#05 Tina Knorr

If you see Tina Knorr at a Franconian crag, you may or may not see Milo the dog - but you can be sure he’s there. An ex-sled dog with a mix of genes that doesn’t make him well-suited for that job, Milo has had it tough. Now he is - in Tina’s words - “an elderly man that deserves some comforts”, and he does get them: a bowl of minced meat in the morning, his own little crashpad situated at the best shady spot at the crag, a cozy coat for winter days… Although Milo accompanies Tina whenever possible (and she’s allowed to take him to work), he’s easily missed at a crag - that’s because he often prefers to crawl under a bush and hide there from strangers’ eyes.

​“Milo and I are probably a bit similar in this,” Tina says, “both of us prefer to pass under the radar.”
It’s a very relevant remark if you consider Tina’s approach to her climbing. ​

Extra points if you spot Milo in this shot!

There are some who describe her as “the strongest climber that’s ever come from Lichtenfels”, yet you’ll only ever hear Tina talk about how fun the challenge is, not what grades she’s ticked.

Despite coming from what’s often referred to as the outskirts of Franken, she didn’t have any contact with climbing or the outdoorsy lifestyle until her early twenties. “Franken was there, in front of my nose, 15 minutes in the car from home, but I had no idea.”

When she started climbing, her attitude towards this activity was quite different from how she approaches it today. Nowadays, Tina loves pushing herself on a route or a boulder, appreciates good company at the crag, the nature, the coffee, friendships. You can find her in the mountains, tying in for a multipitch, projecting a hard sport route or enjoying an early morning walk before a bouldering session in the middle of a Ticino winter.
​She says that what she loves most about climbing is that it offers so many ways to play, and she’d never restrict herself to just one.

Tina and Milo during a morning walk in Ticino               

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Franken has been Tina’s home playground ever since she started climbing. She enjoys a session whenever she can. She tells the story of her relationship with this place through many little anecdotes, at the same time offering a glimpse into her own climbing world, as well as into these deep, green, rocky forests.

There are plenty of beautiful routes in the Franconian woods. The ones that have stayed with her hold some meaning other than clipping chains. Tina enjoys a good classic; a route that doesn't come as a gift. You have to push yourself to do it, learn, get stronger, fight.

Face to Face was her first 9- (7b). By the time she did it, she had already been climbing for many years, but hadn’t been very ambitious about it. She’d only had one 8th grade (ca. 7a) route on her ticklist to date. Thanks to new people she surrounded herself with, Tina discovered another approach to climbing that still fascinates and motivates her today. Face to Face was not only her first route in the 9th grade but also a start into the new, more exciting dimension of climbing and bouldering. She also likes that it holds an FA by a woman, which isn't the case that often - it wasn’t planned, but adds a nice touch.

Another one of Tina’s “firsts” is Wüstling; this time the step into the 9+ (7c+) grade. On the send day, she had a great time with friends at the crag (Wüstenstein), with a lot of laughs and nice atmosphere. After climbing, they went to a beer garden in Steinfeld, where Tina spontaneously decided to have her first bratwurst (sausage) after about 16 years of being vegetarian. It was delicious!

Schiffsbug, her 50RP route, has two notable things about it. It’s a magnificent line, which doesn’t really suit Tina’s style very well - but if you’ve seen this prow, you probably know that it’s a must-try! She finds it curious that the very hardest thing on this route for her was clipping. A new experience and challenge. The other thing is that there are next to no photos of Tina climbing. The two shoots she’s done have both taken place at Wachberg, on two adjacent routes: Schiffsbug (50RP) and…

on Besoffene Matrose, Tina’s unexpected project and a proud send. It all started with a climbing day coming to an end. There was Tina and her friends at the crag, as well as another party. The others had a top rope in Besoffene and let Tina have a go. Being short, she was warned that the crux is a long move and so she shouldn’t have too much hope. When she got on it, she found the route motivated her a lot, so she started trying different things until she found a solution for the crux. She spent a few more sessions on it with friends. During one of these, Stephan Göb (a photographer from Franken, check him out on Insta: @stephan_goeb) took some great photos of her. “Now I know what my face looks like when I let out a power scream” Tina sums up.

Other lines that are no gift in their grade, and so appeal to Tina, are: Team Motivation (Luisenwand), Fat Patrol (Rotenstein), Schwarze Wand (Wüstenstein), Kinda Kuta (Weidlwanger Wand), Bewegungslehrerseminar (Plankenstein), Schleimspur (Obere Gößweinsteiner Wände).

Tina has a strong liking for vertical climbing, where footwork, body positioning and technique play the main part. It is such crags that catch her eye and find a way into her heart (see the names in brackets in the previous paragraph). She’s also rather biased towards pulling hard on small crimps. 

A little behind the scenes insight: the photos on the left are some early poster tests.
Click here to view the 50RP Posters.

The corner of Franken that’s very special to her is where both Rotenstein and Luisenwand are located. She’s spent so many beautiful moments there with friends, as well as alone with a jummar. She appreciates time at the crag with great people, but likes equally to hang at the wall alone, checking out routes and moves.

Another place she has many beautiful memories with nice people from is Wüstenstein. She finds it has a special quality to it: the walk-in leads you through a beautiful valley for 15 minutes, during which time you can tune to your climbing partners. On top of that, the crag is beautifully located and far from the street. A dream.

Thank you, Tina, for being one of our 50 climbers!