Haegendorf to Oensingen, not the fastest way

A hike to take advantage of the lovely sunny day.

We start under fog in Hägendorf and head through town and into the Teufelsschlucht (we've done this before). The bottom parts of the gorge are nicely dramatic in the fog and we enjoy that bit a lot. Emerging into the sun under Allerheiligenberg is still great though. Up to the restaurant (lots of cars parked here!) and clinic, and then a short bit along the ridge before starting to descend (and losing the sun! boooo!) to Bärenwil (lots of cars parked here!), and then up through the woods towards the ridge. Food break enjoying the sun and Alp views on the Stelli and then along the ridge in the sun above the impressive ruins of the Alt Bechburg, past Tiefmatt (lots of cars parked here!) and then up onto the Roggen. More nice walking through forest, a bit of cutting of green stuff for christmas decorations, another food break in the sun with good Alp views, past the Roggenflue (one pair of climbers scrambling over the railing as we arrive, another climber topping out behind them), then down to the Roggenweid. Past the restaurant (*lots* of cars parked here!), and then down, down to Neu Bechburg, we've done this before in the other direction. From here it's down, down, down to Oensingen. 

We do a bit of jogging along the way after seeing a sign saying that it's 30 minutes to the train station when we have 20 minutes to the next train, but we make it with a couple of minutes to spare and then grab the train that starts us on the way back home. Corona note: the trains we took really weren't particularly full, even on a sunny Sunday morning/afternoon.

Track:

Stats: 20.6km, 1040m up, 1010m down, 5:24 elapsed

Climbing above Klus

 The weather forecast was remarkably good, so we decided to do a weekend trip: climbing above Klus, a hotel night in Balsthal, and then more climbing either above Clus or above Balsthal.

We ended up spending both days at the "Alter Klettergarten" (been here twice before) It all worked out quite nicely: both days the fog burned away from the crag by the time we got there and then it was nice and sunny. There were plenty of people, but it never got crowded enough to be uncomfortable.

Routes we did (it turns out that the grades are quite different between our version of Plaisir Jura and the SAC guide, so I list both)

Saturday:

• Geneigter Verschneidung (5a/5a)
• Geneiger Pfeiler (5b+/5c+) we both agree that this was 5c+... there's a tricky move in the slabby bit that feels well above 5b
• Zaff (5b+/5b)
• Kleiner Überhang (5b/5b+)
• Kante (5c+/6a)
• Körnige Platte links (?/5b+)
• first part of Stifthakenplatten then Körnige Platte links (5b+?)
• Körnige Platte rechts (5a/5a+) greg also did this in approach shoes
• Tag du Arbeit (?/5a) greg did this in approach shoes, but it would have been more fun (and less athletic) with climbing shoes

Sunday:

• Schutzalter Sieben (5a+/5b) it was tricky for both of us to get into it today, so this felt harder than that
• Gelbe Backstein (5a+/5b+)
• Rissverschneidung (5a+/5b)
• An unbolted line next to Rissverschneidung in top rope
• Delago (5b/5b)
• An unbolted line next to Delago in top rope (A only)
• Bohrhakenüberhang (5b/5c)
• Halbschräg: (6a+/6a) in top rope.

This was great climbing and a super mini-vacation.

Gear note: this was greg's first weekend in his new approach shoes: Hanwag Lime Rock GTX