Kelchstein

The Kelchstein consists of a Cretaceous sandstone with very little cementing material.

Its unusual mushroom shape has been caused by wind and other erosive processes on sandstone strata of different hardness.

Dresden climbers ascended the rocks with the aid of a tree at its northwestern corner.

The first sports climb without any aids was up the present-day "Old Way" (Alter Weg) by Siegfried Schreiber on 26 June 1946.

Today there are only five routes, all at climbing grades of VIIc and VIIIc.