FIVA at Trolltind

17 février 2017
FIVA at Trolltind

17/2/2017

Rauma valley ( Romsdal, Norway) is one of the most impresive valleys I have ever seen, with big walls in both sides are a paradise for rock climbing in summer and ice climbing in winter. Walls like Romsdalshorn, Holstind, Blånebba, Mongejura or Hornaksla facing south are between 500 and 1000m walls, in the oposite side, the Trolltind group with Breitind, Søndre Trolltind, Trollryggen, the troll pinacles and Store Trolltind are +1000m walls facing north. Even if is a more logical place for climbing than skiing it is some great possibilities there. Some coluloirs in Mongejura and Blånebba are very fun and long and Ola Hovdenak with Bård Smestad skied a couloir in Mannen in the north side. At the right side of the Trollwall we can see a long snow couloir from the skar between Brudgommen and Store Trolltind that goes all the way down the face. When I moved to Romsdal in 2016 I saw the enormus potential for steep skiing in the region, it is steep walls everywhere and when west wind (from the sea) comes with precipitation it glues snow in very steep terrains. Last year I could ski a couloir in Sjøboltinden with some very steep sections over 62º, when in the Alps for exemple over 57º is rarely skiable.

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Fiva rute is the most logical line to ski down the north side of Trolltind group.

In february 17th I drove to Fiva farm in Rauma valley. Some minutes after 9 I left the car with my skis and glide following the route. The farmer was there and we talked a bit about the day and the plans.

- I will go skiing there...I will se where I get...

During the past weeks I had enter the route 2 times, just for a couple of hundred meters to see conditions and "feel" the face. It was safe but to hard snow, it is dificult to have conditions in all the route because it is so long and the conditions in the upper part and lower part (sea level) can be very different. 2 days before I was climbing Halls Renne at Romsdalshorn with Henki Flatlandsmo and from there I saw that conditions were maybe good, I took the picture above of the face.

That day it feelt great,  I didn't know if I was going to do a reco or ski all the route.  Conditions were perfect and I climbed fast, after 1000m I saw that was the day to do-it. The lower part was hard snow and some ice but not as hard as precedent days, and when I reached the down climb at the middle of the face I was determinated of skiing-it, conditions were great. The big couloir was in some softer snow and after the ice fall (30m 80º) it was lots of powder snow in the almost vertical climb (mixted climb, M4 maybe a bit more depending conditions) to exit the route. From there I continued the easy ridge to the summit enjoying the sun. It took me around a bit less than 3h to reach the summit. I ski from the summit a few dozzen of meters, downclimb to the pass and install the belay in the skar.

The summit is at 1788m, the botom of the face at 100m. The botom of the downhill at 25m. So 1688m of ski line. The average inclination is around 50°. The downhill is divised in 4 parts:

1- From summit to pass: from summit going down south following a couloir and standing as close as possible to the ridge, 5m uphill to pass. Easy ski with some dry ski. 80m-40-45°

2- From pass/scar one abseil (40m) down, then some little ridge skiing and entering a small couloir until a icefall to do a 2nd abseil (40m). 200m-60°

3. Some  very steep turns in a 60° exposed face to enter a long and narrow couloir at 50-55° for 500m. Then it becomes larger and less steep until it becomes a vertical icefall, before that I crossed the couloir to enter a small cave below the north wall and need to climb 10m, easy but steep and super exposed.

4. The lower 900m are less steep, in average 45°, but with short sections steep often with blue ice. And is still huge so easy to get lost.

From there is 2 turns to the river and a 1' skate back to the car. It took me 5h40 minutes to complete the jouney.

Here you can see a full PDF with image description

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VZOXa6GPy8

Gear:

http://www.movescount.com/moves/move205494187

From fiva farm