Ascents by mike having Distinct route

First pitch used to be rated as 5b+ - the "modern" 6a+ rating is more adequate since it really felt a bit harder than pitch 3.

We used the anchor in the last pitch to split it in two.

After the last time I came here ended after only two pitches because of unexpected circumstances, this time around I was finally able to climb the route in its entirety. My partner was a bit out of shape so he let me lead all of the harder pitches.

In my opinion the route is rightfully a "plaisir" classic. Even though in the ~20 years since its establishment, the cult-factor and the soft limestone seem to have led to it becoming quite a bit polished, this does not seriously impair the pure joy it is to climb this spectacularly overhanging cliff.

The route is really well bolted and there is very little potential for a dangerous fall - and even with all the traverses on the overhanging wall its quite unlikely that you'll take a fall after which you'd have to prussik up to get to the wall again.

1. Crux under the roof. May be a bit wet but usually no real problem. There is a small "runout" (compared to how closely bolted the rest of the route is) in which a fall would be painful, but the difficulty in that section probably is around 4a...

2. Delicate left traverse on relatively small holds right before the end of the pitch.

3. Crux for me was in the lower half of the pitch on slippery holds, but the main difficulty is the sustained slightly overhanging climbing.

4. Short boulder problem on the roof above the belay. This pitch felt significantly easier than P3 and P2. At the end contains a short section where falling is not advisable as you'd hit a ledge, but the climbing there is not difficult - maybe around 5b?

5. Traverse under the huge roof. Left, then up, then left again.

6. Final pitch was wet but still climbable. Felt harder than higher graded P4.

Well, this felt incredibly hard. I'm pretty sure that if you're used to the conglomerate and are able to read this route correctly, it would check out at the grade, but I just did not get accustomed to this kind of rock, so this felt probably like the hardest 6a+ I've ever tried to climb...

Nonetheless a great route. Steep, elegant and the pillar is just incredible to look at.

Danger; if you talk too much in excitement about the granite, your foot may slip on said granite.

Nice granite route, slabby in the lower pitches, while the final 4 are steeper with many flakes. In some parts, the route seems a bit "forced", but overall really enjoyed it.

The crux are two very delicate slab moves that could both be aided on conveniently placed bolts.

50m ropes will barely be long enough for the rappels. Pitches 1, 2, 6 are a bit longer than 50m, though!

Slab under the roof in P3 was soaking wet, so we traversed into the 6aish part of P2 of "Steinbock" to get to the belay.

The traverse under the roof in P6 was... interesting.

The grades from the guide didn't really correspond to how hard we perceived the pitches to be.

P1,P3 (one move) and P7 felt a bit harder than graded while P2 and P6 werea bit easier.

The route is really beautiful and varied with laybacking on flakes in P1, a slight traverse and overhang in P2, the Z that probably gave the route its name with a short delicate right-traverse in the middle. P4 is a left-traverse and P5 follows along a beautiful arête. P6 is a short and steep wall while P7 ends with a left-traverse onto a super delicate slab.

The cruxes in pitches 2, 6 and 10 cost us some time. Especially the move in pitch 6 has to be done above to bolt and is a delicate move with not-so-good underclings and nothing to stand on. I ended up aiding it with the help of a camalot #1...

Up to pitch 9 the route is well bolted. In pitch 10 there are some 5b-ish moves at the beginning of the pitch that would result in a ground-fall when done wrong and further up there is a delicate slab (5c-ish) that has to be safely climbed if you don't want to fall 10m...

The first three pitches are home to quite a bit of vegetation and a bit of loose rock. Esp. in P3 there is potential for throwing a good chunk of rock onto your belayer... Pitches 4 to 6 are really cool and in solid, rough limestone. P7 is nice, too, but there are a few inviting jugs that will not hold your weight at all... P8 an easy climb to the top (no bolts)

Nice sidepulls. Warmup.

Not sure if that rock to the right is fair game to stand on. If it is, it's a bit easier than 6b+.

Im plaisir jura 2008 als 6a+ drin. Passt auch besser. Unten etwas moosig.

Nice route. very soft.

Not bad. 2022 edition of Manikia guide book has it at 6a, I suppose the truth lies somewhere in between.

Single thin crux without footholds up high, probably harder for shorter climbers.

Als 6a+ angegeben. Schwierigkeiten nach 2. Haken vorbei. Start aber nicht ohne. Sehr schöne Route. Definitiv schwieriger als "Zuägadä".

A bit reachy on mostly good holds.

Delicate and balancy crux

Very nice and varied technical climbing.

Short and rather thin crux sequence above the middle chains.

A bit more sustained than than the 6a+es further left.

Very torn on this one. May be a 6b? May also be that I was just afraid of decking from whichever bolt was the last one below me. The climbing is as nice as on any other route in the crag, but the bolts are quite spaced with potential of ground fall, possibly even at the 4th (and final!) bolt.

Successfully used a #kong_panic twice, because the climbing seemed to get a bit harder right before the bolt.

Crux is right above the first belay above a ledge. If you're not confident, it may be a good idea to climb it in two pitches...

Unfortunately there is an IMO untrustworthy looking thin and rusty maillon in the crux bolt.

Nice short technical route.

Beautiful technical slab with a nice overhang at the finish.

Varied route with a few cool moves. Some technical, some more athletic.

Nice and flowy, tricky finish.

Warm-up on nice holes.

Great and varied line with a defined crux.

Thin crux right at the second bolt. Seemed sketchy with all the rope stretch and the ledge below.