Wohoooo a beautiful rainy bouldering day

Last Saturday I've been out to one of my favourite bouldering places called "Tick Grotte" on the Swabian Alb. This place keeps at least one day dry even if it rains hard. Now after one week of sickness and abstinence to any sport I decided to try a harder version of a boulder which I have put up years ago. The boulder is called "Beyond The Invisible" and if you climb it with a really good toe hook it's about Fb. 7b bloc. Manuel a friend of mine has done this boulder without the toe hook which makes the move a whole step harder and he suggests Fb. 7c bloc. So I tried to climb the boulder without the toe hook and I could do it right after the warm up session. After then I was trying to create a few other freely defined boulders to gain more finger strength. On thursday I'm heading off to Mallorca for the second deep water soloing session. Hopefully I can get used to it a bit more than the last time.

Weekend in Fontainebleau

The last weekend my girlfriend her dog and I spent a few days in the beautiful forest of Fontainebleau. We spent the first day in Franchard Isatis and Franchard Carriers. The first harder boulder I got on to was "Starsky" of which I first thought it would be Super Joker but it wasn't :-(. Nevertheless really cool line with nice moves and costs me about six tries. Before the trip I was searching on the website BLEAU.INFO for some cool boulders. The boulders where I was fascinated about have been some huge dynos in the newly developed area of Franchard Carriers. I could manage to do three of them.

1. Sylphide 7a
2. Mortel Transfert 7b
3. Voltex 7b+

After then I tried to make Rainbow Rocket 7c+/8a. The grade depends on which holds you're starting off. But anyway, I couldn't do it this time but I was really close. I missed the top about 10cm I guess. Next time I'll do it.

My girlfriend Bianca was spending her time by doing easier boulders because she started bouldering two weeks ago and is trying to get used to the rock and building up the necessary power for bouldering. Anyway she's doing great and is getting better from day to day and I try to keep up her motivation to keep hanging on. After a pretty cold night with somewhere around zero degrees and not much sleep we've been out for another day of bouldering. I tried La Balance sans la prise taillée 8a and I got further as before but there is still a bit power missing. I was getting weaker with every boulder that I was doing so I went to the last one which I've been keen on for many years. The boulder is called L'Aérodynamite 7b+/7c and is for sure a classic in Fontainebleau. A few tries and on my last one I was so close to the top, but as you can imagine not close enough this time. I've left Fontainebleau with empty muscles and lots of motivation for the next time. I know that I can do all the boulders of which I was talking here and I'm coming back to take them down!!! We'll see. Bye Bleau, bye to all of you...to be continued...

Ridin' the prima donna of Heidelberg

Today is the day. After a bad bouldering day yesterday with a beautiful evening at the airport of elchingen eating a huge schnitzel with french fries called "elchinger landebahn" I was well prepared for today. A lot of motivation and a lot of testosterone was too much for her. She capitulated after the third attempt that day. She was a bit sad that she lost the fight, but I told her even if I overcome her, she has nothing lost of her beauty and her halo she spread out to all the insane boulderers at the riesenstein.

==> In short words ... I did the "Philosophenweg" Fb. 7c trav.

Okay see you later girls and guys, I enjoy the "Beer of Victory" on my balcony and on friday I'm heading south to magic woods with some amazing people...

The diva (prima donna) of Heidelberg

If you would ask me if I know a boulder which can really be called a diva or prima donna, then it is the "Philosophenweg" Fb. 7c trav. I don't know any other boulder which currently sucks me more and is fascinating me at the same time. I do have the endurance and the power to climb it. But again and again she (the diva) dropps me off on the last hard move. This evening the 30st time, so this is getting more and more psychically because I'm currently missing the hold everytime I jump up to it. Normally I match the hold almost blind but now I'm not able to hit it right. Why do I think it's a diva? I would say because the boulder "Philosophenweg" is acting like a human diva. A diva makes you keen, a diva is twisting your head, your mind, your thoughts. A diva makes you obsessing over her and a diva lets you get close ... very close. BUT a diva never lets you get on her!!!!! That's why I think that this boulder is definitely a diva.

Was a beautiful "Experience"

Yesterday I've been out with the girls to enjoy the beautiful weather conditions and relax in the forest in the sun. Additionally to the beautiful location and moment I managed to to climb another great line which is called "Experience" at the "Blankenstein" location. "Experience" contains three powerful moves with small crimps, is slightly overhanging and somewhere around Fb. 7c bloc. Normally I'm not that powerful on small holds but it seems that the campusboard training is working well so that I was able to make my "Experience" within only three tries. Now the weather is getting warmer and I'm trying to put my boulder strength into route climbing for which I'm really psyched right now.

Vacation @ lake garda

Since saturday the 5th of april I'm spending a few days at my brothers home at the beautiful lake garda in italy. The main program was to relax and do some easy climbing to get used to route climbing since a strong bouldering winter. After a few days viewing some rocks and relaxing in the sun I did a good shopping tour through the climbing stores of Arco. I bought a new pair 5.10 shoes. The Anasazi V2, to have a more hard shoe for the more vertical and not much overhanging climbs. After the shopping trip I was keen on trying them on easy routes. Well what can I say, they are great but they are tight as hell ;-). But I think and hope that they'll get better after a few days wearing. Since today I'm back in the reality of the working life, but I think that I'll get out for some climbing at the Riesenstein and hopefully doing my last great boulder project for this boulder season. Let's see what will happen today...

A perfect day & three in a row...

After spending a stressful working day in the office and later on in our Cocktailbar until four o'clock in the morning I slept a few hours and try to get my mind clear and get some positive energy into my tired bones and emptied brain. Saturday was then a beautiful day. Instead of rain, snow or clouds a warm sun was greeting me and wind was slightly blowing through my hair. If someone would have told me that this day I'll climb three more fantastic boulders of my wishlist then I would have said that he or she is crazy. I just wanna go out in the nature having some fun at the rock somewhere out in the beautiful swabian forests. I left my fathers house at 3pm and an hour drive I found myself on a special location which is called "Blankenstein" with loads of beautiful and clear lines. I was really happy when I saw that all holds of the boulders I've thought of are almost dry. The first boulder I started with was "Pfeil und Bogen" which is around Fb. 7a+ and is a cool short line and I could make it on my third go. The next boulder which I was keen on is called "Kreuzritter" and I have to say that for its grade of Fb. 7b is sure a powerful line with sharp holds. Because of a really sharp edge I have to make it with only a few goes. After the fourth try I stood on the top. Right after the success of "Kreuzritter" I got over to the most stylish line of the cliff. "Orangutan" which is about Fb. 7b with the easiest topout. But because I was feeling very good these day I intent to try the direct topout which then is about Fb. 7b+. I couldn't believe that also this boulder was done after the fifth try. I hope that boulder days like these are not that rare in future. This was a great day not only from the climbing perspective, even the weather, the sounds of the forest and the good smelling fresh air. Hope it'll happen again soon...