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 he’d done a lot of maximum and explosive strength exercises in the gyms around Zurich and spent 3 days bouldering in Fontainebleau where he did some milestones of the history in bouldering, such as „Karma“ (Fb 8A), „La Merveille“ (Fb 8A+) and „Partage“ (Fb 8A+). All of them are very technical and tricky. True Fontainebleau style which everyone knows who has been to this magical bouldering area once.

Well, it was the first time that David has been to Catalonia in February. It is calmer than over New Year (not so many climbers). He stayed in a nice apartment of „La Vileta“ which is run by very friendly Catalonian locals, close to the main square of Cornudella de Montsant, the village underneath Siurana. Cornudella is pretty rural, mainly inhabited by farmers’ families who live from the surrounding olive, nut and wine fields. When you go climbing or walk around in the countryside you notice its beautiful landscape and nature. In the karst there are numerous caves. Dry and rocky areas dominate with a low vegetation of herbs, shrubs and pines. There are many rare species of wild animals. Because of their trustfulness robins often accompany you when climbing.

Dad feeding a robin who came to take a look if we don’t make any troubles at the crag

Because of its 9a+ difficulty La Rambla has been a new challenge for David. It is a long (around 45 meters), overhanging and technical route. It has got a famous name in the climbing scene. First ascended by Alex Huber to a lower anchor and extended by Ramón Julián Puigblanque to the actual top. It first kicks off with a technical crack followed by more powerful and pumpy moves with a unique jump in the middle to a rest before the hardest and most bouldery part at the end.

Some years ago David did already „El Rastro“ and „Broadway“, two lines which share at least half of the route with La Rambla, so that he already knew the lower part. On the first day he once checked out the moves, brushed and tick-marked the holds and gave it a good try where he already fell in the last and hardest part at the top. There are 4 compression moves on round side holds and crimps which easily spit you off when too pumped after around 35 meters of climbing approximately 8c to this point.

David shaking out his arms before he attacks the redpoint crux of „La Rambla“ (c) Iuliia Leonova

After this good first day of projecting David struggled some days with bad skin (especially the pockets literally ate the side skin of his fingers). Not the best conditions to send hard stuff. During these days he always fell on a certain and probably the hardest move in the route at the top from an open side hold into a small undercling which you have to catch close to your chest after you’ve reached out longly. In the past years such failures (falling on the same move without getting any higher) sometimes awakened negative thoughts and frustration in David. But meanwhile he can manage his mind set well. This time he didn’t really care about these failures and took it easy.

To be honest, every time you fall and reflect what mistake you’ve done you somehow have a progress in your project. It does not always have to be that you’ve got some moves higher but that you have adapted your beta or optimized your clipping positions and rest points for example. It is actually a failure itself to think that there is no progression at all although you keep on falling on the same move.

„It will happen sooner or later“ was David’s devise and he kept on trying with confidence and mental coolness. In the end it took him some 6 days of work to finally stuck the last hard move and top out his first 9a+ ever.

Keep smiling although projecting might be frustrating sometimes – that works wonders (c) Iuliia Leonova

So, La Rambla represents a new dimension in his climbing and now it feels like that there are more years of personal progress in climbing still to come. There must be a reason why the years between 20 and 30 are called „The Golden Twenties“ in climbing The main task will probably be to keep the mental coolness alive and to work on the maximum strength, mainly in bouldering and in the gym.

Right before David had to leave Siurana to head back home to Switzerland he wanted to use his fitness to dedicate to „La Reina Mora“ which has the same crack start and the same top-out with La Rambla but a more crimpy and sustained middle section. It is the real straight-up on this part of the wall. Falling two times on the last hard move in the end was a bit annoying but he had chosen a not optimal beta and when he optimized this it went down first go of the day and the finish of the trip couldn’t have been sweeter. La Reina Mora might be one of the most beautiful climbs in whole Catalonia.

David working himself up the crack of „La Reina Mora“ (c) Jon Cardwell

David is happy to return back to Switzerland again to prepare for the upcoming bouldering competitions and rock climbings in Switzerland. University lectures start as well again and it is great to come back home to reload batteries for the next challenges which climbing always has to offer in a brilliant way.

Thanks to Iuliia Leonova and Jon Caldwell for their nice pictures and to our sponsors Scarpa, Haglöfs, Friction Labs, Escaladrome Hannover and the DAV section Rhineland-Cologne for the amazing support lately. As the Spanish climbers say: A Muerte!!!

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.



At the age of 5 and 6 years, during a family holiday in Northern Italy, they discovered their enthusiasm for climbing. Assisted by their parents and the climbing scene in northern Germany they got to learn climbing with passion. After their A levels they first traveled around the world. A year ago then, they moved to Zurich, Switzerland. Their choice of living in this new place is not a matter of coincidence: „Here we can combine studying and training very well and there are only short distances to the rock climbing hot spots in the Alps“, David explains.

In spite of this big step to Switzerland, they both agree that they will not let disrupt their connection to Hanover over the new distance. „We will keep in touch with the North – especially with the Escaladrome, the home and hot spot of bouldering in Hanover, and our family“, Ruben says.

For both, the highlights of the international competition season occurred in the second half of the year. Ruben achieved a strong third place in the combined format of bouldering, lead and speed at the Juniors’ World Championships in Guangzhou in November. And David also secured a bronze medal in the same format at the World Championships in Paris in September. The combined triple will be the future competition format of the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020, where climbing will be Olympic for the first time as one of five new sports. Ruben and David are thrilled and see good chances to qualify for this important sport event. But that’s not all: David just missed the podium at the Boulder World Cup in Munich in summer, but secured a strong fourth place. In September Ruben crowned his competition year 2016 with a victory at the German Championship of sport climbing in Neu-Ulm, where David achieved the third place.

Also rock climbing went very well – despite the long and strenuous competition season last year. Thus, David could send the legendary „Action Directe“ (9a) in Frankenjura, one of his proudest achievements so far. „Topping out „Action Directe“ once in my life has always been a dream for me. This year, on the 25th anniversary of the route, this dream came true“, David says.

Ruben’s big project by the beginning of last year was the long and overhanging „Selecció Natural“ (9a) in the huge cave of Santa Linya in Catalonia/Spain. Right at the end of the year he started a new try ascending the route, but he had to realize that a number of decisive holds had broken out in the meantime. For the time being, he changed his project to the left and ticked „Analogica Natural“ (9a) shortly after Christmas. Completely free and self-confident, he then succeeded during the last day of 2016, on December 31th, being finally able to send „Selecció Natural“. These were two 9a’s in just four days. What an end of the year on rock for him!

Though, for David and Ruben the sports year 2016 began with the famous HardMoves Boulder league event. Together with eight other athletes of the Escaladrome Hanover the two brothers qualified for the final and then took a strong second place in the “Swimming Opera” of Wuppertal. „The HardMoves is probably the coolest fun competition for me at all. I like it very much that my own performance is not the focus, but the one of the whole team. And the team of the Escaladrome is just great. Everyone is passionate and dedicated, they help and cheer you up the wall, and the fan community from Hanover is simply undescribable. It is always an event full of tensions and emotions. I’m looking forward to next time! „, David reports.

We would like to congratulate and wish all the best to the two Firnenburgbrothers also for 2017!

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.

To better meet this selection procedure in the dual task of competitive sports and university studies, David already has started as a guest student this spring term, one semester before the official onset of his studies, and has already been working for the foreseeable examination hurdles. “After the assessment year a part-time study with a stretched curriculum will probably be the solution for my time problems,” he says. “Already now, during the guest semester, I have to construct my training around the curriculum at the university. There is no other way”, David notes. He trains seven or eight times a week, each about 3 hours, and he also spends weekend time on national team trainings, at competitions or on the rock. This comes along with additional antagonist training and stretching on two active rest days a week.

David in the final of the final Boulder World Cup in Munich this year (c) Eddie Fowke

Lectures are uploaded digitally

It also happens during the lecture period that David has to go abroad for international competitions. However, for the assessment year he intends to stay within the time frame of his university. “At the UZH I have the advantage that the lectures are uploaded in the intranet and it quickly becomes clear what I need to rework,” David says. Lectures aside, however, there are also seminars and other sessions, the material for which isn’t as easy to access.
Additionally David doesn’t always get support from the staff. “There are sometimes acceptance problems on the faculty side. As an athlete, I don’t always get the necessary understanding from teachers for this double load I have”. David’s strategy for dealing with this is to network as widely as possible with other students, to exchange lecture transcripts and material, to jointly cope better with the large amount of learning materials, documentation and tasks set.
“Since I prefer Zurich as my training site for quality reasons, I have to arrange myself with the situation at the UZH. I cannot, without making significant concessions to my training, switch to another or even to a private university, where I perhaps would be treated more like a real customer”, David explains. He sees it, at least partially, as a challenge to raise awareness in the faculty and to contribute to a better understanding for the circumstances of elite athletes.

Besides lectures, seminars and further exercises autonomous repetition and learning takes the most time in the studies (c) Ruben Firnenburg

“Solid grades will also do”

“Sure, it’s way of stress to accommodate university and competitive sports. But I have targeted my studies as well as to increase my climbing achievements. And so I have to grit my teeth sometimes and just to go through”, David states. According to him, clearly, he will not be earning top grades with his brutal schedule, but, in the end, solid grades will also do. It was already the same during my time at high school, when I at least was able to skip the 10th grade for an exchange year at Innsbruck in Austria and finally to achieve my university entrance diploma, too”, he reports.

Admission to study courses like psychology is restricted in Switzerland and in Germany. In David’s case as a German citizen, an admission first to study this subject at a German university is needed for being admitted at the UZH. “I benefit from an agreement that has been negotiated between the University Sports Federation and some universities in Germany”, David explains. This agreement allows some compensation for top athletes in the internal university selection procedure of students. Thus, an admission at the UZH became possible.

A dual career in the United States might be easier

In 2014, a dispute with the students’ sport support system in Germany appeared in book form. Ben Bendrich, a former German national basketball player, published his doctoral thesis “Students’ elite sports between resignation, myth and breakup – a study on dual careers in Germany and the United States”. Bendrich concluded that the promotion of sports works better at the universities in the United States. He opined that the contracts between the University Sports Federation and the universities in Germany were laudable, but not specific enough and often not widely known or understood by the lecturers at the universities. And for David, of course, they are not applicable in Switzerland. “But in my case, these agreements at least have helped for my admission to study psychology. Unfortunately, as a foreigner not being part of the national coordination between the Swiss Olympic support system and the UZH, I am now supposed to find my own way of being included at least in a minimal way. Bendrich’s book makes me curious to go for an exchange year to a US university perhaps one day”, David comments.

David finished 4th in the Boulder World Cup in Munich this year (c) Eddie Fowke

Lack of support for competitive climbing

David and his family started climbing in Hannover in northern Germany, where he grew up, but since 2016, David and his younger brother Ruben, live in Zurich.

“Training possibilities here simply are the best for us. Our coach, Dr. Urs Stöcker, is also the Swiss national coach and highly qualified. We get along very well together. The results are self-explanatory. After a rock oriented past year our performances in the World Cup this year are getting better again”, says the 21 years old.

Recently David achieved semifinal and final placements in the Briancon Lead World Cup and the Munich Boulder World Cup, and is on track to become all-rounder who is strong in both bouldering and lead climbing and who can consistently perform at a top level at least one discipline in nearby future. “During my youth and junior time I was already several times German champion and also European champion and third in the World Championships. Even within the seniors I have already achieved several podiums in the German Lead and Boulder Championships, including a title”, David says. But despite these successes and some encouraging support from sponsors, David cannot live solely from climbing: his basic livelihood has to be supported by his family. “Without this, the whole thing wouldn’t work”, David asserts.

Traditionally there is only a weak support system for sport climbing in Germany. Where, for instance, elite athletes in other Olympic sports receive on average 626 Euros net per month by the German Sports Fund, climbers miss out. “We have to wait and see how effective a planned strengthening of competitive sports in the German Alpine Association will be, especially in view of Olympic’s 2020 at Tokyo”, David mentions. “Due to past experiences you not necessarily have to be optimistic. It is more way of a stolid affair. And if here essential things do not turn for the better, it will continue to be largely left to chance or heroic achievement of individual athletes and their families in Germany to perform at the highest international level”, David criticizes.

David in the lead semi-final route of the World Championships in Paris this year. He placed 3rd in the overall category (c) Eddie Fowke

Perspectives for the Olympics in 2020

Since David would not be able to live from climbing, a unilateral decision in favour of his sport would turn out to be at high risk. “The sport hero of today may be failing socially tomorrow”, he says. David does not want to end up as a vocational drop out some day because of having only concentrated on his sport before. “I have to ask myself whether it will be worthwhile to sacrifice my studies for top-level sports. In my situation it seems to be reasonable, to invest not only in my athletic career but also in my university education. I therefore have to tackle the problem of coping with the double burden”, David explains.

The usual way of his older climbing colleagues in Germany is to abandon their sport career the sooner or later and to give priority to their vocational training. “This reasonable decision indeed affects our sport adversely, because like this a sustainable international competitiveness is not to be expected. Realistically I see my chances to participate in the Olympic Games in 2020 more as an outsider. But if I can maintain my joy of climbing and continue also to rely on my capabilities, it doesn’t seem impossible to me to have a chance of taking part at Tokyo”, David ends.

The crew. F.l.t.r. Julian, Ruben, David and Michi (c) Julian Bückers Photography

In the beginning of October we’ve spent three days at Swiss Rätikon for some multipitch climbing. Rätikon to climbers is well known for its hard alpine climbs on outstanding limestone and the surrounding beauty of mountain nature. It is located up in the mountains on an altitude above 2000 meters and is divided into two parts, a Swiss and an Austrian but the walls are mostly south facing so you predominantly climb on the Swiss side. The closest village is called Schuders consisting of only a handful houses. This time we were climbing at the Schweizereck in the region around Grüscher Älpli besides the other parts of the wall such as Kirchlispitzen (known for routes like Silbergeier, Unendliche Geschichte and WoGü), Drusenfluh and Drusentürmen.

It was our first multi pitch experience ever and we could share it with multi talent Michi Wohlleben and photographer and mountain guide Julian Bückers. They were introducing us the required belaying techniques for alpine routes and supporting us up there every time we needed some help. During this short but really enjoyable time we were curious and attentive as small kids. Greedy for knowledge waiting for the new adventure to come. It is always nice to feel that there is still high motivation and exaltation when trying new things and there are a lot of things we haven’t seen in climbing yet although we’ve already practiced it for almost 15 years now. That’s such a great aspect of climbing. That’s its unique variety and we love it.

On the first day we met at Bad Ragaz down in the Tamina valley and drove to a nearby sport climbing crag close to the village called Fläsch which is funny because as German speaking climbers we spell it like English „flash“. Sometimes things are meant to be and fit together

Nevertheless, Michi and Julian gave us a technical briefing to prepare for alpine terrain and all of its challenges and risks. They taught us how to install a belay, haul, jumar and place gear such as cams and nuts. Basically, learning all of this techniques enables you to move in alpine terrain in a safe style. But gear is only steel. What you also need are strong mental abilities. Focus, alertness and rationality are one of the most important ingredients you need up in a high wall with a lot of air below your ass. After this extensive briefing we drove up to the car park below the wall to stay the night and therewith be able to start our tour right after an early breakfast the next day. It was an adventurous drive with our old van because the zig zag road is steep, long and often tight. But we made it and David as the driver was totally done afterwards

On the second day we woke up at 7 a.m. and had a nourishing out meal. Well rested and euphoric we hiked up to New Age, our main mission for this stay. Austrian pioneer Beat Kammerlander opened it as one of the extreme multi pitch classics back in 1989. Such a big achievement back then and always worth to remind yourself what this has meant during this time. A milestone. It’s located at Schweizereck and is 5 pitches long (150 meters, first pitch starts at 100 meters above the ground, until there it’s easy climbing but you have to belay each other). It’s mainly very technical climbing on compact and sometimes very sharp rock with a powerful roof passage in the third and hardest pitch.

The Schweizereck (c) Julian Bückers Photography

Well, we got our asses kicked in the beginning. Already the first two pitches (7a and 7c) turned out to be super special and technical. We were bewildered as climbers who already have sent 9a but they told us that alpine climbs and grades are tough compared to the modern sport climbing disciplines and now we know that it’s true. It does not mean that the climbing itself is harder but it’s the stress and pressure which comes along with longer bolt distances, own mobile placements, technical climbing styles and of course the heights. We were also very slow but that’s normal as „beginners“. Professionals have a collective routine and flow. It’s about fast partner shifts, belaying and knowing what to do in different cases. You have to be spontaneous as a good alpine climber.

Finally, we made it up to the fourth pitch that day. Then strong wind appeared and we started freezing and even shaking. Moreover, it was quiet late and it was time to get back to the ground. So we lowered down and went back to the van. Opening its doors and sitting down we realized that being out there all day, walking, freezing, climbing and focusing is completely exhausting. We were actually too tired to cook some dinner but we had to reload our batteries because the next and last day of our stay would be as tiring as this day. It’s this enjoyable tiredness though you probably all know when coming back home after a long day at work

On the third day up in Rätikon our goal was to send New Age. Red pointing the pitches felt possible so it was only about going up there again and get our mission done. The weather this morning was cloudy and very windy though and when we approached the route Michi wasn’t sure if it would be possible to ascend it. However, we decided to give it a try at least. Let’s say there was still some hope to get rewarded in the end

David was leading the first two pitches and it was a true struggle from the very first moves on. It was so cold that it was impossible to get warm fingers to feel the holds. He somehow made it up until the belay below the roof of the third pitch although some sequences almost shook him off the wall. He fought and even sometimes screamed but that comes out by its own when you try hard and need to push yourself. It should have been a team ascent so we switched knots and decided that Ruben should lead the third and hardest pitch. The weather started to clear and it was only a matter of time that the sun started to reach our belay to encourage us with its warmth. Ruben started to reach the crux moves, slowly pulling over the edge of the roof but then he fell on the crucial move, a long move from a jamming side pull one pad crimp high up left to another crimp of the same size, hitting his wrist against the rock. David lowered him off to the belay that he could get his down jacket back on to warm himself. 5 minutes break and then it was time to give it another shot but the same happened again. Back to the belay.

Ruben while trying the crux moves in the third pitch on the first day in „New Age“. Michi is belaying (c) Julian Bückers Photography

Not sure what to do, still freezing and a bit frustrated Michi pulled out his mobile phone and showed us some videos of old men sitting in a bar and making funny jokes about alcohol. We started to laugh and then the sun came around the corner and started to touch our helmets on our heads. In retrospect these were the two recipes which probably saved us the ascent of our first demanding multi pitch. David started to take over the lead again, fell once even before the crux slipping away with his foot, returned to the belay and managed to get up to the next belay without falling into the rope in his next try. That was refreshing and we got the energy and confidence back again to reach the top.

The last pitches weren’t that hard anymore and especially the last pitch was varied climbing in corners with many body position shifts involved in the lower overhanging part. That was kind of the perfect end of the whole project and when we all reached the top, shook hands and hugged each other everyone of us was happy that all the hard work payed off and everything was successful and no one hurt himself. But as every mountaineer says: You not only have to get up the mountain but also back down to the base camp. There was a way down a steep slope on the back side of the wall but one part of it was so steep and slippery that we were wondering how to get down there in a save way. We both would have taken the risk to climb down on the rubble but Michi told us that this won’t work and would be too dangerous. He felt responsible for us and with his expertise he found a spot to place cams and fix a rope to be able to lower down the slope. This is what we did and after a short shock we all stood on solid ground again. At this point New Age was really done! Yesss man

We threw all of our gear into our backs and hiked back to the car. When we got there we were even more tired than the day before (we expected that) but the feeling that everything worked well in the end and that we’d completed our mission was stronger. We sorted our gear, shared some victory cookies and had a fresh little beer before Michi and Julian left with their car on the way back home.

Such an experience with all its components keeps staying in our minds and it motivates us to face new alpine projects and challenges in the future. We’ve already got some lines on our tick list which definitely are even more challenging than New Age. We are very satisfied to have done it as our first multi pitch though and we think that Michi and Julian showed us all the skills to conquer new heights soon. Thanks for your great work guys and to our partners Scarpa and Petzl for making it all possible. We are really looking forward to climbing in the future together again in the same style and with the same motivation and good vibes as this time.

Thank You and take care!

David & Ruben

(c) New Base Line – Eddie Fowke (The Circuit Climbing)

This April I went to Magic Wood for a couple of days to work on hard boulders I couldn’t finish the last time I was there. On the very top of my tick list there was New Base Line, a boulder problem which was originally put up by grand master Bernd Zangerl as an 8C. Meanwhile it has seen several attempts by the world’s best boulderers and got downgraded to 8B+.

It is not only hard. It looks also fine. A noble crack line running from right to left with a slight rise through an overhanging wall. In the middle of the wall above the crack line there are nicely shaped crimps and side holds heading up to the top edge. It is just perfect. A dream boulder. This is probably why it is supposed to be one of the best in the world.

The time and work I invested to call the ascent mine was totally worth it. The process of getting better and better on this problem confirmed a lot of things I’ve already learned in my young climbing life. In the end strong will, no doubts and tenacity were the mental skills to send it. I had a very nice time on it and I was very satisfied that I battled my way up this problem although the weather was about to upset my plans with rain and warmth during my stay. I again leave the wood with a bunch of good feelings. I try to come back as soon as possible to get back on the other major lines in Magic Wood. I am already looking forward to it. Let’s crush!

Thank You Eddie Fowke for the nice pics!

All the best
David

During New Year we’ve been to Ticino for bouldering and repeated some nice boulders in the 8A range. We’ve edited the little video above which shows a couple of 8A’s in Chironico we were able to send together.

It was the first time we haven’t been to Spain over Christmas and New Year’s Eve since a couple of years now. It was bouldering on nice granite instead of lead climbing in long limestone walls in Catalunya. A different feeling. As every time we leave thousands problems unrepeated. That’s why soon we’ll be back in Ticino

Featured problems in the video:
3° Carne (8A)
Rah Plats Plats (8A)
The Arete With The Pocket (8A)
Hineruage/Deep red (8A)
Blonch Addiction (8A)
Willenberg Dach (8A)

Enjoy and CU on the rocks David & Ruben

Cheers David