Climbing the Sugar Factory

Okay, let’s say you want to become more active (don’t we all?) And let’s say you don’t want to do the ordinary stuff like jogging or cycling. Here’s another way: Go climbing! Yeah, I know, it’s kinda hard to go climbing in northern Germany where the highest mountain is not even 200 meters high. (In case you are now wondering: the Helpter Berge (mountains) are the highest at 179,2 m.) But there is another possibility which is also great in winter, when the Kletterwald is closed and the Bunker is too slippery: The old sugar factory (Alte Zuckerfabrik) in Tessin, a small town approx. forty kilometers away from Rostock.

Here’s what you’ll see:

When you enter the old building, you find the counter in a separate room on the left and is a huge hall packed with awesome toys in front of you (for children – yeah, right ;-)) There are things like big trampolines, a dodgem course, an air hockey table, and so on and so forth. But the best part is the climbing wall at one end of the hall. It is twelve meters high and has different climbing severities covering a 30m² area. I, as a beginner, started with the upper floor on which another climbing wall is placed where you can find some short instructions about how to save your climbing partner and yourself next to it. This wall “only” has a height of eight meters and the levels of difficulty are much easier than the main wall that covers both levels. For those of you who are not so much into safety – try the bouldering wall beneath the balcony.

Here’s a small hint: The best time to go there is in the afternoons in the middle of the week since the hall is emptiest at these times.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Climbing in the old fabric is really not expensive. You pay 5€ for two hours of fun and being active at the same time! If you have lots of time, muscles, persistence and some experience, take four hours for only 6€, climbing shoes for 3€ (they are tighter than normal shoes and thus better for climbing), and a harness for 2€ (you do not want to tie the rope to your trousers…that could be painful). If you go there as a girl amongst a group of guys, you’ll probably need a sandbag so that you are heavy enough to secure the big guys heavier than you without flying through the air 😉 But don’t worry, just ask at the counter and they’ll give you one. They have also magnesium for sweaty hands. What they cannot loan you at the counter are comfortable trousers (jeans are alright if they aren’t too tight) and, of course, muscular power. Don’t forget your muscular power!