Adam Ondra

A climbing prodigy

Adam Ondra grew up in Brno with climbing parents and was climbing hard routes as a young child. By his teens he was repeating and establishing some of the hardest sport climbs in the world, known for his loud shouts on difficult moves.

Silence, 9c

On September 3, 2017, Ondra completed Silence in the Hanshelleren Cave at Flatanger, Norway, after years of attempts. He proposed the grade 9c, the first route at that level, a new top of the difficulty scale. To prepare, he used custom training boards and even practised moves that involved hanging upside down by his knees.

Competition

Ondra is one of very few climbers to win world titles in both lead and bouldering, doing so at the 2014 World Championships, and he has competed at two Olympic Games. He has also made fast and difficult ascents on big walls, including a rapid free ascent of the Dawn Wall on El Capitan in 2016, only the second ever.

Did you know?

Silence sits in a huge cave, so much of the route is steeply overhanging, and the crux involves a strenuous sequence where Ondra used a kneebar and toe hooks to rest and move. Other climbers have since repeated or attempted 9c routes, and more have been proposed, but Silence remains a benchmark. Ondra often films and explains his projects, giving fans a rare inside view of how top climbers break down moves and manage fear, fatigue and conditions.

Sharing knowledge

Ondra shares training ideas and route projects through his online channels, and he is known for meticulous preparation, studying video and refining every move. His career shows how sport climbing difficulty keeps rising as athletes learn and train more scientifically.

Professionals, don't try this: these athletes train for years with coaches, safety systems and spotters. Start at a supervised gym or club and progress slowly.

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