Dave MacLeod frees Bongo Bar on Blåmann in Norway

Dave MacLeod has made the first free ascent of Bongo Bar (400m 8a) on Blamann in Norway.

Making the most of a trip to Norway Scottish climber Dave MacLeod has made a swift first free ascent of Bongo Bar, a route established in July 1998 on the Blåmann granite face by Thomas Ekefalk, Mårten Blixt and Erik Massih at A3.

The 400m line had been eyed-up in July 2010 by the Austrians Hansjörg Auer & Much Mayr but at the time the two were thwarted by impossibly wet conditions which nevertheless resulted in a new linkup, Tingeling.

Conditions this summer were somewhat better and MacLeod freed the line - with its loose central section - after three days of effort with Donald King and then Julia Snihur. The individual pitches weigh in at 7b+, 7b+, 8a, 7c, 7b, 6c, 7a, 6b