Michał Korban sends Action Directe (9a) in Frankenjura

The gem hidden in the woods of Germany’s Frankenjura was established by Wolfgang Güllich in 1991 as the first 9a route in the history of sport climbing. Far ahead of its time, the notorious line waited four years for the first repeat, and then another five years for the third ascent. It wasn't until the 2000s that the Waldkopf Turm saw more repeats of this Frankenjura-style classic, offering powerful climbing on one and two-finger pockets, as well as one of the most recognizable dynos in rock climbing.

Korban had been dreaming about Action Directe for as long as he could remember, and the process began in June 2023 during the national team camp when he got to try it for the first time. He immediately completed all the individual moves, but there wasn’t enough time to have a go at properly linking them together. However, that was the spark he needed. "I knew I would come back," says Korban. The then 17-year-old Pole was fully committed, and so was his coach, Jakub Lakwa, both represenBng ŚKA (Świętokrzyski Klub Alpinistyczny), the local climbing club from Kielce. Three trips and 16 sessions later, Korban clipped the chains on his over-a-year-long project.

"That was the longest I have ever worked on a route in my life. I struggled physically, but even more so mentally. Even when I finally felt strong enough to do the route, I kept falling off, and frustration started to set in. September 25th was my fourth day at Waldkopf. We arrived after heavy rain, and turning back seemed inevitable. I thought the route would probably be too wet to even try. My guess is that this was exactly what I needed: no pressure. I fell off twice at the very last move but managed not to fall on my fifth attempt of the day, so, training-wise, it also turned out pretty well!" says Korban. This is the 33rd confirmed ascent of what is arguably the most famous 9a in the world.