First Ascents
Ice climbing history at Hydnefossen
“There is this big fascination about climbing on something that is very alive.” Norway has a rich history of ice climbing – and no one knows it better than Norrøna legend Tomas Carlström.
Hydnefossen in Hemsedal is one of the mythical ice climbs in Norway. It was first climbed in 1979, over two days. In 1982, Tomas Carlström and Finn Dæhli made the first ascent in a single day.
Decades later, Norrøna ambassadors Matthias Scherer and Tanja Schmitt meet Tomas – a climber they had only seen in guidebooks – to hear the stories behind Norway's ice climbing history. Then they head back to Hydnefossen to climb it themselves.
Tomas has worked with Norrøna since 1972. He first designed a tent, the Norrøna Ravneskar, then rucksacks and clothing. In the late 1970s, he tried a prototype of Gore-Tex clothing while climbing. He was sweating, and it stayed dry. “Oh, this damn thing works!” He brought the idea to Norrøna, and together they made a prototype – to their knowledge the first Gore-Tex clothing in Europe.
That became the trollveggen design, made for climbing: bibs, so there was no opening at the waist, and a chest pocket placed so it wouldn't interfere with the seat harness. The same thinking still shapes Norrøna's technical mountaineering apparel today.
On the ice, nothing is given. Every winter the waterfall forms a completely new front, often with no tracks to follow, and the climbers have to judge for themselves whether the ice is good enough. Being the first on a line that season gives you the same feeling as those who went there before – the feeling of choosing your own route.
