Norway
Beginners Ice Climbing
This course is for total beginners, who want to try ice climbing in one of Norway's most incredible environments.
Itinerary
We meet in Rjukan - a picturesque Norwegian town.
You'll be staying in the Old School Hostel, and can arrive at any time throughout the day (see the FAQs for travel details from Oslo Airport). If you arrive early, we highly recommend taking advantage of the hostel's Sauna!
We'll leave the hostel at 9am after breakfast, for a full day of ice climbing at Ozzimosis.
The focus is getting into the swing of it and developing good movement techniques. Your guides will setup climbs at all levels of difficulty so that there's something for everyone - from almost hiking right up to completely vertical!
In the evening you'll have an opportunity to enjoy a good meal with the other climbers, back in the hostel.
The last day is at Krokan - where you'll walk on a frozen river to an incredible location, with over 30 frozen waterfalls!
There are a huge range of climbs here, so your guides will pick them carefully to make sure there is something for everyone. The shortest are about 6 meters tall, and the tallest ones are nearly 20 meters. For those that want to, you can also learn some more skills such as ice screw placement, and building winter belays.
We finish at 3pm and debrief, in time for last flights home from Oslo.
Book Now
All trips are guaranteed to runFri 2 Feb 8:00PM Sun 4 Feb 3:00PM | £340 (£44 deposit) Based on £340 GBP | Book 12 spaces |
Fri 9 Feb 8:00PM Sun 11 Feb 3:00PM | £340 (£44 deposit) Based on £340 GBP | Book 12 spaces |
Fri 16 Feb 8:00PM Sun 18 Feb 3:00PM | £340 (£44 deposit) Based on £340 GBP | Book 12 spaces |
Fri 23 Feb 8:00PM Sun 25 Feb 3:00PM | £340 (£44 deposit) Based on £340 GBP | Book 12 spaces |
67 verified reviews
Rated 5.0
Alberto
(Mar 2023)
Richard
(Mar 2023)
Daisy
(Mar 2023)
FAQs
Included: - Guides - Accommodation in the Rjukan Ice Climbers hostel (called Dale Skole). - Technical equipment - helmet, harness, ice axes, crampons etc. - Winter mountaineering boots - the guides have a very large number of all sizes (including very small and very large), so there is no need to request them in advance. Excluded: - Transfers to/from airport & climbing areas. - Food - There is a supermarket nearby to the hostel, and most guests choose to cook together. There are also just a couple of takeaway options in the town, the most popular of which has pizzas.
Documents
• Passport
• European Health Insurance Card (if appropriate)
• Travel insurance details
• Boarding passes for flights
• Wallet
• Driver’s license & rental car details (if needed)
Clothing
Please make sure all clothing is not cotton – cotton clothing is great for the summer but loses heat very quickly in the winter.
• 2 base-layer t-shirts (e.g. running t-shirts)
• Fleece/soft-shell jacket
• ‘Booster layer’ e.g. second fleece
• Waterproof jacket
• Down jacket for warmth, if possible (from e.g. Rab, Alpkit, Mountain Equipment)
• Spare clothes for evenings
• Underwear
• Base-layer trousers (optional)
• Soft-shell trousers or other warm trousers
• Waterproof trousers
• Swimwear for the sauna
• 2 thick wool mountaineering socks
• 2 pairs of waterproof/snowproof gloves or mitts
• Wool hat that can be worn under a helmet
• Comfortable boots/shoes for travelling. You can also bring mountaineering boots if you have them, but otherwise you'll be loaned specialist mountaineering boots for the full days of climbing.
Other
• Small rucksack
• Water bottle/thermos
• Sunglasses
• Glasses/contact lenses (if needed)
• Sleeping bag liner for the hostel (you can rent sheets if not owned)
• Bathroom items including towel
• Electronics - Head torch, travel adaptor (French plug style), phone & charger
• Lipsil
• Book/mp3 player for flights
Climbing Equipment (optional
If you own any of the following, you may bring them along as well:
• Harness
• Helmet
• Ice axes
• Crampons
When you sign up, you're added to a group chat on your Skyhook dashboard. We highly recommend chatting here with the other participants (each group has 12 people), as most people arrange car-sharing to get to Rjukan from the airport. Most people choose this option as it's typically the cheapest and fastest way to travel. If you do this, we recommend allowing 3 hours for the drive so that you can take your time and have a break along the way (you'll be going past a beautiful frozen lake). There is also a public transport option which takes around 4 hours.
You just need a basic level of fitness for this trip, as the guides will setup a big range of climbs (from very easy right up to very challenging). You also don't need any climbing experience (typically half of the 12-person group don't have any). The guides are fantastic at picking out climbs that you are comfortable with trying, and helping you develop at your own pace. Equally if you prefer something very challenging, the guides can also setup routes that are very steep/overhanging if you want. There is something for everyone!
Most people fly to Oslo Gardermoen (OSL).
Absolutely yes - most people book alone. We know it can feel a bit intimidating, but your guides will do introductions when you arrive and you’ll get to know the others in no time!
Similar clothing to ski clothing works well for the Beginners Course (several warm layers and waterproofs). We recommend wearing wool or synthetics, and not cotton (cotton is great in warm temperatures, but very bad in cold ones if it gets wet).
Temperatures can range from -10C to -20C.
Yes, there is usually availability to stay extra nights. You can click "message your guide" after booking to arrange this.
The local supermarket has a broad selection, with equivalent prices to a higher-end supermarket in the UK (e.g. Waitrose). It's a 5-minute drive from the hostel (also possible to walk).
The hostel is a small and friendly hostel with basic dormitory-style accommodation. It has comfortable beds, good cooking facilities, warm showers, a sauna, Wi-Fi and a drying room. There is no reception desk – If you arrive early, then just come inside and make yourself a tea or coffee. Jakob is the hostel owner and the lead guide. Bed linen is all included.
Yes you need this if coming from abroad. Popular providers include the BMC, Snowcard and Dogtag Insurance.
The minimum age for all our courses is 18.
Yes, no problem - just let us know when you complete your trip form after booking.
The currency used in Norway is the Norwegian Krone (KR). There are some ATM machines in Rjukan if you need cash, but almost everywhere in Norway takes debit/credit cards.
Rjukan Old School Hostel, Knut Dahlesvei 31, 3660 Rjukan, Norway
Your head guide is Jakob
All trips on Skyhook are run by small, hand-picked local guiding companies. For this trip your guides run Dale Skole, based in Rjukan.
By booking through Skyhook you'll be joining a small-group trip. This can make it nice and sociable (you'll be added to a group chat after booking), and guarantees great value for money!
