Climbing Frankenjura for Doldis – a beginners guide

Germany has a small climbing paradise in the middle of Bavaria.  The Fränkische Schweiz aka Frankenjura has an enormous amount of bolted Jura rocks with grades ranging from 3 to 9a. Finger pockets, powerful and dynamic climbs, shady and short overhangs are typical characteristics of the walls here. Yet, a few long king lines, crimps, vertical and technical routes exists too. More than 12.000 routes, in >300 sectors  , scattered all over the region of the Fränkische Schweiz.  No surprise if you get lost.

Where do you start, whats good, whats bad? It’s a maze, and you can climb for years without coming back to the same crag.

So what is the best way to find your way through the maze?

Know your grade, love holes, love forests

Also know with whom you’ll be climbing with. If your climbing partner climbs at the same level, Perfect!

If you’re climbing in a group of different levels,  making everyone happy could become a challenge. In such cases, start off your climbs at an easier sector and then change off later  to another sector with other grades. Some valleys have an array  of  sectors within walking distances,. I appreciate the general approach time here by 2 to 10 mins so much. Great, when you have little time.

In Germany, climbing grades are listed in the UIAA form.

What do you do on crowded long weekends  or school holidays? Open your books again – Non mainstream crags doesn’t mean they ain’t good.  Perhaps the routes are less dense, sometimes with just one or two, or they could be further to walk. But they are far quieter. Classics and those rated with 4-5 stars  or near campsites are usually favourites of many. Logical, right?

The Jura limestone in Frankenjura is all about pockets and dents. It still surprises me to meet people who comes here who says they loathe climbing on holes. Bürschla, why are you here?

Best season to climb

I met a french couple the other day who claimed they chose to climb in Frankenjura in summer instead of their french alps. Now that was extraordinary!

Best season for climbing in Frankenjura is from Spring to Autumn. Many of the walls are hidden behind tall luscious greens, making it perfect for hot summer days. It can also get very humid too since the walls are not situated at any high altitudes. In such days, caves or towers on a slope are good options.
On sunny, winter days hit for tree free walls, far away from hidden walls in caves that seep and stays wet most of the time. You won’t always find ideal conditions. There are long periods of fog and icy cold winds  An indoor gym provides often better conditions.
Take note on the large amount of walls that are closed during the bird bans.

Warm, humid and wet are best conditions for Ticks to thrive in. And there are many in the region.  Do take precautions against tick bites.

Where to climb in Frankenjura?

Short, maximal and overhanging, finger pockets or crimps,  or long, vertical and alpine?
The choice is yours.

Some claim that climbing in Frankenjura lacks diversity.  They probably have not discovered the walls with crimps and ledges yet.

The Frankenjura rocks are basically out of limestone. A few kilometres out of the region and you find yourself surrounded by granite or sandstone. It’s amazing.

A guide book is the best way to get the information you are looking for. You could

1. browse through the thick complete Frankenjura Guidebooks  from autor Sebastian Schwertner. The latest edition (which comes out almost yearly) is from 2024.
2. get a pre-selected recommendation of walls  – the Frankenjura Extreme Guidebook shows the most important places you shouldn’t miss on your trip. However, the last edition was published in 2006.
3. The Vertical-life App features both Frankenjura 1 and 2 guide books from the Panico Verlag. Their “detail” search makes it a whirl to find crags near you, crags in different levels, crags with sun/ shade/protected from rain, etc. (internet connection is necessary) Topos works offline once you have them downloaded (so download first before heading off. Connections often don’t often work well in the woods). It’s great if you don’t need to have all the topos at once. Alternatively, you get a free code with the purchase of the printed guidebook to access the topos and travel light without the book.
4. The Frankenjura.com website is a useful resource too. It lists most of the crags with a star rating. Its huge database gives you nice results of crags you desire. Some topos are free, many of them are only available to members for a fee per year. Works and viewed best on your desktop pc.
5. The Rökers published a climbing guidebook too that’s currently in it’s 3rd edition, from 2020. (ISBN 978-3-938680-41-4) They have an english translation to their book, online. Occasionally, if you aren’t sure if the crag is the correct choice, you can check up for real photos on their site
6. Other Apps available are TheCrag (free), and Crag27 (with a fee)

Believe me, Frankenjura is huge. Forget making copies of the thick guidebook. In a matter of time you realise a guidebook or App is the better resource for access and topo documentation. Or get one second Hand.

Climbing and respecting the natural environment goes hand in hand. If you are interested to know more about the Climbing Concept for Frankenjura, the Tourist Info hands out brochures and Info packages online.

Gear, equipment and bolting styles

60 m is just nice in most cases. The majority of the walls are mostly between 12 and 22 m high. Prevent accidents by always tieing a knot at the end of the rope.

You can use an 80 m rope at Roterfels, Wolkensteiner, Bandstein, Rolandfels, Dooser Wand or Student, etc. There are usually abseil possibilities in the middle of the route.

Quickdraws: A set of 10 Quickdraws gets you around (more, if you’re heading for tall cliffs).

Unfortunately, not all classic routes are always perfectly bolted and often, it is the easier grades that are sparsely bolted. Sometimes with just one or two bolts. One of the harshest critics on Frankenjura is it’s bolting moral. Do take a better glance at a route before you climb. If you’re an expert with nuts and friends or slings, take some along. Alternatively, a clipstick is a good helper too. Though bad for the climbing moral, we are way past the age where a broken ankle don’t heal quickly.

Slings tied to a sand clock hold is a frequent sight. Many of them have been hanging for a number of years and are in bad condition. Slings can break, but also rock and break. Avoid falling in one of them. They don’t always hold a fall well, resulting in some deadly falls.

A glue-in Bühler bolt is often used in Frankenjura. Don’t be surprised if you don’t find any chains at the end of a route. The anchor is usually also just a Bühler, without any redundancy.

A note about Top-ropes: Top-ropes are great when you are checking out a route. But constant top-roping wears a bolt or anchor out quickly. Many areas that are highly frequented and top roped, show signs of usage of the bolts. Please use your own quickdraws at the anchors to build a safe rappel while you top rope to minimize the wear and tear of the bolts.

Accommodation

Campsites:

There are plenty of camp sites around Frankenjura and they are really good for your purse! I’ve put up a map for your convenience. (Please use at your own risk)

Here is also an official List of motorhome / RV Parking sites from the FS-Tourist Info.

Guesthouses/ Rooms/ Apartments 

Not only is eating out is a gastronomical experience for your purse, guesthouses in the Fränkische Schweiz is affordable too. For as little as 14 € /Person you could put up in a room. Holiday rental apartments starts from 25 € upwards. The official tourist board  lists some of the many accommodations available in the region.

Wild camping:

Spending the night alone in the wilderness free from conservative, crowdy campgrounds is not a dream anymore today. The desire to put up your tent or park your van in the wilderness is wide-spread and sometimes a nightmare. The Vanlife culture booms. A cult that’s happening massively. Recently, in 2021 we spoke again to one of the local farmers – the feedback wasn’t positive, and it’s always about the same topic. Shit and toilet paper everywhere. I understand them when they say, we’re closing the roads to our fields.

Wild camping is not allowed in Germany. However… a bivouac sways in a grey zone. (bivouac = anything with no tents, no chairs, no tables = no camping) For us, this is the simplest form of travelling. But we follow a few points seriously, especially in Frankenjura:

• Keep a low key and stay out of sight. Be ALWAYS friendly to anyone (farmers, hunters, forester, property owner) who comes your way. Pack and clear up if asked to. A bivouac is still tolerated from some locals even though it has been officially communicated that wild camping is unwanted.  I have also observed a growing habit of camping chairs and tables next to vans while the owners go climbing! Parking lots are no campgrounds. Please refrain from turning it into one even though the locals seem to be tolerant. Pack up early.
• Please take your rubbish along and throw them in the bins. (And not on the road) I was shocked to find big bags of rubbish in the middle of the parking lot of Rolandfels last summer.
• No fires, please! In dry periods (also in winter) a spark could cause the whole forest to burn in big flames. Did you know: Smoking and fires in the forest is banned from 01 March – 31 October each year! On very dry days, park your car away from any forest or meadow.
• If you have to do your business, poop in such a manner that no one sees, smells, or step on it. There are more and more mobile toilets in frequented climbing areas. Please use them. Or take a plastic bag along, and dispose of this and your toilet paper later in a proper waste bin. Just like you do it for your doggies. A local recently said “there’s too many of you” it’s a clear statement whats happening.

Make your sport sustainable. Leave no trace and stay invisible.

Getting there and around

You will need a car to get around in the region. If you are travelling without one, it’s still possible to get to a climbing area, with less choices of crags in the neighbourhood. The disadvantage of using public transport is that these buses aren’t very frequent and your time for climbing will be limited to those times.

The next airport is in Nürnberg. From there (the Hauptbahnhof) hop on the next regional bus to Pottenstein / Tuchersfeld. The next bigger Airport is either Munich or Frankfurt. It takes about a 2-2.5 hours drive to get into the Fränkische Schweiz.

Learning the language

The best way to start learning any language is over a beer or food.  Did you know there’re about more or less 53 german dialects spread out in Germany?  Since Franken belongs to Bavaria can you not say that the Franke are Bavarians? Theoretically, yes. But don’t ever say that out loud unless you’re a Doldi. Franken is Franken. Hä?

The Franke (Frangge) loves cutting a sentence short. The pronunciation for certain alphabets are rounded off with a soft thud, a p becomes a b, a t become a d. The local is also very direct. They speak their minds. If you can’t decide which beer you want or if you start off the order with “a Schnidd”, they’ll leave you to thirst and decide before coming back to your table.

10 perhaps most important survival Fränkische phrases to know while you are in the region:

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Want to know more about this dialect? Check out this fränggische wiktionary

Rest days:

• Bing cave, Devil’s cave
• Swimming in Pottenstein, Muggendorf
• summer-bob-sleigh riding
• Hike the idyllic forests and slopes of the Fränkische Schweiz
• MTB the landscapes.
• In case you want to see one of the cities, Bamberg is famous for its traditional private breweries with 50 different kinds of beer to try from. There’s a “BeerSchmecker-Tour” package which you can take to taste all these or go on your own to the different beer cellars. Bamberg is a world heritage with its medieval style lanes and houses and for all baroque enthusiasts very worthwhile a visit.
• Bayreuth is known worldwide for it’s Richard Wagner Festival or the “Festspiele” in August. The most well preserved Baroque Theatre in Europe lays in Bayreuth with the Margravial Opera House. If you want to experience opera pieces of Wagner, try getting tickets well in advance. Black-market tickets can go as expensive as 800 € per Person. Feeling a little spendthrift today?

Climbing / Boulder Gyms:

• Kletterhalle Climbing Factory Nürnberg – 850 qm
• Kletterhalle des TSV 1846 Nürnberg – 350 qm
• Sportcentrum Nürnberg – 400 qm
• Kletteranlage im Matchpoint Altdorf – 150 qm
• DAV Kletteranlage Röthenbach – 160 qm
• Hanne-Jung-Kletterhalle Erlangen – 260 qm
• DAV Kletterhalle Schabach – 230 qm
• Spieser Kletterhalle Betzenstein – 130 qm
• Magnesia Kletterhalle Forchheim – 1220 qm
• Cafe Kraft
• E4
• Block helden
• DAV Kletterhalle Bayreuth
• Fightclub in Betzenstein
• Frankenjura Academy
• a.s.o

Useful links:

• Up-to-date Topos and Route database of the whole area – www.Frankenjura.com
• Weather for Fränkische Schweiz by Wetterochs
• Scenes and news – www.climbing.de and www.kletterszene.com
• private breweries we’ve been to

Last but not least, things not to do

We want that climbing areas in Frankenjura to stay sustainable. Actually, we want all climbing areas in the world to stay on for a long while. Help keep it beautiful and clean. Everyone plays a part in the outdoors whether you hike, bike, climb or are just a camper.

If you see something where you think you could do good, do it.

Finally, two fingers from your ten will be usually used all the time. Choose or alternate them as you go. Have fun!