Frankenjura

Germany's largest and most well know climbing area, the Frankenjura has a long history and has been a forcing ground for free climbing as we know it today. The term "Redpoint" comes from the red circles painted at the bottom of the routes when they were first led from the bottom up.

It is a beautiful area with literally hundreds of relatively small limestone crags, that make up for in difficulty what they lack in height. Most of the harder routes are well bolted, although some of the easier ones either have spaced bolts, or need wires / friends. The crags are often hidden deep in the woods, and despite the short approaches are not seen until you actually reach them. This has the advantage of keeping them cool in the summer, but is often too cold or wet in winter. The best climbing times being spring, summer and autumn.

 

Number of routes
2000
Guidebook

Kletterführer Frankenjura Band 1 and Band 2 by Sebastian Schwertner. These excellent, comprehensive guidebooks cover the Frankenjura in two large volumes

Crags in this region:

Title Description
Betzensteiner Sportkletterwand

A nice place, easily accessible and close to Betzenstein swimming pool. Lots of mid grade routes up to 12m in length. It is north facing and stays cool in summer.

Bleisteine

A small crag very near the road that has some excellent routes up to 15m long. Unfortunately the "classics" are very polished

Grüne Hölle

A small crag with several excellent sustained routes, both in the easier and the harder grades. The climbing is on pockets and is overhanging on the east facing lower side, and vertical on the upper side. Routes are up to 20m long

Hexenküche

A lovely outcrop deep in a beautiful wood. Hexenküche has many excellent routes up to 7b-ish, easy access and as such is a popular venue. The routes go up to 25m in length, and the climbing is on both sides of the outcrop.

Soranger Wand

Another good, popular, steep, pocketed limestone crag with short (up to 12m) routes. It has a mix of grades.

Wolfsberg Grotte

A small crag with a large cave. Wolfsberg Grotte offers a few hard , steep routes, that unfortunately stay wet a long time.