Dave MacLeod freeing Bongo Bar (400m, 8a) Blåmann, Norway.
Paul Diffley/Hot Aches Productions

Dave MacLeod frees Bongo Bar on Blåmann in Norway

Dave MacLeod has made the first free ascent of Bongo Bar (400m 8a) on Blamann, island of Kvaløya in Norway.
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Dave MacLeod freeing Bongo Bar (400m, 8a) Blåmann, Norway.
Paul Diffley/Hot Aches Productions

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






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