Travel guide: Plan your climbing holiday to Bornholm in 3 simple steps

Denmark's climbing mecca is only 3 hours away from Zealand

More and more Danes are looking towards Bornholm when planning a climbing holiday. The granite sides of Bornholm contain more than 1000 climbing routes, divided into bouldering, sport climbing and traditional climbing. All this is only 3 hours away from Copenhagen by fast ferry from Ystad. This guide describes the most popular places and how to find them.

Before you go out on the rocks and don't "just" boulder, it is a good idea to have taken a safety course and possibly an "inside to outside" course. It is always recommended to use a helmet, just as a harness, rope, climbing shoes and carabiners are a "must have" when you go to Bornholm. You cannot buy the equipment on the island, so the trip must be planned from home.

Before you leave, there are 3 questions that arise: What climbing equipment should be packed, how do I get there and where, and last but not least, where can I climb? The questions are answered below:

1: What climbing equipment should I pack for Bornholm?

As a starting point, the following packing list of equipment must be brought with you for sport climbing on Bornholm: 

• A 60 meter rope is sufficient for the 90% of all routes (a 70 meter rope is required a few long routes)
• Climbing harness
• Climbing helmet
• A rope brake + locking carabiner
• Climbing shoes
• Chalk bag
• 10 – 12 express loops per rope lag (18 if you are going on the long routes)
• A place, e.g. Petzl Adjust or alternatively a 120-cm sling.
  Two additional locking carabiners

2: How do you travel to and spend the night on Bornholm?

It is possible to drive your own car, travel by public transport, fly and cycle to Bornholm. Most climbers choose the public route on foot, as it is the cheapest.

Book the trip with The Kombardo Express from Copenhagen to Rønne (3 hour journey), an extra bus ticket onward to the whole of Bornholm can be purchased for only DKK 30 during the order.

On Bornholm, the buses run synchronously with the ferry, so you can jump straight on without waiting. Buy a ticket on the Rejseplanens App or at bat.dk.

On Bornholm it is obvious to set up camp Egeløkke Naturcamping, just a stone's throw from Moseløkken, the largest sport climbing area on the island. The prices are reasonable, DKK 30 per person per night and DKK 5 per minute hot shower.

Luxury stays can be had at the family-run Pension Lindesdal, which is known for their focus on climbers and mountain bikers and other outdoor enthusiasts. 

3: Where is the best place to rock climb on Bornholm?

Online driver: Rockclimbing.dk 

The official online guide to climbing on Bornholm. This is regularly updated with new routes and access conditions. You can also easily add new routes if you should have made a first ascent of a new route. The guide is free for everyone and supported by the Danish Climbing Association and the Danish Mountain and Climbing Club.

The most visited climbing sites on Bornholm:

• Moseløkken granite quarry (sport climbing)
• Vang granite quarry (sport climbing)
• Ørnebjerg coast (bouldering)
• Vang south coast (step climbing)
• Marginal claw (step climbing)

Look more at www.rockclimbing.dk

Printed guide: Bornholm on the Rocks

Bornholm on the Rocks is a printed guide in German and English. The guide covers Bornholm's 13 largest climbing areas and almost a thousand routes, so there's plenty to get you started! Through his thorough work, the author Karsten Kurtz has collected all relevant information and more. 

The book can be bought for DKK 280 at Klatring Bornholm. The profit goes to establish new sports routes on Bornolm.