Nodes in Presten

It´s a small pullout that´s often full in high season. The descent will leave you at the Festvåg carpark so either get dropped off/hitch hike to the base or hitch hike back to your car from the descent trail.

(68.180996, 14.214535)

Follow path (East) with some exposed scrambling off back of Presten, and down to saddle (68.1800305, 14.2286126). Continue straight up the other side of the saddle, following the ridegline roughly South before joining main hiking track near Festvåg summit (allow 1-2 hours).

Some excellent crack, slab and face climbing. The physical crux is bolted (and can easily be French freed).

Images here:

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This route can easily be done in 3 pitches to storhylla by stretching the first belay to a stance close to the roof (55m) and pitch 2 until one of the good ledges above the roof (45/50m). This avoids rope drag and bad communication for the roof pitch (P2).

Protection is good (heart in the book dates back to before micro cams/totems)

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Excellent climbing from Storhylla up the corner system left of Vestpillaren (rejoins at the slanting corner stance).

Take the crack to the left from the pitch 2 Vestpillaren anchor. It´s nice, well protected climbing that´s handy for passing slower parties.

A direct route straight up the middle of Presten linking together some excellent pitches from 4 classic routes. Scenic & well protected, it´s a particularly great outing for busy days on the Priest.

1. As for Vestpillaren.

2. As for Vestpillaren.

3. Take the slanting left corner up to a small ledge (As for Variasjon til en variasjon).

4. The rarely climbed second pitch of Variasjon til en variasjon trends gently left via easy slabs up to Storhylla. Build the belay at the black section of rock to your left.

5. Climb up the black section of rock to the base of the right facing groove (The Klokkeren corner system)

6. As for Klokkeren.

7. As for Klokkeren.

8. As for Klokkeren, building your belay after passing the fixed piton under the roof.

9. Head out left under the roof, pulling through an overhang. Continue following easier flakes & cracks to a ledge below the slanting groove pitch.

10. As for Vestpillaren original avslutning.

11. As for Vestpillaren original avslutning.

Classic line heading up the full height of Presten. Starts on right side of main face, about 20m left of a steep choked gully. Abseil retreat possible with two ropes without leaving gear up to end of pitch 4.

1. Up centre of three shallow corners, then traverse left to crack which leads to a small ledge with a chain belay to the right.

2. Follow groove then up to flake/block on the left. Continue into a thin finger-crack and continuation to bolt/chain belay.

3. Up the narrow groove then left up a diagonal ramp to bolt/chain belay.

4. Short wall and groove then up to bolt/chain belay. This pitch can be linked into the following with careful rope management.

5. Move up to right of large block and follow cracks to belay on top of block.

6. Up thin cracks/grooves to a good ledge, then traverse 20m left (some rope drag and loose rock) to belay on a higher ledge in base of groove.

7. Follow groove and flake until it becomes a thin crack, then step left into a parallel crack system. Continue up into a left-facing groove to belay above a bulge in the corner.

8. Continue up the groove then right into slabby groove. Belay on either of two ledges at the base of the 'Slanting Corner'.

9. The 'Slanting Corner'. Up the clean groove to tiny ledge, then trend left before heading right (can be climbed direct, but harder). Below up right at large block.

10. Up left across ledges to a large loose flake jammed in a groove. Climb carefully up past the flake, then continue left up a chimney groove and below at its top, below open groove.

11. Follow the open groove up and right to its top, then move down and right for several metres, before traversing horizontally right. Make delicate moves around right into the grassy exit gully.

12. Scramble up grassy gully to top.

The original line up to the fixed Storhylla belay

The original finish goes left from the slanting corner ledge.

1. A traverse pitch. Head up the face then out left under the overhang. Follow the crack system from here up to a ledge. Route finding and pro on this pitch take some time to figure out.

2. Easier climbing follows the crack system up the right side of the belay to a ledge below the RF corner.

3. Finger jam and stem your way up the slanting groove to a good ledge. Extra small to medium wires handy.

4. Up & over a tricky bulge. Climb easier thin cracks until it´s possible to escape left. Pick a belay spot then scramble to the top.

A variation to the start of Vestpillaren taking thin grooves in the blunt arete to the left.

Best attempted after a dry spell. Reports suggest the black streaked slabs after the 7+ climbing are not so nice when the wall is wet.

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