On one of the last couple weekends there was the annual climbing meeting in the cave of the Macocha Gorge, in the Moravian Karst, in the east of the Czech Republic. The abyss is about 140m deep, and the aid routes there are more than 80m overhanging. About ten climbing teams came to climb there this season.

The routes Priklepovy strop, Pavouci site and the new route from the year 2006 Dlouha noc were tried and also a new route was put up. The only route that was not tried this season was Americke hratky.

The whole action was made possible only because of the help of Brno climber Pavel Weisser, who arranged the  permit with local authorities, because climbing there is under regulation of the preservation and is possible only by permition. The other reason is that Macocha is an internationally famous touristic attraction, and during the day it is full of tourists, so climbing is only possible when it is closed to the public. (Fot more beta about it ask by email via the admins of this site.)



The lines of the routes

Basic beta about the routes:

Klenba (Cope) - L. Palenicek, V. Pipal, J. Unger, H. Myslivcova, 1970 original grade V+A2e, today up to A2

The first route in the cave, which today you can climb it with your own pitons, the original bolts from the first ascent are out of order.

Elektricky strop (The Electric Roof)  - L.Palenicek, P. Fadrny, J. Benes, L. Benesova 1972 the original grade V+A3e, today up to A2, during the first ascent they used a power drill. The 2nd route in the cave was originally a lot of bolt ladders, but today a lot of bolts are broken and the climbing is via sky hooks, tiny pitons, partly exchanged, and the belaying positions equipped.  One of the more demanding routes here.

Priklepovy strop (The Hammerdriller Roof)  – P. Weisser, I. Straka, J. Nespor, M. Smid 1986, the original grade V+A3, Ae
The 3rd route in the cave. A power drill was used during the first ascent. This route waited a very  long time for an entire repetition to the top. It was quite often climbed only in the first part to the cave. It was repeated to the top only in recent years. The cruxes are over not very secure pitons and there is relatively a lot of free climbing in the upper part. There are several lose  blocks along the route, which must be delt with carefully. The original bolts were somewhere very bad, so they were replaced.


Topo of the route Priklepovy strop (hi res)



Pavouci site (The Spiders Webs) – P. Weisser, P. Brych, 1986, the original grade VA3, today up to A1
The easiest route in the cave. The first  two pitches are the same as the route Klenba. The route continues directly via the center of the roof via bolts to the edge of the cave. Above the cave there are two relatively interesting pitches of climbing. The route is a bit complicated for route finding and the last part can make troubles to less experienced climbers.

Zimni kralovstvi (Winter Kingdom)  – P. Weisser, V. Pipal, I. Steflicek, K. Krecbach 1987 the original grade V+A3, today up to A2

This route is partly rebolted, the entire repetition is not known.

Americke hratky (American Games) – P. Weisser, M. Lidinec 1997 and 1999, VA4
The route was originally climbed with start after the first pitch of the route Priklepovy strop in 1997. Two years later the authors came back and climbed the firsts two independent pitches, where  especially on the first one the dangerous fall on the rocks bellow threatens.
The route has had only 4 ascents. It is the hardest aid route in Macocha.

The last unrepeated line was the route Dlouha noc (Long Night) set up in 2005 and 2006 by P. Weisser and R. Juracka.
The suggested classification was VA2 and the route was this season firstly repeated by J. Bednarik, C.Fojt and V.Satava.
There are several places of hard piton climbing, but also free runouts sometimes on damaged broken rock.

There ara also some new projects in the cave. Stoupa Dusan Janak ands P.Vrtik worked on the wall directly above the plateau for tourists. And there is also a new project by P.Weisser and R.Juracka in the left part of the cave.

Btw. the first route from the bottom of the Macocha Gorge was climbed in 1946, „Spodek Macochy“ (The Bottom of Macocha) by F. Plsek, B. Kynera and H. Pavlovsky. The route leads  on the right from the cope itself and was repeated minimally, the old pitons in the route are so bad, that they are not acceptable for climbing now.

Equipment for climbing in the cave of Macocha:

Halogen lights for night climbing above the space for the visitors (climbing can not impact the opening hours for tourist visitors of the cave, touristic circuit leads under the roof)

Equipment according to the demands of the route, that means about - 10 to 30 pitons + especial 1,2,3  sets of friends, nuts, sky hooks,

Good aiders, chair for belayer

Good head lamp

To be sure a single 80 m rope is best, for the assistence to haul bag etc. 60 m of half rope. The absolute necessity is a fixed static rope 70 m in minimum in case of emergency. Rescue from outside is in some places not possible!!!

The formal necessities for climbing in the wall of Macocha:

Climbing is possible only with permit with the list of climbers names. The approval permit is managed by the local authorities P.Weisser or V. Wolf. The usual term is December. (For contacts ask the admins of czechclimbing.com - look at contacts at the lower part of the left column)


Radek Lienerth

Translated by CzechClimbing.com team

Source:

More photos on Climb On


and also on Blue Site

Wikipedia: Macocha Gorge




At the last pitches of Priklep strop
photo by © M. Nezerka


The cav of Macocha
photo by © M. Nežerka


Tha last pitches of the Priklepovy strop after snowing
photo by © M. Nezerka



Lukas in the beginning of the first pitch of Priklepovy strop
photo by © R. Lienerth


Climbing in Priklepovy strop
photo by © R. Lienerth


Belayer´s boardom
photo by © R. Lienerth


The way back to the ground
photo by © R. Lienerth


In the 3rd pitch of the Priklepovy strop
photo by © R. Lienerth


The key pitch of  Priklepovy strop, originally A3
photo by © T.Lenc


The line of Priklepovy strop in the cope
photo by © M. Nežerka


In Pavouci site
photo by © R. Lienerth


The variant of the 4th pitch of Americke hratky
photo by © R. Lienerth


The beginning of Klenba, Pavouci site and Elektricky strop
photo by © R. Lienerth


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