Ascents in Napoleon having Beta

Felt more like a flash. Didn't remember anything from seven years ago. Climbed a more direct variant today that Matze told me about, which makes the top part a good deal easier, but it strays a bit from the original line and even leaves out a bolt (which is out of reach to the left), although it's the more direct line from the ledge to the anchor. Still fantastic.

Abseil from Napoleonsblock to the plateau, then through the west face of Napoleonswand in the dark. #jahreserste2024

#jahreserste2024

An easy and enjoyable climb and an obvious line, but quite a few loose blocks in the beginning and also not so easy to protect without big cams. Used a few slings and smaller nuts.

Slightly intimidating line that pulls up over the little roof to the right of "Neuer Gemsenweg" with just one shabby bolt. I extended the third bolt of the Gemsenweg to back up the bolt. There's a narrow slit a little to the right of the line right where the hardest moves are. A black totem fits perfectly there. After a few moves on edges, you reach a dihedral with a sensible nut placement. The last part from the ledge is quite easy, with another bomber nut placement.

The original finish of "Neuer Gemsenweg". It's best to have some protection somewhere on the plateau before stepping out onto the arête. Nice position!

Typical Frankenjura pocket climb, not bad actually! How many times have I abseiled past this? :-D

120cm Schlinge für Absicherung oberhalb der Schlüsselstelle ist hilfreich!

Snow-free and bone dry. Great wintery evening light on the summit.

#jahreserste2023 with a good deal of snow in the route. Luckily the clouds dissolved and we had a little sun!

#repeat

First Frankenjura route for my friend Luiz Felipe Ribas! #repeat

Starts as "Alter Gemsenweg", but then draws up over the little overhang. Easier than "Alter Gemsenweg" in free climbing terms, but felt a bit more powerful all in all.

Classic traverse, but astonishingly easy. Just follow the horizontal lines of pockets up to the northeast arête, then walk up to the ledge. The next two moves are the crux (originally done by pulling the gear, of course), then again easy to the ledge.

The "easiest" way to the summit from the plateau … or so they say. In fact, it's a little boulder problem to the ring, quite powerful. Afterwards, you're just laybacking up the big flakes, but a cam is sensible.

This is the original second pitch of "Alter Gemsenweg" and indeed a fantastic finish. Spectacular, airy, but easy crack climbing.

What a way to finish the day. Entered the summit shortly before last light. The route is even better than I remembered it. Perfect rock quality (except for a short passage after the start), tricky, exposed, long, demanding, just beautiful. #lastrouteoftheday

Nice traverse with a slightly far reach at the start, and a nice ride up the arête afterwards. Doesn't count as an onsight, because I've seen a movie from 1927 of people climbing this with hemp rope and Lederhosen, stylish hats and without rubber climbing boots (although they did wear some kind of climbing shoes). #jahreserste2022

A bit wet in places, but unproblematic. First ascent of the year! #jahreserste2022

The original variant feels more logical and more homogeneous than the direct one; also less polished, I guess. Great wall climbing. Careful around the huge block before the headwall, the smaller block in the back is loose (but still wedged in).

Also quite brilliant, pocket climbing with nice moves and rock structure, and an easy runout at the end.

#lastrouteoftheday #summitbeer

Traverse from the plateau through the west face in perfect rock, then up along the arête. Wet rock, but still easily climbable. First ascent of the year. We met a friend and his partner by chance at the base, so we decided to share: we climbed the "Napoleonswand" and they went up the "Napoleonsblock". #jahreserste2021

Easy crack dihedral with jugs. It was wet today, though, so I had to be really careful. Good placements for slings, nuts, cams, you name it.

The wet traverse on the start from the plateau was a bit daring as it was slippery and the holds wet.

Nice and easy to the plateau, even when wet.

The traditional #warmup.

A bit hard to get a feel for the line, especially because it's hard to protect and there are other routes to the left and to the right. I went to the left after the single bolt to put a cam in a pocket, then went back into the line and climbed the crux bulge. Good runner after the bulge. A DMM Peenut 2 slots in perfectly in a little slit in the final headwall. This way, much less scary than I had imagined and quite nice to climb.

Sehr coole Kletterei, fand es aber auch hart für den Grad.

Schön

Tried leading this, placing a nut, a friend and a sling on my way to the first bolt. But I did not feel comfortable trusting my own placements and retreated.

Way more relaxed seconding this, still not that easy and straightforward, but maybe I was just out of power. #lastrouteoftheday and #summit! Great view!

A bit chossy in the lower part and polished in the middle. Nice route, but I was already out of power I guess.

#repeat

A bit crumbly at the start, but good rock from the ledge. Even a bit polished in the middle (crux section on smaller holds). Interesting moves and a great juggy finish.

Short second pitch (I climbed it after "Osterhasenweg") with impeccable rock. Nice little arête.

Would be less scary if the hardest section wasn't so polished. Still, only 2 bolts and additionally there's a tree in your back. Better don't drop off. The actual climbing is in good, pocketed rock.

Beautiful pocket climbing, a classic Grulich piece, but a little neglected. Felt a bit soft in the grade.

Always brilliant, even more special now that I climbed it with my dad.

Amazingly thin arête. I tried to climb it as directly as possible. Seems like that makes the crux a tad harder, since you can reach the important sidepull more easily if you go up a bit in the right wall. Well-protected (take a sling for the runout) and fun.

Always a pleasure. Unfortunately, we missed the year's first by a few days, but that's to be expected for such a good summit.