Viitapohja

Mustalaisvuori in Viitapohja is one of the most popular crags in Tampere region. It offers varied climbing at all grades in a beautiful setting. The testpieces are Sormenleikkaaja (6a), Sicamiehiä (6b), Hui Lai Lee (7a) and Missä pultti? (7b).

Hui Lai Lee is the splitter crack on an overhanging wall. The route is rather demanding for your first 7a since it's protected with natural gear. The gear and the rests are good, though.

The route name Missä pultti? refers to the missing bolt on the first ascent. It was late evening and there was a problem with mixing the glue. Thus, the glue didn't get hard and the last bolt of the route didn't stick. But it didn't matter that much. The first ascent was done in good style without the last bolt. The last bolt was fixed later.

The climbing started in the late 1980's. The early local pioneers were Vesa Åkerman, Ari Vesanto and Pekka Lylykorpi. Jaakko Perkiokangas and Henrik Suihkonen visited the crag from Helsinki in the early 1990's, thus Sicamiehiä (6b) and Hui Lai Lee (7a), the local classics.

Viitapohja was one of the first crags in Tampere region. The other early crags were Pyynikki boulders and Melo in Nokia.

One the first routes in Viitapohja was Taino. Esko Laakso named the route to honour Zen monk Engaku Taino who in 1989 toproped the climb after meditating and being awake for two days.