Bielatal Day 2

Saxon Sandstone

Go back to Saxon Sandstone.
Go back to Bielatal Day 1.

Kleine Herkulessaule
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

Czech Republic
On the way to some sandstone (August 2021).
Czech Republic
Charming Czech (August 2021).
Sonnenwendstein
Starting up Sudriss route on Sonnenwendstein (August 2021).
Sonnenwendstein
Leading Sudriss on Sonnenwendstein belayed by Shirley and photographed by Helmut (August 2021).
Sonnenwendstein
Higher on Sudriss (August 2021).
Sonnenwendstein
Sudriss. Photo by Helmut (August 2021).
Sonnenwendstein
A large ufo (August 2021).
Sonnenwendstein
Sudriss. Photo by Helmut (August 2021).
Sonnenwendstein
Shirley starting up the Sudriss route on Sonnenwendstein Tower.  Photo by Helmut (August 2021).
Sonnenwendstein
Shirley on Sudriss (August 2021).
Sonnenwendstein
Nearing the top of Sonnenwendstein (August 2021).
Kleine Herkulessaule
Moving on to climb Kleine Herkulessaule (August 2021).
Kleine Herkulessaule
The two Hercules Towers. Ours (the Kleine Herkulessaule) is the left one (August 2021).
Kleine Herkulessaule
Kleine Herkulessaule is on the right (August 2021).
Kleine Herkulessaule
Leading pitch 1 of Alter Weg on Kleine Herkulessaule (August 2021).
Kleine Herkulessaule
Why bother (August 2021)?
Kleine Herkulessaule
More pitch 1 with the bomber piece of pro below (August 2021).
Kleine Herkulessaule
At the first belay (August 2021).
Kleine Herkulessaule
Shirley starting up the first mini-pitch of Alter Weg on Kleine Herkulessaule (August 2021).
Kleine Herkulessaule
Views from the route. Chinese Tower from the previous day is somewhere in that cluster (August 2021).
Kleine Herkulessaule
Shirley arriving at the first belay (August 2021).
Kleine Herkulessaule
Pitch 2 of Alter Weg (August 2021).
Kleine Herkulessaule
Probably good enough (August 2021).
Kleine Herkulessaule
Pitch 2 (August 2021).
Kleine Herkulessaule
Same instant in time captured by Helmut. Click photo for a full res. version (August 2021).
Kleine Herkulessaule
Looking back at Shirley from the lead of pitch 2 (August 2021).
Kleine Herkulessaule
Nearing the summit. Photo by Helmut. Click photo for a full resolution view (August 2021).
Kleine Herkulessaule
Shirley on pitch 2 (August 2021).
Kleine Herkulessaule
Shirley on pitch 2. Photo by Helmut. Click for high res. (August 2021).
Kleine Herkulessaule
More of Shirley on pitch 2 (August 2021).
Kleine Herkulessaule
Shirley on pitch 2 (August 2021).
Kleine Herkulessaule
Arriving on the summit (August 2021).
Kleine Herkulessaule
Shirley on the summit of Kleine Herkulessaule (August 2021).
Kleine Herkulessaule
Signing the summit register (August 2021).
Kleine Herkulessaule
Shirley rapping off the summit (August 2021).
Vorderer Schroffer Stein
Starting up the sport route (3 ring bolts) that is Direkte Westkante on Vorderer Schroffer Stein (August 2021).
Vorderer Schroffer Stein
Supplementing the ring bolts with some funk, i.e. slings (August 2021).
Vorderer Schroffer Stein
Leading the Direkte Westkante. Photo by Helmut (August 2021).
Vorderer Schroffer Stein
At the summit overhangs (August 2021).
Vorderer Schroffer Stein
Another cool shot by Helmut (August 2021).
Vorderer Schroffer Stein
Shirley starting up (August 2021).
Vorderer Schroffer Stein
Shirley on Direkte Westkante. Photo by Helmut (August 2021).
Vorderer Schroffer Stein
Another gem by Helmut (August 2021).
Vorderer Schroffer Stein
More of Shirley on the pitch (August 2021).
Vorderer Schroffer Stein
At the summit overhang (August 2021).
Vorderer Schroffer Stein
Shirley on the summit of Vorderer Schroffer Stein (August 2021).
Vorderer Schroffer Stein
A different angle of Shirley on the summit (August 2021).
Vorderer Schroffer Stein
The two Hercules Towers from the summit of Vorderer Schroffer Stein (August 2021).
Vorderer Schroffer Stein
Time to go drinking (August 2021).
Decin
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).
Decin
Another family dinner at the house (August 2021).

Go to Brosinnadel.
Go back to Saxon Sandstone.