The island of Kvaløya lies just outside the Arctic city of Tromsø. Solid granite walls here, such as Baugen and Store Blåmann, have gained international attention. The 400-meter northwest face of Tromma, however, remained unclimbed until 2024. 

My longtime climbing partner Vetle Sevild messaged me in early June 2024 to say he had stumbled upon an unclimbed wall with sublime crack climbing (or so we thought). After a 15-hour push on our first attempt, we ran out of food and water. The cracks were more vegetated and the climbing more mentally challenging than we’d anticipated. After rappelling off, we agreed we wouldn’t return.

But short-term memory loss soon set in. A week later, we were joined by Fie Fjellblome Nordvik. Fie took the first pitch (Norwegian 6+/French 6b) and stemmed and jammed her way up. After a few pitches of cracks and flakes, and a short, exposed traverse led by Vetle, we stood under the first crux. Vetle had climbed this pitch just a week earlier and named it the Satanic Gardens, as it was grassy and difficult to protect. Using all the tricks I had, I was able to inch my way up to the anchor.

After two more short pitches, we were past the point where we had previously descended. A pendulum would be required to reach another crack system. Vetle swung wildly to the right, where we found some of the finest crack climbing on the entire island. We topped out at 7 a.m., satisfied and tired. The route is named En tåre for Mikaelsso (14 pitches, 6+/7- or French 6b). 

Since this ascent, four more routes have been climbed on Tromma, including Once Upon a Time in the Northwest (14 pitches, 7-/6b+), climbed in June 2025 by Orlando Addis, Paul Chabot, and Simon Prochaska. If you visit Kvaløya for climbing, please follow the leave-no-trace principle and remember that bolting on the island’s mountains is prohibited.  

—Sigurd Norderval, Norway

Additional Information: The base of the wall is at approximately 69°47.037'N, 18°20.230'E, and the approach takes about 1.5 hours. As of 2025, five routes and variations had been established. The route numbers below correspond to the overview photo in the image gallery. 

1. En tåre for Mikaelsson (400m, 6b+ A0, Norderval-Nordvik-Sevild, 2024).
2. Drengkalaset (400m, 6c, Klev-Puman).
3. Høyt i Nord (400m, 6c, Lægreid-Norderval-Sevild, 2024).
4. Once Upon a Time in the Northwest (350m, 6c, Addis-Chabot-Prochaska, 2025).
5. Grønlandsveien (350m, 6c+, Schakenda, 2025).