This year I took my climbing outside for real. I already knew how to climb on top rope at the gym, but during the winter, I learned to lead. In the spring, I bought gear and took a course on climbing outdoors. And then I climbed a bunch!

Finland is flat. We don’t have anything like mountains here. Neveretheless, there are a few crags here and there. The rock is usually gritty granite. The routes are usually single pitch and short. I bought a 40 m rope and I have regretted getting such a short one only a little.

If you’re a beginner in Helsinki, which crags should you visit? Let me give you a few options.

Get a topo

First of all, you need to get a topo. It's the document, typically a photo with annotations, that shows where the climbing lines are at a crag. The easiest option is to get a 27Crags subscription, which gives you access to the topos on the mobile app and the website. Alternatively, you can buy the book Kiipeilyreitit Etelä-Suomi.

Grading, as always, is a bit random. At this point, I'm finding that there's enough challenge for me in learning to read the routes, so I'm mostly looking for climbs around grade 5. If I'm feeling strong, I might go for a 6a. Those are French sport grades, but sometimes you might bump into Finnish grades¹. Luckily, grade 5 is roughly the same in both systems.

Käärmekallio

Links: topo on 27Crags, location on Google Maps

Next to IKEA Vantaa, Käärmekallio easy to get to with public transport. If you arrive by car, you can leave it on the IKEA parking lot. If you're hungry, you can have some meatballs at IKEA.

The forest side has more vertical routes and the open side has slabby ones. It's nice on a sunny day, but it doesn’t take many climbers to be crowded.

It’s a good choice for your first outdoors experience: the routes are well-bolted and there are some really easy ones. They also use the crag for teaching - this is where I took the outdoors climbing course by Adventure Partners.

Kiikkukallio

Links: topo on 27Crags, parking lot on Google Maps

This crag has a long slab next to a beautiful lake. You need a car for approach. The most efficient way to arrive to the crag is to walk to the top and rappel. However, there’s a path that takes you down if you walk right from the top.

At Kiikkukallio, I ran into Jan von Plato. He has established many of the routes at the crag together with Sampsa Jyrkynen. It was nice have a chat with him about the routes and about other good crags around Helsinki. He was cleaning up the wall to add one more route. It's called Canalia - I need to try it the next time I'm there.

My favorite line is Swan 90 (6a), one of the long slab routes. It’s a bit more challenging than the others, and conversely a bit more rewarding. The grades at the crag feel a bit soft, so don’t hesitate to try it.

60 m or longer rope is needed. At the two other crags mentioned, 40 m is enough.

Kipparvuori

Links: topo on 27Crags, location on Google Maps

This is a city crag fairly close to Herttoniemi metro station. The routes start at an abandoned-looking pier next to the sea. The rock is unusual. It’s a man-made wall that is full of drilling holes. They give you a lot of texture to work with but I can't say I'd like it.

The grade 4 routes are easy enough and it’s super easy to set up a top rope for them. They do get a bit repetitive, though. Nose (5+) is a bit more interesting.

It's a small crag and probably worth visiting only once. Still, the location is great if you live in the city.

Others

Leppävaara and Naulakallio are city crags that are easy to access with public transport. Rollarit next to Kehä III ring road offers more routes and more challenge. Kakarsberget (Kauhala) is a big crag in the middle of forest but you need a car to get there.

I’ve also heard good things about Tussinkoski and Hiisikallio but haven’t visited them yet. Next year!

Where else should I go? Let me know.