UKC

When Adam Ondra was in Stockholm for the Legends Only competition in October last year, my friend and colleague Robin Dahlberg grabbed the opportunity and made an interview with the young Czech for a new Stockholm based website.
The interview covers topics like grades, ethics, future and...

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=65834

In reply to Björn Pohl - UKC:

Really interesting interview. English-language transcript here
http://stockholmsklattring.se/intervjuer/adam-ondra/ plus the clip of his first two 8c blocs. His comment on trad and grit:

"R) You do most sportclimbing and some bouldering. What’s your opinion on traditional climbing?

A) Traditional climbing where use of bolts is out of bounds, I’m not against it but in for example on gritstone in Peak District I feel that the ethics is quite strange. In my point of view once you set off you can never return to the ground but some of the routes are climbed in a way that you set off climbing a couple of metres put the gear in climb down and then start climbing again with the gear in place. I’m definitely not saying that the gritstone should be bolted but what inspires me more is where traditional climbing really makes sence because it is more efficient and faster and that’s in the mountains."

In reply to ericinbristol: One I found surprising and little sad to be honest...

R) Would you bolt a route that could be climbed safely without the bolts, for example a hard crack?

A) I do think I wouldn’t hesitate to bolt it but if ten years later someone comes who could do it in a tradtional way I wouldn’t be against the chopping of the bolts and keeping it this way.

In reply to Nicholas Livesey:

Yeah this is a silly ethic.

Why is it okay for the FA'er to bolt it, get to sport climb the route, and then to deny others the ability to sport climb it like he/she did at a later date? Kindof selfish. If you think it is seriously a crack that can be trad climbed one day, leave it be.

And if it does get bolted, and then it is climbed on trad, why the hell chop the bolts? Leave them be and give people the choice. You chop the bolts and someone somewhere will get pissed, and will bolt it again. Double the metal. Silly.

In reply to Biffo:

I'm not sure it's a good idea to call the views of the best climber in the world 'silly'. Anyway, what's for sure is that apart from being in a much better position to speak and be listened to Ondra expresses his view more intelligently and sympathetically than you.

jcm

In reply to johncoxmysteriously:

jcm, you're so silly. My leaning is that Ondra would be down with people expressing their opinions. What do you think about the topic at hand, would you bolt the crack if you were in his position?