SummitClimbs Field Note: Rjukan, the industrial town in Vestfjorddalen, Telemark, is considered one of the best ice climbing areas in Northern Europe. The reasons are simple: the steep valley is full of waterfalls, and because Gaustatoppen blocks the low sun, the town gets no direct sunlight from September to March, so the ice forms reliably. The main guidebook describes more than 200 ice climbs, including roadside crags such as Krokan and Ozzimosis, and every February the town hosts the Norrøna Ice Festival. Ice conditions change from year to year and week to week, so always check current reports.
A Town in the Shadow
Rjukan lies in Tinn Municipality, between the lakes Møsvatn and Tinnsjå, and takes its name from Rjukanfossen, “the smoking waterfall”, west of the town. It was built almost from scratch by Norsk Hydro in the 1910s and 1920s to make fertiliser using the huge amounts of electricity from the falls; Sam Eyde is regarded as its founder. The Vemork power station, built 1907–1911, was then the largest hydroelectric plant in the world. In 2015 Rjukan became part of the Rjukan–Notodden Industrial Heritage UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The darkness that makes the ice so reliable is famous too. Since 2013 the Sun Mirror (Solspeilet), a set of large mirrors on the mountainside above the town, has reflected sunlight onto part of the town square during the dark months.
Rjukan Ice Climbing at a Glance
- Location: Rjukan, Vestfjorddalen, Tinn, Telemark
- Why it works: many waterfalls, and no direct sun in town from September to March
- Season: winter; conditions vary a lot between years
- Guidebook: Rjukan by Steve Broadbent (Oxford Alpine Club, 2nd edition 2020), describing more than 200 ice climbs
- Well-known roadside crags: Krokan and Ozzimosis
- Festival: the Norrøna Ice Festival in February (12–15 February in 2026); the festival tradition, started by the local climbing club, goes back to 1993
- Grading: waterfall ice is graded from WI2 (easiest) to WI7 (hardest), based on steepness, ice quality and protection
Climbing the Ice
Rjukan’s ice climbs line the valley sides, and many are close to the road, which is a big part of the area’s appeal. Krokan hosts events during the ice festival, and Ozzimosis is known as steep and at times overhanging. But the guidebook warning applies here more than anywhere: ice guides must be read with great care, because conditions change from year to year and from day to day. Visiting climbers report that the warm, dry Föhn wind can leave the ice hollow and dangerous, while routes can form again within days if a good base remains.
Ice climbing is more dangerous than rock climbing, because ice structures are less secure than rock, and falling ice from climbers above is a real hazard. You need crampons and ice axes made for ice climbing, ice screws and normal climbing gear. If you are new to it, climb with a local guide or an experienced partner.
Off the Ice: Vemork and the Heavy Water
In 1934 Norsk Hydro built a hydrogen plant at Vemork, and a by-product of the electrolysis was heavy water, at the time thought to be essential for an atomic bomb. During the German occupation, destroying that production became an Allied priority, and the plant was sabotaged twice by the Norwegian resistance and bombed by Allied forces. Today the Vemork power station is the Norwegian Industrial Workers Museum, telling the story of the town, its workers and the sabotage, a perfect rest-day visit.
Rjukan also has a long history of tourism. The geologist Jens Esmark “discovered” Rjukanfossen in 1811 and wrongly reported it as the tallest waterfall in the world (it has a total fall of 238 m, with a longest single drop of 104 m), and Jules Verne visited in 1861. In summer, the town is the gateway to Gaustatoppen and Hardangervidda.
The SummitClimbs Take
Rjukan is a rare combination: world-class ice a short walk from the road, a festival that draws climbers from all over, and a UNESCO-listed town with one of the great stories of the Second World War. Buy the guidebook, check current conditions, and if you are new to ice, climb with a guide.
Facts from Wikipedia (Rjukan), Norwegian Wikipedia and Norwegian Wikipedia (Isklatring); festival from Visit Rjukan; guidebook from Cordee.