Mental preparation is already half the battle! Manuel (Manu) Oberfrank is concentrating for a serious try.

[Photo: Christoph Rupp]

Manu crimping the small edges

in "Flying Steps" Fb 8a/a+

  [Photo: Christoph Rupp]

Already in the last years Manu was able to do some hard problems, but again and again injuries destroyed the fitness. Then one day he decided that something has to change and he started a systematic training to strengthen his fingers...

In April, after 3 1/2 months of hard training, he found finally the time again to climb on real rock outside of his home area. This was Frankenjura where he could repeat right in one day "Fountain Head" (Fb 8a). Highly motivated he made a short trip to Konstein two days later and this time the problem where he got an injury of the little finger in December had no chance. Therefore the name "Revenge" (Fb 8a trav.).

In really good shape he started for a 5-day-holiday-trip together with his girl friend to the beautiful Algund in South Tyrol. Besides hiking, biking and chilling he could solve some excellent problems, each in only some tries:
* Profiteroles con panna (Fb 7c/c+)
* San Pancrachino (Fb 7c)
* Super Käptn Knödel (Fb 7c/c+)
* The definition of pressure (Fb 7c+)

April showers bring may flowers...
...and so in May Manus shape rose to new personal dimensions. In Franken he could immediately repeat the excellent power-problem "World coming down" (Fb 8a), in Altmühltal followed by "Bierbombe" (Fb 8a), again in Franken he made the first repetition of Heiko Queitschs perfect prow-problem "Wenn er fällt, dann schreit er!" (Fb 7c+/8a), all on the first day of trying. And he even flashed "Soft Skills" (Fb 7c).
A bit later in the month Manu started to work on "Flying Steps" (Fb 8a/a+) and for two days he checked out the sequences. On the next day there he hiked the problem in the first try. The next day he added fast ascents of "Mini Golf " (Fb 7c) and "Zeitbombe" (Fb 7c) to his ticklist.

Regarding this impressive list of hard problems one should not forget at all the fact that Manu does not spend his life exclusively doing bouldering, but has a full day's schedule in the domestic electric-service business. Therefore he finds the time for his passion, the world of small boulders, almost only on Sundays!

June...

...with his permanent rain showers was really annoying probably for most excited climbers and also Manu often went back home from the completely wet boulders without having done one move. Nevertheless he pulled of the feat to do the problem "Unterdruck" (Fb 8a) in Franken on a day with such bad conditions.

In July Manu worked on some first ascents in the area Konstein close to where he lives. The results are "Hirnleiste" (Fb 7c+) and "LEGO bricks" (Fb 8a trav). But as the weather did not continue a lot better than it was in June, he decided to stop for some serious training during the summer months, which are much too hot for really hard moves anyway.

One can be curious what the coming season will bring. On the top of Manus wish-list are at least some visits in Allgäu as he told me recently on the telephone....

By all means, may the success and power be with you Manu, and as always, pedal to the metal!

Manu in "Steinpilz", Fb 8a+

[Photo: Christoph Rupp]

A really acrobatic movement in "Bierbombe", Fb 8a

[Photo: Axel Öland] 

Manu  in "World coming down", Fb 8a

[Photo: Christoph Rupp]

"Wenn er fällt dann schreit er", Fb 7c+/8a

[Photo: Christoph Rupp]