Trip Report: Climbing Originalruten, V-, Kullen, Sweden
Date: May 1995 Climbers: Henriette, Frederik, Mathias Terrain: V- Exposed Granite Area: Kullen, Sweden
Frequently Asked Questions
Asked by Craig Matthews, fellow net cousin

Kullen

Craig: Is it possible to top-rope climb at Kullen so no leading is necessary (at least to start)?

People do top rope on Kullen although it's a bit unethical in my opinion, but I guess it can be a safer alternative to getting out the on the sharp end right away. The most popular area is probably the place on Kullen called "K2". You need the guidebook to see where this is. There are also some reasonably easy lines so if I was you I would try to lead them. Also "Carstens Rende" is popular for noviciates, but not for top ropes.

Craig: Are there anchor bolts at the top of some routes or safe belay stations for a top-belay?

No anchor bolts. Big boulders and natural gear, big slings and a screw gate - that's how I've seen people top roping at K2.

Craig: I'm assuming I can get to the top of the routes by walking around the cliffs; is that a safe assumption?

Yup. Again K2 is perfect for this practice.

Craig: In general, do you know where I can find some info about Kullen, preferably in English but Danish or Swedish are okay too?

Well, you really need the guidebook. It's in Danish and it is called "Klatring på Kullen". Try "Friluftsland" outdoor shop in Copenhagen. Otherwise you could just head up there and if it is nice weekend there will almost certainly be people there who you can ask.

Good luck, let us know how you get on, Mathias 
Mathias started climbing on Kullen in 1990. He has been climbing mostly in the UK since 1995. Check out his most recent climbs in his complete climbing log
It was a nice May weekend - cold, crisp Scandinavian late winter, early spring. We had managed to get the whole Willerup family together at the same place at once - something that doesn't happen very often these days. We had been talking about going up to Kullen, Sweden with mum and dad to show them what this climbing-thing was all about. So we left Saturday morning in dad's car heading towards the Helsingør where we would get the ferry to Helsingborg and from there head up a 45 minutes drive to Kullen.

It is a nice drive through the Swedish landscape and the mood is high when we finally reach the peninsular named Kullen. We (Henriette, Frederik and I) were quite excited to finally introduce our beloved parents to the wonderful world of rock. My dad has never had any big problems with heights or stuff like that - actually he used to be a bit wild himself in his young days - but my mum is slightly more concerned with the kids activities into the world of extreme sports. So we kept a firm eye on our dear mum as we approached the steep seacliff on the North side of Kullen - the crag "Kullamandens Dør" (The Door of the Kullen Man). Fred hadn't been on Kullen for a while and I wanted him to lead "Original Ruten" together with Henriette. A classic of the crag that takes the well defined arete up the impressive face of the "Door". It is relatively hard territory this sector of Kullen and this route is nicely positioned in the middle of the hard boys playground. I wasn't feeling to great due to some stomach instability and I ended up with mum and dad watching Henriette and Frederik from a distance, while I explained the phases of the climbing to the two of them. It was very good to be able to explain the fascination of the rock climbing firsthand and remove a bit of the mystery surrounding our weekly trips to the climbing wall and the regular weekend trips to Kullen.

Fred climbing the route in good style and Henriette soon followed. It was the only route we did that weekend and the rest of the day was spend route spotting and eating our homemade picnic. Different from the usual route-ticking but nice nevertheless. And mum Willerup didn't at the end of the day have any problems with the heights of the seacliffs and she now understands what drives us to the crags around the world and who knows - she might even start herself one day.

General info about Kullen:


Jethro Tull | About Frederik | About Mathias | ©1996-2008 Willerup Brothers