[Percy B]

Just returned from this years MelloBlocco shindig in Val di Mello, northern Italy - the fifth year this event has run. The bad news is - hard bouldering as we know it has just been kicked into touch by Adam Ondra - the Czech 15 year-old that has been dispatching all the hardest sport routes in Europe with worrying ease the last year or so.

I'm always a bit cynical of the new greatest things - the new font, the new Malc Smith, etc, but I have witnessed with my own eyes the thorough humiliation of the some of the worlds best boulderers at the hands of a scrawny kid with no discernable muscles !

Ondra did 6 of the competition boulders - the hardest of which was a stern (and I mean STERN) 8b. The 8a+ I watched him flash (watched also by wads like Thomas Mrazek, Michael Caminati, Andy Earl and Martin Stranek who had been sessioning the boulder without success for some time) was a revalation - no idea of the sequence, doing it all wrong, and still cruising to the top so smoothly it was un-nerving. The abject dejection on the faces of everybody who had been trying the problem as he topped out spoke volumes. This kid is taking climbing to a new level - no bullshit. He doesn't really do much bouldering, prefering routes, so it was nice to see him having a try of something new!!!

I spoke briefly to Toni Lamiche and Jerome Meyer who had spent 2 days working a horrific 8b that had not been repeated in 2 years. Apparently they too suffered the humiliation of looking on miserably as Adam pissed up it after a bit of work when he came over to see what they were up to on day 2 of the event. To quote Lamiche, "It's finished for us guys! This kid is the new school."

Adam could will be about to push standards in climbing through the roof - or he'll hit puberty, grow into a 7 foot beer monster with more time for ladies than rock and give up climbing for something more worthwhile.... by the time that happens though, he could well have done all the hard climbs and boulder problems in the world so it won't be a problem for him.

At some point I might try and locate a list of big names he beat at Melloblocco this year (off the top of my head... Mauro Calibani, Gabi Moroni, Michael Caminati, Thomas Mrazech, Jerome Meyer, Toni Lamiche, Patxi Usobiaga, Andy Earl, Christian Brenna...) - an incredible climber.

[Joepicalli]

Impressed but surprise free: he turned up a castillion last year while I was there, on an obvious puntering day and on-sited 4 8a's then fell off mortal combat really high, twice. He went back and did it the next day. This is not climbing as we know it.

[Nibile]

a friend of mine lives in sardinia, and met ondra at the crag. he warmed up by doing one roof 8a, skipping every other bolt, and then a couple more 8a's. then he went on "la signora con la falce" 8c to onsight. everyone at the crag was silent, until he fell dynoing for a non existant hold (and sticking it for a moment) instead of the final jug. at that, everyone at the crag exploded in a "what a punter!!!" comment for him failing to onsight an 8c.
italians...

[Duma]

[Jaspersharpe]

I think the kid's secret is that he's made entirely from tendon.

I think this is great by the way. Someone to really shake things up and perhaps push standards to the next level.

[SA Chris]

Mutation: it is the key to our evolution. It has enabled us to evolve from a single-celled organism into the dominant species on the planet. This process is slow, and normally taking thousands and thousands of years. But every few hundred millennia, evolution leaps forward.

Also he appears to have Adam Wainwright's hairdresser.

[lagerstarfish]

So this is what the future of hard climbing looks like?

[Paz]

Great news, cheers for posting it.  A lot of others must have been curious about him too.  Glad to hear he's the real deal.  Question: How hard was James climbing when he was his age?

[r-man]

Adam Ondra making the first repeat of Antropos (Val di Mello) by Nicola Noè.

[cofe]

that's a fine looking problem. i wish i weighed 3 stone.

[Serpico]

I'm a bit concerned about what's going on with his right shoulder blade at :39, :48, and  :56 secs in. That's surely not healthy?

[BenF]

i wish i weighed 3 stone.

Here, have a go...

     



Sorry.

[neil h]

not the most stylish of climbers, but that video just impressed the hell out of me

[Houdini]

What is the SDS of that problem rated?  The stand up is super.

[Sloper]

that's a fine looking problem. i wish i weighed 3 stone.

With my ingenious pulley system you can!

By the way I'm looking for business partners to help with my six pack corset (it's like a standard corset but with a lifelike neoprene six pack relief on the front)

[Percy B]

That's an 8b, or Ondra 7b (cos thats how hard he makes it look). The guy looking on in disbelief on the left at the start is Toni Lamiche. I think the shoulder blade thing is normal when you haven't yet developed any muscles....

[Terrace Ghost]

What is the SDS of that problem rated?  The stand up is super.

its given 8B.  And for people who have not been to Mello thats proper 8B, not swiss 8B.
His flash of the 8a+ was the most impressive piece of climbing i have ever seen

[Joepicalli]

That's an 8b, or Ondra 7b (cos thats how hard he makes it look). The guy looking on in disbelief on the left at the start is Toni Lamiche. I think the shoulder blade thing is normal when you haven't yet developed any muscles....

How dare you my shoulder blades do that... Oh, I see...

[mark]

How many people were standing around watching/filming/photographing that ascent? Madness! Sometimes gets like that when I'm climbing but in my case they're all pointing and laughing. Bastards.

[Will Hunt]

Someone needs to chop his balls off so he never develops. Does he train lots?

[Jaspersharpe]

Someone needs to chop his balls off so he never develops.

If he never develops, he never gets any heavier. Has anyone considered the fact that he IS actually quite developed and is just a skinny mutant? By the time I was 15 I was pretty much the height and build that I am now give or take a bit of muscle/fat. Could be that Ondra doesn't change that much physically and just gets stronger/better (and/or injured).

[SA Chris]

Castratii boulderers? Bit extreme.

[Jim]

As impressive as it is, lets not forget that James has flashed 3 problems that were all given 8b at the time (not sure if any of them still are) and has onsighted at least one 8a+ to my knowledge.
Also whats this scrawny yoot ever done on grit?

[Percy B]

Don't even go there, Jim. Watching Ondra flash hard, complex 8a+ like he was warming up put me in no doubt he would do everthing on grit with ease, and then ask you where the hard boulder problems were. The kid is pulling on shit that I wouldn't even deem good enough to stand on. He's the real deal - comparisons to James, or any other strong climber will quickly lead you to the same conclusion I have come to - Ondra is the true wad. Lets not let him over here to embarass us any further!

[Percy B]

And many thanks to Mick Ryan who cut and pasted my first post on this thread into a news item on UKC without the common courtesy of asking. Telling your staff its OK to copy other peoples musing as news items because you've emailed them and they said it was OK when you haven't is more than a little naughty and discourteous, don't you think?

Had UKC asked, they could have got their own bespoke write up and a good original picture rather than one robbed off another Italian website. I would happily have done this for little more than a credit and a plug for the Works. Not everybody treats sharing information as a money-making activity. As it is, I'm now more inclined to send Mick a poo in a box. Manners cost nothing.........