#10 Werner Thon

"I only open a route when I stand underneath it and think 'wow'". Werner Thon has always been more interested in the quality of his routes rather than quantity. His lines are among those that keep earning a "wow" from the next generations of Frankenjura climbers.

Werner started climbing as a child, a passion inherited from his father, who'd take him to the crag already as a youngster. The way it was back then, he first learned to mix free and aid climbing, which he practised for the first few years. As a teen he completed Weg der Arbeit at Klinge, with big boots, a sling ladder and all the aid gear. It was graded as V a2 - not bad for a kid! He'd return to this line in 1992 to climb it free and rename it Space Invader: one of his earliest and personally most meaningful first ascents.

Moving on from using aid to climbing fully free was natural progres for Werner. Even when starting out with his father, they’d attempt to climb as many parts of the route as possible (as opposed to pulling on gear). In his own words: “It’s always been Climbing”. They would pull on a bolt or use a step ladder when the passage seemed impossible otherwise. Seeking further challenge, free climbing was the obvious way forward for him. With it, there came more possibilities and new routes that could be opened and enjoyed.

It didn't take long for Werner to far exceed his father in terms of climbing skills. Whilst Mr. Karl Thon opened routes in the 5th grade, his son would go and tick off almost all hard lines that the early 1990s Franknejura had to offer. Especially after getting his driving license, and together with it the freedom to go climbing whenever he pleased, Werner would do close to nothing else.

Soon he needed new challenges so he went on and created them himself; and not without an excellent eye for the line. In the 90s, it was Werner's standard to open a good hard line every year. He'd concentrate on a new route throughout the summer and by autumn or winter, Franken would be (at least) one beauty of a first ascent richer.

Showdown, Werner's 50RP route and own creation, came in 1994. It may be shorter than the other classics at Trautner Gedenkwand but its aesthetic certainly earns the "wow". The line follows an arched bulge of dark rock, commencing with powerful moves on small holds in a big overhang, through an extremely demanding traverse that requires technique, strength and precision. To top it up, the finishing meters consist of techy long moves on a near-vertical wall. All this is contained in about 12 metres and 5 bolts, amounting to a notoriously hard 11-.

It's Werner's hardest line - and it's well-known for its difficulty in the grade. This could be one of the reasons why it has seen relatively few repeats, despite its prettiness. He says it suited him as a climber really well. The name refers to the relentless difficulty. He had bolted it very early, a couple of years before the actual ascent; back then it had been the only route on the shorter, right wall at Trautner Gedenkwand and it stayed like this for a few years more, which made the line the more aesthetically pleasing.

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

Werner likes to comment a quick hard ascent with “had luck” but the truth is, he’s got a (rare) talent for performing when the odds align in his favour. Once he knows the route lies within his ability, he needs a good conditions day and more often than not, he can pull off the ascent, managing the mental aspect of it all really well.

Though he’s never thrown the rope away, in the 2000s, Werner started pulling more and more towards bouldering. He holds many a notable first ascent here, too. A special mention is due for the classic Zerberus, known for being one of the world's absolutely hardest boulders at the time as well as for its iconic (and somewhat controversial) location.

Werner on Zerberus. Photo: Stephan Denys (Werner Thon archive)

He remains an active climber, as passionate as ever (although he'd rather express it with something like: "naja, geht so") and going strong. Apart from Franken, he enjoys a trip further south from time to time where he can taste different limestone and wine - though Franconian beer seems to remain his favourite beverage.

Werner on Kamasutra 218.
​Photo: Christian Charisius (Werner Thon archive)

Speaking of his Franken favourites, Sautanz would definitely make the list - it’s one of his firsts in the grade and more importantly a beauty of a line that had always been on his ticklist.

Kamasutra 218 holds a special memory for him as his first 10 (UIAA grade; with many to follow!).
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​He also mentions the classic Burn for You as well as Das Wunder von Essing in the Southern Frankenjura, which he describes as a very unusual but absolutely genius route.

Though Werner doesn’t really have a favourite crag, he does especially enjoy the breathtaking rock formations in the Burggrub area ("not even the moves, but the rock itself"), which are not only pretty but also close to home.

Overall, Werner is an absolute legend who has lived a lot of the climbing history and written some pages of it himself.

Thank you, Werner, for being a part of 50RP!