Munich: Kraxlkollektiv enables bouldering for everyone – Munich

For Maximilian Gemsjäger, 27, bouldering is more than shimmying along handles attached to a wall. For him, bouldering is always about overcoming yourself, he says. Especially on demanding routes, where even experienced climbers would have to dare to overcome larger distances between the holds by skillfully shifting their own body weight. “Sometimes you even have to jump,” he adds. Walls with an overhang, on which you climb slightly leaning backwards, would have the highest degree of difficulty.

He remembers how he was introduced to bouldering: “My father took my brother and I to a climbing gym when I was about 14 years old.” Enthusiasm was aroused, and the visit to the hall quickly became a regular weekly event.

Out of this passion he made the decision two years ago to create free bouldering areas in Munich. He admits it wasn’t his own idea. Similar projects, for example in Melbourne or Stuttgart, have inspired him. Maximilian Gemsjäger says: “In Melbourne there were three boulder walls at once in one place under a highway.” This gave several people the opportunity to climb on them at the same time. There were also numerous routes of different difficulty levels. He liked the concept and thought: “We need something like that in Munich too.”

You could have pursued your hobby indoors beforehand, “but that quickly becomes expensive in the long run and so you also spend time in the fresh air”. At the beginning he was alone with his idea. But after a short time and some advertising, for example on Facebook in bouldering groups or climbing clubs, some friends and other bouldering fans joined him. The Kraxl collective was born. He now receives financial support from the German Alpine Club (DAV), of which he is a member, from the city of Munich and various district committees.

How his architecture degree helps him

Three years ago, the young man, who grew up in Trudering, completed his master’s degree in architecture at the Technical University of Munich. He now works for a Munich architecture firm. He explains that the knowledge gained during his studies is helpful when building new boulder blocks. The Kraxlkollektiv build them entirely themselves, from cutting and screwing together the wooden panels to installing the bouldering grips and designing the finished wall. Through his studies, he has gained good spatial awareness, which helps to identify new potential “boulder spots”, as he calls them. The subsequent preparation of sketches and the assessment of the required budget are also easier for him thanks to his prior knowledge.

Sustainability was an important aspect of his studies, says Maximilian Gemsjäger. The projects there have always been planned with a view to the lowest possible emissions in order to protect the environment. He would also like to incorporate this into the Kraxl collective. Some time ago he stumbled across the homepage of Precious Plastic Munich. The company recycles old plastic using machines it builds itself. Thanks to the injection molding process, in which the plastic is heated so much that it can be cast in all sorts of shapes, bouldering holds can also be produced for the Kraxl collective. Three of them are currently on the bouldering block on the Theresienwiese, the “Dicken Hans”. More are planned.

Maximilian Gemsjäger says he never had a bad fall during his time in bouldering, which has lasted for several years. Luckily there have not been any serious accidents on any of the blocks so far. This is probably due to the low altitude. Bouldering is not about climbing as high as possible, but rather covering horizontal distances. You are usually only a few centimeters to maybe a meter above the ground.

“In the beginning, the question of liability was a big issue. If something does happen,” says Maximilian. After thorough research and the assurance of the DAV to provide legal assistance in the event of damage, he decided to put the idea into practice. In order to keep the risk as low as possible, each block must be approved by TÜV or a playground inspector before it is released for general use. In addition, “the blocks are checked twice a week by volunteers”. This ensures that there are no broken glass or even syringes lying around that could injure you.

Get more people excited about bouldering

Maximilian Gemsjäger likes how the project is currently running, further campaigns are planned to introduce more people to bouldering. For him, bouldering is a great sport for all age groups. “The youngest kid I ever saw bouldering couldn’t even walk.” Although he admits that it was held by his mother on the wall and that it has not yet been able to completely hold itself up. But at least a first step. “As soon as the little ones can really walk, they can actually start bouldering.” And bouldering is still possible in old age, Maximilian Gemsjäger says a good friend with whom he climbs from time to time is in his mid-60s.

That’s exactly why he plans to organize events especially for children or older people. When bouldering, there are usually routes of varying difficulty, which differ in the color of the grips. So there are also easier routes that those who are not so experienced can try their hand at.

For Maximilian Gemsjäger, setting up the blocks isn’t just about a free opportunity to introduce others to his favorite hobby. “What I really like about bouldering is that you spend time with your friends,” he explains. The climbing breaks would be great for maintaining social contacts. For example, he met Hannah through the Kraxl collective: “We are now very good friends.” It is precisely this mixture that makes the attraction for the climber, he enthuses. You don’t just go bouldering, you spend an afternoon with your friends.

Maximilian Gemsjäger is in contact with people from other cities who, like him, want to create freely accessible bouldering areas there. He says they are constantly exchanging new project ideas or the best way to get to the authorities who have to approve the projects first. He cites climbers from Nuremberg as an example. With the development of networks and the motivation of climbers, in the near future there will certainly not only be more bouldering walls in Munich, but all over Germany.

Young people