Tomorrow morning my local climbing meetup group is heading to Kentheim just outside of Calw.
Anyone interested, please RSVP via meetup.
Will be sure to update with new pictures and topos! Can’t wait to hit that grippy black sandstone again.
Wiesfels is the idea crag for those new to the Swabian Jura (Schwaebische Alb). It has an easy approach, nearly 50 routes of all grades and you can walk off making life easy. It’s family friendly and a great place to do some grilling afterwards or even sleep in the field (no tents allowed). Its popularity means it can be busy on weekends and in good weather but if you’re able to climb 6s and 7s, you’ll still have plenty of options.
Wiesfels is a pretty easy drive from Stuttgart towards Bad Urach, about 40 minutes on average. Head towards St. Johann and at the horse farm (Gestuetshof), take the next left and head towards the little tower and parking lot. From there, head straight into the woods. Start by following the sign for “Gruener Fels” – it’ll be about a 12 to 15 minute walk on a well maintained path. Gets a bit bumpy at the end (if you’ve got a stroller or cart) and ends in a big meadow. Wiesfels is on the left.
The crag sports about 45 bolted climbs though some can benefit from gear. It doesn’t hurt to bring some nuts or a few cams if you’re going to climb anything about the really easy stuff. The rock is all your typical Schwaebische Alb limestone which can be slick and chossy at times. But overall it’s a good crag that’s easy to walk to and with the option to walk off.
It’s a great family crag with the big meadow and it also boasts a long line of really short climbs for kids to learn. Nevertheless, there’s something for everyone with as many moderates (UIAA 6 to 7) as easy (UIAA 1-5). If you’re in the region, this is a good crag to hit at least once.
Located near the town of Inzigkofen in the Upper Danube valley (Donautal in German), Dreiecksfels is easy to reach and conveniently located right next to Aussichtsfels. It offers a number of easy multipitch routes making it a good option for those not looking for the usual Donautal hard stuff to crush. It’s easy to do a few routes and then switch to the neighboring crag depending on what you want to climb and whether many other groups are in the area.
From Stuttgart, head towards either Hausen im Tal or Signmaringen. Doesn’t make a huge difference which variation you choose in terms of driving time and distance.
From Sigmaringen, head towards Inzigkofen on the 313 and about 700 meters or so after the seemingly non-functional Bahnhof, there’s a large designated parking area on the right hand side (with signs alerting you to it about 200m in advance). Pull off there and park. The large crag right by the road is Aussichtsfels. Looking towards the woods (not the river), Dreiecksfels is the one on your right.
Coming from Hausen im Tal, it’s a ~10-15minute drive eastwards. The parking is easy to miss but if you do, you’ll see the old Inzkofen train station on your right where you can turn around and head right back. Note that even though you’ll see a little unpaved road between the official parking and the Inzigkofen Bahnhof, ignore it. The parking area is well signed and big. No way to mistake it.
Dreiecksfels (Triangle Crag) is another limestone crag in the Danube Valley sitting right near the river. It has several of two pitch climbs, in both easy and moderate grades making it a good general choice and great backup if more popular crags like Stuhlfels are busy.
It’s located next to a nice parking/pull off area making it hard to miss and easy to approach.
