We present observations taken in the corona above a flare that occurred on the west limb of the Sun. SUMER spectra show large red (350 km s−1) and blue (650 km s−1) Dopplershifts in Fe XX (107 K), Cr XVI (5 × 106 K), Si IX (106 K) and O III (105 K) emission lines. These shifts are associated with a fast moving (400 km s−1) optical emission front detected in high cadence images, taken with the coronagraph MICA. SXT images show fast soft X-ray ejecta that can be extrapolated back to the position of pre-flare coronal arcade structure seen in EIT 195 images. The observations are interpreted as evidence of a blast wave propagating through the active region coronal loop structure very early in the flare evolution.