Accommodation options are plenty, ranging from self-catered flats to camping spots, and are also not too pricey. We stayed in a small village called Morschreuth, a 50 min drive from Nuremberg airport and a stone’s throw away from a wide selection of crags.

I booked this place originally, which would have been €14/night for a room in a dorm with no bedding, but then we ended up staying in the self-catering apartment with my brother, as they had extra space and only wanted €15/night each (this is the place where we ended up staying). If you have a tent you can easily find a camping spot for around €7/night. It is worth booking in advance though, as it does get busy in the summer.

Climbing in Frankenjura

Climbing in Frankenjura is famous for its overhanging limestone and hardcore routes. It is not quite a beginner’s haven, so probably was not the best choice for my first ever outdoor lead climb, but if you are looking to jump in at the deep end – this is it!

Anything above a French 6a feels pretty hard because of the overhanging rock and fingery handholds, while the easy 5’s and 5+’s are often really sparsely bolted. It is like the developers decided there was no point bolting something as easy as a 5+, so they put up some token bolts just to show where the route goes. If you are starting easy, expect to be climbing for a good few metres between bolts!

That said, it is great training for the mind, especially if you are transitioning from a gym and a little fearful of falling, like me. I would suggest training indoors beforehand by doing lots of fall practice.

I will admit, I did have a few moments of slight panic. One was on an easy French 5, where I found myself standing on a ledge wondering if I really want to make the next move, just in case I might fall. The last clip was a couple of metres below my feet, and I could not see the next one. From the ledge, I had to squeeze my body into a crack and bridge all the way up it, until I could see the bolt. It turned out to be an easy climb, but a slip off it would have sent me straight onto the ledge. Not the nicest thought!

Most of the climbing in Frankenjura is sport, though some routes require extra protection. It is also worth keeping in mind that the grading in Germany is the the UIAA system, not the French system we are used to in the UK (so a 7 is around French 6b).

You can find a full table of conversions here.

You can find some 7,000 routes scattered across 1,000 crags in Frankenjura – pretty damn huge! most climbing books consist of two volumes just to cover it all.

You can find the English language guidebook here.