, before taking a proper rest. There is less actual crack climbing except for a few finger jams and one bad fist jam. Let's mention what everyone is asking. In other words, I used the Eklipsi cover only in defective cases before the horizontal crack. In my opinion, I climbed the line in the easiest way I could find. If someone compresses the whole clip, so be it. Eliminates should not be routed, or then they are just bad routes.
Another of Mustavuueri's great king lines is Tatu Auti's "Komiat Pärjää Aina". In the middle of June, I went to climb the route one morning. The route itself didn't require any miracles besides the upper rope run and the transmission itself. Good hand jamming skills bring the difficulty closer to 7b than original c in my opinion. Come and try it!
Komiat Will Always Do, 7b/+. Mustavuori serves lines.
Los Capitanos. Best crack I've climbed. Impossibly great! Photo: Max Miner.