By Caroline George
We pull into Ossa, a little hamlet across the ferry north of Eidfjord, sitting on the tip of one of Norway’s many fjords. A striking blue line peers from behind a rocky outcrop. We drive to the end of the road and the view reveals two long pillars of bright blue ice. The [...]
By: Adam George
For the past week, we’ve followed climbers Chad Peele and Caroline George as they attempted a bevy of first ascents in Norway. Also on the trip is George’s husband, Adam, who gave us a sneak peek at what it’s like to tie into rope with your partner in climbing and in life.
Over the [...]
By Caroline George
Naming a route can sometimes be the real crux of a route. The name needs to communicate what was experienced and/or describe aspects of the climb. For example, “The Nose” on Yosemite’s El Capitan gives away the part of the wall the route follows, while Lipton was named after the color of the [...]
After several days of climbing in Rjukan, we drove due west to a small town named Eidfjord. The town sits directly on a fjord, with rocky peaks dramatically rising out of the coastal waters. Here, Caroline and I spent our remaining time in Norway exploring less-travelled valleys in search of unclimbed waterfall ice.
As we settled [...]
I recently took a trip to Southern Utah to ski terrain that hasn’t seen this much snow in upwards of 30 years. A giant amphitheater of towering red rocks above 10,000 ft., the conditions provided a great adventure through untouched lands.
The canyon looked like one giant terrain trap with one-hundred-foot cliffs at the top of [...]
In January, First Ascent partnered with Chicks with Picks, the Ouray, Colorado-based organization promoting a fun, safe, and supportive atmosphere for female ice climbers of all levels. Outfitted in First Ascent gear and led by Caroline George, our newest guide, women spent the weekend perfecting their technical skills and networking at a series of clinics.
First Ascent outfitted Peru’s first Winter Olympian and cross-country skier, Roberto Carcelen, who completed his race earlier this week and sent us his thoughts on his experience. Congratulations to Roberto for skiing a great race!
The days before the race day go as slowly as life can go…you can’t sleep well and your mood is totally [...]
By Caroline George
We arrive in Rjukan in the late afternoon. Seth Hobby – our rigger / American expat to Norway / guide – shows us a few of the area’s great classics. The air is cold and dry in this little enclosed valley which doesn’t see the sun from the end of October through April, [...]
Jantoon Reigersman recently set out on a journey “from the bottom of the ocean to the top of the world.” It began with a 152-meter dive off the coast of Egypt and will culminate with the summit of Mt. Everest this May. His challenge is to make the world’s first 9000-meter ascent.
I’ve just returned to [...]
First Ascent guides Chad Peele and Caroline George, along with fellow ice climbers Adam George, Seth Hobby and photographer Celin Serbo, have traveled to Norway to explore the vast expanses of Scandinavian ice and attempt a series of first ascents.
Over the past year I’ve been researching new and exciting ice climbing locations around the world, [...]
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