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Setesdal Ice
The first comprehensive guide to 150 classic water-ice climbs in Setesdal and Aseral.
Setesdal Info

Getting to Setesdal

With plenty of low-cost flights operating between the UK and Oslo, Setesdal is now an easily accessible, minimum-effort winter climbing holiday... and, despite Norway's reputation it's not as expensive as you might think.

Four main airports serve southern Norway - Oslo Gadermoen is the city's main hub and is located closest to the centre of Oslo. Rygge is located 66km to the southeast, and is of little use to climbers heading for Setesdal. Sandefjord Torp airport, located 110km southwest of the capital is the closest to the climbing, and is the recommended destination. Stavanger, located on the west coast is another option, though with some of the smaller roads being closed during the winter, getting to Setesdal from here is less reliably easy!

Ryanair fly to Torp from a number of UK destinations, though their Stansted service is arguably the best option, with arrival and departure times to allow the entire journey to be completed in one day of travel.

"Rjukan without the crowds"

Setesdal Ice Climbing
The Setesdal Ice Guide is published by the Oxford Alpine Club. We are always looking for new authors, and new destinations - visit our main pages for more information.

Car Hire

Hiring a car is recommended, as you'll need it not only to get to the valley, but also to reach the climbing. All major international car hire agencies have desks at Torp airport, and vehicles can be booked online in advance.

Directions

The easiest access is by flying to Sandefjord Torp airport, then taking the E19 along the coast. Turn off either for Drangedal (shortest for the northern valley), Arendal - Evje (next shortest), or Kristiansand - Evje (most likely to be open in heavy snow).

Our Setesdal Guidebook contains full details about getting to the valley and finding accommodation.


Road Conditions

You can check the state of the roads on this website (or here translated into English). Please note that the main access routes to the valley do sometimes close due to heavy snow or ice, so it's well worth checking immediately before you plan your route. If the shorter routes are closed then access from the South via Kristiansand or Arendal may be the only option.