Ascents in Balkenstein

Nice slab on slopers and some sidepulls. Funny blobby sloper pinches before the last bolt.

Not something you're leading more than once if you don't have to. The bolt distances by itself aren't dangerous, but there's a tree that has been happily growing for the last 20 years. Somebody cut it down at some point, but not at the base, so if you take a fall in the runouts, you might end up on the trunk. Should be cut down completely. Otherwise good route, quite sustained with lots of difficult passages quite high above the bolts. One nasty razor sharp crimp.

The crux is the start. A bit of thinking to get over the bulge on the fourth bolt is also necessary.

Interesting climbing! The protection could be better, so I really appreciated the two nuts and sling put in by Christoph Rauch.

Great line along the obvious features in the middle of the wall. The third bolt is awkward to climb to, with groundfall potential. Also bigger distances above, but not dangerous.

#repeat to see if it was really that hard/awkward. Remembered my undercling beta and still felt smooth, but Harald couldn't reproduce my beta, unfortunately.

Got too dark, had to pull over the crux in second, the rest is relatively easy.

Good wall climbing with a crux on small holds in the middle.

Second bolt is set a bit high, used panic quickdraw to reach it from the ledge.

Good climbing, but there are some loose blocks in the route.

Nice little layback flake, finish on hollow, not entirely trustworthy blocks.

Awkward route. A few harder moves on pockets in the lower part, then choss to the top. The new anchor 5 meters below the summit makes sense, there are some big loose chunks above.

The "king line" of the tower (while that doesn't say much because it's the ony one worth climbing, it's still good) that somehow finds its way through the lower part in good rock, then straight up through the best rock quality to the summit. Yes, the slab with the anchor is just lying on top, but it's huge and heavy. As long as nothing big breaks off on the sides, I'd consider it safe to belay your second up.