The Lokomotive (German for "locomotive") is a striking
climbing rock
A climbing rock (; regionally also ''Kletterfels'' or '' Klettergipfel'') is a term used especially in Germany for an individual rock formation, rock face or rock group on which climbing is permitted. Designated climbing rocks are listed in climbin ...
north of
Kurort Rathen
Rathen is a village in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, in Saxony, Germany, about southeast of Dresden. The village occupies both banks of the river Elbe and, as of 2020, has 339 inhabitants. Rathen is a popular tourist destination, the main sigh ...
in
Saxon Switzerland
Saxon Switzerland (, ) is a hilly climbing area and national park in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. It is located around the Elbe valley south-east of Dresden in Saxony, Germany, adjoining Bohemian Switzerland in the Czech Republic. Toge ...
in Germany. The rock, which resembles a steam locomotive in appearance, is also known as ''Große Ruine'', is about 30 metres high and is divided into two parts: known as ''Lokomotive-Dom'' ("Locomotive Dome") and ''Lokomotive-Esse'' ("Locomotive Chimney"). The ridge between the two is called the ''Kesselgrat'' ("Boiler Ridge"), the rock teeth next to the Esse as ''Pfeife'' ("Whistle"). For a short time there was a weather vane on the dome in the shape of a wheel. The Lokomotive rises on the massif of the ''Honigsteine''.
The Dome of the Lokomotive was first climbed in 1886 by Friedrich Hartmann and Robert Kappmeier. In the history of
free climbing
Free climbing is a form of rock climbing in which the climber can only use climbing equipment for climbing protection but not as an artificial aid to help them in ascending the route. Free climbing, therefore, cannot use any of the tools that ...
in
Saxon Switzerland the climb of the Esse on 7 June 1903 by Albert Kunze and
Oliver Perry-Smith
Oliver Perry-Smith (October 11, 1884 in Philadelphia – May 13, 1969''Proceedings of the Club: Secretary report for the year 1969'', AAJ 1970, pp. 224, lines 6-8 (for pdf version, see External links)) was an American rock climber, mountaineer an ...
was the first ascent of the Esse and the first step in climbing the
open face. Until then climbers had focussed on
chimneys
A chimney is an architectural ventilation structure made of masonry, clay or metal that isolates hot toxic exhaust gases or smoke produced by a boiler, stove, furnace, incinerator, or fireplace from human living areas. Chimneys are typically ...
and
crevices. The first ascent of the
grade
Grade most commonly refers to:
* Grading in education, a measurement of a student's performance by educational assessment (e.g. A, pass, etc.)
* A designation for students, classes and curricula indicating the number of the year a student has reach ...
V ''Lokomotivüberfall''
climbing route
A climbing route () is a path by which a Climbing, climber reaches the top of a mountain, a rock face or an ice-covered obstacle. The details of a climbing route are recorded in a climbing guidebook and/or in an online climbing-route database. De ...
on the Esse unleashed an intensive period of climbing in Saxon Switzerland that lasted until 1910, during which climbers like Kunze, Perry-Smith and
Rudolf Fehrmann
Rudolf Fehrmann (22 June 1886 – 1947) was a German climber. He was a pioneer rock climber at the Elbe Sandstone Mountains near Dresden.
Climbing career
He began climbing at the age of 17 and was soon at the leading edge of the fledgling sport. ...
made the first ascent of many important
climbing peak A climbing peak () may refer to a mountain or hill peak or a rock formation that has to be ascended by climbing. The term is common in Germany where it is specifically used of free-standing rock formations in the climbing regions of Saxon Switzerlan ...
s, like the
Barbarine
The Barbarine is the best-known free-standing rock formation in the German part of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. It is a rock pinnacle, high, and is the symbol of Saxon Switzerland. It was first climbed on 19 September 1905.
Location
The Barba ...
, the ''Große Herkulessäule'', the ''Jungfer'' or the
Teufelsturm.
[Däweritz, p. 26 ff.]
Sources
* Karl Däweritz: ''Klettern im Sächsischen Fels'', Sportverlag Berlin, Berlin, 1979.
* Dietmar Heinicke (ed.): ''Kletterführer Sächsische Schweiz, Band Wehlener Gebiet/Rathener Gebiet/Brand'', Dresden, 2003,
* Rudolf Fehrmann: ''Der Bergsteiger in der Sächsischen Schweiz'', Verlagsanstalt Johannes Siegel, Dresden, 1908.
References
External links
Rock information by the German Alpine Club: Lokomotive-Esse – Rathener GebietRock information by the German Alpine Club: Lokomotive-Dom – Rathener Gebiet
{{Coord, 50.965974, N, 14.084505, E, type:mountain_region:DE-SN, display=title
Rock formations of Saxon Switzerland
Climbing areas of Germany
Rathen