Markus Bock adds new Frankenjura testpiece

German sports climber Markus Bock has established The Elder Statesman 9a/9a+ in the Frankenjura.

One of Germany's strongest sport climbers, Markus Bock, has done what he does best: establish another testpiece in the Frankenjura. As climbing.de reports, the 32-year old bolted a new line in March in the Bamberg area and freed the 30 moves on 18 June. His "The Elder Statesman" is described as being "one of the last 3 star lines in the Frankenjura" and weighs in at 9a/9a+. It comes in the wake of another first ascent, "The Last Rides" which settles in at a more amenable 8c+.

There are few climbers who know the Frankenjura as well as Bock does and after famously climbing all the hardest routes there, he set about establishing his own, some of which are listed below.