When the NADA rings twice

David climbing semi-final of Boulder World Cup Munich 2017

David climbing in the semi-final of the Boulder World Cup in Munich 2017 – (c) Frank Brandenburger

In this article (in German, published in Süddeutsche Zeitung) David argues for a reform of the controversial doping control system ADAMS. When translating the text into English here, David shortened it in some parts and added more detailed information in some other places.

The controls (urine and blood tests) in ADAMS can be carried out unannounced daily between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. There ist not enough consideration given to personal circumstances, although the National Anti-Doping Agency in Germany (NADA) must be informed months in advance of David’s daily availability. David has also been announced that Weiterlesen

Friction Labs featuring David in „Karma“

Here is a little video clip of David repeating the famous „Karma“ (Fb 8A) in Fontainebleau by our chalk sponsor Friction Labs from the US boulder Mecca Colorado.

Make your hands slap on that Font slopers so that the chalk whirls up. This is the moment when you try hard! #chalkmatters #keepclimbing

„Scarpa Stories“ featuring the Firnenburgbrothers

Recently we’ve worked with our shoe sponsor Scarpa on a little film showing us training in and around our home base Zurich with our coach Urs Stöcker. We are filmed while training together in the gym, on a local rock project in Amden, Urs is interviewed and we share our personal thoughts about the world of climbing. Well, there is not much more to say about this but to hit that play button underneath to have an own look onto this. We hope You like it and don’t forget to activate the English subtitles in the player settings. Leave a comment and let us know what You think about it ;-) Cheers David and Ruben

VLogs of the Scarpa Climbing Meeting 2017

Our good climbing friend Magnus Mitboe from Norway, former competition climber and now climbing very enthusiasticly on the rocks around the world, is recently putting up a lot of videos documenting his daily lives as a climber, so called vlogs, on YouTube for his followers. We like them a lot and they are getting better and better with every piece he uploads. Keep up the good work, Magnus!

He is also with Scarpa, our shoe sponsor, and attended this years’s Scarpa Climbing Meeting from September 27th until 29th in climbing Mecca Arco and Asolo in Italy, where the Scarpa climbing shoe factory is located. He filmed us while traveling, climbing, talking to the other team members, dining, celebrating etc. He created 3 amazing vlogs which we like to show You below. Our team colleagues Christoph Hanke and Sebastian Halenke are also interviewed. We hope You like them! Cheers David & Ruben ;-)

David sends „La Rambla“ (9a+) and „La Reina Mora“ (8c+/9a) in Siurana

David before setting off to jump to the next hold in "La Rambla" (c) Iuliia Leonova

David right before setting off for the famous dyno in „La Rambla“ (c) Iuliia Leonova

The two weeks trip to Siurana turned out to be a very successful one. After a couple of days of working on „La Rambla“ David could finally tick his first 9a+ ever. And right before leaving he finished the trip with a quick ascent of „La Reina Mora“, just next to La Rambla.

The trip to Catalonia was originally planned together with Ruben over New Year. But just before David got a foot injury which made it impossible for him to go. So he had to shift his climbing in Catalonia to February.

The main objective of the trip was to send La Rambla. In January David started to train for the upcoming bouldering season. Together with his coach Urs Stöcker he put up a new training plan in Zurich. Since the trip to Catalonia was actually planned earlier he didn’t train his endurance specifically. Instead Weiterlesen

Ascending „Action Directe“ in the past and today


David in the „flight phase“ on one of the world most famous climbing moves – the first jump from mono to finger pocket of Action Directe (c) Lars Scharl

Please, find the original article on the website of The Circuit Climbing!

Wolfgang Güllich and Action Directe

With the first ascent of Action Directe in Frankenjura Wolfgang Güllich introduced a new dimension to climbing. During the years before, he had already revolutionized the difficulty levels. In 1984, he climbed the worldwide first 8b, „Kanal im Rücken“ in Altmühltal. And in 1987, he also sent the world’s first 8c, „Wall Street“, in Frankenjura.

Taking difficulty to the next level in 1991, Action Directe became the test piece for the world’s climbing elite. At first Güllich assessed it UIAA XI, corresponding to 8c+/9a on the French scale. But then, during the following years, the climbing community agreed to make it a gold standard for the 9a level. Even today it is considered a very special route. Many world class climbers found it a hard nut to crack.

However, Action Directe might not have been the first 9a. Weiterlesen

2016 – the year in review

Thank you Escaladrome Blockwerk Hannover for the amazing support in 2016! We really enjoyed the time throughout the season. Especially our HardMoves Boulder League Team from Hanover with the best fans we could imagine!

We hope you also like the short article and the pics down below. They were originally published on the Hompage of the Escaladrome. We have translated the text into English as we believe it gives a good summary about our climbing achievements in 2016. For more details please click to our Instagram, Facebook, YouTube or 8a.nu (David, Ruben) accounts.

Let’s crush together in 2017!

From North to South and setting high



By Simon Lenke, David Firnenburg and Susanne Lieberknecht

Despite their young age, David and Ruben Firnenburg already belong to the climbing elite. No matter if it is bouldering or sport climbing, on rock or at competition, their name is often ranked top in the end. In recent years, the two native Hanoverians have achieved national and international success in climbing. Weiterlesen

Between lecture room, competition and rock

In the so called "Lichthof" in the main building of UZH

David learning in the so called „Lichthof“ in the main building of the university of Zurich (c) Ruben Firnenburg

We’ve contributed our first article to the thecircuitclimbing.com below which is run by Eddie Fowke. He is a well-known and very friendly photographer and writer in the climbing scene and travels to almost every IFSC World Cup around the world. He’s a friend to every athlete in the circuit of rock and competition climbing. We are happy to work with him more often from now on!

If you like the article, spread the word so that everyone can benefit from our thoughts about the dual task of combining performance climbing and education in life. There are more articles about more topics to come!

Anyone who wants to study psychology at the University of Zurich (UZH), has to undergo a packed program with a year-round average of 40 hours per week or sometimes even 60-70 hours during the lecture period – and this within the confines of a public university where there is neither integration nor support of the sports system or athlete’s commitments. This sets a pretty tough schedule for athletes like David where competitive sport training often depends on free space and individual design of the study course, and where training starts to amount to a full time job. “In fact the first year at the UZH in psychology is a screening year. Virtually, they want to clear out every second student. That’s what here is called the assessment year“, David explains. Weiterlesen

„The Fine line“

Santa Linya in Catalonia is a very impressive sport climbing destination. Not only because of the steep power moves in the big cave and the spectacular shots in this film by Hening Wang. It´s also because of the many falls, frustrations and failure that are behind a sucessful climb. Ruben is showing this fighting spirit in “Seleccio Natural” (9a) that has turned out to be his hardest project up to now even though it is not his first route in the grade. And by keeping working on it he fires all our inspiration for hard climbs.

German Lead Championships 2015

David in the 2nd qualification route in Frankenthal

David in the 2nd qualification route in Frankenthal

The last stage of the German Lead Championships took place at Neu-Ulm (Bavaria) last Sunday. As last year, this year’s championships consisted of 3 competitions, in Germany known as German Lead Cups. The first cup was hosted at the brand new DAV climbing gym at Munich Freiman and the second at a rather old but gold climbing gym at Frankenthal in Pfalz close to Mannheim. For us two it was a nice series with various challenges because the Cups had different route settings. Weiterlesen