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    Home / News / CLIMBING ON BORNHOLM

    CLIMBING ON BORNHOLM

    You've never heard of this little island in the Baltic Sea, let alone that you can go climbing here? There's so much climbing here, and it's so interesting that even British climbing enthusiasts come here to climb above the water in such a way that you really can't understand how there's a way to get here. I must admit that our main goal was actually to go sea kayaking, but this island also offered us great climbing opportunities on the local granite.

    WHAT IS BORNHOLM

    Bornholm is an island in the southwestern part of the Baltic Sea and, together with the Ertholmene archipelago, forms the easternmost part of Denmark. Geographically, it lies about 150 km southeast of Copenhagen, 79 km north of the Polish city of Kołobrzeg and about 40 km off the south coast of Sweden. Paradoxically, the Swedes are closer to the Danish island. The total area of the island is 588 km². The capital of the island is Rønne, which also serves as a port.

    The northern part of the island is rocky and consists of granite. This was particularly interesting to us, in addition to the sea. The island is known for granite climbing in quarries and for ‘trad’ climbing, i.e. climbing without safety equipment directly on the rocks along the coast. On the southern side, there are sandstones from the Palaeozoic and Mesozoic eras, slate and limestone. The surface of the island is formed by the hilly moraine and glacier plain of Rytterknægten. In the south-east and west, there are dunes along the shore where conifers have been planted. Deciduous forests cover about 17% of the island's surface.

      

     

    HOW TO GET TO THE ISLAND

    You just have to drive to the port of Sassnitz and take the ferry. Boarding the ferry is child's play if you have everything prepared. At the ticket office, you simply confirm the number of people in the car, and the ticket machine dispenses two tickets with a route number. After 3.5 hours, you arrive at your destination, the port of Rønne! You are now in Denmark!

    Although our primary goal was to explore the island by sea kayak, we were also prepared for climbing. I researched the most important information on the internet, specifically on the website www.thecrag.com.

     

    CLIMBING

    Climbing is mainly concentrated in the northern part of the island.

    On a day when it was impossible to paddle and the waves were even washing over the breakwaters in the local harbours, we set off for the Vang region. The Vang quarry offers more athletic climbing with bolts. We had a wonderful time and really exhausted ourselves. You can find information about climbing for example on the following websites www.thecrag.com. For me, it's a great alternative plan or an additional activity if you still have time.

    Overall view of the Vang climbing area: 

    The routes in the Vang quarry are mostly well protected:

     

    Nice vertical climbing in the Vang quarry.:

     

    There are also easier routes to be found in the Vang quarry: 

     

    Another climbing area is the Moseløkken quarry, where there are secured routes. Here, too, the climbing is great and well secured.

    Here’s an absolute gem in the Moselokken quarry:

     

    Do you like climbing on your own? Then climbing in Randkløve, right above the sea, could be just the thing for you. I had a lot of fun and even dared to take a jump! I recommend at least one set of wedges and friends. There are no belay points here – you have to do everything yourself. The descent is on foot around the area.

     

    Climbing over a wedged rock right by the sea:

     

     

     

    There are numerous climbing areas on the island; you just need to find them and plan your visit.

     Furthermore, the island also offers travel and relaxation by the sea. The most beautiful beaches on the Baltic Sea, nature reserves with deep forests and rocks in their midst, pine forests and even a beautiful hiking route around the entire island.

    The northern part of the island is rocky – and this beautiful: 

     

    Typical chimneys of fish smokehouses.:

    View from the Vang quarry directly over the sea and the harbor, where granite used to be loaded onto ships: 

    Romantic beaches in the south of Bornholm island:

    So pack a few Friends and wedges from Rock Empire in your climbing backpack, book a ferry and set off on a climbing trip to Bornholm. You definitely won't regret it!

     

    Vojtěch Dvořák – UIAGM mountain guide, editor of Svět outdooru and Rock Empire ambassador.