UKC

NEWS: Ondra makes FA of Change, 9b+!

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 UKC News 04 Oct 2012
Adam Ondra onsighting Odin's eye, 8c+, Hanshelleren cave, Flatanger, Norway, 4 kbThis morning, after a rest day with dry weather and wind had allowed the Change-project in the Hanshelleren cave at Flatanger, Norway, to dry up enough to be climbable. Climbable to one person on this planet, Adam Ondra.
I don't have any details yet, and I will update this post as I get them, but...

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=67488
 creag 04 Oct 2012
In reply to UKC News:
Jeepers! looks amazing...
 grant727 04 Oct 2012
In reply to UKC News: Crazy good effort. If all the numbers ring true a new level has been reached. My happiness is slightly dampened when I imagine the amount of screaming/crying this probably took.
In reply to UKC News:

Wow, awesome news, congrats Adam! Looking forward to hearing more about the ascent.
In reply to UKC News:

I love his final comment in the video: 'I need to get a bit stronger'.
 edinburgh_man 04 Oct 2012
In reply to UKC News:

F*ck---ing---hell! Historic.
Franz the Stampede 04 Oct 2012
Gotta love the way the whole thing weaved out:

July: Gotta get stronger
September: Gotta get stronger (as reported on FB)
Presumably a few days ago: Fcuk this, let's come back in late October
Today: Ooops, NAILED IT

IMHO, he's been the embodiement of true progression in sport climbing since his 2 day repeat of La Rambla years ago. His ticklist through the years is so transparent and complete it's mind boggling.
In reply to UKC News:

Great; look forward to the video etc.

Spread on how long it will be before a repeat, anyone?

jcm
 Calder 04 Oct 2012
In reply to johncoxmysteriously:
> (In reply to UKC News)
>
Spread on how long it will be before a repeat, anyone?
>
> jcm

Superb idea. Only I don't think my memory is up to the task of remembering when it finally comes round to collecting my winnings.
 Wft 04 Oct 2012
In reply to UKC News:

Brilliant news, Well done Adam, History made
 1poundSOCKS 04 Oct 2012
In reply to UKC News: I wonder how many years it's been since the first 9B was put up?
 robin mueller 04 Oct 2012
In reply to 1poundSOCKS:

9b, Akira, France, Fred Rouhling, 1995, Unrepeated.
In reply to UKC News: Awesome! Ondra: The best climber in the world. Official. Unless he's not having fun...
 @ndyM@rsh@ll 04 Oct 2012
In reply to Duncan Campbell: Ha!
 Jonny2vests 05 Oct 2012
In reply to UKC News:

Is this really news?

:-{}
 Fraser 05 Oct 2012
In reply to jonny2vests:

Oh yes!
 jh_oneill 05 Oct 2012
In reply to Duncan Campbell:

Ah but is he having the MOST fun? Sharma was pretty miserable whilst working FRFM but seems to have perked up a bit since. I always think that Dave Graham seems to have a lot of fun in the vids & Daniel Wood's "psyche" is like an excited puppy....

The wide boyz definitely have a good crack......
 Ramblin dave 05 Oct 2012
In reply to jh_oneill:
> (In reply to Duncan Campbell)
>
> Ah but is he having the MOST fun?

I think he wasn't when he first attempted the project, but since then he's been intensively training to improve his belayer-banter.

(Amazing news by the way - that route looks insane!)
 MattH 05 Oct 2012
In reply to Ramblin dave:

It's nice to see such a route on rock other than limestone. Stunning effort. wonder when the Reel Rock guys will devote some time to Adam?
 Robert Durran 05 Oct 2012
In reply to jh_oneill:
> (In reply to Duncan Campbell)
>
> I always think that Dave Graham seems to have a lot of fun in the vids & Daniel Wood's "psyche" is like an excited puppy....

Yes, irritating isn't it. If they put a bit less energy into unnecessary jollity and concentrated on the climbing, they might be able to pull a bit harder.
 tom84 05 Oct 2012
In reply to Robert Durran: being jolly is key.
 Fraser 05 Oct 2012
In reply to MattH:
> (In reply to Ramblin dave)
>
> ... wonder when the Reel Rock guys will devote some time to Adam?

Erm, they have. The first film in this years reel is 'La Dura Dura', with him and Sharma.

Franz the Stampede 05 Oct 2012
I doubt that being so close to the absolute limit can go down as being fun 100% of the time.
Climbing at that level must require a mental effort which is probably impossible to explain or measure. God knows what the average 7a climber could redpoint or onsight if he/she had the "head" of an Ondra at his limit. But because of the impossibility to conceive of that level of focus, I am happy to cut all the slack in the world to top climbers.

I'm sure Adam has loads of fun when climbing in the 8 French grade...
 biscuit 05 Oct 2012
In reply to Franz the Stampede:

I saw him for a day when he came to Malham. I've never seen focus like it. Not my idea of a good day out cragging for sure. However he must enjoy some aspects of it or else he wouldn't still be motivated enough to put all the effort in that it must take.
 Andy Farnell 05 Oct 2012
In reply to UKC News: Typical UK response. Wake up people, this is the hardest route done by the best climber, ever. It's as ground breaking as Indian Face, Hubble and The first oxygen free ascent of Ben Nevis rolled into one!

Andy F
In reply to andy farnell:

Balls. I was far more impressed with the FA of "The Midas Touch". That man had vision (albeit not 20:20).
 JanBella 06 Oct 2012
In reply to UKC News: went to see the dura dura at reel rock premier and most of people had a good laugh about Adam coz he's/was a school boy, lives with mum and sleeps on a back seat of the car. I wonder who's laughing now? Great effort and endless inspiration for everybody who takes climbing seriously.
In reply to andy farnell:

Ben Nevis has been climbed without oxygen? Bloody Hell!! I'm going to have to get in to training

I think one of the "problems" in watching someone like Adam Ondra climbing is that even at his limit he's so good it's not obvious just how hard the climbing is until he falls. It looks like these massive caves/grottes (or whatever the correct geographical term for them is) are the future of hard sport climbing and it's going to take us, the audience, a while to figure out all the angles of what's being climbed.

ALC
Franz the Stampede 06 Oct 2012
In reply to JanBella:

Not sure where that audience of RR is from. I have lived in countries where kids normally leave home at age 17. On the other hand, I can't remember many of these kids being able to speak 4 languages, to cook a meal that didn't make you think they were savages and to understand the importance of not picking your nose in public.

I've got tonnes of respect for Adam and his family. Despite his obvious and nearly infinite talent for climbing, they wanted him to finish school like any other normal person. Apparently he wants to go to uni too next year...
 koalapie 07 Oct 2012
In reply to UKC News: Awesome effort, well done! Not to take anything away from this achievement (first proposed 9b+)! but does anyone else wonder that this chap still might have a fair bit of physical climbing maturation to go!? 10a anyone?
 Peter Walker 07 Oct 2012
Pedantic note: Chilam Balam was the first proposed 9b+
 Quarryboy 07 Oct 2012
In reply to koalapie:

I think Sharma did Realisation around the same age he is now maybe a bit older. That was the first 9a+ and in his climbing career thus far he has been able to take it to upper 9b so who knows, I think Ondra can still climb a lot harder yet.
Franz the Stampede 08 Oct 2012
In reply to Peter Walker:

Sorry, undocumented and downgraded by Ondra himself in any case.
 koalapie 09 Oct 2012
In reply to Quarryboy: I'm not sure of the exact dates but would guesstimate Ondra has a year or two up his sleeve on their relative ages, at least. From the pictures and videos Sharma looks a stronger and more powerful frame, whilst Ondra looks to have a fair bit more filling out to go, even accounting for age. Also from the reports I suspect Sharma took a bit longer to complete Realisation than Ondra did on this.I wonder if these things kind of get capped when there is no one repeating the routes because they are too hard!?
 MarisP 12 Nov 2012
In reply to koalapie:
> (In reply to Quarryboy) I'm not sure of the exact dates but would guesstimate Ondra has a year or two up his sleeve on their relative ages, at least. From the pictures and videos Sharma looks a stronger and more powerful frame, whilst Ondra looks to have a fair bit more filling out to go, even accounting for age. Also from the reports I suspect Sharma took a bit longer to complete Realisation than Ondra did on this.I wonder if these things kind of get capped when there is no one repeating the routes because they are too hard!?

Catch Adam Ondra in Durra Durra with the London screening of Reel Rock 26 November. The first London screening sold out so this new London screening has been added!

Monday 26 November, Central London. Visit http://reelrock.co.uk for tickets.

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