This week’s video is pretty special, not for its latest hard ascent or piece of climbing controversy but because it truly encapsulates what climbing is all about. From the waters of the idyllic Lake Saimaa, Finland’s biggest lake, we’re treated to some of Nalle Hukkataival’s latest and most local psicobloc projects. The spot is remote with no houses along the shores and no tourists in sight, the only feature is the floating sauna that lives under the lake’s beautiful granite wall. Hanging ominously over the icy water, the wall is full of lines put up by Nalle and his friends with this video treating us to two of its hardest, Kesä Turkki 8c and the video’s featured project – El Tippa Tapa 8c. 

Since his ascents of Burden of Dreams (V17) and the Finnish Line (V15/16), Nalle has been relatively quiet on the world stage but, if this video is anything to go by then we can see why. Finland has plenty of its own worthy rock with enough of it to satisfy a legend like Nalle. This video had me reaching for my cup of tea just as much as it did my climbing shoes which makes it the perfect Friday night video – Enjoy!