UKC

An insight into the characterful crack climbing on the Elbsandstein towers of Germany and Czechia, where knotted rope replaces metal trad gear and bolts, and chalk is banned...

'When things are stripped back to basics, it is the only true gauge of what we can really climb. For those prepared to taste the Elbe sandstone's unique style, it offers an unforgettable climbing experience. A rare treat in an ever-changing world.'

Read more

Nice.

Awesome stuff!! This is the sort of thing I love to read on UKC!! 
 

The elbesandstein… so tantalisingly awesome sounding yet so scary also

Could you add route and tower names to the picture captions? Some are easy to recognize, but not all, and they all look great. Thanks. 

Nice article Stu, thanks! Definitely one of the best places I've ever climbed! 

What an adventure, particularly that coach journey...

Thanks for the great article. It is always a pleasure when a foreigner shows such deep understanding and respect for our traditions.

For fun: This is song about Czech sandstone climbing.

POVL means something like scum and at the same time it´s an abbreviation for trad climbing.

Rocks are arount town Turnov (differet area, no Elbe sandstones and even more crumbly) and you can see local legends and local climbing festival POVL

youtube.com/watch?v=hjIndyu7wNc&

Aby ses z toho neposral, ted nam tady budou litat vsichni ) greetings from Czechia )