Beginners Ice Climbing

Transport (airport transfers and getting to climbing sites) is not included in this trip.

There are two main airports serving the area: Oslo-Gardermoen and Oslo-Torp. Oslo-Gardermoen (north of Oslo) is the main airport where most international flights arrive. However, Ryanair uses smaller airports, so they also fly to Oslo-Torp (southwest of Oslo). Rjukan is about 2.5-3 hours west of Oslo.

You have a few options for getting to Rjukan from the airport:

1. Share a rental car

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. Splitting the cost of a rental car is 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). Renting a car means you can easily get to and from the climbing sites.

If you rent a VW Golf for three days (in January), it should cost around 1500 Norwegian Kroner/NOK (roughly £110). If you add the price of fuel, it's more like 3000 NOK (roughly £220 ).

2. Buses and trains

If you fly into Oslo Gardermoen airport to Oslo, there are buses and trains. The central bus station and train station in Oslo are 500 meters apart, which makes it easy to switch transport.

If you fly into Oslo Torp airport there is a bus heading towards Oslo (check this website for schedules: torpekspressen.no ). If you take the bus from Torp towards Oslo, you will have to get off at the Lysaker stop. The bus towards Rjukan also stops at Lysaker, so it's possible to switch to a bus directly to Rjukan instead of first going to Oslo.

From Oslo to Rjukan, it is about 2.5-3 hrs west by bus. You can look at schedules and prices on this website: vy.no

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.
• Two 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
• Two thick wool mountaineering socks
• Two 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

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 will be comfortable with trying, and helping you develop at your own pace. Equally, if you prefer something very challenging, the guides can also set up 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!

The minimum age for all our courses is 18 years.

It’s highly recommended you take out personal travel insurance. Travel cover protects you in the case of unforeseen circumstances, including cancellations, injuries, equipment loss, flight changes and other events that could negatively impact your trip.

We suggest specialist adventure travel insurers, Rise & Shield. They cover 100s of activities and are easy to deal with if you need to make a claim.

They also cover unique scenarios, like trekking at altitude or emergency evacuation in hard-to-reach places, that ordinary travel insurance doesn’t cover.

Other popular providers include the BMC, Snowcard, and Dogtag Insurance.

We have many boots in all sizes (including very small and very large). Use of the boots is included in the trip price, and there is no need to request specific sizes in advance.

Temperatures can range from -10C to -20C.

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).

The hostel has cooking facilities where you can prepare your own meals or cook together as a group. You will get your own crate to store your groceries during your stay.

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, but it is also possible to walk there.

There are limited takeaway options in town, including pizza.

The hostel is a small and friendly hostel with basic dormitory-style accommodation. The room has 12 comfortable bunk beds, stacked in threes.

We have good cooking facilities, warm showers, a sauna, Wi-Fi and a drying room.

There is no reception desk – if you arrive early, just come inside and make yourself tea or coffee. Jakob is the hostel owner and the lead guide.

Bed linen is all included.

Yes, no problem - just let us know when to expect you when completing your trip form after booking.

Rjukan Old School Hostel, Knut Dahlesvei 31, 3660 Rjukan, Norway

Yes, there is usually availability to stay extra nights. You can click "message your guide" after booking to arrange this.

The hostel price is 350 NOK (approx 25 GBP) per extra night, increases may apply for future seasons.

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.

When talking about conditions, it is always very difficult to predict what's going to happen from year to year.

Mid-season (January) usually has more ice but later in the season (February-March) there are longer daylight hours and it is usually warmer. Note that is only as a general rule, each year can be different.

When it comes to the ice, the conditions in March are often still very good for the beginner course. Over the last 3-4 years, conditions in March have been very good. Of course, there are no promises when it comes to the climate!