Helge Øystein Maakestad

Hard.

Technical. A gem.

+30 reps.

+30 reps - warm up.

Hard.

4'th try.

Not 7a+.

Classical route, 4 pitches. 1) 6b+, 2) 6c, 3) 7a+, 4) 7a.

2'nd try.

A classical route.

In the guidebook it is graded "f7c+/8a".

Unclimbed? The bolts were new. Was said by the locals to be 7a+. 7c or 7c+ more likely. Espace Comboire is a small crag in Grenoble and even 7a routes are hard for the grade. It is located by the Isere river.

2nd try.

+30 reps. Warm up route in Cascade. 2nd try.

A vertical bouldery route on the main wall of the crag.

+30 reps.

Morpho. The crux is to pull on a pocket through an overhanging bulge with poor footholds. Malsaire is a small limestone crag betwen Geneva and Chamonix.

I fell on the 6c-climbing in the top on the flash-attempt. 3rd try. For tall people (190cm +) there is a heel hook for the left foot on the crux. This makes the crux much easier. I originally downgraded the route to 7b+ but the grade seems to have settled at 7c. The original grade was 7c+.

A well protected multi pitch route on bolts. 6 pitches, everything onsight. The crag is located by the Arve river, a tributary to the Rhone river.

2nd try.

2nd try.

+30 reps.

2nd try.

5 pitches 6b to 7a. All pitches onsight. Arco is a crag in Garda, two hours drive from Milan in Italy.

A steep and run out route on bolts - you take a long fall if you fall at the crux.

2nd try. Skevik is a popular sport crag south of Stockholm. Routes in the range 5a-8a.

Frankenjura is a sport crag close to Nurnberg in Germany.

+50 reps. Warm up route at Ørnberget.

+50 reps.

+50 reps.

+50 reps.

+30 reps.

+30 repeats. warm up route.

+20 reps, warm up route.

2nd try.

In the "2021 Kolsås climbing club guide book" it is claimed this route was first ascended by Kolsrud in 1992. I climbed it in 1990 - maybe there is a mistake in the guide - ask Kolsrud. I heard from Tor Rustad that Kolsrud had climbed it when I did it.

+10 reps, warm up route.

Vertical crimp route. I fell above the crux on the flash attempt. This route and Hjallarbrui (7c) at the same crag were the hardest sport routes in Norway in the 80s prior to the ascent of Stive Dempere (7c+) at Damtjern in 1986. Toprope.

A classical route - overhang on "big" holds. Flashed to above the final overhang. Toprope. The sport crag Løkenhavna was developed in the period 1990-1992 and is famous because of some 8b-routes put up in the beginning of the 90s.

+30 reps, warm up route at Løkenhavna.

A classical Doseth problem from the 80s - traverse along the lip of an overhang. Utby is a crag in Gøteborg, Sweden.

I flashed to the top slab. Toprope ascent.

7a+ in guide.

Sector "La Plage" - right of "Scorpion".

Trad. +50 reps. Warm up route.

The "Oslo Climbing Guide" mentions my name - I'm the "creator of the route" - in connection to this route and this is why I write this comment. I brushed this route in 1989 and Bernt Ove Reinertsen bolted it.

7b+ for tall people (190cm +). A classical route.

I believe I spent 10 days on this route on a top rope in 1989 and was able to do it with one rest. For me it felt harder than "Marathon 8b" since I spent more time doing the moves, but others may disagree about this.

A classical route.

Closed project: The "Stive Dempere f8a+" crux into another crux (top crux of "Draumkvedet f8c") with no good rest in between: This is f8b/b+.

2nd try. Hard.

2nd ascent.

2nd try. Fell at the last bolt on the onsight attempt.

2nd ascent. A Damtjern-classic - boulder on thin crimps. 8a or 8a+.

Topptau - tynt og teknisk.

Fell above the crux on the flash attempt. 2nd try. A classical route.

2nd try.

Morpho, a boulder on rope. The crux is harder than the crux on "Marathon F8b" (believed to be Norway's first F8b) and the top crux of "Draumkvedet 8c". Note: It is forbidden to dyno and to use holds on "Baker for smed" and "Sikre perioder". First ascent: summer 1989. Grade: Unknown. If you are able to do the route without the far right ledge, please post an uncut video of the ascent. It would be interesting to see your beta.

A classical route, 2'nd try.

A steep route on slopers and sidepulls.

I did not use traditional protection and the route was "run out". A classical route.

9th repeat? Hardest route in Norway for 2 years and one of the most classical sport-routes in Norway. A bouldery route.

2nd try.

Sector "La Plage".

2nd try.

2'nd ascent (?), 2'nd try. The hardest route in Øvre Sydstup. People have climbed trad and sport in Kolsås since 1904 - it is the oldest such crag in Norway. In the "2021 Kolsås guide book" this route is referred to as "Elektrodynamikk 7b/b+" - a route climbed by Tor Rustad. The route "Elektrodynamikk" is a route at the boulder area "Høybakktraversen" - there appears to be a mistake in the guide. I remember Ulf Geir Hansen referring to this route as an "open project" in 1988 - ask Hansen about the identity of the first ascender.

A crack, trad.

Top rope flash.

trad.

+100 reps. Warm down route.

A vertical bouldery route. Top rope flash. Location: Den skjulte veggen.

+40 reps, warm up route.

2nd try.

+50 reps, warm up route. 2nd try.

A bouldery route.

2nd try.

A classical route on bolts. An overhanging boulder on thin crimps and sidepulls. My first 7b/b+ and one of the harder routes in Øvre Sydstup.

200m, 6 pitches on natural protection. 6b+/7a/6b+/7a/6c/5a. All pitches onsight except the upper 7a pitch.

A classical 6+ route.

A naturally protected vertical crack.

Traditional. A sparsely protected slab-route. You need "running belay" to avoid ground fall on the crux.

6 pitch well protected route on natural protection.

trad.

Traditional. Vertical crack.

Trad. + 20 repeats.

Trad. Sparsely protected slab route. Forbidden to use the crack on "Bloodway" for protection.

trad.

Trad. First 6+ in Norway (from 1969?). A classical route.

trad.

2 pitches, traditional protection. A classical 6+ route. An exposed vertical jamming and lay back crack.

A classical route, one of the first grade 6 routes in Norway.

trad.

Trad. A classical route, one of the first grade 5 routes in Norway.