Phoenix Bereich
8b+ – 9a · 4 routes · limestone · French
- Approach 10 min — short forest path from the road, steep final 30 m to the wall base
- Best season October to November and March to April. Cold, dry mornings only.
- Published
- Updated
The Phoenix sector is a small, steep, hard wall in the heart of the Frankenjura, home to some of the hardest pocket climbing in Germany. There is no easy climbing here and there is no reason to visit unless you are working a project.
The hard lines
The wall is 15 to 20 metres of gently overhanging grey limestone with pockets that range from two-finger slots to one-finger monos. The hardest routes are bouldery: a sequence of four or five moves that will not go until conditions and skin are both perfect.
Grades here begin at 8b and top out at 9a. A 70 m rope is more than enough; the difficulty is not the length.
Working a project here
The standard approach is to work the route on a fixed line, learn the sequence, then try it in the cold morning window. Local climbers are generous with beta but expect you to have done your homework first.
Because the wall is popular with strong climbers, there is often a queue for the hardest lines on autumn weekends. Midweek mornings are quiet.
Environment
This is a conservation area with rare plants on the scree below the wall. Keep to the path, do not move stones, and take all your rubbish out. Access is fragile and depends on climbers behaving well.
Routes · 4
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Hold types pocket · mono · lock-off
Open beta
The sector's test piece. Five hard moves off two-finger pockets with one mono in the middle; everything depends on getting the left foot high.
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Hold types pocket · gaston · kneebar
Open beta
Pockets and gastons with a kneebar rest that most people miss on the first inspection. Look right, not left, at the third bolt.
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Hold types crimp · pocket · undercling
Open beta
The easiest line here and still a serious proposition. Vertical to slightly overhanging on small pockets with a delicate finish.
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Hold types pocket · compression · lock-off
Open beta
Germany's benchmark hard line. A sustained 15-metre sequence with no rest and a crux on tiny pockets at the last bolt.
Crag ethics
Crag ethics
Strict Frankenjura rules: no new bolts, no glue, no chipping, no climbing on wet rock. Fixed gear belongs to the route, do not add to it.
