[Luke Owens]

 Ondra attempting some on-sights last summer in Ramirole cave, Verdon.

[Rocksteady]

UKC shows that Ondra is still tediously amazing, dispatching a lifetime goal's worth of waddish routes in a weekend - two 9th grade FAs, and two 8c onsights.
http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=70361

[Fultonius]

Wow - the scrawny jangle of sinew and bone has turned into muscley beast!

[Nibile]

That article made my day when I read it yesterday. It's good to have details.

[slackline]

[remus]

Nice to see he still has to try hard every now and then.

[SA Chris]

Might be good enough for a proper shot at Hubble now.

[Nibile]

Having to tey hard on 9b's ins something that I could cope with.
Those dropknees though... Terrifying.

[DAVETHOMAS90]

Having to tey hard on 9b's ins something that I could cope with.
Those dropknees though... Terrifying.

Yes, frightening 

As for turning into a "muscley beast", his voice seems to have dropped an octave. He'll be shaving next. Then it won't be long until his first arthroscopy to fix his knees.

Super inspiring video though, and good to hear him breathing like an express train.

Other shockers - the number of 9b routes in Catalonia. And the run-outs. At what point does the belayer have to decide "Sorry Adam, you're coming off" just to stop him hitting the deck?

Thanks for posting that one up Slackers 

[standard]

Having to tey hard on 9b's ins something that I could cope with.
Those dropknees though... Terrifying.

Yes, frightening 

As for turning into a "muscley beast", his voice seems to have dropped an octave. He'll be shaving next. Then it won't be long until his first arthroscopy to fix his knees.

Super inspiring video though, and good to hear him breathing like an express train.

Other shockers - the number of 9b routes in Catalonia. And the run-outs. At what point does the belayer have to decide "Sorry Adam, you're coming off" just to stop him hitting the deck?

Thanks for posting that one up Slackers 

Santa Linya is very well bolted. Adam is just choosing not to clip (or can't).

[DAVETHOMAS90]

Santa Linya is very well bolted. Adam is just choosing not to clip (or can't).

Yes, exactly, hence the question.

Adam's choice to run it out, vs the belayer's discretion. Difficult one to call maybe, though I'm sure the falls would look safer if the camera panned out a bit.

[Duncan campbell]

He'll be a long way up DT - Santa Linya is massive and mega steep so he'll just fall into space! Plus would imagine the bolts are relatively close together and mainly just dogging bolts?

[jwi]

Adam Ondra cuts it quite fine sometimes with skipping clips, but he seems to be totally unconcerned. The future of alpine sportclimbing looks bright/terrifying

[T_B]

I chatted to a friend in Spain when I was out in January who has a lot of experience belaying wads on 9as at places like Santa Linya. I got the impression it's not quite as simple as there being lots of space to fall into and that people were taking risks skipping clips and falling pretty close to the ground at times. She suggested that belaying at this level was quite a skill.

[Duncan campbell]

Wow. Fair enough - it always looked to me like once you got high up in that cave you could skip loads of clips pretty happily. Do they get E grades? 

[SA Chris]

I'd be intrigued to know the mindset; do they decide which ones to clip and which to skip in advance, or do they just skip them depending how they feel.

[bendavison]

I'd be intrigued to know the mindset; do they decide which ones to clip and which to skip in advance, or do they just skip them depending how they feel.

As long as you're comfortable running it out above bolts, then I think the mindset is often 'if you're not gonna hit the ground, why would you waste energy clipping?'. Most seem to plan which ones to clip/skip in advance.

[moose]

Reminds me of a period I spent regularly belaying Jacob Cook and Malham and Kilnsey. 

When he got tired, he would not do what most people do - clutch the nearest draw, squeal "take in!", and hope it went better next time.  Instead, he'd skip clips and keep on trucking in the hope that he'd reach a decent hold where he could gather himself (and finally clip). He would get quite horrendously run-out - made for a worrying belay experience.  Mind you, it generally worked - and I suspect that's the commitment you need if you are to really test your limits. 

It came as no surprise when he started ticking hard E-grades and doing well in Yosemite - he probably made climbing the stairs into a "chop-route". 

[bendavison]

According to 8a.nu he has just done Megos' Geocache, 9a+ in the jura. In a day. From his comment it sounds like it was in a few tries:

- Almost did in a couple of tries in the short morning session, but punted really hard on the very top. Then I took a rest and sent it in the evening. Regarding to the grade, I agree with Alex that it is strange route most of all (even though it is very cool and fun to climb). And hard too, but how hard is the question. I am considering that the route fits my style, being tall helps a tiny bit and I feel in a good shape, I guess 9a+ could be OK. But conditions were rather humid, even though it was not 30 degrees as the previous day.

[Doylo]

Showing Megos he's still top dog 

[jwi]

Have we had this yet?
http://www.climbing.com/people/adam-ondra-the-future-of-climbing/

Excellent interview

[submaximal gains]

That's a great interview

[TheTwig]

The article says that La Dura Dura is the worlds first 9b+, I thought Ondra did Change first, then La Dura Dura (followed by Sharma) ?

 

[Muenchener]

La Dura Dura is the only one that's been climbed by an American, duh.

[joeb]

Agreed corporate guff.