In late June, Ethan Pringle flew to Norway to compete with Dani Anrada and Magnus Midtobe for a purse of 15,000 Norwegian Kroner, roughly $2500. The three world class climbers went to a famous cave in the county of Flatanger.
“If Jailhouse and Mickey’s Beach had a baby, and that offspring was artificially inseminated with rock sperm from Rumney and Column of the Giants at the same time… then THAT baby grew up subsisting on nothing but muscle milk, steroids and acid it would be the Flatanger cave,” said Pringle. “The texture of the rock feels much like Rumney and some of the big slopey jugs and cracks remind me a little of California granite. I hate to say it, but it also reminds me of coastal rock, particularily Courtney, an 11d route at Mickey’s Beach.”
A crowd of 150 people watched Dani, Magnus, and Ethan attempt the big spans and the move into an evil looking eye. After a few redpoint attempts and a night off, the three climbers tried the route again. Ethan climbed the route first. He described the climb saying, “Dani and Magnus obviously climbed the route with style and grace, while I climbed with wild desperation… but it worked. I don’t think I’ve ever topped out a route after becoming so terminally pumped on it.” The climbers named the route The Eye of Odin, giving the route 8c+ ( 5.14c).
Pringle has had a productive trip to Norway already. Pringle bolted and redpointed the line Nordic Plumber 8c and he met Adam Onrada! Check out Ethan’s blog for the latest.
