A Sunny Klettersteige

Ever since returning from Rome I've been struggling against a tough chest/head cold. I've spent a fair amount of time in bed or in front of a movie with a cup of tea and a box of tissues (pretty weak sauce huh). I so rarely become ill that I barely know what do to with myself in recovery.

When Tuesday came around, having already planned a klettersteige trip, I braved the outdoors in hope that some exercise might improve my health. Staying indoors all day drives me crazy and I build energy then don't really sleep.
Klettersteige is half rock climbing, half something you'd more expect while mountaineering. There is a cable anchored into the rocks--the separation between anchors varies from probably about 5 to 20 feet--and the idea is to climb the rock, assisted by the cable, while clipped into the cable to ensure that your maximum fall is only to the previous anchor. There are two carabiner clips because you must unclip to maneuver around each anchor (having two clips allow you to always have one securely hooked while you move the other). My Austrian friend Matthias chose a climb near his village. It is small by klettersteige standards, only about 350 vertical feet. It was a sunny day and given my recovering health the climb proved perfectly sized. Traditional rock climbing and this sort of cable climbing are very popular in Europe. Klettersteige is versatile and can range from a tough hike to sheer vertical. I guess that some trails include aspects of all degrees and difficulties. Tuesday we saw a fairly sheer wall.

There is a small degree of danger involved in this sport that can be minimalized with the right equipment (which we had). A klettersteige fall would be similar to falling while rock climbing, however, you would fall all the way to the anchor below. Depending on the distance you are above the anchor determines the danger. A 20 foot fall, which would have been about the maximum fall possible on my climb, would jar you pretty well when you stopped abruptly at the anchor. Most of the time, though, the anchors are within 6-10 feet of each other. Unlike traditional climbing, you can always hang on to the cable, or slide down it like a rope if necessary (this makes falling far less probable).

After the climb, we had dinner at Mattias's place before I came home and cleaned up for bed. I think a little warm sun can always do the body good.