Abandoned Secret Trad Climbing Area in Kottenheim Germany

 Hi All,

It has been a while since we shared a post. Main reason is our YouTube activities.

Being on a climbing trip in Europe we found the time to edit the video that we took in Kottenheim and Ettringen in Germany last month.

We went there to find a group of 3 routes called "De Drei Zwerge". Since it is not often climbed we called it a Abondened Secret Area 😀.

Please check out this movie on Youtube by pushing the link

And please don't forget to subscribe to our channel, we really appreciate it.

Trad Climbing in the Pfalz a real adventure, June 2020

Hi Guys or Girls,

Yes it has been a while that we wrote something in our Blog. This had many reasons but was mainly because of my shoulder injury that kept us from Climbing and even driving. So no Climbing.

Time heals everthing.

Now in 2020 with covid19 restrictions the borders opened at June 15th and we headed to Germany to climb in the Pfalz.

Without proper training we enjoyed a one week of Trad Climbing on the magnificint red sandstone of the Pfalz. As usual we used out Trad Gear with great pleasure.

We made some vidoes about our adventure and put it on YouTube. 

Please check it out and if you have question or comments please let us know.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKV27nPiEusYylUz-wP4Euw?view_as=subscriber

You can even subcribe to support us.

Thanks San and Jan

 

Pfalz Climbing 2018

Summer Holiday in September?

Yes, the whole period from begin June to mid summer half September was build around the recovery of San. She underwent a serious neck hernia operation that would definitely take a couple of months recovery to have her strength back again and I had an injured shoulder from just pushing heavy garbage into the dump. For San it was a real struggle as she had a lot of nerve pain in her arm and hand. The hand was painful even by slightest amount of water running over her skin. So instead of climbing we did a lot of hiking and sightseeing in "our favourite area" the volcano Eifel. Very pleasant but no or low climbing though.


Our first days of the vacation.
On Friday evening before our planned holiday we both left our work and were so tired that a long trip to the south was just too much for us. Therefor we changed our plan and drove just 5 hours to the Pfalz in Germany to enjoy the good weather over there and do some easy trad climbing for just a couple of days.

Wow, again we felt at home when we found our first crag called "Rotzollwand" away from the popular crags with only some nice singing birds to welcome us in their forest. Such a nice environment and from a distance quit nice sandstone crag too.

Climbing the first 4  called "Schönes Wändel" on gear was great but already quit demanding. The rest of the bolted routes seem to have worn out a little so that it became dangerous to the first bolt.
Nevertheless a nice day with a very nice expedition type or adventurer's hike back and forward.














Next day we went to a crag called "Westliche Kesselwand" with quit a long walk thru the forest with falling trees??? Here we did some very nice easy trad routes  but also some quite demanding. We collected chestnuts as they fell down from the trees without noticing so wearing a helmet was almost a necessity.

Last day we went to a crag called "Pferchfeldfelsen". Great crag. Nice easy route called "Dritte Rampe" looks easy going but already quit an adventure.




















A short summary: Yes, again a great short vacation period in the Pfalz, great weather, great crags, nice walks or hiking, delicious food and off coarse excellent wine! Life is great!
Even the trees love and kiss each other!!

Ruhrtal Katla Cave

Last weekend in cold and wet Germany we went for some bouldering.
As every year we enjoy the surroundings of the Ruhrtal and in particular the Avalonia area.
San was going for a hiking tour and I tried some boulders in the Katla Cave where I found some dry spots. Around noon even the sun appeared which made it more enjoyable.

Next day we went to one of our favourite Climbing Gyms called Bergwerk in Dortmund.

http://www.kletterhalle-bergwerk.de/bergwerk/deutsch/klettern-und-bouldern-in-dortmund.html

In comparison to many Dutch climbing gyms you can do lead climbing on all the routes if you want, and for crack addicted climbers like us there are even a couple of crack routes that are very enjoyable to do.

After finishing your climbing session you can have a very luxury massage shower. Never saw that before in other gyms. Something other gyms can learn from Hi Hi.

Pfalz Climbing

Hi, during the ascension weekend we decided to have a climbing weekend with some friends in the Pfalz in Germany.
Peter and Sven never had seen the area before so it was a good occasion for them to get some idea how the climbing and surroundings where in the Pfalz.
We where treaded with best weather ever with lots of sun and good temperatures.
We all loved the crags in the nice small towns which sometimes pop up above the trees and give a magic fairy-tale atmosphere.


For me the Pfalz is a special place for outrageous classic climbing on perfect sandstone where Wolfgang put its marks on several routes with with low protection that might be quit intimidating.
Nevertheless plenty of easy accessible routes for starting trad climbing.

The Team, Jan, Sven, Peter and San

Jan in Zickzackweg 6+ at Schafsfelsen

Peter in Zickzackweg

Sven on the Sudkante on Braut & Brautigum 5+

Sven at the top of the Braut & Brautigum

San on the Braut & Brautigam

The team at dinner at Camping Buttelwoog in Dahn

Halber Mann Ettringen

As announced I wanted to use my Big Bro in an off width trad route.
Well I did last weekend.


If you are looking for a full body work out, sweating, scary trad route try this one!
Wearing a helmet is questionable as it can get stuck along the way.


Have fun!

Ruhrtal Avalonia

This weekend we spend our time around the Ruhrtal in Germany.
Every year we enjoy to do some bouldering in Avalonia.
Great news that Boulderclub Ruhrtal https://boulderclub-ruhrtal.de/  has now become official owner of Avalonia to preserve the area.

Cold but nice

Katla

Also this year as a tradition we went to the climbing gym called Bergwerke!!
Its a great gym with toprope, lead, boulder and crack routes and a sauna, yeahh!!




Bergwerke, Super Gym

Zeckenloch Ettringen

We spend a day in Kottenheim Winfield in the crag called Zeckeloch. See blog in June

This time we started climbing some easy Trad routes right from Demenz that needed for sure some cleaning. After that we did some nice crack routes like Stipfel Gürmer, B.O.M and the fingery route Ulmer Grün. Please tape your fingers in this one.

If you visit this area please be aware that you check yourself on ticks, like last time we both had again some ticks that we removed after our shower. No problem just be aware.

Zeckenloch

Toms Lay St. Johann Ettringen

Hello,


Last week the whether forecast was bad. Rain was expected again.
So we slept a little longer to catch up from the week with early morning hours for work week duties.


We went to Ettringen a little later, nevertheless we still were the first ones in a small crag called Toms Lay in St Johann.
A few weeks earlier we cleaned most of the traditional routes during climbing, but now we went for some overgrown uglies that needed for sure some cleaning.
We started with the bolted Schach Matt 6 which is a pretty nice starter with some big moves.
I cleaned Rumpelstilzchen 6- from the top and San did the route on-sight trad.
Then we cleaned the bolted Tommahawk (a project before) which should be a 8- (6c+). Apparently harder than that I thought, specially the first large move and the balancing ending on the face and arête.
Regretfully I could not finish it due to my injured elbow.
We closed the day with cleaning and San climbing Himavat 7- just before the rain came down.
Next day we spend our time in Finsterlay Mayen, one of our favourite crags where we have our ceremony stone for our lost friend Martijn Seuren.
We tried some routes but conditions quickly changed from good to very bad. We left as it became too slippery. Once above quarry it was dry again, nevertheless went back thru the corn field and became soaked wet ha, ha, ha.

San rapping up in Finsterlay

Rain came pouring down on the crag

Purple Haze Ettringen

Hi this weekend a lot of rainfall in Ettringen.
Nevertheless with not so optimal conditions we tried a some nice Traditional routes.


On of the best ones was Purple Haze in Kuhlschrank.
Fantastic crack

Purple Haze 7 in the sun

Yippieh Yah Yah Yippieh Yippieh Yeah!

No it is not what you think.
We have not been to Texas to ride like cowboys behind a caddle but we went again to Ettringen in Germany.


This weekend it was supposed to be wet but it turned out well.
After finishing the traditional routes Voodoo Child and Midnight Lightning that seem to get no traffic I made an attempt in the grassy and tree overgrown YYYYY. Cleaning my way up and placed 0.75 cam below the roof, and went for a small tree and placed a sling before I could get to the small crack.
Some long reaches to the upper grip was sufficient after placing some micros'.
The last wider crack was a relieve and enjoyable.
Glad I could finished it. 

Cleaning Routes and Dealing with Wet conditions

Hi,
This weekend it was predicted to be  humid, wet and rainy, nevertheless we decided to take 3 days weekend in our favourite trad location Ettringen.


Ariving in St Johann Toms Lay we saw that al the routes where too wet, bummer.
We left and went to Kottenheim, there we decided to visit Zeckenloch, famous because of the ticks?
We started with a nice crack called Mausebar (5), delightful jamming and placing gear by San in the sun. Tricky ending though.
Then the technical Mach Dich Fot (7) took some Caribbean hip moves to get the job done.
The obvious line to the right was Demenz,(8), it took a try to define the hard start and the technical upper arête but could be achievable. Second go I got it send. Whow.
Last route of the day was at Verlegenheidsturm, a classic 6-, San made it, but I was 3/4 and the rain hell came down. Brrrrrrrrrr. I loosened the rope on top and walked downwards , scrambled back to the base.
We got wet to our underpants!




Next day we visited our glory place called Dornental.
It was wet but the sun came quit on time.
Starting with a 6, San believed she was ready for the 8- Dornenriss.
Piasing the first few meters to place gear at a horizontal crack and a cam 5 in the crack did the work.
Then some classic style movements to hang some slings in loose flakes (they wont get out) and the upper part with some 3-4 cams the route was in the pocket. Well done Sandra.
Now my turn.
We cleaned for one hour the route called Rehsturz (8+/9-), upper part was still wet from the rain but I put some tissues in it to dry, first go was artificial C1 (No Top rope) finding the correct entrance?
Then we both tried various versions, but none worked.
I believed a third version could work. It did, placing gear and taking the tissues out I could manage to hold the grips, nice technical fingertip moves and balancing all the way up, Yeah made it.




Last day we went to Ettringen, always full on normal climbing days but now almost empty (only a school class). We spend our time in rehearsing trad routes in the sun.
I got a tan, but importantly we enjoyed :-).

Dornenriss 8-

Rehsturz 8+/9-

Re-open classics

In May we used our time to re-open some classic Trad routes in Ettringen Germany.
Most of the routes showed green layers and scary tree trunks on top or loose rock from from winter time.
We did a lot of cleaning by brushing or scraping, that took additional energy from us.
Nevertheless we enjoyed the great settings and wonderful trad routes in Ettringen.


Due to my elbow injury I had to coach San to do the leading.
She managed very well and even got inspired to lead scary un-protected routes.




This weekend we finished only two routes due to the humidity but they were oh so nice.


Café Bendisberg is a real beauty in Toms Lay.
Some weeks ago the route was full of needles of the Pine tree and unclimbable, but now it seemed worth while of trying it, but still some cleaning work was needed.
San did during leading it, a real effort for one hour.( Pain in the legs and arms)




For more information please take contact with us or provide us with some input so we can serve you what you want read.




Enjoy climbing trad routes, San and Jan

Germany Ettringen shots

Just some shots from this summer



Grain Field to Finsterley Mayen



Clean Crack



Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap

 

True Romance



Finger Crack, love it

Germany Bouldering Ruhrtal 7 February 2015

In a frozen but dry and sunny Avalonia Ruhrtal we love to do some bouldering.
Not high level but just enjoying climbing and the life we live.

Started with -2°C

San

Germany Ettringen 11 August 2012

San trad climbing.

On a beautiful weekend in August.

Belay by Peter

 Rampensau 4