This area, also known as Nusfjordkrysset (The Nusfjord Crossing), has a number of boulders strewn out on a marsh, just next to the E10. Many of the lines are quite striking, especially those on the impressive Heilt Rå-steinen (Boulder A, see photo to the right). Many of the problems are quite high, but landings are generally very good. All in all a very nice area, with some problems that you should definitely put on your tick list when you’re visiting Lofoten.
Note: It can be a good idea to wear some waterproof shoes (wellies recommended), since the ground in the whole area is usually wet all season.
The Lofoten locals Andreas Christiansen and Knut Storvik were looking for more new stuff during the first years of the new millennium. In their quest for new lines they expanded their search radar both to the east and west from Kabelvåg. In the west they teamed up with Flakstad local Ove Angelsen, which resulted in a number of nice problems at Skagsanden and Flakstadpollen.
During a trip to Lofoten in 2004 a group of climbers from Bodø were driving past Flakstadpollen on their way to Kvalvika, when one of them, André Wagelid, started yelling all of a sudden, urging them to stop the car. On the left side of the road he had spotted a huge boulder that just had to be examined. They soon started cleaning and working on some lines, with Wagelid focusing on a tall, curving double arête. Nothing was climbed though and the team continued west to Kvalvika, where they cleaned and climbed 8-10 problems that sadly haven’t been recorded.
Later that summer Mosti, Wang, Mjelle and Eivind Nagell among others paid a visit to Flakstadpollen and climbed Rå egg and Rå makt, both 7A. Marius Morstad had also spotted the boulder and the following year he went there accompanied by British legend Ben Moon. Moon established the Moon Arête (8A) and started working on the arête that Wagelid had tried the previous year, now known as the ”Kautokeino project”. Unfortunately Ben too had to leave empty handed, despite making one more trip to Lofoten that summer to try to finish it off.
World renowned Finnish climber Nalle Hukkataival paid a short visit to Lofoten in 2010. The jewel in the crown was the first ascent of the mighty ”Kautokeino project” at Flakstadpollen. Rough Gem became the official name after Nalle’s ascent and he proposed the grade 8B, thus producing the hardest line in Lofoten.
