Page Type Page Type: Area/Range
Location Lat/Lon: 52.24672°N / 7.69798°E
Activities Activities: Sport Climbing, Toprope, Bouldering
Seasons Season: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Additional Information Elevation: 522 ft / 159 m
Sign the Climber's Log

Overview

The Dörenther Klippen (Dörenther Cliffs) are a relative big sandstone climbing area between the towns of Dörenthe and Ibbenbüren. It lies on the heights of the Teutoburger forest in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The maximum height of the area is about 159 meters and the area is approximately 4 kilometers wide. The area contains numerous sandstone rocks of moderate height and the often tender quality.

In this part of Germany you probably wouldn't expect any climbing areas. But, the Dörenther Klippen isn't the only area in this part of Germany. Famous climbing areas such as the Ith and other less famous areas like Halleluja-Steinbruch, Isenberg, Hönnetal and Nordeifel (Rurvalley) are areas in North Rhine-Westphalia where you can find rocks to go climbing. Unfortunatly a lot climbing areas are allmost entirely closed. Most rocks are on private land and are owned already for some time by a local climbing club. During the time that these climbing areas where Privat property it was possible to avoid a lot environmental rules and there were only a few obstructions for climbing. But, since about 25 years more and more climbing areas are closed because of wildlife protection.

The Dörenther Klippen is the only climbing area in North Rhine-Westphalia which has a differentiated climbing regulation. The rocks are zoned and this way the area should be protected and suitable for climbing at the same time. See the Dörenther Klippen section for more information on the zones, and check the Red Tape section for a complete overview of all the rules.
PlisseetalPlisseetal

Climbing History

The rocks of Dörenthe received it's name in 1912 from Pfarrer Stapenhorst. He wrote in his book: "from now on these rocks should be called: Sattelfelsen, Königstein, Rabenfelsen, Plisseetal and so on...".

The climbing history starts in 1922. Two climbers from a town nearby where probably the first to climb in the Dörenther Klippen. While climbing on the Dreikaiserstuhl they started dreaming of the high mountains in the Dolomites.

Below you can find a chronology table of the first ascents in the Dörenther Klippen:

Year Rock
1922Dreikaiserstuhl and Sattelfelsen
1950Königstein, Wolfsschlucht, Hinkelstein, Rübezahl and Loch.
1965Plisseetal
1980Brumleytal, Osnabrücker Wand

History: Hockendes Weib

The legend of the "Hockendes Weib".

The "Hockendes Weib" (squatting woman) is the dominating (highest) rock of the Dörenther Klippen. There is a story that refers to the name of the rock:

A long time ago, the floods of the sea often reached deeply into the country up to the mountains. In a cottage at the foot of the Dörenther Klippen lived a woman with her children. When the sea allmost reached her cottage, the women took her children on her arms and carried them on the highest mountain of the Dörenther Klippen. This time the water didn't seem to stop rising and climbed further and further. When it reached up to her feet, she squatted and told her children to climb up on her shoulders and started to pray. The water finally returned to the sea and the women tried to take her children from her shoulders. But she had become a rock, that jutted out of the floods and carried her children.

So, in order to rescue her children she had become a rock that nowadays is called "Hockendes Weib".
Hockendes WeibHockendes Weib

Geographical overview

The climbing rocks of the Dörenther Klippen area are located on the hills of the Teutoburger Forest. Pretty much all of the rocks (except the Brumleytal and Osnabrücker Wand rocks) lie on one row in the forest. There's a path on top of the hill wich connects the whole area. This gives you the opertunity to reach all the rocks from one side. The map below gives an impression of the location of the climbing rocks.
Map of the Dörenther KlippenMap of the Dörenther Klippen area. Click to enlarge!

Dörenther Klippen

The Dörenther Klippen climbing region has about 18 climbing rocks. Unfortunatly climbing is limited in this area, 4 rocks are closed for climbers. The sandstone rocks are of moderate height, it varies between 10 and 25 meters.

The table shows you an overview of all the climbing rocks in the Dörenther Klippen with their restrictions. Please read the Red Tape section on this page!
Climbing  das Dach Climbing in the Dörenther Klippen.
Climbing  Das Dach Climbing in the Dörenther Klippen.

Rock / MassifHeightRoutesZone
Brumleytal20m44Zone 3
Touristenfels15m5Zone 2
Hockendes Weib15m7Zone 1
Gotenschlucht20m16Zone 2
Affental15m9Zone 2
Hausplatte25m5Zone 3
Plisseetal25m27Zone 3
Hinkelsteine14m8Zone 1
Rübezahl14m13Zone 1
Loch15m7Zone 1
Wolfsschlucht17m59Zone 2
Schinder13m10Zone 2
Dreikaiserstuhl15m35Zone 2
Siamesischer Zwilling11m6Zone 2
Königstein15m19Zone 2
Sattelfels15m7Zone 2
Orpheusstein12m3Zone 3
Osnabrücker Wand25m27Zone 3

Zone 1: all year climbing prohibition.
Zone 2: climbing only allowed on the available routes, renunciation of opening new routes.
Zone 3: no restrictions, new routes possible (after arrangement with the local climbing association).

Getting there

The easiest access road to Dörenther Klippen is A30/E30, which runs directly to the north of the region. There are two options, you can either park your car on the eastside (for the following rocks: Osnabrücker Wand, Sattelfels, Königstein, Zwillinge, Dreikaiserstuhl and the Wolfsschlucht), or take the westside for the other rocks.

The A30/30 can be reached as follows:

From the Netherlands (west): Go east on the A1/E30 and cross the border (Netherlands/Germany), the A1 changes into the A30. Follow the A30 for 50 kilometers untill you reach driveway 11b and 12.

From Osnabrück (east): take the A30/E30 in the direction Bremen - Dortmund - Amsterdam. After about 15 kilometers in west direction you reach driveway 12 and 11b.

From Münster (south): go north on the A1/E37 in direction Bremen - Flughafen - Osnabrück. After about 40 kilometers you reach trafficjunction Lotte/Osnabrück. Take the A30/E30 in direction Amsterdam - Rheine. Follow it for about 10 kilometers untill you reach driveway 12 and 11b.

1. Eastside / driveway 12: Take driveway Laggenbeck/Ledder straße (12) and turn right on the Bocketaler straße. Follow the Bocketaler straße for about 1,5 kilometers untill you reach the Im Bocketal road. Take the first parking lot on your left side for the Osnabrücker Wand, and the second parking lot on your right side for the other rocks.
2. Westside / driveway 11b: Take driveway Ibbenbüren/Münsterstraße (11b) and turn right on the Münsterstraße/B219. After just 500 meters you reach the small town Lehen where you can park your car.

Red Tape

As I've said before, the Dörenther Klippen has a differentiated regulation for climbing. The rocks are zoned and this way the area should be protected and suitable for climbing at the same time. See the Dörenther Klippen section for more information on the zones.
Climbing in the Dörenther KlippenRock: Plisseetal

The Dörenther Klippen are in the middle of a Wildlife area wich makes it's very vulnerable. Respect the wildlife and avoid making unnescessary noise. To minimum the noise there are some rocks wich have a maximum number of climbers allowed at the same time. Please respect this number and avoid climbing in large groups.

The following rocks have a maximum:

  • Brumleytal: 30 climbers
  • Plisseetal: 35 climbers
  • Wolfsschlucht: 10 climbers
  • Dreikaiserstuhl: 20 climbers
  • Königstein: 20 climbers

10 Commandments

Beside the zones and the maximum number of climbers there are 10 commandments that every climber should know. Respect the rules so the Dörenther Klippen will be open for climbers for a long time.

1. Park your car only at the parking lots.
2. Wildcamping and camp fire are forbidden in the whole area.
3. Only use the acces paths and roads. Don't leave the path or take a shortcut to reach the rocks.
4. The Dörenther Klippen are a wildlife area. So, don't make to much noise and don't leave any garbage in the area.
5. It is prohibited to use any magnesium while climbing on the rocks.
6. Please notice and do not climb on the closed rocks (Touristenfels, Hockendes Weib, Wildruhezone) and respect unexpected closing or rules.
7. The Brumleytal rock is owned by the Bergsport Sundermann from Münster. You need permition from them. There is an obligation for climbers to wear a helmet on the Brumleytal rock.
8. The Osnabrücker Wand is owned by the Twentschen Alpinisten from the Netherlands. There is an obligation for climbers to wear a helmet on the Osnabrücker Wand rock.
9. It the Dörenther Klippen shouldn't be made any new routes. New routes will probably lead to more rules and maybe even closing the area for climbers.
10. Respect the wildlife and animals in the area. Especially bird's nest should be avoided by everyone.

Camping

There are several opportunities besides camping to stay overnight in the Dörenther Klippen area. Remember that wildcamping is prohibited in the whole area!

There are two campings at walking distance of the climbing rocks. Camping im Bocketal is on the eastside and Camping Dörenther Klippen on the westside.

Camping im Bocketal:
  • Im Bocketal 12
    49545 Tecklenburg
    Tel: +49 (0)5455 1760
    Fax: +49 (0)5455 962106
Camping Dörenther Klippen:
  • Münsterstraße 419
    49479 Ibbenbüren
    Tel: +49 (0)5451 2553
    Fax: +49 (0)5451 96159
    E-mail:harald.roesch@osnanet.de
Camping Am Knoblauchsberg:
  • Königstraße 8
    49545 Tecklenburg
    Tel: +49 (0)5482 396
    Fax: +49 (0)5482 925213
    E-mail: Campingplatz@knoblauchsberg.de

Maps, Guidebook & Web Pages

As for the maps the best ones are the official topographic maps by the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia, scaled 1:50000 and 1:25000. All official maps can be found on the web page of The Landesvermessungsamt North Rhine-Westphalia.

Map 1:25 000:
  • Tecklenburger Land und Rheine
    LVA N.R.W. Map 55
    ISBN: 3-89439-695-4
Map 1:50 000:
  • Osnabrücker Land
    LVA N.R.W. Map 01
    ISBN: 3-89439-471-4
Guidebook:

There's one good guidebook for the Dörenther Klippen climbing area:

"Rocks along the way of old Hermann"
Printed By: Tmms
Autors: Christian Lüke and Martin Schepers
Last print: 2007
ISBN: 978-3930650002

Web Pages

General

www.ibbenbueren.de - website of the village Ibbenbüren
www.nrw-tourismus.de - North Rhine-Westphalia tourist-information
www.osnabrueck.de - Tourist-information Osnabrück
www.teutoburgerwald.de - Information on the Teutoburger Forrest
www.tecklenburg.de - website of the village Tecklenburg

Climbing clubs

www.bergfreunde-ibb.de - website of the climbing club that owns most of the area
www.tav.nu - website of the Twentsche Alpin club, wich owns the Osnabrücker Wand rock
www.bergsportsundermann.de/ - website of the Outdoor shop wich owns the Brumleytal rock

Accomodation

www.doerenther-klippen.de - website of the Dörenther Klippen Camping
www.knoblauchsberg.de - website of the Knoblauchsberg Camping

Maps and Guidebooks

www.lverma.nrw.de - website of the Landesvermessungsamt North Rhine-Westphalia
www.klettern-shop.de - website where you can order the guidebook Rocks along the way of old Hermann

Weather

www.wetteronline.de - weatherforecast for Ibbenbüren