KNOTS & STONE:
CZECH CLIMBING TRADITION
Six days deep in the birthplace of European free climbing — where metal protection is forbidden, knotted slings do the work, and the ethics haven't budged in over a century.
- Labské Údolí
- Sandstone Trad Tradition
- 12 – 19 September 2026
- 6 Days
- UIAA VI
- Min. Lead Grade
- 4
- Max Participants
- €1,150
- Price
Czech sandstone climbing is the birthplace of European free climbing, and it plays by its own rules entirely: no cams, no nuts, no metal touching the rock. Just knotted slings, textile rings, and a code of ethics that hasn't changed since routes here were first climbed in the early 1900s.
This is trad climbing as philosophy as much as technique. Wide Boyz climber Tom Randall has described the style as feeling almost like soloing, where the mind has to be every bit as strong as the hands. Expect delicate footwork on rock with the consistency of compressed sugar, minimal protection, and a level of mental fortitude that modern, well-bolted climbing rarely demands.
Six days building the skills, the ethics, and the head for it — capped with an attempt on a classic multi-pitch tower on your final day.
- Duration
- 7 Days
- Location
- Labské Údolí
- Min. Lead Grade
- UIAA VI (5.10a)
- Group Size
- Maximum 4
- Coach
- Pavel Ryva
- Price
- €1,150
12–19 September 2026
& Adršpach-Teplice Rocks
Trad, 1+ years experience
Genuinely personal instruction
Coach may vary by date
Guiding & coaching included
Other Dates
More Ways to Join
Tower Craft runs periodically through the year. Here's what's currently on the calendar — check back for more dates, or get in touch and we'll let you know when the next one's confirmed. No other dates confirmed yet for this course. Want in on the next one? Email info@rockbusters.net or catch us on WhatsApp and we'll add you to the list.
- Sep€1,150Past tripMore info
Real Rock, Real Tradition
Towers, Textile
& a Century of Ethics
No stock photos, no staged sends — just climbers earning it the way it's been done here since 1905.
The Experienced Trad Leader
You're confident leading UIAA VI trad elsewhere and ready for a protection system that throws out everything you thought you knew about racking up.
The Climbing Historian
You want to touch routes first climbed in 1905 and understand why this tradition has survived, virtually unchanged, for over a century.
The Mentally Curious
You want to know what climbing feels like with real consequences and minimal gear between you and the ground. This will tell you.
Technique
- Placing knotted slings & textile protection
- Delicate footwork on fragile sandstone
- Rope management for multi-pitch towers
- Route finding with minimal marking
- Traditional tower summiting technique
Mental Game
- Understanding & practicing the local ethics
- Mental fortitude for minimal-protection runouts
- Climbing calls & communication that matters more here
- Committing to a summit with nothing to fall back on
- The "head as strong as the hands" mindset
Tactics
- Belaying & lead belaying, Czech-style
- Reading complex tower systems
- Efficient systems for multi-pitch days
- Environmental practices that preserve the rock
- Long-term progression beyond the course
- Day 1
- Introduction
Ethics & history briefing, equipment check, technique practice on smaller formations
- Day 2–5
- Progressive Climbing
Daily excursions to different areas with increasing difficulty; morning technique workshops, guided climbs
- Day 6
- Challenge Day
An attempt on a classic multi-pitch route on one of the iconic towers, followed by a farewell dinner
| What You're Used To | Modern Sport | Czech Trad |
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Bolts, cams, nuts | Knotted slings only |
| Metal on the rock | ✓ | — |
| Chalk use | Unrestricted | Restricted |
| Bolted anchors | ✓ | — |
| Ground-up ethics | Optional | Mandatory |
| Runouts | Rare | Expected |
Bohemian Switzerland & Adršpach-Teplice
The Venue
Slender spires and labyrinthine walls rising out of misty forests, like something out of a fantasy landscape. Many of these towers were first climbed in the early 1900s, some routes dating back to 1905 — and climbing them today, with the same techniques the pioneers used, is about as close to time travel as this sport gets.
The tradition has survived wars, political upheaval, and generations of climbers without bending its core rules. Even today, top climbers establishing new routes on Czech sandstone are expected to do it ground-up, out of respect for that history.
- Nearest Airport
- Prague-Ruzyně
- Rock Type
- Sandstone Towers
- Routes Established
- Since 1905
- Style
- Knotted-sling trad, no metal
Your Coach
World-Class Coaching
Pavel Ryva
Meet guideCzech Sandstone Specialist
A local Czech climber steeped in the region's century-old sandstone ethics, Pavel guides this course with the kind of knowledge you only get from a lifetime spent on these towers — the history, the technique, and exactly which knots to trust.
Accommodation & Logistics
We Sorted the Boring Bits
Accommodation
Shared accommodation in a local climbing cottage run by local climbers. A private room is possible if arranged ahead, for an extra charge.
Getting There
Fly into Prague-Ruzyně for both arrival and departure. We're happy to help organise shared rental cars within the group.
Gear
Bring a standard trad rack plus your own climbing shoes and harness. Specialized textile protection is available to rent, and we provide helmets, belay devices, and slings.
Group Size
Maximum 4 participants. This is genuinely personal instruction, not a crowd — ideal for a tradition this technical.
What's Included
Full Package
- Individualized coaching — technique, ethics, and mental game
- Guiding & local knowledge — routes, history, and where to trust a knot
- Climbing safety equipment — helmets, belay devices, slings
- Shared basic accommodation — a local climbing cottage
Not included
- Local transport (we are happy to organize shared rental cars within the group)
- Flights
- Travel & climbing insurance
- Food & drinks
FAQ
Common Questions
What level do I need to be?
You should have at least a year of outdoor climbing experience and be confident leading trad routes at UIAA VI (5.10a). This is an intermediate-to-advanced course, not an introduction to trad.
Do I need my own gear?
Bring a standard trad rack, your climbing shoes, and harness. Specialized textile protection is available to rent, and we provide helmets, belay devices, and slings. Full kit list sent once you book.
Is food included?
Not included, but flexible — there's an equipped kitchen at the accommodation, plenty of nearby restaurants and bars, and communal dinners can be organised if the group wants them.
How small is the group, really?
Maximum 4 participants. This is genuinely personal instruction on a technical, high-consequence style of climbing — not a crowd-control exercise.
Can I upgrade my accommodation?
Yes — a private room is possible if arranged ahead of time, for an extra charge. Get in touch by email or WhatsApp to set it up.
Where do I fly in and out of?
Prague-Ruzyně International Airport, for both arrival and departure.
Reserve Your Place
Ready to Climb Like It's 1905?
Only 4 spots per course, and this one fills up with people who take their trad seriously. Secure your spot now — or drop us a line first if you've got questions.
Questions first? Email info@rockbusters.net or catch us on WhatsApp — we reply fast.