The bolts of the sport climbing route The Last Dance (8c +) at Schneiderloch, Frankenjura, were removed by an unknown person. Alexander Megos sharply criticizes the action.
Events come thick and fast in the Oberen Ailsbachtal. A few days ago, on September 24, 2020, Alexander Megos. did the first free ascent of the new route The Last Dance (8c +). The route was set up by Julian Söhnlein as a joint project with Alexander Megos and is located to the left of the well-known sport climbing route Burn For You (8c +).
The route can't be repeated anymore. All the bolts have been removed.
On the evening of September 29, 2020, a bundle of quickdraws and the cut off bolts were lying on the wall base, as reported by the local website Frankenjura.com. The action does not come as a complete surprise. In the run-up, there was apparently a controversial discussion between Julian Soehnlein and the developer of the Burn For You route, Michael Ordnung.
Michael Ordnung criticizes that the route is too close to his internationally recognized cult line from 1993, which would destroy the uniqueness of his route.
Frankenjura.com
Michael Ordnung claims the left part of the wall for himself and the tour set up by Julian Söhnlein is not a real line, according to a quote on Frankenjura.com . In an interview with Julian Söhnlein, Michael Ordnung apparently announced several times that the bolts will be removed. It is not yet clear whether the hooks have actually been removed by him or someone else. What is clear is that this is the straw that broke the camel's back for Alexander Megos. the barrel overflowed.
Sometime is easy enough. People have to know what's going on and someone has to stand up and say, "It just doesn't work!"
Alexander Megos.
Right before the reunion the two routes share one hold.
It's nothing new, that people who bolt new lines get criticized by prior route developers. Especially if the routes are close to each other. Julian Söhnlein and Alexander Megos counter this criticism with the fact that their new line only shares a single hold with Burn For You just before the reunion. This is made clear by the following illustration of Frankenjura.com.
The route The Last Dance was set up in a zone in which climbing routes can be bolted. Legally, nothing stands in the way of developing a route.
My buddy Julian has bolted the route and now a self-proclaimed Frankenjura sheriff comes and removes the bolts. That's simply not ok.
Alexander Megos.
What's going on in the Frankenjura is reminding us of the removal of the multi-pitch route Gran Paradiso on the Wendenstöcke
The removal of The Last Dance route in the Frankenjura brings back memories of what happened in the Bernese Oberland a year ago. At that time Yannick Glatthard and Michel Pitelka removed all bolts on the multi-pitch route Gran Paradiso at Wendenstöcke . The route was bolted by Jörg Andreas and friends and redpointed by Jörg. The removal of the bolts sparked a heated debate that continues to this day.
LACRUX and Action Talk is in contact with all the actors involved in the Frankenjura situation and will soon publish new information.
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Credits: Pictures Frankenjura.com