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"The Spankenjura" follows British climber Angus Kille on his journey through Germany's finest climbing area. Angus is known for being a good trad climber - but how will he handle small pockets, German beer and the abundance of good cake?Read more
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In reply to UKC News:
I recommend Frankenjura climbing ... and Shlenkerla smoked beer too ... but can't recommend the reverse order
I recommend Frankenjura climbing ... and Shlenkerla smoked beer too ... but can't recommend the reverse order
In reply to LeeWood:
Schlenkerla is OKish, but Spezial is the better smoked beer from Bamberg! Also, the Spezial brewery has the best beer garden in Bamberg.
CB
Schlenkerla is OKish, but Spezial is the better smoked beer from Bamberg! Also, the Spezial brewery has the best beer garden in Bamberg.
CB
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In reply to UKC News:
That's an excellent watch. Thought the film quality was excellent and loved the aerial shots.
That's an excellent watch. Thought the film quality was excellent and loved the aerial shots.
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In reply to cb294:
But something Schlenkerla offers but Spezial doesn't, AFAIK, is the rauchbier schnapps. A handy little livener that is like a form of Bavarian espresso.
> Schlenkerla is OKish, but Spezial is the better smoked beer from Bamberg! Also, the Spezial brewery has the best beer garden in Bamberg.
> CB
But something Schlenkerla offers but Spezial doesn't, AFAIK, is the rauchbier schnapps. A handy little livener that is like a form of Bavarian espresso.
In reply to UKC News:
Limestone is my least favourite rock, pocketed limestone is my least favourite type of limestone; I'm not that in to sport climbing and even when I am, I'm absolutely no good at it; I've never climbed in Germany and I've never even thought about a trip to Frankenjura. And that's still one of the best climbing films I've seen in ages.
Angus seems great company, Megos swearing in English is always amusing, and my middle finger tendons involuntarily twitched in sympathy with "the" mono shot! Good mix of music and super shots. Well done all concerned. I still want to pull on my ice tools tomorrow but I might have to get back down to Horseshoe (yeah, yeah I know) when the sun comes out.
Limestone is my least favourite rock, pocketed limestone is my least favourite type of limestone; I'm not that in to sport climbing and even when I am, I'm absolutely no good at it; I've never climbed in Germany and I've never even thought about a trip to Frankenjura. And that's still one of the best climbing films I've seen in ages.
Angus seems great company, Megos swearing in English is always amusing, and my middle finger tendons involuntarily twitched in sympathy with "the" mono shot! Good mix of music and super shots. Well done all concerned. I still want to pull on my ice tools tomorrow but I might have to get back down to Horseshoe (yeah, yeah I know) when the sun comes out.
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In reply to TobyA:
My thoughts exactly! The climbing looks absolutely miserable, but the film is really watchable due to the personalities and film making.
> Limestone is my least favourite rock, pocketed limestone is my least favourite type of limestone; I'm not that in to sport climbing and even when I am, I'm absolutely no good at it; I've never climbed in Germany and I've never even thought about a trip to Frankenjura. And that's still one of the best climbing films I've seen in ages.
My thoughts exactly! The climbing looks absolutely miserable, but the film is really watchable due to the personalities and film making.
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In reply to RM199:
Don't worry, there's lots of 80s-era bolted climbing there that's "sport climbing" in the same way that e.g. bolted slate routes from the same era are. Not at all, in other words.
A frankenjura "VII" can be anything from sport 6b to solid E3 5c, although generally a glance in the guidebook at the date & name of the FA tells you what you need to know.
Don't worry, there's lots of 80s-era bolted climbing there that's "sport climbing" in the same way that e.g. bolted slate routes from the same era are. Not at all, in other words.
A frankenjura "VII" can be anything from sport 6b to solid E3 5c, although generally a glance in the guidebook at the date & name of the FA tells you what you need to know.
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In reply to UKC News:
At 00:35 I thought " is that Slimline (8a+)"? The "easy" warm up to the right of Action Directe. Looking at Angus' logbook I assume it probably is - in which case that's the first shot I've seen that shows how impressively steep AD really is.
At 00:35 I thought " is that Slimline (8a+)"? The "easy" warm up to the right of Action Directe. Looking at Angus' logbook I assume it probably is - in which case that's the first shot I've seen that shows how impressively steep AD really is.
Post edited at 13:17
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In reply to AlanLittle:
Yes, it is. I watched someone trying AD and it was very impressive.
I'd love to do Slimline one day, partly because it is the poor man's AD and partly because being able to do it would represent such a sea change in my climbing. I tried it at the end of our trip there and basically failed to do all of the significant moves on it.
> At 00:35 I thought " is that Slimline (8a+)"? The "easy" warm up to the right of Action Directe.
Yes, it is. I watched someone trying AD and it was very impressive.
I'd love to do Slimline one day, partly because it is the poor man's AD and partly because being able to do it would represent such a sea change in my climbing. I tried it at the end of our trip there and basically failed to do all of the significant moves on it.
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In reply to winhill:
Didn't know that, but some other local breweries also distill the fermentation leftovers like a poor man's grappa. I tried the stuff from Weissenohe, but did not particularly like it.
If you like weird schnaps, though, you should go to Streitberg in the Wiesent valley. The local distillery makes schnaps and liqueurs from everything that can be either fermented and distilled or soaked in alcohol to extract the taste. Their mushroom schnaps is particularly vile (even worse than the Bavarian Enzian)!
Otherwise, go to any small village in Frankenjura and you will get excellent cherry, apple or pear schnaps. My current favourite is the ten year old pear schnaps from a small farm distillery in Weingarts, just a few miles from the Trubachtal crags (and walking distance from my parents' place). Bought it off the tractor right in the orchard....
CB
Didn't know that, but some other local breweries also distill the fermentation leftovers like a poor man's grappa. I tried the stuff from Weissenohe, but did not particularly like it.
If you like weird schnaps, though, you should go to Streitberg in the Wiesent valley. The local distillery makes schnaps and liqueurs from everything that can be either fermented and distilled or soaked in alcohol to extract the taste. Their mushroom schnaps is particularly vile (even worse than the Bavarian Enzian)!
Otherwise, go to any small village in Frankenjura and you will get excellent cherry, apple or pear schnaps. My current favourite is the ten year old pear schnaps from a small farm distillery in Weingarts, just a few miles from the Trubachtal crags (and walking distance from my parents' place). Bought it off the tractor right in the orchard....
CB
In reply to cb294:
I'm currently working my way through a bottle of Schlyrs - single malt from Schliersee in the Bavarian Alps. They explicitly say they're not trying to taste like scotch, and I'd say they've certainly succeeded in that - it's more like a very good fruit schnapps, apricot perhaps.
I'm currently working my way through a bottle of Schlyrs - single malt from Schliersee in the Bavarian Alps. They explicitly say they're not trying to taste like scotch, and I'd say they've certainly succeeded in that - it's more like a very good fruit schnapps, apricot perhaps.
In reply to AlanLittle:
Yes, I had a bottle of that last year, and quite liked it. Wrong end of Bavaria, though!
CB
Yes, I had a bottle of that last year, and quite liked it. Wrong end of Bavaria, though!
CB
In reply to UKC News:
Great film and great attitude.
Frankenjura is a superb area but you do need to drop your grade expectations a notch or three for sure.
Alan
Great film and great attitude.
Frankenjura is a superb area but you do need to drop your grade expectations a notch or three for sure.
Alan
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In reply to Alan James - Rockfax:
Or learn to climb properly! First thing I was told when I whined about the pockets being too small was my footwork was crap, just like Alex said. The "magic" trick is use one combination (of footholds) to take a handhold, another to use the handhold and another set to find the next one.
> Great film and great attitude.
> Frankenjura is a superb area but you do need to drop your grade expectations a notch or three for sure.
> Alan
Or learn to climb properly! First thing I was told when I whined about the pockets being too small was my footwork was crap, just like Alex said. The "magic" trick is use one combination (of footholds) to take a handhold, another to use the handhold and another set to find the next one.
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In reply to AlanLittle:
As can a Frankenjura III or IV. The only difference being that there will actually be some bolts in VII. Might just be me, but the (non) bolting policy of easier routes is elitist bollocks.
> A frankenjura "VII" can be anything from sport 6b to solid E3 5c...
As can a Frankenjura III or IV. The only difference being that there will actually be some bolts in VII. Might just be me, but the (non) bolting policy of easier routes is elitist bollocks.
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In reply to John Ww:
Not really or at least exclusively elitist, but more to do with tradition (plus environmental zoning rules) preventing retro bolting. Most routes at those grades simply were established before the sports bolting era, so just bring some trad gear and slings for the IIIs and IVs.
FWIW I would support blanket rebolting of most beginners' routes, but could of course not be bothered to do it myself. Unfortunately these grades are also way below the level of the new routers. Still, some new crags have routes at that level and are well protected, but that is some commendable community service!
And anyway, if want to experience truly shit pro and insanely placed first bolts, give Saxony try, especially on the easy stuff. After almost 15 years of living in Dresden, Frankenjura feels like Finale!
CB
Not really or at least exclusively elitist, but more to do with tradition (plus environmental zoning rules) preventing retro bolting. Most routes at those grades simply were established before the sports bolting era, so just bring some trad gear and slings for the IIIs and IVs.
FWIW I would support blanket rebolting of most beginners' routes, but could of course not be bothered to do it myself. Unfortunately these grades are also way below the level of the new routers. Still, some new crags have routes at that level and are well protected, but that is some commendable community service!
And anyway, if want to experience truly shit pro and insanely placed first bolts, give Saxony try, especially on the easy stuff. After almost 15 years of living in Dresden, Frankenjura feels like Finale!
CB
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In reply to John Ww:
No wonders, I learned climbing on Frankenjura limestone where you can largely trust the rock, and it took me something like six years before I plucked up enough courage for my first Elbe sandstone lead.
Unfortunately, before I moved home West last year the weather was crap most weekends, so I have some unfinished business on the sandstone. There are a couple of routes on Falkenstein I still have to tick.
CB
No wonders, I learned climbing on Frankenjura limestone where you can largely trust the rock, and it took me something like six years before I plucked up enough courage for my first Elbe sandstone lead.
Unfortunately, before I moved home West last year the weather was crap most weekends, so I have some unfinished business on the sandstone. There are a couple of routes on Falkenstein I still have to tick.
CB
In reply to UKC News:
Almost everything I normally hate in climbing footage, but done with such good humour that it came over as a subtly brilliant parody. Superb.
I don't think I'll be going though.......
Almost everything I normally hate in climbing footage, but done with such good humour that it came over as a subtly brilliant parody. Superb.
I don't think I'll be going though.......
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In reply to someone:
Totally agree. Really used to piss me off when I climbed there years ago when F6b was my max. Very very little to go on. Much more options nowadays right enough.
It's a bit of a truism, but worth repeating anyway:
The best climbing in the Frankenjura is the Fichtelgebirge*
* for punters
> the (non) bolting policy of easier routes is elitist bollocks.
Totally agree. Really used to piss me off when I climbed there years ago when F6b was my max. Very very little to go on. Much more options nowadays right enough.
It's a bit of a truism, but worth repeating anyway:
The best climbing in the Frankenjura is the Fichtelgebirge*
* for punters
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In reply to John Ww:
No it isn´ t, it´ s the result of a no-retro-bolting policy which is fairly standard throughout the world.
> As can a Frankenjura III or IV. The only difference being that there will actually be some bolts in VII. Might just be me, but the (non) bolting policy of easier routes is elitist bollocks.
No it isn´ t, it´ s the result of a no-retro-bolting policy which is fairly standard throughout the world.
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In reply to jimtitt:
Agreed.
Also ...
- easy climbing on limestone tends not to be that great anyway
- there tend to be so many big blocks, ledges etc on easy routes that no amount of bolting would stop you from hitting things, so it often really is a case of the leader must not fall
- carrying a couple of slings and a set of wires really isn't that onerous.
Agreed.
Also ...
- easy climbing on limestone tends not to be that great anyway
- there tend to be so many big blocks, ledges etc on easy routes that no amount of bolting would stop you from hitting things, so it often really is a case of the leader must not fall
- carrying a couple of slings and a set of wires really isn't that onerous.
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In reply to cb294:
Have you had any of this?
https://shop.baerwurzerei-hieke.de/klare-spezialitaeten/herzensbrecher-40.h...
It's an 'acquired taste' apparently...
> If you like weird schnaps, though, you should go to Streitberg in the Wiesent valley. The local distillery makes schnaps and liqueurs from everything that can be either fermented and distilled or soaked in alcohol to extract the taste. Their mushroom schnaps is particularly vile (even worse than the Bavarian Enzian)!
Have you had any of this?
https://shop.baerwurzerei-hieke.de/klare-spezialitaeten/herzensbrecher-40.h...
It's an 'acquired taste' apparently...
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In reply to TheGeneralist and John W:
I'm not sure that I'd label it elitist bollocks, as I don't know enough about the motivation behind it originally to make a judgement. However, there are plenty of routes which I would have liked to have lead, but have decided not to because of the sparse bolting.
For future reference, going a little further south to the Altmühltal between Treuchtlingen and Eichstätt gives plenty of really nice routes which go right down to the low grades which are very thoroughly bolted.
I'm not sure that I'd label it elitist bollocks, as I don't know enough about the motivation behind it originally to make a judgement. However, there are plenty of routes which I would have liked to have lead, but have decided not to because of the sparse bolting.
For future reference, going a little further south to the Altmühltal between Treuchtlingen and Eichstätt gives plenty of really nice routes which go right down to the low grades which are very thoroughly bolted.
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In reply to Green Porridge:
It´ s simple really, the Frankenjura is an old climbing area (over 100yrs) and the protection represents the normal level of the age. Pitons were replaced like-for-like by bolts so anything in roughly the 5´ s and below that had piton protection end up with maybe one or two bolts, most harder routes were aid routes and transformed into "sport" routes. New routes are bolted as the equipper wishes which leads to a mixed style on the cliffs, there are no restrictions and if you want easy routes bolted like an indoor climbing wall you just have to go to a suitable crag.
The policy is far from elitist, the first ascencionist 50 years ago or whatever climbed in the style appropriate for the time and their skills and the decision to preserve this was a democratic one by the climbing community.
The Frankenjura is a climbing area, not a sport climbing area even though there are a huge number of routes of this style.
It´ s simple really, the Frankenjura is an old climbing area (over 100yrs) and the protection represents the normal level of the age. Pitons were replaced like-for-like by bolts so anything in roughly the 5´ s and below that had piton protection end up with maybe one or two bolts, most harder routes were aid routes and transformed into "sport" routes. New routes are bolted as the equipper wishes which leads to a mixed style on the cliffs, there are no restrictions and if you want easy routes bolted like an indoor climbing wall you just have to go to a suitable crag.
The policy is far from elitist, the first ascencionist 50 years ago or whatever climbed in the style appropriate for the time and their skills and the decision to preserve this was a democratic one by the climbing community.
The Frankenjura is a climbing area, not a sport climbing area even though there are a huge number of routes of this style.
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In reply to jimtitt:
Thanks for that, I find the history of the area really interesting, and not knowing that is why I said that I didn't want to call it "elitist bollocks"
I've chosen not to climb some routes, because I wasn't happy about the frequency of the bolts, and from the ground, there didn't seem to be enough likely trad placements for my liking. I'm under no illusions that the four main factors holding me back are my weight, weakness, poor technique and cowardice.
As someone who knows a thing or two about bolting, do you have any suggestions for crags in the main area of the Frankenjura (by which I mean the area N and NE of Nuremberg), with lots of thoroughly bolted low-grade routes on?
Thanks for that, I find the history of the area really interesting, and not knowing that is why I said that I didn't want to call it "elitist bollocks"
I've chosen not to climb some routes, because I wasn't happy about the frequency of the bolts, and from the ground, there didn't seem to be enough likely trad placements for my liking. I'm under no illusions that the four main factors holding me back are my weight, weakness, poor technique and cowardice.
As someone who knows a thing or two about bolting, do you have any suggestions for crags in the main area of the Frankenjura (by which I mean the area N and NE of Nuremberg), with lots of thoroughly bolted low-grade routes on?
In reply to Green Porridge:
Haselstaudener Wände in the Trubach valley should fit your bill, or the Betzensteiner Sportkletterwand a bit further east (between the B2 road and the A9 motorway to Bayreuth).
Haven't been there in a while, though.
CB
Haselstaudener Wände in the Trubach valley should fit your bill, or the Betzensteiner Sportkletterwand a bit further east (between the B2 road and the A9 motorway to Bayreuth).
Haven't been there in a while, though.
CB
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In reply to Green Porridge:
Ammerthaler Wand
Schwartzbrennerei
Weißenstein
Ruine Leienfels
Graischenstein
Graischer Bleisteinwände
Breitenberg Sudwand
Here´ s some where the bolting in the lower grades vaguely resembles sport climbing!
Some years back I spent an entire summer climbing loads (about 300) of the "trad" easy routes for the guidebook much to the disgust of my climbing partner. She doesn´ t understand gear, hates run-outs, can´ t cope if there´ s no lower off and climbs in the 9´ s. She didn´ t get the fascination of boltless 6- cracks full of green slime, leaf mould, dead trees and ferns.
Ammerthaler Wand
Schwartzbrennerei
Weißenstein
Ruine Leienfels
Graischenstein
Graischer Bleisteinwände
Breitenberg Sudwand
Here´ s some where the bolting in the lower grades vaguely resembles sport climbing!
Some years back I spent an entire summer climbing loads (about 300) of the "trad" easy routes for the guidebook much to the disgust of my climbing partner. She doesn´ t understand gear, hates run-outs, can´ t cope if there´ s no lower off and climbs in the 9´ s. She didn´ t get the fascination of boltless 6- cracks full of green slime, leaf mould, dead trees and ferns.
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Anyone know the name of the songs used in the videos? Shazam isn't getting them
In reply to jimtitt:
Thanks! I've brought many a partner to a state of consternation by refusing a sparsely bolted but blank looking route for a harder, bolt-free neighbouring route with a crack all the way up it which I can stuff with gear. Apparently you can't hurt yourself on bolts, but tread is lethal...
Thanks! I've brought many a partner to a state of consternation by refusing a sparsely bolted but blank looking route for a harder, bolt-free neighbouring route with a crack all the way up it which I can stuff with gear. Apparently you can't hurt yourself on bolts, but tread is lethal...
In reply to jimtitt:
Fair enough Jim, I stand both corrected and better informed.
Thanks for putting me straight
Fair enough Jim, I stand both corrected and better informed.
Thanks for putting me straight
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In reply to jimtitt:
After an apprenticeship on Swanage, you'll appreciate owt.
Mick
> She didn´ t get the fascination of boltless 6- cracks full of green slime, leaf mould, dead trees and ferns.
After an apprenticeship on Swanage, you'll appreciate owt.
Mick
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