Nuremberg

I had a couple days to myself in Nuremberg while Jochen was in school so I walked around town quite a bit and got some nice photos that give a nice feel for what a southern German town is like! Some of the photos are similar to ones I’ve posted on instagram.  Putting them up anyways because I like them..

Cities In Europe have so much more character than in the states! All the cities seem to have a main downtown where no cars are allowed and only people are allowed in the streets. It gives walking through town a much nicer feel and all of the restaurants and other businesses seem more appealing! (especially since most of the food is better..) Also, many of the shops and restaurants are in old stone buildings that almost no business in America would invest enough in to build.  (I dont think that most of the businesses here necessarily have the money to construct the buildings they are in.  In most cases they probably inherit the buildings from when they were built many years ago. However it is  that the buildings appeared the way they are, it’s great!)

Theres a castle downtown!

Castle interior

Downtown Market

 

Downtown Market

This is a View from the Castle in downtown Nuremberg

View from Castle

Europe!

GERMANY

It’s been about two weeks now that ive been in Europe.  I flew into Munich on the evening of April 24th and made my way to Stuttgart by train that evening where I met up with my friend Jochen Perschmann.   We headed straight from the train station to Nuremberg, a city right next to the Frankenjura where Jochen goes to school.

Walked around Munich before my train.

Train station

 

Frankenjura:

Frankenjura town

The Frankenjura is the name of a fairly large region consisting of green and yellow fields tended by farmers, small picturesque villages, forests,  and scattered across it are hundreds of small limestone cliffbands and boulders.  It’s similar to Fontainebleau and Leavenworth in that a single days climbing will generally involve a few different areas that are driven between because the distances separating them are too far to walk.  The Frankenjura limestone yields primarily pockets and crimps with lots of unusual (to someone outside the frankenjura..) open-handed/split fingered holds.  I must admit that I got pretty OWNED in the Frankenjura.  Not sure if it was the style not suiting me, it being hot, or me just punting, but besides climbing it was great to see some important climbing history and catch up with my buddy Jochen! I saw Terminator, the first 8A boulder, Action Directe, the first 9a route, the makeshift edges carved into a wooden beam where Gullich, Kauk, and Albert trained, the first 8b+, the first 8c, and maybe some more that I’m forgetting. SO much climbing history is here!

Frankenjura

Jochen training for Frankenjura

Jochen sent his project recently and we went back out to film it (Hence Stefan hanging and filming)

Terry Paholek on Spectre (V13)

Here is a vid Terry Paholek on Spectre.  I was working the problem with him my last time in Bishop and we made good progress (most likely due to our last names both being Ukrainian!)

Notice the lack of a shoe on his right foot. With a right climbing shoe on, most people’s right foot can’t fit deeply enough into the starting hold to do the second move so the secret to sending is taking off the right shoe.  Believe me, barefoot is good, although it makes the already dicey topout into a bit more of a nailbiter.

Free Willy (V10)

Me on Free Willy

 

Bishop Photo Dump 2!

More good shots of Bishop.  This time mainly rock climbs, but we also saw another great sunrise when we got up early to climb on one day when it was supposed to start raining in the early afternoon.  All pics by me (on Jesse’s Canon t3i)!

Jesse on Jedi Mind Tricks, a 5star V4 mega classic. The climb consists of one exceptional crimper rail weaving at all angles up a 20ft pristine patina face.

Jon Thompson on Solitaire, a super nice V8 out at Dale's Camp. Notice the Buttermilks in the background. The climb consists of three good rails separated by two sweet dynamic movements.

Jesse Warren on the crux move of Spectre (V13)

Chris Sinatra on Social Distortion (V12/13), the beginning section of the climb to the right of Evilution. SICK

Another great sunrise from camp

Hueco Wrap-up (Part 3)

Ridiculous hueco flapper!

Unfortunately I haven’t recovered the media I was hoping to have for this post, but I’ve greased some wheels and pulled some strings to get some good stuff together.

Chris on Crown of Aragorn (V13). He's on Better Eat Your Wheaties right here, which, BTE, is most surely V9 and not V8!

Chris had some great success finishing off both Crown of Aragorn (V13) and Nagual (V13), two serious crimping testpieces.  Very nice work Chris! Inspires me to start getting my fingers stronger..

Alsop very impressive were Katha’s ascents of Barefoot on Sacred Ground (V12) and Rumble in the Jungle (V11). Very nice work! I gave a report of her having a killer day on East Mountain a few posts ago, and there is a video of that day below. You can check her blog for video of Rumble and Barefoot (there’s a link on the right side of the page).

Katha topping out Barefoot on Sacred Ground (V12). Notice that the ground is not close to her.. What a badass!

Jorg put many solid efforts into Desperanza (V15?), cruising all of the moves except for THE bone move.  On the first day he stuck the bone move, also the day he did Esperanza, he stuck the move from the bottom of Desperanza and then fell (He was talking to us during this attempt, so i’m pretty sure it wasn’t really a serious effort..).  Then after a few more days working it he finally got the bone move from the bottom, but fell on the last deadpoint to the jug finish hueco! Despite not sending, I’m sure after his 20+ attempts on the climb he will be feeling VERY strong on roofs in the near future.  Never a bad thing..

I couldn't get any pics of myself on The Flame (they are out there somewhere) so here is one of Chris. Photo Credits: Katharina Saurwein

I went back to Slashface a number of times and made progress, but unfortunately was not able to leave with a send!  The next time trying the problem I was able to match the crux slot, cut my feet, and hold the swing probably 4 or 5 times without finishing the problem.  At this point on the climb, most everyone is able to finish after one or two times reaching this point.  Unfortunately, after holding the swing my fingers would get wedged in the crux hold and I wasn’t able to pull them out easily enough to gain the next hold! Frustrating! I did walk away with a send of The Flame (V12) though, which is a mega-classic that I found out about probably around ten years ago.  It also felt quite satisfying because I was able to pull it out on my last attempt on a climb on this trip to Hueco.  Pulling out under pressure felt quite nice!

My finger after getting stuck a few times in the Slashface slot..

Me on Terre De Sienne (V13)

Photo Dump!

Lots of talk last time, so this time just photos!

Colin, Jon, and I messing around camp at night with lamps. For an 8 second exposure we would count 'one-two-three-COVER-five-LIGHTS-seven-eight!'

Me under The Swarm (V14)

Sunrise at the Milks from our campsite. Woke up a little before seven because I needed to pee and was greeted with this! The rocks were quite dark in the photo, but I wanted something in the foreground and to include the milks, so i lightened them up on the computer (thats why the foreground looks a little unnatural).

Here's a shot where Jon is waving a stick with about a foot of embers on the end and I'm standing behind him waving the headlamp. I think you can see my face to the left of his.

Profile pic! The favorite! I'm behind jon again doing the headlamp while he does the stick. I don't think I'm really visible in this one..