I asked the Adam Ondra if he had anything to say about his ascent and if he could compare it to his own recent Font 8C+ boulder problem Terranova.
© Michele Francia
Adam Ondra on Gioia - Font 8C+
© Philippe Maurel / Nice-climb.com
The victory tastes even better in that sense and the name the Gioia (Joy) couldn't have been chosen better.
I had always thought that the joy after having done a mere boulder problem could be intense but short, but this may be the longest-lasting joy I have ever had after sending a climb.
The difficulty of the climb is about the same compared to Terranova [Adam's own 8C+, which he made the first ascent of in mid November]. This might fit my style a bit better as it is a specific climbing I am accustomed
to very well.
Gioia is a lot about crimping, which fits my style too,
but involves some big powerful moves, which used to be my nightmare. But
this year I have improved a lot in terms of pure power.
The hard section in Terranova is a little bit longer, it has 12 hard moves. Gioia has only 8,
so it is more intense and extremely difficult to link.
It has two parts. Somewhere was incorrectly written that the first part is 8Bish, but Christian and I are sure that the first five moves are at the upper end of 8B+ and then you must do three moves of stand start (8B).
There are some five moves topout of about 7B+ too.
I think that the climb is 8C+. It has been tried by numerous climbers and except me and Daniel Woods, who managed to do all the moves during his trip to Varazze this spring too, nobody got even close to doing the third move where you have to crimp one of the worst holds imaginable in such an overhang.
The reason why I mustered the audacity to suggest 8C+ even though I might not have enough experience in grades of bouldering, is that all of them are harder than 8C's (I admit I haven't done too many).
Terranova and Gioia took me way more days and it is just a million miles away from all the 8B+'s I
have done.
If these two are to be only 8C's, OK, but in that case, grading
doesn't make sense any more and every single top-grade boulder problem
would have to be downgraded in my opinion.
Of course I have not repeated some benchmarks yet, for example The Story of Two Worlds, but that is the
way I honestly see it."
I knew that Adam was heading to the French bouldering Mecca of Fontainebleau, so I suggested he should hook up with the "Welcome to the hood" team that are there filming at the moment, so he could be part of that movie.
Adam replied:
"Yes, I am in Font for a couple of days more, but I am here with a filming crew [Alvi Pakarinen] for Black Diamond, so I will not probably be included in that other movie."
Big thanks Adam!
VIDEO: Adam Ondra - Gioia 8C+
Adam Ondra is sponsored by: Black Diamond, Montura, La Sportiva, Beal and Hudy Sports
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