cavemen!

Finally the sun is back and as every climber I`m never happy with the weather. Heat beats up the friction. There`s only on way to avoid this... let`s hide in caves!!!

Last weekend I could climb my project in Ettringen. It`s called "Krieg ich gerne" and graded 8a+/8b (in my opinion really hard 8a+/8b) located in the caves. I worked it last year 1 day, but was way to weak to climb it.
This year I felt better,  had some problems with the weather and some holds that are always wet but thanks to the heat the caves were almost completly dry and I could start some serious attempts.
I always fell at the buzzkill move at the lip due to some wet underclings. I always thought "If I stick it, it`s done." But as always in climbing... it isn`t working like this.

buzzkill

stick it!

the lip

The bouldercrux at the lip is harder if you made it through the whole roof and the last holds are always wet so you need a little bit extra strenght in the last section.

After some frustraiting tries and a really painful knee from a kneebar in the roof and falling of at the lip 3 times because the holds were still wet, I could climb the route on the first day with dry holds at the lip.

green leaves... nice!

Feels good and I`m looking forward to try the original line "Krieg der Sterne" which is harder but in my opinion "the line" in this sector.
Thanks to: Thomas Schermer for the pictures!


Different day! Different country! Different cave!

With Koen I found another caveman and we made it over night to the Kronthal. Honestly we couldn`t climb our projects, but we had a really good time. Drinking coffee, eating, climbing, falling, swearing, sweating, cooking, sleeping, laying around and doing nothing. Hakuna matata!

in green

falling over and over again

civilized caveman

uncivilized caveman

wake up

the roof line

just 1 more try.... please!!!

I hope everybody had a nice easter climbing or bouldering trip to different areas. See you at the rock!