Rock Climbing in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains

Few climbing areas—not only in Europe but worldwide—can boast such a long and significant history as the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. It was Carl Beck, Siegfried Conrad, and Friedrich Meuer who, with their groundbreaking ascent of the Pevnost Tower (formerly Beckstein) in 1888, began the history of mountaineering in Bohemia.

From this moment on, the history of rock climbing in this region began to unfold. The towering, impenetrable walls of the rock formations attracted climbers with their wildness and danger, but also with their beautiful natural surroundings and scenery. The Elbe Sandstone Mountains encompass several rock towns, such as Tisá, Ostrov, Rájec, the rocks near Hřensko and Pravčická brána, the popular Elbe Valley, the Jetřichovice Rocks, and many other equally beautiful areas. Together, they form one of the most significant climbing regions in the entire Czech Republic. If we add the cliffs on the Czech side to those in the neighboring Saxon Switzerland National Park, we get one of the most extensive rock climbing areas in the world, with nearly 40,000 routes across the entire spectrum of difficulty levels.

The uniqueness of the area is further confirmed by visits from outstanding Czech and international climbers. Among the international climbers, we can mention American climbing stars Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell, as well as Alex Megos, who, among other achievements, established the difficult route “Cat Groove” (XIb/8b) on the left bank of the Elbe Valley. However, Czech climbers are not far behind and visit the area frequently.

A prime example is Adam Ondra, one of the world’s best climbers. He has made his mark on the history of climbing in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains not only through his difficult on-sight ascents, but also as the co-author (together with Ondra Beneš) of the hardest sandstone route in the Czech Republic, “To tu ještě nebylo” (XIIa/9a). Last but not least, it is important to mention that Jindřich Hudeček, one of the greatest Czech climbers of all time, a world-class competitor, and the founder of the well-known Hudy Sport, began his climbing career here and has been climbing here his entire life.

Climbing in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains involves a number of specific considerations that are worth keeping in mind before your first visit. This is particularly evident when it comes to belaying. Climbing on sandstone is known for the greater distances between fixed anchors; you cannot count on the same frequency of anchors as you would on limestone sport routes. Metal protection devices (friends, nuts, pitons, etc.) must not be used for belaying between bolts. Instead, sewn textile slings with knots of various sizes are used, which are placed in cracks and fissures, or, nowadays, modern textile nuts, known as “UFOs.”

From an ethical standpoint, climbing with chalk or other chemical substances is prohibited! The Elbe Sandstone Mountains are also home to many protected species, such as the peregrine falcon. It is therefore essential to check whether any birds are currently nesting in the area where you plan to climb. You can always find the latest information on the website of the Czech Mountaineering Association.

The local climbing community is friendly and happy to help you in any way during your visit, so don’t hesitate to ask anyone for advice. You can also get important information at the Hudy Sport store in Hřensko, where you can stock up on gear or buy a guidebook for one of the areas. There’s definitely nothing to worry about, so happy climbing in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains!