Three days on the rock, three sessions at the table
The Frankenjura is a forest of short, pocketed limestone towers spread across northern Bavaria — the birthplace of redpointing and one of the densest sport-climbing landscapes in Europe. We base the weekend out of a small guesthouse near Obertrubach and move between sectors on foot or by short shuttle. Amgalan Chin leads the tea table; local climbing guides from the Frankenjura collective handle the rope work and route selection. The group is capped at twelve climbers, mixed ability from solid 5+ up through low 8s. Everyone climbs their own grade — the tea is the shared part.
Friday begins late afternoon. Guests arrive, drop kit, and gather at 17:00 for a quiet opening session: a 2009 Shēng Pǔ’ěr (生普洱) from Bāng Wěi (邦崴), poured side by side with a younger 2019 cake from the same village. Amgalan walks the group through what aging actually does to the leaf — how the bitterness softens, how the qi settles lower in the body, why this style of tea is the one he reaches for on rest days between hard climbing blocks. Dinner is local — Fränkische Schäufele, spätzle, salad — and an early night.
Saturday is the long day. Wake-up at 06:30, a fast gongfu set of Yán Chá (岩茶) — Wǔyí rock oolong, roasted, mineral, the closest match in the tea world to limestone itself. Two pots, ten minutes, then breakfast and a 20-minute walk to Krottenseer Turm or Richard-Wagner-Fels depending on conditions. We climb until around 13:00, break for a cold-brew Mí Lán Xiāng (蜜兰香) Dāncōng prepared the night before in 1.5-litre bottles — honey-orchid aromatics, no sugar, electrolytes added separately. Afternoon session runs until 18:00. Back at the guesthouse, hot showers, then the evening table: a slower flight, six steepings of a 2003 Shou Pǔ’ěr (熟普洱) processed via Wò Duī (渥堆), then a Lǎo Bái Chá (老白茶) from Fúdǐng to finish. Amgalan keeps the conversation on recovery — what tannins do to fatigued muscle, why steady caffeine across the day beats a single pre-climb hit, how to read your own nervous system after a hard pitch.
Sunday is shorter. One climbing session, 09:00 to 14:00, on something steep and pumpy — usually around Weißenstein. Lunch on the rock, packed by the guesthouse. The closing tea session runs 16:00 to 18:00 back at base: a single tea, a 2015 Shēng from Yīwǔ (易武), poured slowly, no commentary, no schedule. Cars and trains leave from 19:00.
Amgalan has run this format three times — twice from a base in Buryatia, once in the Caucasus. The Frankenjura edition is new for 2026 and intentionally smaller. The reading list and post-event recovery notes are shared through tea.community in the weeks after, and graduates can continue the technical thread through tea.school’s pu-erh aging module.
What you get
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Six guided tea sessions across three days — opening flight, two morning gongfu sets, two evening tables, closing pour
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Two full climbing days plus one half day with certified Frankenjura guides, rope work and route selection handled
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All tea included — Shēng and Shou Pǔ’ěr, Wǔyí Yán Chá, Fúdǐng white, Phoenix Dāncōng — sourced through shop.puerh.app and Teamotea direct
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Cold-brew thermoses for both climbing days, electrolyte mix included, sized to body weight
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Two breakfasts, one packed lunch, one Fränkische dinner at the guesthouse
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Written post-event notes — recovery protocols, aging guide, the full tea list with sourcing
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Group capped at twelve climbers, three guides, one tea lead
Practical details
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Where — Guesthouse near Obertrubach, central Frankenjura. Nearest stations: Nürnberg Hbf (60 min by car), Forchheim (40 min). Pickup from Forchheim included on Friday afternoon.
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Kit included — All tea, gaiwans and thermoses, cold-brew bottles, electrolyte mix. Climbing hardware, ropes, quickdraws provided by the guide team.
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Bring yourself — Shoes, harness, helmet, chalk bag, layers for 14–24°C, light rain shell. Limestone is sharp — long sleeves help on the approach.
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Food — Two breakfasts, one packed climbing lunch, one Saturday dinner included. Saturday and Sunday lunches in the village are at your cost (€10–15).
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Accessibility — Climbing sectors involve 15–30 minute forest approaches with uneven ground. The tea sessions are seated at standard tables, fully accessible. Contact us if you’d like to attend the tea programme only.
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Language — Sessions run in English. Amgalan also speaks Russian and Mandarin. Guides speak German and English.
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Weather note — Mid-August in the Frankenjura is usually dry and mild. If rain closes the rock, we move to a covered overhang sector and extend the afternoon tea session. No refunds for weather, but a make-up half-day in 2027 is offered.