Autumn in Frankenjura

In September me and a few friends had a good time in Frankenjura. For the first time we visited some sights, like museums, castles and the Maximiliansgrotte. It was fun to see some parts of Frankenjura besides the climbing crags.
About the climbing: I used the time to visit a lot of new crags, searching new projects. Since I didn´t send one of them I am planning to use them to motivate me for training this winter, so that I can climb them next year. I sent Steep mud (8a pics below) wich has some reachy bouldermoves, that I really enjoyed and I sent my "long-term project" starlightexpress (7c) at Zwergenschloss (picture above). It took me more trials than any other 7c so far. I also visited some bouldercrags with Markus "Ixi" Ixmeier. He took some impressive pictures that you can find below. After travelling for almost two years I am now starting my training as psychotherapist in Berlin while working in Hamburg.

Back in the north

A few weeks have passed since my last post so this is a short summary about my last days in Spain and the first weeks back in Germany. I really enjoyed may, surfing in Portugal, doing something else than climbing, but after three weeks it was time for me to go back to climbing. So we went to Albarracín for bouldering. After the break I was very weak and it was annoying to fail on boulders that I usually manage easily. One week later I became a bit stronger and was happy to send “wave” a 7C traverse at parking sector (right picture) and a few other nice boulders. Actually Albarracín is not a summer area, but due to the cloudy rainy weather it wasn’t too warm. We wanted to go back to Germany, so we decided to head north and stopped by at Targassonne. It was my first time in this area. There are a few nice boulders, but the sharp Granit is not really my favorite. After two days we headed to Germany and had a very nice end of our trip at a hot spring at Fontpedruse. It was wonderful to take a hot bath in the middle of a beautiful valley under a sky full of stars.

 The first weeks in Germany I worked as climbing coach in Oldenburg and after a week of training in the gym I competed at the German Bouldercup at the Outdoor Show in Friedrichshafen. I made the 10th place, which is okay for me, since I really didn’t train on plastic the whole year. We spent a few days in magic Wood and I was happy to send the classic “Supernova” (7C) (picture below). Then I went to Sustenpass to see a new boulder area for two days. I really enjoyed the mountain atmosphere and a bit of snow there and I am looking forward to go there once again. Now I´m psyched to train intensively with Stefan and I am looking forward to spend the rest of summer in my “home area” Frankenjura to find some new projects there.
Pictures: Markus Ixmeier/boulderclassics.com, Stefan Bühl

Video zona 30 8b

Finally the video about my first 8b in Margalef is finished. Enjoy it!

Trip to Spain III

Stefan and me spent some more weeks in Margalef. Last week I sent Devora cordes (8a) at Laboratori sector. It`s  a nice line through pockets and cracks, with a bouldery crux at the last part of the route and after that you have to mantle up to the anchor, which is very funny cause it´s like bouldering in Fontainebleau and also a very challenging move when you’re pumped. I think this is the last route at Laboratori sector for me because it´s a sunny sector and now it’s getting very warm here in Margalef.

Even in the shade it´s sometimes too hot for climbing but despite the high temperatures I sent the very beautiful line called Esaú (8a+) at Cova Soleiada sector (pictures). It´s 30 meters long and a very logical line through a crack with a big variety of tufas. It took me a lot of work to find the best way through the big supply of holds but finally I sent it with very sweaty fingers, due to high temperatures about 35 degrees. My endurance is getting better and I´m trying to climb longer routes now, after spending a lot of time bouldering at Laboratori sector and it´s really fun to climb a different style now.

We enjoyed our last days of climbing, since we are heading to Portugal to meet my brother and friends and spend some time surfing. I´m looking forward to take a break  from climbing because I think after climbing intensively for the last month my body and mind need some more restdays to stay healthy and motivated.

We spent our last days in Margalef at a parking at the other side of the river, where they are building a campsite now. So free camping won´t be possible at this parking in the future and at the popular free parking at the dam (Pantà de Margalef) it is the same. I see that establishing sanitary systems is necessary due to the number of climbers in this area but I hope, that it won´t change the atmosphere too much and that it will still be possible to sleep in vans outside the campsites. For more information see the FB Profile of the campsites.

We met a very nice German couple; they travelled to Asia with their old-timer van the last month, which I find very impressive and maybe interesting for my readers too, so check out their blog: Travel-n-roll.de

Trip to Spain II

Already a few weeks passed since our last post so I will give you a short summary of our last adventures. Eastern was spent in Camarasa and St Llorec de Montgai. These are small climbing areas, close to Lleida with a few very nice sectors. We did some climbing in La selva sector, two very overhanging caves with hard graded classical problems(Foto above). The other days we spent in Camarasa (Foto right) which also offers some very nice routes from 6a to 8a+.

Now we are back in Margalef and last week I climbed a nice short 8a at Cíngles del Moli sector. It’s a beautiful line with reachy moves on tufas and underclings, but very close to the street and without a   name (don’t know why). It seems to me like the hardest 8a I ever did. The short boulder crux in the first part took me a lot of tries and after that I fell two times at a funny jump to the jug, before the route is almost done. I really enjoyed this one and all the short routes in Margalef, since these kind of routes are training my boulder power.

Two days ago I sent the Sargantana killer (8a+) at Racó de la Finestra (Foto). It´s a steep endurance problem on crimps and pockets. I really enjoyed it and also found out where the name is from: when I was climbing, I heard a noise like someone was knocking on the wall from inside one of the pockets in the last part. First I was afraid, because it was very loud and then I thought the animal could bite me when I grab the hold. But nothing happened, so I can still recommend this route and let you discover the sargantana in there, that’s a small lizard but I think it´s not dangerous.

At Laboratori sector we found a very special 7c roof called “Sikautot”. It´s like bouldering in the gym on big holds in the roof. We took a very nice picture (first Foto), actually that was the main reason I climbed it, but I also enjoyed to climb my first route in a real roof. We met some nice people of the Belgium Steelfingers Team and we´re having a great time. 

Climbing trip Spain

Since January I have been on a climbing trip in Spain. The first month was spent in Siurana. It´s a beautiful place but for me it was hard to get into the style of crimps on long vertical routes as I am used to bouldering. In the middle of January it began snowing and we had a few very cold days spent sitting in the van close to the heater in the evenings. The snow was so heavy, that it became impossible to get up the steep and bendy road to Siurana. Despite the snow it was very warm in the sun and were able to climb a few days. I enjoyed our time in Siurana but wasn’t able to find a project that inspired me. I was very happy to go to Margalef in February the pockets and steep bouldery routes are more my style. In Margalef there was still snow and when we arrived a friend of mine almost got hit by an huge Ice block rolling off the top of La Finestra. Then it became warmer I found a nice 8b project at Laboratory, called Zona 30. It is a short bouldery 8b with 15 hard moves in a row, including crazy hooks and big sloopy pinches which is my weakness. I was psyched to train on it and two days ago I was very happy to send my first 8b after climbing two 8a+/8b last year. We are still having a good time here in Spain with a lot of nice people and looking forward to see more climbing areas.
          

A Week in Fontainebleau

In november me and my boyfriend Stefan spent a week in Fontainebleau to test our new van. It was the first time for me to climb in Fontainebleau with good (dry and cold) conditions. Although there were only two days without rain we used the opportunity to climb a few boulders. Enjoy the video.

Boulder bei die Fische Bouldersession at FlasHH Boulderspot

On October 11th, the new boulder spot FlasHH in Hamburg held its first boulder competition. It was a great event with more than 200 competitiors. The route setters did a good job and after the qualification with 40 Boulders to climb the best six male and female climbers reached the finals. Thanks to the DJs including GorillaGroove, the music at this event was the best I have ever heard at a competition!

Another highlight at the competitions was that the last boulder of the finals was illuminated by black light. Even though I wasn't able to see anything but the illuminated holds, I could manage to climb the boulder. I climbed all three final boulders on the first try, and so did Teenat. So we had to compete in a "super final" where we tried one of the boy's final boulders. At the end, me and my boyfriend Stefan won the competition and received some funny fish price cups and a smoked eel each, which is not my favorite fish. Nevertheless, thanks for a great event!

Pictures Anna Stubbe