David in „Hänsel ohne Gretel“ (8b), Holzgauerwand/Frankenjura – Pic by Ruben Firnenburg
After the European Youth Boulder Cup in Laval Ruben and I spent one week in the Frankenjura for rock climbing. But to be honest, the weather was mainly crap. Only on Friday and Saturday the sun came out and the rock was more or less dry which made it possible to send hard routes.
Ruben’s fall vacations already began on October 3rd so that we met with Lena Herrmann in Frankenjura for two days before she and David had to fly to Laval.
On Monday, October 7th, we went up to the wall called „Holzgauer Wand“ located in the Kleinziegenfeld valley. It is very well known for hard sport climbing routes mostly in the 10th UIAA grade (8a+ until 8b+). Lena was climbing for 4 days in a row before so that she was more or less resting that day but tried „Nikita“ (8a+) twice. It is a famous technical and pumpy classic opened in 1990 by C. Seidel. After his bad experience in Catalunya (Spain), which, back in Zurich, turned out to be a broken hand, Ruben wasn’t climbing on the rock for more than half a year so that he had to get used to the structure and temperature of rock again. That’s why he was always getting cold and numb fingers in the middle of the wall. At first David was focusing on „Hänsel ohne Gretel“ (8b) a bit more to the right of Nikita. He could remember that he was checking it out some years ago and totally concetrated to „flash“ it that day. It is a approx. 20 meters long route with a bouldery start on small pockets and crimps and a pumpy finish on good holds. Feeling still fresh in the end of the route David fell unluckily because he slipped out of a weird and greacy bidigit at the last hard move. After a little rest he easily sent it and later Nikita, too.
One day later, Tuesday, October 8th, Ruben and David decided to go to the „Pornowand“ in the most beautiful valley of the Frankenjura, the Ailsbach valley. Lena was resting at a good friend’s place near Erlangen that day. The Pornowand is a small piece of excellent rock above a rivulet which only has six but hard routes at all. We both checked out „Schnulleralarm“ (8b), a bouldery route with three hard moves on crimps and underclings opened by our trainer Dicki Korb in 2001, and could send it in the second (David) and third (Ruben) go. Very beautiful line at a beautiful place!
On October 14th, after the EYC in Laval we met again near Bamberg at our grandparents‘ place. Our goal for this week was to climb some projects 8c and harder but the weather upsetted our plans.
On Tuesday, October 15th, is was raining cats and dogs. We were forced to choose a free-standing crag because inside the forest it was warm and humid, so that the rock got totally wet. We decided to go to the „Bärenschlucht“ in the Püttlach valley near Pottenstein, a wide and high limestone massif above a camping place. We tried the only few routes which were climbable because approx. 90 per cent of all the run-outs of the existing routes were wet. After a quick warm-up in a 7a route we tested out the moves of „Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde“ (8c) which Markus Bock did in 1998. It is not that polished and frequently climbed like other routes there but pretty special and a bit run-down. The main difficulty consists of two hard moves on very smal holds and little footholds in an overhanging wall. For the left hand a tiny crimp and then a long move into a sharp and very bad bidigit for the right, from where you have to cross over into a better pocket. We were not able to do all single moves. Maybe something to work on later. The rest of the time until it turned dark we tried two 8a+, „Amboss“ and „Skywalk“, two worthwhile routes. Amboss has the same start as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde but turns left after the third quickdraw. A superb route on good pockets with a powerful cross-over in a roof. In contrast Skywalk is even steeper. The crux is a boulder at the beginning of a 7 meters roof. For the right a medium crimp, left foot high, to a tiny crimp with the left hand for help and then an extension to a round undercling from where you have to clip powerfully. David could on-sight it, Ruben flashed it after him. A rainy day but two cool routes!
Wednesday and Thursday, October 16th and 17th, were two days with unfavourable conditions. We were able to climb but the holds were so greasy that we were slipping all the time on bad holds. David already tried a hard route called „Burn for You“ (8c) at „Schneiderloch“ in the Ailsbach valley some years ago which was still his project. He remembered that it felt very hard for him because back then he hadn’t that much maximum power and not a long enough reach. Burn for You is a short route (approx. 15 meters) with a boulder at the start and dynamic moves on medium sideholds afterwards. But the best thing is that this line has such a good quality of rock. Firm, interesting structures and not polished. After these two days of unavailing tries we decided to do a rest day in Bamberg. Sightseeing, some shopping, a visit at the haircutter and at a café. A very historical and beautiful small city. Luckily this Friday was very sunny and dry that we knew the rock will dry and that very good conditions were waiting for us in Frankenjura if it wasn’t raining during the night. And luckily this happened. The Saturday, October 19th, was a day like the Friday before. Clear, sunny, a bit windy and dry. Perfect for sending hard routes. After breakfast we drove into the Frankenjura and luckily for us the Schneiderloch was completely dry, no waterstripes and no greasy holds. Burn for You again. After warming up David managed to pull up through the starting boulder but failed at a deadpoint move shortly after. A little rest and then a concentrated go. He came through the crux again, could hold the sidehold in the deadpoint and mastered the last hard moves to the redemptive jug. Five more easy moves and he clipped the anchor. He came down very satisfied. Project done. In contrast Ruben was very unlucky that day. He was already close on the Thursday before and even closer this day falling one hold before the saving jug. And that two times. Really frustrated we had to leave the Frankenjura on Sunday, after almost every crag in the area was totally wet and unclimbable, because it was raining again and fog was laying in the valley. Shit happens! Ruben had to be back for school on Monday.
All in all it was a relatively successful stay in Frankenjura. On a free weekend Ruben wants to return with our dad to the Schneiderloch to finish Burn for You. David is now planning to drive to Fontainebleau for two and a half weeks until he has to return to Troisdorf near Cologne where he’s taking part in a training course of the seniors National Boulder Team.
That’s it for now! We hope that You are all fine and keep climbing with fun and passion. Cheers David and Ruben 