UKC

Adam Ondra has made the second ascent of Markus Bock's Der heilige Gral, (F9a), at the Kolosseum, in the Frankenjura, Germany.

Adam climbed this F9a route on his second try.

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=49307

In reply to UKC News:

Amazing stuff! Between him and Patxi it can't be long before 9a gets onsighted surely.

In reply to UKC News:
The skinny kid is getting muscles now!

In reply to Karriless:

Aargh! and is that a pinky mono?!

In reply to UKC News:

He seems to be racking up F9as with apparent ease these days. I wonder when he is going to raise the bar and bring F9b into regular use ?

In reply to GrahamD:

Probably when he starts actually trying?

In reply to Karriless:

Yeah, I noticed that too. Who knows what he'll be climbing in a couple of years when he is fully grown!

In reply to plexiglass_nick:


Looks like a ring finger mono, equally horrifying! eek

In reply to UKC News: What's he done on grit?

In reply to plexiglass_nick:

It's actually his third finger but of course still mightily impressive on a wall that steep.

the kid is clearly capable of 9b and more if he can do 9a second go - would love to see how he would get on with Chilam Balam.

In reply to Frank4short:

does he bother with 8a's anymore?

In reply to UKC News:

So he's made a really fast repeat of one of Markus Bock's hardest routes... he's probably just a liar and a cheat then.

In reply to Lhod:

haha - I have a feeling even MB might believe this one!

In reply to fromthesouth:
9a onsite must be just around the corner now surely? It's so hard I can't even fathom what that these routes must be like. So strong, so cool.

I read something a while back about the last new bread of climbers that suggested many have actually, at least in the short term, lost a bit of form as they bulk out in their late teens. Can't remember the names of the climbers involved but I have a feeling it was on here.
Sharma and many others prove otherwise I guess, though he wasn't such a skinny youth as Ondra was he?

In reply to UKC News:
Bloody amazing, if he'd cut his hair he'd probably have got it first time

In reply to fromthesouth:
Bottom left hand picture... a young popeye for sure! He's just missing a pipe and an anchor tattoo. 9A will surely go onsight if he starts on the spinach.

In reply to UKC News:

Am speechless!

In reply to UKC News:

the Kid is obviously on fire, and is an amazing talent, BUT, how is this news?
9a has been climbed before, has it not, admittedly not onsighted, or even flashed,before(that I'm aware of), but then Adam Ondra hasn't actually managed either of those standards, yet(as others have said - probably won't be long!).

In reply to Toby M: God you've got to be good these days to impress people like you Toby.

I mean, 9a, second go. It's just not news.

Congratulations Adam on yet another amazing ascent, and I wish you the best of luck on any further projects.

Jack

In reply to Jack Geldard - Editor - UKC:


Yup, if he'd onsighted a loose E8, that'd be a different matter!

And I didn't say I wasn't impressed, I am extremely impressed, probably just had a bad morning...

In reply to Toby M:

Not news?!?

There have been very few ascents of this grade in a day, let alone two goes.

Could someone please clarify what 'second go' means?

It is very impressive, but it's not new. This is the third time Ondra has climbed 9a 2nd go (according to his 8a.nu scorecard). Though as Gimer says, what is a go? Is the first go a narrowly failed onsight, or has he tried all the moves several times whilst dogging up to the top?

In reply to robin mueller: Yeah, it's a bit like the old thing of 'He got it first redpoint'.

In reply to Niall Grimes:
My reading is that he tried it onsight, fell off, lowered, pulled the ropes, and ticked it second go.

In reply to UKC News:
wow...... he's climbed some thing unfathomably hard 2nd go, thats mental really well done adam, keep it up

In reply to Alun:

Why would you think that? Once you've blown the onsight/flash, what reason is there to lower down on a sport route? Unless for some reason it's hard to get back on the rock again, most people would dog up to the top, learning the moves on the way.

In reply to robin mueller:

I think its interesting (and bizarre) that people have become so desensitised to these amazing achievements that they could suggest they aren't news!!

My jaw drops when I think of how physically and mentally difficult it must be to perform such a staggering feat - until 9a has been onsighted a few times this really is news in my opinion.

For what its worth (FA actually, but there you go!!) and potentially to generate a bit of discussion, my interpretation of whats newsworthy in sport climbing terms goes a little like this:

International climbers:
- 'normal' redpoint: 9a+ and above
- fast repeat, ~2 tries: 9a and above
- onsight or flash: 8c+ and above

British climbers (except Steve McClure ;-p ):
- 'normal' redpoint: 8c and above
- fast repeat, ~2 tries: 8b+ and above
- onsight or flash: 8b and above

BTW The above isn't the usual 'diss' of British standards it's just that I, and I'm sure a lot of other people, am more interested in what british climbers are doing.

In reply to chris_j_s:

Actually, I said it isn't new, not it isn't news. Not really interested in discussing what should be news. Sorry!

In reply to chris_j_s:
>> My jaw drops when I think of how physically and mentally difficult it must be to perform such a staggering feat - until 9a has been onsighted a few times this really is news in my opinion.

i agree....also keep in mind Markus Bock is a local there and no slouch....would be interesting to know how long it took him to do the FA.

In reply to fromthesouth:

Probably Trad !

In reply to UKC News:
Awesome.

James

In reply to Dan_Carroll:

The third finger is the ring finger:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_finger

In reply to UKC News: this kid is amazing! some should realize what amazing talent this kid has got! id like 2 c an avrige joe that think there rock gods try an 9a! who gives a sh** bout what a second go meens hes climbed the climb and acheved somthing us mear mortals can only dream of doing!

In reply to chris fox:


..and shit