Sami Koponen repeats Kesäturkki, 8c DWS at Punkaharju in Finland
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Risto Takala
25-year-old Finnish climber Sami Koponen has made the second ascent of Kesäturkki, a 16-meter high 8c deep water solo climb located above Lake Saimaa at Punkaharju in Finland. First ascended in 2016 by Nalle Hukkataival, Koponen has described the line as "an awesome piece of rock with wicked moves and the mental aspect of a DWS climb."
"The hard climbing is divided into two boulder problems, and between the boulders you have a no hands rest." Koponen told planetmountain.com in an email "The first boulder is really dynamic and the hardest move is basically the first move of the route. You have to do this really precise dyno from a bad left hand hold to an okay right hand crimp/pinch."
"After the no hands rest, the second boulder starts." explained Koponen "For me this was the crux, weighing in at approximately at 7C+. This boulder is a bit more complex and it involves some crazy undercling action and a big move to a sloper while your feet are at about 10 meters off the water. After the crux you still have some 4 meters of easier climbing, but you still have to be focused because the outro involves a dihedral and a small compression block."
Koponen, who has previously sport climbed up to 8c+ (Syncro at Nummi) and bouldered up to 8B (Hypergravity at Sipoo), started working the route this year and needed just three sessions in total. "I spent some time working the crux and the top part on a rope to get the moves dialled." Koponen wrote. "The crux is pretty steep (something like 45 degrees) so trying the moves on a rope is not that simple."
Deep Water Soloing in Finland is not as famous as at Mallorca for instance, but it certainly holds an appeal. According to Koponen "There is no similar place for deep water soloing in Finland so the crag is really unique. The water is actually pretty warm now, something like 19 degrees Celsius. Well, even though we’re in summer, that’s warm for Finland! And right next to the climb there’s a floating sauna! The guy who originally found the place built it so it would be nicer to go there and climb. The sauna is parked under the cliff and it is free to use for anyone who visits the crag. Remember to bring some firewood with you!"
It’s worth noting that recently Hukkataival established an adjacent new route Ei tippa tapa, more or less of the same difficulty as Kesäturkki. For more information about climbing in Finland follow Cluster Climbing.
