Return to the Duisburg Landschaftspark! An evening of rock climbing....

On Tuesday evening, after a day of exploring the industrial heritage park of Zollverein and the city of Essen, I had the opportunity to return to the Duisburg Nord Landschaftpark for a closer, more personal look. I'm a rock climber, and I wanted to be able to climb at the Landschaftpark. Thanks to some Cleveland connections (namely, German medical students who are studying at MetroHealth), I was able to meet up with a young German woman, Annick, who was looking for a climbing partner on what happened to be a gorgeous, sunny, 70 degree evening. Perfect.

The website for the Landschaftspark Duisburg Nord claims that while France has its Mont Blanc (a world renowned climbing mecca) and the Rockies have Mount McKinley (another mythic peak), the klettergarten (outdoor climbing area) at the Landschaftspark is a great climbing destination in its own right. I was excited to check out the validity of this lofty claim—both because I wanted to get a sense of what urban climbing is and how it works within the context of an industrial heritage park, and because, truth be told, I wanted to get a nice climbing workout in…

The klettergarten is an example of adaptive reuse of old industrial infrastructure. Old ore storage bunkers, as well as the walls surrounding them, have been converted to an open air climbing area. The climbing routes are up to 40 feet in length and they range in difficulty from beginner to expert level. Several via ferratta routes exist as well. The German Alpine Association maintains the climbing area, which is open to its members as well as to park visitors.

When Annick and I arrived at the klettergarden, there were about 40 other climbers there. This group was rather diverse in terms of age; we saw young couples, a few groups of old men, a group of high school kids, several mom and daughter groups. Some of these climbers were novices, some seemed to be seasoned alpinists. Everyone appeared to be serious about safety (and I add this because it is my impression that rock climbing can be perceived as a highly dangerous activity. In fact, with proper gear and proper safety measures, it’s not a terribly risky activity. People at the klettergarden were quite safe).

Annick and I climbed about a dozen routes before the sun went down and it was one of the coolest experiences I’ve had – climbing or otherwise. It's amazing to me that the Duisburgers have such a great public amenity within such a beautiful public park….and I think that in Cleveland, we’ve got an opportunity to build off of the ideas that have worked so well in the klettergarten.

Cleveland – and I’m talking Cleveland proper here, Industrial Valley and the Flats included – is not generally perceived as a town that offers a wide array of opportunities for outdoor recreation, particularly adventure recreation. Our Towpath Trail is amazing (and it continues to get better), Ray's Mountain Bike Park is a gem, and the lake and river offer great recreation opportunities (for rowing, canoeing, kayaking, and more). But I think that there are some areas, particularly recreation that could be tied to our industrial infrastructure, that we can and should explore further, build up, and market better. Climbing in our urban center is one of these areas.

How amazing would it be if we in Cleveland were able to draw people to the Flats or to other industrial spaces in order to connect with our industrial heritage in a physical, adventurous, and unique way? And how far out is this idea?

Well…….maybe not so far out. Below are some Cleveland climbers working on their fitness at a beloved series of cracks down in the flats. What if the scene below included more people, an array of activities, and connections to major trails or a larger park system?

I won’t stop thinking about these questions, which present many logistical issues that I can’t figure out within the scope of this post…but after my two days in the Landschaftspark, I am hooked on urban recreation that is centered around post-industrial infrastructure. More specifically, I’m hooked on climbing on that post-industrial infrastructure. And I'd love to being doing that in Cleveland. And bringing you all along with me.