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British climbers free Disco 2000 on Blåmman in Norway

Dave MacLeod, Calum Muskett and Jacob Cook have made the first free ascent of Disco 2000 (8a+) on Blamman, island of Kvaløya in Norway.

Planetmountain

September 2015

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Dave MacLeod making the first free ascent of Disco 2000 (8a+) Blåmann, Kvaløya, Norway. Here he is pictured climbing the crux of pitch 2; the Arctandria corner (8a+).

Calum Muskett

Four years after making the first free ascent of Bongo Bar on the North Face of Blåmman, Scotland’s Dave MacLeod returned to the island of Kvaløya in Norway to make the first free ascent of another previously existing aid route, Disco 2000. First climbed in February 2000 by Mårten Blixt and Bjørn Krane, this A2+ aid climb shares the first two pitches of Arctandria (fa. Daeli, Nesheim, Sjur, 1981, first free ascent Didier Berthod, Giovanni Quirici 2005, first single day redpoint Hansjörg Auer, Markus Haid 2007) before breaking off right up some typically steep and often wet granite.

MacLeod teamed up with fellow British climbers Calum Muskett and Jacob Cook and the trio quickly worked its way up the route, often late at night, making the most of that latitude’s midnight sun period. They discovered that the line was indeed free climbable, with sustained difficulties up to 8a+. No new in-situ pro was added and the at times committing climbing was protected by a mix of trad gear, blades and peckers.

Due to frequent periods of rain they were forced to free the pitches in two separate stints, returning to the previous highpoint after the crux pitch by ascending their fixed ropes and then making a committing rush up the last nine pitches just before the rains set in once again. Unfortunately the wet weather prevailed and the team returned home without being able to attempt the first single day red point.

Disco 2000
First ascent: Mårten Blixt, Bjørn Krane 02/2000, A2+
First free ascent: Dave MacLeod, Calum Muskett, Jacob Cook 08/2015
Pitches: 7b, 8a+, 7a, 8a+, 7c, 7c, 7b+, 7a, 7a, 6a, 6c, 6b+, 5+.