Go back to Saxon Sandstone.
Go back to Bielatal Day 1.
Kleine Herkulessaule.
On our second day, we returned to the same parking lot and this time were met by Helmut and Sophie’s son, Tim (he’d be our interpreter for the day). We climbed an easy warm up (Südriss on Sonnenwendstein) and then the 2-pitch Alter Weg (tiny pitches) on the handsome looking Kleine Herkulessaule (Little Hercules) Tower. Still pretty easy but a little more runout. We rounded out the day on the harder Direkte Westkante on Vorderer Schroffer Stein which Helmut referred to as a sport route: 3 ring bolts in about 30 meters of climbing, though I did supplement those with a few, decent sling placements. Pretty fantastic movement – or maybe the euphoria of surviving those routes is clouding my memory.
Photos
On the way to some sandstone (August 2021).
Charming Czech (August 2021).
Starting up Sudriss route on Sonnenwendstein (August 2021).
Leading Sudriss on Sonnenwendstein belayed by Shirley and photographed by Helmut (August 2021).
Higher on Sudriss (August 2021).
Sudriss. Photo by Helmut (August 2021).
A large ufo (August 2021).
Sudriss. Photo by Helmut (August 2021).
Shirley starting up the Sudriss route on Sonnenwendstein Tower. Photo by Helmut (August 2021).
Shirley on Sudriss (August 2021).
Nearing the top of Sonnenwendstein (August 2021).
Moving on to climb Kleine Herkulessaule (August 2021).
The two Hercules Towers. Ours (the Kleine Herkulessaule) is the left one (August 2021).
Kleine Herkulessaule is on the right (August 2021).
Leading pitch 1 of Alter Weg on Kleine Herkulessaule (August 2021).
Why bother (August 2021)?
More pitch 1 with the bomber piece of pro below (August 2021).
At the first belay (August 2021).
Shirley starting up the first mini-pitch of Alter Weg on Kleine Herkulessaule (August 2021).
Views from the route. Chinese Tower from the previous day is somewhere in that cluster (August 2021).
Shirley arriving at the first belay (August 2021).
Pitch 2 of Alter Weg (August 2021).
Probably good enough (August 2021).
Pitch 2 (August 2021).
Same instant in time captured by Helmut. Click photo for a full res. version (August 2021).
Looking back at Shirley from the lead of pitch 2 (August 2021).
Nearing the summit. Photo by Helmut. Click photo for a full resolution view (August 2021).
Shirley on pitch 2 (August 2021).
Shirley on pitch 2. Photo by Helmut. Click for high res. (August 2021).
More of Shirley on pitch 2 (August 2021).
Shirley on pitch 2 (August 2021).
Arriving on the summit (August 2021).
Shirley on the summit of Kleine Herkulessaule (August 2021).
Signing the summit register (August 2021).
Shirley rapping off the summit (August 2021).
Starting up the sport route (3 ring bolts) that is Direkte Westkante on Vorderer Schroffer Stein (August 2021).
Supplementing the ring bolts with some funk, i.e. slings (August 2021).
Leading the Direkte Westkante. Photo by Helmut (August 2021).
At the summit overhangs (August 2021).
Another cool shot by Helmut (August 2021).
Shirley starting up (August 2021).
Shirley on Direkte Westkante. Photo by Helmut (August 2021).
Another gem by Helmut (August 2021).
More of Shirley on the pitch (August 2021).
At the summit overhang (August 2021).
Shirley on the summit of Vorderer Schroffer Stein (August 2021).
A different angle of Shirley on the summit (August 2021).
The two Hercules Towers from the summit of Vorderer Schroffer Stein (August 2021).
Time to go drinking (August 2021).
Shirley in action. Though we were light on climbing gear on this trip, our checked luggage was filled with a gallon of the finest coconut milk (for curries) and assorted SE Asian spices. Thought for sure we were gonna get searched in Prague (August 2021).
Another family dinner at the house (August 2021).
Go to Brosinnadel.
Go back to Saxon Sandstone.