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Action for our fluid standards

It’s a fluid member’s birthday – what to give? It was easy for our iOS developer Normen to come up with an idea because he shares a hobby with Tom – and Tom in turn organizes gifts. They are both big fans of outdoor sports, especially climbing, so a voucher for a climbing day at the nearby Bad Herrenalber Sportkletterfels was organized very quickly. It is also easy to reach by public transport. The cable car stops almost directly in front of the rock face and after a 2-minute ascent, you are already in front of the first climbing routes. If you then read the climbing guide correctly and know how to interpret it, you will eventually find a tour that suits your abilities.

Harness on, tied into the rope and off you go. For Normen, it is a first to leave the safe confines of a climbing gym and hold real rock in his hands instead of plastic holds. The first routes felt correspondingly unfamiliar, of course, but after a short period of familiarization they went up and down the rock face.

There are a few things to bear in mind when climbing

Climbing on real rock involves some dangers and risks that you won’t necessarily find in a climbing gym. For example, wearing a climbing helmet is highly recommended due to potential rockfall or falls into the rock face. In addition, there are no fixed ropes (also known as top ropes), as you might be familiar with from a climbing gym. This means that you have to attach your own safety rope to hooks that are drilled into the wall every few meters. In addition, there are various knot techniques, rope management and setting up and later removing a deflection system so that routes can be climbed several times in succession.

Tom has acquired this know-how over several years of sport climbing and previous work in a climbing gym. Without having attended appropriate courses beforehand, you should therefore opt for a different gift alternative.

However, especially in times of coronavirus, it is an ideal solution for experienced climbers to spend an exciting and entertaining day out in the fresh air. If you then miss the train for the return journey and are tragically forced to end the day with a cold drink from the nearby Rewe supermarket on the banks of the Alb, the result is a nice, well-rounded picture of a birthday present in the spirit of fluid and sustainability.