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Best guidebook/routes Frankenjura

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 jon_gill1 13 May 2017
Hello all, any thoughts on the best guide book to obtain for a one/two day visit to Frankenjura?

We will be passing through/near on a road trip so any recommendations would be great and also a bit of a tick list of unmissable routes would be great too, anything up to 7a or E2 if there is trad at all?

Any other useful info that we should know, ethics or logistics, places to eat and is it possible to park a van overnight to sleep in easily or should we book a site?

Many thanks in advance for your advice!

 Kemics 13 May 2017
In reply to jon_gill1:
Do you have a partner? I was there on my own and found there was a scene and could find people to climb with but took a few days to get settled. Oma Eichler's (I think it was called) is a campsite which is pretty central and mostly climbers staying.

Most of the guides are in German, can you speak German? If not there are English guides but harder to get hold of. It's pretty much all sport as I remember but VERY old school bolting on some of the older routes. I did a 20 meter 6a with 1 bolt. Admittedly it was just before the crux so well placed but on some routes a set of small to medium wires is handy. Also the grades can be absoloutely brutal...like hard pulls on mono pockets on a 6b.

Off the top of my head I can't think of many routes that were super classic must do routes. However, the quality is very high so while there aren't many 3 star routes. There's a huge number of good 1/2 star routes? (Maybe others would disagree)

Edit: actually route called Seifertriss VI+ Was rad!
Post edited at 08:03
 jimtitt 13 May 2017
In reply to jon_gill1:
The Röker brothers guide is in German/English and parts of one of the others (Schwertner or Thum) if I remember rightly (I use the Röker guides).
Beware, they are all around 1,000 pages, the Röker and Schwertner are two volumes and the Thum one is a single brick. There is also a third Röker update with another 1200 routes.
Warning! If you buy a guide titled "Frankenjura" it could be for the Southern Frankenjura which is the area an hour´ s drive to the south, the better known and larger area is called the Northern Frankenjura.
For only one or two days a guide book is a waste of time and money really, just go to the online guide on Frankenjura.com https://www.frankenjura.com/klettern/panorama
There´s about 6,000 routes on there so enough for a weekend!

There are no unmissable routes up to 7a, just a lot. Forget trad. Carry a handfull of nuts if you go to a cliff which needs them (the guide will tell you). Take a long clipstick, the first bolts are a looong way up compared with other places (there´ s always a stick lying on the ground if needed).
The top anchor is usually just a single bolt, make sure you know how to re-thread bolts with small eyes.
Take some mozzie cream.
Discreetly sleeping up in a van is normal. Eichler´ s is tents only from memory. Campsite behind the pub at Moritz but there are plenty others.
Eat out anywhere, the Röker guide gives recommendations but there are hundreds of pubs in the area.
The local ethic is climb hard!
The style and grading can be a challenge to visitors.
Finding the cliffs can also be a challenge!
Post edited at 08:42
 AJM 13 May 2017
In reply to jon_gill1:

I put a load of beta on my blog, which is linked from my profile, but otherwise Reichelsmühler Wand has a whole line of good 6b+s in a row which were good. Gernerfels is small but also good routes.
OP jon_gill1 13 May 2017
In reply to Kemics:
That's great, thanks for the help and advice. I am basically picking up my friend from Holland and driving to the dollies so thought I'd break up the journey by stopping somewhere in Germany with a 'slight' detour as neither myself or climbing partner have been before. The only place I knew of was Frankenjura so thought it was as good as anywhere to call into for quick access but perhaps it's not?.... I prefer trad but it looks very nice there so worth the compromise I thought.

Cheers
OP jon_gill1 13 May 2017
In reply to jimtitt:

Wow thanks Jim that's very useful info. You are always a wealth of knowledge with all things climbing. Thanks so much for spending the time to write all that info. I will digest as soon as my ten week old gives me a chance!

Jon
OP jon_gill1 13 May 2017
In reply to AJM:

Thanks very much for that I will again when I get an hour or so check out your blog on Frankenjura. Cheers

Jon
 Alex Riley 13 May 2017
In reply to jon_gill1:
Schaumschlager at router fels and panisch zeiten at weissenstein were both really good when I was there breifly.

Weissenstein might be a good be for a quick hit, easy access, stays dry, good grade spread.

There is a free Topo download, but it takes some navigating to find the right crags.
Post edited at 13:07
 jimtitt 13 May 2017
In reply to jon_gill1:

No problem, some stuff I know nothing about like alpinism but I´ ve lived around the Franken for 20 years or more!
It´ s definately worth visiting, it´ s not the worlds biggest and best sport climbing area for nothing! Just it´ s such a big area it is hard to know where to begin if you have only a few days and basically I never visit the "tourist" cliffs like Roter Fels anyway. If you just go to any of the popular ones there will be plenty of people who have guidebooks and speak English.
There is trad but it´ s not seperated like other areas, there´ s just more or less (or no) bolts.
Another good campsite to meet climbers would be Barenschlucht near Pottenstein, bit of a dark hole in a gorge but always plenty of climbers in amongst the hordes.
OP jon_gill1 13 May 2017
In reply to Alex Riley:
Thanks that sounds about right for what we want!
Jon
OP jon_gill1 13 May 2017
In reply to jimtitt:
That great thanks Jim,I don't think we've ever met in person but I've read lots of your forum posts and I've met Scott on quite a few occasions.its always nice to put faces to those we speak to online.

Hope you are having a good year so far!

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