History of B.K.L.

Founded in 2007, the Boulder Klub Letzebuerg is still a young association with a history, however, veiled in more than two decades of climbing. Today, B.K.L. is still the only bouldering association in Luxembourg and has undoubtedly a leading role in promoting the climbing sport on a national and regional scale.

B.K.L.´s history has started in the year 2002, when the brothers Ben and Jerry Medernach went sport climbing for the very first time. Since then, both have been deeply touched by outdoor rock climbing which has become a major passion of their lives.

In the summer 2002, the brothers spent day in, day out climbing in Berdorf and Igel and trained on the climbing wall of the Lycée de Garçons, home gym of the Groupe Alpin Luxembourgeois, where both showed an intense involvement in the association over the following years – both were in the committee of the society and supported the G.A.L. by giving climbing courses. In 2006 for example, Jerry organized the very first edition of the “Coupe du Groupe Alpin”. Climbing in Limpertsberg brought new friendships and in 2003 both met Christian "Di" André, also a former member of the B.K.L. and later the first member honoraire of the B.K.L.

Since 2003, the climbing friends began to spend many weeks in well-named crags abroad and started to train specifically for rock climbing. As the climbing gym of the G.A.L offered limited opportunities for training, and the climbing gyms B.K.L., L´Escale (Arlon) and Cube (Trier) did not yet exist, Jerry and Di decided to build a private bouldering room in Jerry´s cave. This was the beginning of hundreds of training hours, but also the birth of lifelong friendships as more and more climbers came to train on Jerry´s bouldering wall - Although B.K.L. did not exist yet, numerous climbers came together for bouldering and a new community was born. In 2004, time has come to meet Alex Hoffmann who has been Treasurer of the BKL from 2007 until 2014.

Closeness to the G.A.L. came to end and all four, Ben, Jerry, Di and Alex left the association, accompanied by many climbers which became key members of the Boulder Klub Letzebuerg. Still one year left to the foundation of the B.K.L., since Jerry started his studies at the German Sport University Cologne in 2006 and time to train with friends and colleagues became sparse. Jerry became a member of the German Climbing Team NRW and focused on competitions. To stay in touch with his climbing friends at home, he and Alex founded the Luxembourgish homepage www.klammen.lu which became later the official homepage of the National Climbing Community. Finally, in 2007, Jerry decided to found a new climbing association that should provide young climbers with the possibility to train regularly and realize their own climbing dreams. Alex, Di and Ben were very excited about the idea and the Boulder Klub Letzebuerg was born.

However, in 2007, very young B.K.L. did not have a climbing gym to train and one could think that the project was doomed to failure. But au contraire! In 2010, the young climbers went back to Limpertsberg, but this time to the Ecole Henri VII where Luxembourg´s first bouldering gym has been installed, subsidized by the Ville de Luxembourg.

Since 2010, the B.K.L. has organized numerous events and competitions and has become the draft horse of the Luxembourgish climbing community - Today, B.K.L. is Luxembourg´s most involved climbing association in terms of climbing events, and climbers from various associations in Luxembourg and abroad regularly meet in the gym.

Despite being much focused on indoor bouldering, the B.K.L. has always been in touch with nature and has tried to maintain the tradition of outdoor rock climbing. Each year, the B.K.L. staff visits one of the most famous climbing areas around the globe.

In 2012, one of our friends named Ola Arcichowska was forced to leave Luxembourg and left the gym with the words: "This is the best place in Luxembourg".

In 2015, it was time for a new staff and the committee of the B.K.L., under the direction of Romain Houtsch, as the new president, first saw the light of day. Jerry Medernach was honored for his outstanding dedication to the association with the title "Président d´Honneur". In the same year, dark times raided the young association and B.K.L. was forced to leave their beloved bouldering gym in Limpertsberg. Once again, the association seemed doomed to failure.

However, B.K.L. did not give up - First, the association could train in the DOWNTOWN gym, which was located in the quarter Gare in Luxembourg City. After having found its feet, B.K.L. was yet forced to move once more to what is now their headquarter: The BLOC HOUSE in Pfaffenthal, Luxembourg-City. And the show goes on.