UKC

8a.nu is reporting that Adam Ondra, an 11 year old Czech, has onsighted Dinosaure and Maelstrom, both 8a+, at Seynes and Russan in France. He also onsighted four 8a's at Claret and St. Leger.

UKC News - http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/

In reply to UKC News:

i think that's pretty damn impressive to be honest. 11 year olds climbing at the top-end of the climbing world? what can we expect from them in the near future?

In reply to sharkey sulking:
hoe long has the kid been climbing? thats fantastic - credit to the little guy

In reply to Ian:

i dunno, 8a.nu doesn't seem to have much information available...

i've noticed that a lot of kids seem to be able to climb rediculously hard routes these days - i wonder why that is? parental pressure to be the best, or just plain interest in the sport?
another thing i was pondering was whether they will continue to climb at that level as they get older (strength:weight ratio decreases as you grow doesn't it?) - will they start climbing less hard routes/problems as they get older, and then go back up, or what?

In reply to sharkey sulking:

Girls and young boys have the lightweihgt bodies and flexibility for hard sport climbing....once they've got the skill set.

M

In reply to Mick - Rockfax USA:

but what happens as they get older?

do they continue climbing this hard, or do they deteriorate once they reach a certain age?

In reply to sharkey sulking:
well judging by Chris Sharma (who was a 15 year old prodigy) they continue to get better.

The fact that 11 year olds are climbing hard now is merely an exponential step.

I personaly think that it is entirely possible that climbing will follow gymnastics. It may be that 13 year old girls are the hardest climbers in the world in the future.

In reply to sharkey sulking:

They boulder.

In reply to sharkey sulking:

this guys been in a mag before, and has been a fore-runner in world copms.

In reply to sharkey sulking:
I'm down to 4c at 46 but not bad eh?

In reply to UKC News:

My son (11) can get up most 6a's on a good day (yeah ok - leading indoors). He's been climbing for about 18 months and he's always been allowed to find his own level - no heavy handed pressure. He just enjoys it. Thats the main thing - enjoyment. Probably the best motivator there is.

Gordon

In reply to Mr HArdie:

That's a good with your son, but go along to any BICC or BRYCS and you'll see see tons of parents really pushing their kids at these comps, a bit anti-thesis, eh?

In reply to Edward Frillypants: That very might happen , but there are still some old dudes who climb 5.14's I remeber reading a article I think was in Climber or Climbing Magazine (anyways a US mag) and the main articles where these old dudes in there forties and fithies still climbing hard and I think the guy who still did 5.14's was about 45 or something. So its tough to say , no age limits on talent.

In reply to UKC News: i love climbing with children. It stops me making the excuse that "im not tall enough to reach that". Last night, a 9 year old showed me how to do a problem in the crypt i got spat off on my last visit! mind, she climbs a lot harder than me...

In reply to sharkey sulking:
I am sure I have read in the past about the unsuitability of serious and sustained cranking on undeveloped bones ligaments and tendons - storing up serious joint damage for the future - any medics or one-time shooting stars out there?
My joints are knacked and I did't start serious training until my thirties - way too late doubtless.

Chris ;-}

In reply to UKC News:

Is no one going to ask what he's done at Stanage or quibble over the grade then ? This sort of achievement is so far beyond what the average punter can comprehend - how long ago was the first on sight of an 8a+ ? or even the first 8a+ redpoint for that matter ?

It'd be really interesting to know what sort of a regime an 11 year old has to go through to be this good.

In reply to UKC News:

I think children have the advantage of being less scared then adults, they just go for it, like when you see the ski schools of small children, barely able to walk, just bombin down the hill, no fear!

Well done to the lad, I hope he climbs well for as long as he enjoys it.

In reply to UKC News:

When I was doing high board diving, there was a 14 year old prodigy who won the men's junior and senior national comps.
However, his knees got shot to pieces and he had to pack it in soon after.

In reply to Alison Bond:

nice idea, but i'm pretty certain that my fear is not the most significant factor in my inability to onsight 8a!
J.

In reply to Richard Ashcroft:


Bloody good effort..

Climbing (as long as you dont fall off!) isn't as much of an impact sport unlike say High diving, or long distance running, I know for a fact that juniors are not allowed to compete at the long distances because I used to lie about my age to compete in Half marathons. So Although it may do unholy things to his joints, it might be in the other direction, and excessive flex whilst they are in development may end up in floppy difficult to control joints rather than stiff and crumbling joints...

although im certainly no expert, but the strains are certainly different, but strains on a body in development are not good either way.

Doug

In reply to Richard Ashcroft:
How do your knees get shot to pieces by high board diving.

In reply to Deek:


All high board divers are also springboard divers, which involves a jump and bounce. There is also the training, which includes trampoling as well as leg strengthening exercises.

It never bothered my knees, but I only did about 15 hours a week, and mostly plain diving rather than specialized training. I suppose some people are susceptible to joint problems too, no matter how good they are.

In reply to Richard Ashcroft:
Fair enough. I'll just stick to road running then!

In reply to UKC News:

BTW, I well remember all the divers doing an exercise which I think was described by John Cox last week: with heels against wall, bend over and touch nose to knees keeping legs straight.

It was easy then. Now I fall over.

In reply to UKC News:
Road running is bad for your joints, you should run on grass if you can,
im 14 and i doubt id be able to do an 8a, although id have a good go at it ,

In reply to GrahamD:
or even the first 8a+ redpoint for that matter ?
Tony Yaniro's route in 1979 somewhere in the US led on preplaced wires & yo-yo'ed. Forget the name. 1st 8a+ o/s was quite possibly by Moffat i the mid to late '80s but I don't know off the top of my head.

In reply to GrahamD:
Oh, if you insist, and only partly in jest, who cares?

In reply to Edward Frillypants:

13 yr old girls could become the hardest sport climbers but I think the big mountains are safe from sprogs taking over for now...

In reply to mas:

>or even the first 8a+ redpoint for that matter ?
Tony Yaniro's route in 1979 somewhere in the US led on preplaced wires & yo-yo'ed. Forget the name

Grand Illusion?

In reply to johncoxmysteriously1:

Grand Illusion, Sugerloaf, Tahoe. Tony Yaniro was 17 at the time. Very overhanging corner-going-on-roof crack. I paid a visit in 1981 with a Famous English Climber who was entertaining thoughts of trying it. Very impressive. FEC didn't get his rope out of his bag.

In reply to UKC News: All credit to him but how would he cope with Leicestershire rock/choss? And more importantly...what has he done on grit? LOL