About klettern

klettern

klettern is the German special-interest magazine for mountain sports, published eight times a year in Stuttgart by Motor Presse Stuttgart. The magazine covers the full spectrum of climbing, from rock climbing and bouldering to sport climbing and big-wall adventures, alongside indoor climbing, classic mountaineering, ice tours and expeditions to the mountains of the world. With more than 80 pages per issue, klettern combines destination features, training and technique advice, equipment tests and product news, addressing beginners and advanced climbers who want inspiration for their next trip, deeper knowledge of the sport and reliable guidance on gear. Its digital home is klettern.de, and the print edition is complemented by ePaper and PDF editions.

Overview

klettern is the leading German-language magazine dedicated specifically to climbing in all its forms. Its editorial programme spans rock climbing on natural crags, bouldering on blocks and in gyms, sport climbing at home and abroad, big-wall climbing on the great faces of the world, indoor climbing in the booming climbing halls, classic mountaineering and alpine climbing, ice climbing and ice tours, and expeditions to the high mountains of the planet. This breadth distinguishes the magazine from general mountain-sport titles, giving climbing the dedicated journalistic space its growth as a mass-participation sport deserves.

The magazine appears eight times a year, in German, with a print ISSN of 1437-7462 and an IVW-audited sold circulation of 14,110 copies. Each issue runs to more than 80 pages and is organised into departments: Vertical Life for the culture and personalities of climbing, Kletterziele for destination features presenting climbing areas, Reportagen for in-depth stories, Service and Produkte for gear tests and buying advice, and Standards for technique and training knowledge. The magazine addresses beginners and advanced climbers alike, with content ranging from the right nutrition for climbers and the best bouldering spots to professional tips from the sport's elite.

The publisher is Motor Presse Stuttgart GmbH and Co. KG, one of Germany's largest special-interest publishers, known for titles in the automotive, sports and lifestyle segments. The editor-in-chief is Volker Leuchsner. The brand extends digitally through klettern.de, which carries news, technique and training information, gear tests and stories from the climbing world, and through ePaper and PDF editions available via platforms such as the iKiosk.

History

The magazine klettern emerged from the climbing boom that transformed the sport from the late 1980s onwards. Sport climbing, born on the limestone crags of France and spreading through Germany's climbing areas, created a new generation of climbers with an appetite for dedicated media. The magazine was established to serve this community with journalism focused on climbing technique, destinations and equipment, distinct from the broader mountaineering press.

In its early years the magazine appeared ten times a year, reflecting the rapid growth of the sport and the demand for climbing-specific content. The editorial programme developed its characteristic mix: destination features presenting climbing areas in Germany and abroad, technique and training advice for performance improvement, equipment tests conducted with journalistic rigour, and reportage from the international climbing scene. The magazine documented the sport's evolution through the 1990s and 2000s, from the rise of indoor climbing halls to the professionalisation of competition climbing.

In 2009 the frequency was reduced from ten to eight issues a year, a reflection of changing media economics and the shift of news consumption to digital channels. The magazine adapted by strengthening its digital presence through klettern.de and by developing ePaper and PDF editions for mobile reading. The inclusion of climbing in the Olympic programme, with its debut at the Tokyo Games, brought new attention to the sport, and klettern covered the competitive scene alongside its traditional focus on outdoor climbing culture.

In recent years the magazine has covered the continued boom in indoor climbing, the growth of bouldering as a lifestyle sport, the development of new climbing areas, and the sustainability debates around climbing and nature conservation. Under the editorship of Volker Leuchsner, klettern maintains its position as the German-language reference for climbing journalism, serving a community that has grown from a subculture into a mainstream sport.

Content and Sections

The magazine's departments structure its coverage of the climbing world. Vertical Life presents the culture of climbing: portraits of athletes, stories from the scene, and features on the lifestyle that surrounds the sport. Kletterziele, the destinations section, introduces climbing areas in detail, with topos, access information, accommodation tips and assessments of difficulty and character, from the classic limestone crags of the Frankenjura to the granite of the Alps and the sandstone towers of distant continents.

Reportagen delivers in-depth journalism from the climbing world: expedition accounts, first-ascent stories, and investigations into the developments shaping the sport. The Service and Produkte sections provide the practical core of the magazine: equipment tests of climbing shoes, harnesses, ropes, quickdraws and hardware, conducted with comparative rigour; product news on innovations from the outdoor industry; and buying advice for beginners and experts. The Standards section addresses technique and training: movement skills, strength training, injury prevention, and the mental aspects of climbing.

Nutrition for climbers, the selection of bouldering spots, professional tips on technique, and guidance on safe practices in halls and on rock are recurring service themes. The magazine also covers the competitive climbing scene, the development of climbing gyms, and the intersection of climbing with nature conservation, addressing the access debates that affect crags in Germany and beyond. Special issues and supplements extend the regular programme with focused coverage of destinations and topics.

Publisher and Organization

klettern is published by Motor Presse Stuttgart GmbH and Co. KG, based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. Motor Presse Stuttgart is one of Germany's major special-interest publishers, with a portfolio spanning automotive, aviation, sports, lifestyle and outdoor titles. The editor-in-chief of klettern is Volker Leuchsner, who leads the editorial team covering the climbing world.

The magazine appears eight times a year in German, with the print ISSN 1437-7462 and an IVW-audited sold circulation of 14,110 copies. It is available by subscription, at newsstands and as ePaper and PDF editions through digital newsstand platforms such as the iKiosk, where it can be read online or downloaded to smartphones and tablets. The brand's advertising clients come from the outdoor and climbing industry, from equipment manufacturers to tourism destinations and climbing gym operators.

Digital Presence

The digital home of klettern is klettern.de, the magazine's website, which presents news from the climbing world, technique and training articles, equipment tests and destination information. The site extends the print magazine's journalism into continuous online coverage, with current news on competitions, first ascents and industry developments. The tagline of the site promises everything about sport and indoor climbing, bouldering and mountaineering, with well-founded information on climbing technique and training, tested equipment and exciting news from the scene.

The magazine is available as ePaper and PDF through digital newsstand platforms, allowing readers to access the full print layout on smartphones, tablets and computers. The brand is present on the social platforms where the climbing community communicates, sharing destination inspiration, technique tips and product news with its audience. For the outdoor industry, the combination of the print magazine, the website and the social channels offers a targeted platform reaching the German-speaking climbing community, from beginners buying their first shoes to experienced climbers planning expeditions.