UKC

Adam Ondra talks about FontainebleauInterview

© Inka Matoušková
Adam Ondra flashing Gecko assis, 8B+, Fontainebleau  © Pierre Délas
Adam Ondra flashing Gecko assis, 8B+, Fontainebleau
© Pierre Délas

There has been a lot about Adam Ondra lately, and quite understandably so. That's how things go when you are a living legend (in the making if you like).

After Adam's quick Fontainebleau trip, I asked him a couple of questions.

Before, people could say that "yeah, 8C in Switzerland or South Africa is very impressive, but what has he ever done in Font, that's where the "real" grades are." Any comment on that?
All the problems I climbed in the upper grades were not very tough for the grade, rather relevant and comparable with any other bouldering area in the world, even comparable to supposedly soft Rocklands or Ticino.

Of course, some 7A classics were tough, where it is very hard to find the beta, but I am sure it is the thing which one must expect when coming to Font, or I was personally looking forward to it.

Why do you think you could adapt to the Font style of climbing so quickly? Was it simply a matter of having "power to waste", meaning the problems were no where close to your maximum level and you therefore didn't have to use the exact correct method?
I do think that an important thing is to have an experience with technical sandstone at all. Not only powerful Rocklands style, but smooth slabby sandstone which does not create many holds.
That is exactly what can be found in our Czech sandstone areas, so I knew some basics about sandstone climbing and the climbing in Font is not million miles away different from other sandstone.

However, I had to deal hard with typical Font slopers, because that is what I don't climb too often on, but most of the problems I did were on crimps or on the slopey features that could be crimped in some way (Gecko too), because problems on crimps tends to be overhanging or dry up quicker since the weather was quite humid most of the time, but the dry rock was very sticky.

So, that's it for the year 2011 from Adam Ondra. Now he is going to take a break from climbing for a few weeks. Anyone who thinks he hasn't deserved it?

Here is what Alex Huber has to say about the young Czech.


Adam Ondra is sponsored by: Black Diamond, Montura, La Sportiva, Beal and Hudy Sports


This post has been read 14,190 times

Return to Latest News


15 Dec, 2011
Nice interview.
Loading Notifications...
Facebook Twitter Copy Email