Rock climbing at Blautal

The Blautal (Blau Valley) is located south of Stuttgart, and close to the city of Ulm, with the rock climbing based around the town of Blaubeuren.

The style of rock climbing at Blautal is on extremely compact limestone rock with lots of pockets that require good finger strength and excellent footwork. Around the town of Blaubeuren there are 31 separate crags with around 700 routes across a good range of grades.  The rock climbing is varied with slabs and vertical walls, plus an enormous cave called the Große Höhle at The Rusenschloss. This huge, 25m wide cave roof is home to some extremely powerful and hard routes.

The vast majority of the routes at Blautal are single pitch, though there are some multi-pitch routes up to 3 pitches long.  The routes are classed as sport routes as they are protected by a combination of bolts, pegs and threaded pockets. However the distance between these can sometimes be spaced so it is recommended to carry a rack of nuts and some slings to thread the numerous pockets. 

When is the best time of year to climb at Blautal?
The best time to climb at Blautal is from March through to November.  

What Gear is required to climb at Blautal?

With regards to gear a 60m rope will generally be OK, though it is recommended to bring a 70m rope, with the occasional route requiring an 80m rope.  12 to 15 quickdraws will be sufficient, plus a rack of wires and some slings.  

What rock climbing guidebooks are available for Blautal?

The definitive guidebook for the area is called Blautal Rock, which is available to buy from our shop.