Rjukan Icefest Meet, January 2015

15th – 25th January 2015 (primary dates).

Update – 2 November: See who is coming … Plenty of room and time for more team members

Update – 20 August

I have now received confirmation that the hostel bed night costs and the in-house breakfast for next January shows no increase (same for last 3 years). As most regulars know, the accommodation is more akin to 2 * hotel quality. Taking the self-service and accommodating breakfast also allows uncontrolled access to vast amounts of day food supplies, plastic bags even supplied for the use of!!

For newcomers and previous Meet attendees, the hostel costs a fraction over  £30 per night per person including breakfast. Great value, even for Norway.

Meet details

So, the 2015 Ice Fest Meet is on. The hostel knows we are coming and I’m now starting to contact previous members and guests to get them on the Meet list. New/recent CC members are especially welcome to join our hardy band of regulars. Interest is already growing for this Meet and there is plenty of time and space for everyone to join us.

Fares – I have chosen dates which reflect some of the cheapest possible return trips from Edinburgh, where many of us fly from, and other UK airports serving Oslo Gardermoen have similar/better fares. Indeed, from London Gatwick it’s £30 rtn cheaper on the same dates, and a wider range of departure times both ways. Manchester, with dates of 16th (out) and 26th (rtn) is £12 cheaper, with equally wider departure times. There are good variations depending on your chosen airport, so get surfing with Norwegian Airlines. Car hire team members must however all be in agreement on dates (we don’t want members stranded at Oslo)!

The Edinburgh/Oslo Gardermoen fare quoted, is just a guide at this time – As of 10th August 2014

Out – January 15th (Thursday) – Dept. 11.20am – Arrv Oslo 14.35pm (ample time for a pleasant drive through the winter wonderland of Norway (usually in convoy) to Rjukan (3/3½hrs).

Return – January 25th (Sunday) – Dept 10am – Arrv Edinburgh 10.50 (Note: the evening before, we drive back from Rjukan after a day’s climbing, to our secluded, palatial and FOC airport doss – explanations later).

Fares – £74.20 rtn!! (this fare usually rises as one gets closer to the festive season.) Includes one 10kg hand luggage bag free, and one hold luggage bag 20kgs £20 each way. Heavy items like ropes/screws etc. are shared between team members.

The above dates for the Meet will soon be shown on the Climbers’ Club website, and even more information/pictures about the Meet is on there. These dates are not set in stone, and members are invited to come and go when they please. Most of us though start on the same day (15th) and leave when muscles are aching or at the end of the Meet. I will be soon booking my flight on the basis of January 15th to the 25th. This gives us – 11 days overall – 2 travel days, 9 climbing days, 9 days accommodation (leaving for Oslo pm 24th).

Alternative, say Sunday 18^th to Sunday 25^th, the fare would be £119.60. This gives  – 8 days overall – 2 travel days, 6 climbing days, 6 days accommodation (leaving for Oslo pm 24^th).

Many of us fly from Edinburgh but there are many other UK departures. (note: if you are car sharing, make sure your arrival coincides with your car sharing partners?).

With cheap flights in our minds, a while ago we switched from Ryanair (grrr) to Norwegian Air (☺) and found it was a totally better service. Flying into Oslo Gardermoen, we find a modern, spacious airport, open quite late, and the airline giving the usual adequate allowance of one 20kg hold bag per person plus 10kg carry-on bag – ample even with ropes, boots, crampons. All equipment can be shared with team members.
The travelling time to Rjukan from Oslo is a steady 3 to 3½ hours (watch out for Moose!).

I know we will have the same wonderful amenities available to us at the Gjestegård Hostel, as always. The cosy sleeping quarters, the superb showers and washing facilities, the sumptuous in-house breakfast, the excellent drying room facilities, and the self catering facilities in the evenings, with access to the nearby Supermarket, with its wide variety of self catering foods.

I have now received confirmation that the hostel bed night costs and the in-house breakfast for next January show no increase (they’ve been the same for the last 3 years). As most regulars know, the accommodation is more akin to 2 * hotel quality. Taking the self-service and accommodating breakfast also allows uncontrolled access to vast amounts of day food supplies, and plastic bags are even supplied for the use of!!

For newcomers and previous Meet attendees, the hostel costs NOK 315 per night per person and includes breakfast. A fraction over £30. Great value, even for Norway.

The bedrooms are 4-bed bunk style (organised for your car share team) and they are extremely warm and comfortable, just what you need after a cool day out in the Vemork Gorge or at Ozzimosis. The drying room takes some beating, spacious, efficient and perfect for getting the gear dry for the next morning. It’s a fairly relaxed start each day as the days are long enough anyway and there is usually no need for ‘crack of dawn’ starts unless teams are going further afield. Almost all the main locations in the guidebook (Heavy Water – Rockfax) are close to the town, in the valley.

We all self-cater inexpensively in the well-equipped kitchen of the hostel (it’s useful to bring your own large mug for your tea or coffee). Just outside the kitchen is a warm and spacious eating and relaxing room. Superb. The excellent supermarket is minutes away, across the road in town. Don’t worry about getting lots of Norwegian Kroner’s on landing (credit cards are much more useful) but do remember alcohol is sky high in the bars, so some duty-free on arrival or at UK departures is crucial. We all tend to socialise together each even in the hostel. Whisky & coke rules, OK?

As for climbing partners, we have always had a good scene with flexibility in climbing partners, and have, in many great Meets so far, have been able to organise ourselves into great teams, many done so before leaving the UK. Any ‘loners’ will be helped to join teams each day throughout the Meet.

Car hire and sharing will of course be relevant to confirmed 4 or 5 person teams, usually organised between ourselves in advance, and car hire is usually from the airport(s) through the usual Hire companies’ UK websites. The usual Norwegian costs apply but with car-hire, it’s quite expensive so it’s good to get a car-full. I tend to be a go-between and help people to get together if needed. If you need to car-share, get in touch with other members (or me) and we’ll get it sorted.

My usual spreadsheet for information and advice, showing members in teams and car-sharing details, will be in operation as soon as I more hear of members’ commitment to come. These spreadsheets will appear regularly, showing increasing numbers participating, along with helpful e-mails/phone numbers etc, so people can organise all that is needed for the meet.

So, let’s get it organised and get ready for some great fun climbing again.

I look forward to your continued support on this great Meet. The option to travel out west (Setesdal, Aurland, Laerdal or Hemsedal and other more adventurous locations) is always a possibility for the keener, (and not necessarily) harder climbers. We can always consider a quick trip elsewhere and back to the cosy hostel in due course. However, to date we have always stayed in the comfort zone of the hostel and Rjukan for the climbing. It’s enough for most.
If you have ANY queries, please let me help you solve them.

Smiler