– I’m looking up the 80m high tower I am about to climb. I can’t see the entire line, but it’s supposed to be a single crack, going from hand size to an overhanging off-width. Standa, the wild photographer from Czechia is already on top, waiting for me, ready to shoot from a static line. I gear up: I got Standa’s “visitor set of nuts”, plus a handful of slings. I tighten my rope and climbing shoes and just before heading off, my hands want to take some chalk, but there is no chalk bag. –

We arrived in the Elbe valley 10 days ago. I had the idea to visit this huge area because I heard the climbing is known to be wild, gorgeous and adventurous.

Since becoming a mother, I find myself really missing climbing adventures. I must admit that with 2 kids, life really changes. Since the birth of my second, the contrast between my life before children and now feels even greater. During the first three months after my second daughter Dune was born, I felt completely overwhelmed by hormones. After this magical birthing period, I slipped into a mild postpartum depression. Nothing dramatic, simply lots of tears and constant fatigue and no true taste for what life has to offer. Maybe it was because Dune was an uncomplicated birth, compared to my first (Lia), no open-heart surgery, nothing, just a healthy and smiley child.

At the beginning of May, we finally got our new truck. It was a real heartbreaker to sell Andrea1, but we had to say goodbye. Our wish to travel as a family was too big for our colourful Unimog, as Andrea1 was not made to welcome 4 people. Anyways, every love story must come to an end and so we sold it and bought a slightly bigger and much more comfortable replacement. After one month of final adjustments, we hit the road towards some rocks and Nina was finally Nina again.

– I’m at the bottom of the crack. I start to climb with a harness full of different sizes of rope nuts and slings. My hands are sweating, and I can’t hide that I’m stressed. I can see the first ring 20 meters above the ground, but to reach it, I must climb through a tiny roof section with loose rock. I desperately tried to place slings, but it’s a matter of time. After fucking around for about 15 minutes, I gave up and free soloed through this first steep section. After pulling through, I finally placed a nut and shortly after another one. I felt safe and continued climbing towards the first ring. I doubled that one with 2 quickdraws. The crack gets thinner revealing the path of protection placements clearer.  My mind is back on focus mode. Standa is hanging above me, and I feel good. I know that I can’t fall to the ground and I’m excited to climb. Around 40 meters, I traversed 6 meters onto the next roof section, where the climbing goes into an off-width and shortly after into a chimney. I fought my way out of the chimney by laughing. Standing on top I feel exhausted but alive. I forgot about family, I was simply back for one hour, to badass Nina. –

At the end of May, we left home to live a couple of months in our new truck. I can’t quite call it Andrea2 yet—there is still no exterior painting and no climbing wall—step by step, it will get there.  Our goal is simple: live outdoors with our two kiddos and climb as much as possible. Honestly, that felt like a pretty good plan to me. To make things easier, we hired a new au paire. This time we chose a man—I was curious to see what kind of impact and influence a second male presence might have on my two daughters.

When we finally left, it felt like a new birth for me. We climbed wherever the truck could be parked close enough to reach the rock by foot or bike. I always left with Dune since I’m breastfeeding, and it felt so damn easy and fulfilling. On the other hand, the nights were tough; 4-7 wakeups to feed my newborn but climbing gave me so much joy that it was worth every bit of exhaustion. We climbed in Fontainebleau, THE climbing family destination.  Amidst the hundreds and hundreds of people, we met another climbing family —Nico and Maelle, with their kids Noan and Elina—who were leaving France for a year-long climbing trip across Europe.

Six weeks later, after more preparations on the truck, some welding and some 8a climbing in Switzerland, we met Nico and his family again in Frankenjura. Our plan was to share the road for the entire month of August. We climbed 3 days on steep pockets in Germany and then headed east to Czechia for a real climbing adventure.

– I’m pulling the rope, barely five meters up, I can feel the tension of my climbing partner, the route was more than 70 meters long. My body is scraped and bleeding in places, but nothing serious.  I placed my last piece of gear just before the final off width, naked without anymore pieces of protection, I built the anchor with the rope around a big block. The view is stunning, and a tear is falling down my face. I look down to the Elbe River and then across, there are walls and towers everywhere. I can feel a warm summer breeze on my body, and it feels like a hug. I imagine my family on the other side of the river at camp. I can picture Lia riding her bike and little Dune playing in the grass. Immediately I can feel my boobs getting tight and milk is running out of my nipples. I laughed as my desire to see them again is strong. Climbing this 70-meter-long crack route was very demanding and a little scary. I realize how happy I am doing these mini adventures and then joining my family at the end of the day, alive and full of positive energy.-

Pictures: Standa Mitac, Alex Denny, Jérémy Bernard