Planning a visit, or just moved here? Welcome to Gothenburg Climbing Club!
Here is a brief introduction to the club, as well as the climbing in and around Göteborg.
Göteborgs Klätterklubb is open to anyone who wants to join. We organize social climbing events, trips, courses and youth training. We also keep track of local access issues and make sure we are allowed to climb on all our cliffs. We strive to maintain bolts and anchors in our area. Get in touch with us and find new climbing buddies on our Facebook page!
Göteborg is a great place for climbing. We have crags within 20 minutes by bike or bus from the city center. The main area is located to the north-east, and referred to as Utby or Fjällbo (see map coordinates here). The climbing is mostly vertical, 10-25 meters, traditional protection, on gneis (featured granite). But you will also find overhanging sports climbing, beginner-friendly crags, lots of boulders and even multi-pitch and ice. The guidebook is called “Klättring i Göteborg med omnejd“.
If you have a car, you can reach an enormous amount of climbing in the surrounding areas. The island Hönö just off the coast (accessible by car-ferry) is famous for its bouldering. The island Tjörn an hour north has great sports climbing. Further north along the coast is the trad mecca of Bohuslän, with Scandinavia’s best trad and easy access. Further inland, the crag Aspen near suburb Lerum offers moderate bolted climbing. These are just a few examples – climbing is abundant! All we need is dry weather.
If it rains, you can visit one of the three gyms in town: Klätterdomen, Klätterfabriken or Klätterlabbet. Or shop gear at Fjällsport (center of town), or Highsport (gym and climbing shop near Liseberg fun-fair and E6).
Grading is based on the UIAA system, meaning we use grades like 6-, 7, and 8+. Fully bolted climbs will have a french grade. Dangerous or run-out climbs may be described with an R/X, or just a warning in the guide-book text. Generally, the traditional climbing is on solid protection.
When to go? The season is about six months, from April to October, and when you get to climb is all about rain or no rain. Generally, climbing is at its best in April and May. Later in the summer conditions are likely to get either warmer or wetter. But as with climbing in Scandinavia in general, the weather is always unpredictable, and a perfect climbing day can happen in February or July, you just never know!
Camping is permitted in the wild. But the Utby area does not count as such, so either pitch your tent further out of town, or at a commercial camp-ground (Liseberg, for example).
Welcome to Göteborg!