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Sterling Athletes Team
Petter Restorp
Athlete Bio
I got really hooked on climbing when I lived in Tromsø in northern Norway. We went out climbing almost every day during that first spring (even when there was 2 meters of snow at the base of the routes). I started with sport climbing, but soon discovered traditionally protected routes and multi-pitch climbing. In the following summers I used to work at a climbing school in the islands of Lofoten in Norway and the rest of the year I travelled for climbing as much as I could. Some of my favourite places are Yosemite, Indian creek and, of course, Bohuslän in Sweden, close to where I live. I also really like the limestone climbing in France and Spain.
Now I live together with my girlfriend Hanna in the city of Göteborg (Gothenburg) on the west coast of Sweden, where I work as a fireman when I'm not climbing. I like my job and it works really well for me to combine it with a lot of climbing.
I climb because I like it as a sport and a way to experience nature. I like the adventure it usually involves and how it challenges my physical and psychological limits. I love how it forces me into a state of total concentration, were nothing else matters. Climbing is a very much way of life for me. I also climb because it takes me to really nice places, but most important, I climb because I think it is really fun!
Much of my climbing I do on routs that are naturally protected but I really love all types of climbing.
How did you get started climbing?
As a kid I went with my parents on a lot of different types of out-door activities. We went hiking in Norway, sea-kayaking in the archipelagos of Gulf of Bothnia, and cross-country skiing in northern parts of Sweden. Climbing became a natural next step for me. I went and tried it with a friend one day and got hooked right away.
How old were you when you started?
18
What was your first outdoor climb?
A short climb with one bolt at the crux and then nothing more. I clipped the bolt, did the crux, but got insanely pumped at the jugs at the top. I just couldn't get over the top... and fell. In the fall I managed to get my leg behind the rope and was pulled around, now falling head-first! Luckily my belayer was a little more experienced then me and I stopped half a meter above the ground.
Any training advice or suggestions?
Climb a lot. Do finger training on campus boards. Do some running and try different ways to work out. Cross-fit is good. Most important is to have fun!
SHORT TERM CLIMBING GOALS: Stay in shape and send some of the harder trad projects that I have been trying around the west coast of Sweden. Free climb big walls around Europe or go to one of the bigwalls in Norway this summer: Kjerag or Blåman depending on weather conditions.
SHORT TERM PERSONAL GOALS: Have fun 25 hours every day! Train right and stay focused.
LONG TERM CLIMBING GOALS: I want to go back to the USA to climb Salathe Wall free(Yosemite) and El Nino, and also try a bunch of other hard trad routs around the US and Canada. I have already made some of the hardest first ascents in the area where I climb the most (Bohuslän, Sweden), but there are more lines to be freed!!!
LONG TERM PERSONAL GOALS: Get a good balance between climbing-work-travel. Buy a house in Bohuslän and start the perfect place to hang out for climbers. A caf'é, a pub, a campground and climbing school. A place for beguinners to get inspired and a place for coffee-table-book-climbers to tell their stories yet another time.
These are some of my accomplishments:
- Backdraft, 8a (5.13b) first ascent, trad, 2008, unrepeated
- Upper cut, 8a (5.13b), first ascent, 2008
- Barbro 8b (5.13d), 2008
- Kärlek, 8b (5.13d), first ascent, trad, 2007, unrepeated
- Crack-o-holic, 8a (5.13b), first ascent, trad, 2006
- Kölhalad, 8a+ (5.13c R), first ascent, trad, 2005
Other first ascents -
- Repeats of many of the harder routs on the west coast of Sweden, sport and trad.
Yosemite, USA
- Golden Gate free, 5.13b, 41 pitches 2008
- The Poenix, 5.13a, 2008
- Heaven, 5.12d, second try, 2008
- Ferrrider free, 5.12d, 38 pitches team ascent, 2005
- The Nose-in-a-day with my girlfriend, 2005
- Cosmic Debris, 5.13b, 2005
- On-sight: Astroman, Rostrum, Crucifix, Hotline and more...
- Hong Kong Phooey, second pitch, 5.13+, 2:nd try, 2008
- Learning to Fly, 5.13+, 3rd try, 2007
- Tricks are for Kids, 5.13, on-sight, 2005
- Optimator, Death of a Cowboy, Pink Flamingo, Rubys Café and more...
- Moonlight Buttress, Zion, on sight, 2008
- Hoka Hey free, Kjerag, Norway, 12 hours, 2006
- Pyromania, 5.13b, Needles, California, USA, 2005
Favorite Climbing Areas:
Bohuslän in Sweden, Yosemite, Indian Creek, Tromsö in Norway, Ceüse in France, Barcelona-area in Spain and Needles in California.
Best day of climbing:
Nose-in-a-day, Yosemite, with my girlfriend Hanna, 2005
Your favorite climb:
"Romantic Warriors" in the Needles, California. "Kärlek" in Bohuslän, Sweden
List at least 5 reasons why you like Sterling Rope
1: they feel good
2: they look good
3: they last for a long time
4: they have a good reputation
5: very reliable
Write a short story on a recent climbing adventure:
The sun was setting. We had just finished our dinner and enjoied the last views of Yosemite valley. Behind us Half Dome towered up. A scilent giant waiting to be climbed. We had decided to camp at the bottom of the route to get an early start, and everything was prepared. My harness was already racked up, the rope was neatly coiled, and food for a pretty long day was packed in a small back-pack.
The sun disappered behind some clouds at the horizon, leaving only the very top of half dome luminated. Everything was so quiet and peacefull, but suddenly all of that was gone. BAM! Sound and motion behind us! What was that? Rock fall? We flew up and spun around. A big bear came flying out of his hide-out in the bushes and had grabbed two of our packs! Impressing to se a big furry animal moving so quickly. He must have sneaked up on us. I bet he could smell the bagles and sausages and cliff-bars that we had planned to eat on some ledge a lot higher up. Now he was making it into the bushes again. We heard him moving in there. He was breathing hard, probably almost as excited as we where. We heard the sound of textile ripping...
After having threwn stones and making as much noice we could I dared entering the thick bushes. I found one of my packs pretty soon. The one with our only car-key in it. Deeper into the bushes I found empty food packings. Zip-lock plastic bags that used to contain bagles, power-bar wrappings and later my camera. After an hour or so I found my other bag. It was all ripped up and empty. No food for tomorrow.
During the night the bear came back once, and when we woke up in the morning he was sneaking around only a couple of meters from us. We scared him away and decided to climb Half Domes Regular Northwest face with only one cliff-bar between us. It all went very well! The climbing was great and we managed to on-sight almost every pitch. On the way down we met two angels in the shape of two beautiful girls. They shared their food with us and we shared our story.
The last book you read?
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
Your favorite book/story?
"Strändernas svall" by Eyvind Johnson (nobel price -74).
Your favorite bands? Songs:
Ohia, Low, Madrugada, Misfits, Lawrence, Groundation
List 5 favorite movies?
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind, Snatch, Watchmen, The life aquatic, Dead Man
Your favorite types of music?
Slow alternative pop, Punk, Electro, some hip-hop and reagge
Other sports/activities you like to do? (Other than climb):
Running, free-diving, kayaking(sea), Skydiving
What do you feel is you best accomplishment (other than climbing)?
Running "Göteborgsvarvet", which is a 1/2 marathon, in 1 h 23 minutes.
Your favorite beverages?
Coffee, Water
One favorite personal quote?
"When in doubt, run it out". Jerry Moffat
What do you want to do in the next 5 years?
Climb more and harder. Put up more and harder routes. Try to push my personal level a little further. Travel more to France and Spain to sport-climb. Climb big walls free, on good quality granite. Continue working as a fireman.
Where do you want to be 5 years from now?
Where I am, or maybe closer to some area with more and bigger mountains.
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