Action Directe (climb)

Action Directe (climb)

Action Directe is a famous and very hard climb at the Waldkopf crag in Frankenjura, Germany. It is a short climb, only 15 meters (49 ft) long, but it hangs steeply outward, making it very difficult. When German climber Wolfgang Güllich first climbed it in 1991, it became the very first climb in the world to be graded 9a (5.14d), one of the hardest levels of climbing.

This climb is very important in the history of rock climbing. Many climbers try to reach its difficult grade, and it is often used to see if someone can handle the hardest climbs. The special training and equipment Wolfgang Güllich used changed climbing a lot, helping climbers everywhere improve and reach new goals.

History

The climb called Action Directe was created by Wolfgang Güllich, a German climber. A friend, Milan Sykora, showed Güllich the route on a large limestone rock at the Waldkopf crag. Sykora had started working on the climb but thought the lower part was too difficult, so he let Güllich try it.

Güllich finished climbing it on September 14, 1991, after 11 days of practice. He used a special way to start the climb, which made it very challenging. At the time, Güllich was 30 years old and had just gotten married five days before finishing the climb. This climb was very important because it was the first one in the world to be rated as very hard, which is called 9a (5.14d).

Many climbers have tried it since then, but it remains one of the toughest climbs of its level.

In 2020, a French climber named Mélissa Le Nevé was the first woman to climb it.

Route

Action Directe is a famous climb that is very hard. Climbers use small holds in the rock. The climb is only 15 metres (49 ft) long and can be done quickly.

After climbing it in 2016, German climber David Firnenburg said the climb starts with a big jump and has hard holds and tricky steps.

Legacy

Action Directe is very famous in climbing. Even in 2020, people called it a very important climb that brings together the best climbers from all over the world. It is often thought of as the best test for a very hard level of 9a (5.14d).

The climber Wolfgang Güllich used special training methods and brought in the campus board to help climbers get stronger. Some people think another climb, Hubble, might have been the first 9a route, but there are different opinions because it can be hard to know exactly how hard a climb is. This debate is like another one about which climb was the first 9a+ (5.15a).

Ascents

Action Directe has been climbed by many skilled climbers since it was first tackled.

The first person to climb it was Wolfgang Güllich on September 14, 1991. Since then, many others have successfully completed the route, including Alexander Adler, Iker Pou, Dave Graham, and more.

In May 2020, Mélissa Le Nevé became the first woman to climb it.

Filmography

Here are some films about climbers trying the Action Directe climb:

• Dai Koyamada’s climb in 2005: Action Directe
• Jan Hojer’s climb in 2014: Rock Climbing Classics: Episode 2 – Action Directe 9a
• Stephan Vogt’s climb in 2017: The Fire Within
• Mélissa Le Nevé’s climb in 2020: ReelRock 15