Bohuslän, the Swedish Mecca of trad climbing, boasts the best granite between Lofoten and Chamonix, and is conveniently located right in the middle of these two. The Bohuslän crags range from beginnner-friendly to some of the hardest lines in Scandinavia. The crags are densely distributed throughout the region, which is easily reached by train. Bus transport is sparse and infrequent, so bringing a bike makes the trip a lot easier.
How to get there
I started from Copenhagen, taking the Øresundståg to Gothenburg (4h), changing to the Västtrafik train towards Strømstad. Depending on accomodation, you’ll want to get off in Munkedal (1h18m) or Dingle (1h27m). You can also take a more frequent train to Uddevalla but this makes for a longer ride. Both of these trains are covered on an Interrail ticket.
Bringing the bike on the train is thankfully super easy! On the Øresundståg to Gothenburg, there are dedicated bike carriages with seats adjacent. Bringing a bike is free on the Øresundståg but technically not between Copenhagen and Malmö. Likewise bringing the bike is free on the Västtrafik trains but not on all Swedish trains, so be aware of this if you want a different connection.
Where to stay
There are two main places to stay:
The Bohusläns Climbing Club’s hut - see also here. The Climbers’ hut offers an indoor area, beds to sleep (bring your own sleeping bag) and a large area for van- or tent-based camping. The Club recommends pitching your tent here if you’re planning to camp, to reduce traffic around the crags, which are privately owned by the local farmers.
The Häller Climbing Camping is close to the Häller and Hallinden crags and provide warm showers and a guest house with rooms available.
AirBnBs and the like are also available in the area for the more luxury-focused. See here (Swedish).
How to reach the crag(s)
From the Häller camping, reaching the Häller crag is a 2-minute walk. The Hallinden Crag is a 15 minute bike ride away, and Hallindens Clack a bit further at 20 minutes. Reaching the Galgeberget crag is a 30-minute bike ride from the camping. From the Club Hut, the closest crags are Valseröd and Änghagen, both accessible within 25 minutes by bike.
Tips
There is a small supermarket, Tempo, in Bro, close to the Häller camping and crag. Otherwise the closest big supermarkets are by the train stations.
At Häller there is a fair bit of bouldering - see Gryttr for boulders.
Other good rest day activities are taking a swim in the fjords (in the evenings you might catch phosphorescent algae if you’re lucky).
How to book the trip
You can use an Interrail ticket on this journey. No seat reservation is necessary. Otherwise, buying the tickets can be done with the Skånetrafik (to Gothenburg) and Västtrafik (the remainder) websites or apps. Alternatively the SJ website and app can be used.
About the author
Magnus Sletfjerding
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