There’s more to Sweden than saunas and moose safaris. As Dave Mason discovers on the Västervik International Bouldering Meet.

Västervik is a small town on the south-east coast of Sweden, about four hours drive from Stockholm. Sitting by the sea, much of the industry is based around the harbour and, more recently, tourism – especially in the summer.

The surrounding countryside is a mix of rolling green pastures and thick woodlands. Pines nestle next to towering oaks that look like they’ve been there for hundreds of years, and hidden amongst all of this are small granite escarpments and boulders.

After the summer, September brings a peace and tranquillity to the area and this is when the climbers start to arrive. With cooler temperatures the granite starts to feel good and hard moves become possible. Fortunately, this coincides with the Västervik International Bouldering Meet. 

Organised by Jim Wasmuth and Stefan Rasmussen to promote climbing in the area, this event brings together people from all over the world to hang out, chat, go climbing and generally have a good time.

This year, Mina Leslie-Wujastyk, Ned Feehally, Shauna Coxsey and I were lucky enough to get an invite to go along and see just what it was all about. The reason for our invite was that very few UK climbers go to Sweden, favouring traditional areas like Fontainebleau, Ticino and Albarracin.

Consequently, from the moment we arrived we were treated like royalty – the hospitality shown to us was extraordinary and a huge thanks go to everyone who was part of it.

But down to the nitty grtty: what’s it like? Well, it’s not Fontainebleau or Ticino, but it is really good. The lines – with the exception of a few – are not tall and proud, but the moves are brilliant and the variety and quality of granite is superb.

From steep, big moves to technical crimping, there’s something for everyone. You can shred your skin one day and climb on soft slopers the next, and all hidden deep within beautiful forests and woodland. For rest days, you can swim in the sea, visit the local sauna, go on moose safari or just wander around the shops and cafes in Västervik.

The bouldering meet itself was lots of fun and is a good way to meet new friends and climb at new areas. In the evenings there was a BBQ on the go, films and slideshows being shown and just a chance to hear what people had been up to that day over a beer.

So the big question: would I go back to Västervik? Yes. I didn’t get chance to check out all the crags, plus I’ve some unfinished business that requires slightly colder temperatures! The area itself is beautiful and I just loved being there by the sea. Plus, from what I hear, Sweden has a lot of other rock on offer for the intrepid explorer.

Thanks to Stefan, Jim, Eric and Sanna. The most impeccable hosts that you could wish for.

More information about the Vastervik International Bouldering Meet

Watch Dave Mason’s film about Vastervik 2013

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