[Houdini]

Come again?

He can't do AD but insists his other routes are harder?!




He's the guy whose hardest boulder problem was crushed by Gaskins then spent ages telling the world that he'd DEFINITELY not done it despite being absent from proceedings.  Am I right?

 

Methinks the lady doth protest too much.



It really doesn't surprise me that this Czech has done AD looking at his gangliness and lack of weight but I do get a renewed sense of what Gullich did, who was darn beefy.

[Ru]

Come again?

He can't do AD but insists his other routes are harder?!

No, Marcus has done AD, and thinks his other routes are harder. It just took him a long time.


Interestingly, Ondra spent 5 days on Unplugged and thought it was one of the hardest things he'd done. When Simpson did it in a couple of sessions he downgraded it to "UK" 8c+.  I don't really think that you can draw any conclusions from that though.

[Houdini]

Stand corrected.

[Jaspersharpe]

You're right about the Gaskins thing though.

[slackline]

Stand corrected.

Why do you stand up when your using a computer/typing?

[r-man]

Videyo-yo

[Nibile]

to be really honest he makes it look so easy that it's ALMOST disappointing. knowing how bad the holds are and how overhanging the route is, it's impressive. impressive.

[Kingy]

Fooking hell, waltzes it.

[north_country_boy]

well he made that look piss! However the camera angle doesn't do it justice, as to how steep the line/butress is....

[Jaspersharpe]

Fucking hell. So this is him finding something really difficult? Great stuff.

[grumpycrumpy]

Fucking hell. So this is him finding something really difficult? Great stuff.

Says the man who warms up on 7b+ 's .....

[Jaspersharpe]

........and fails on 7As if they require any arm strength. Let's keep things in perspective.

I think Percy's points on this thread are the most valid as he's seen the kid's power first hand. But when you look at the list of climbers who've failed on this route and then see how Ondra basically pissed it in 15 tries when it's something way outside his normal remit, well I'm more than impressed. Yes until he pushes the standard then people are right to say we've seen nothing new but seriously, he's 15 years old.

He's pissing EVERY hard route he tries. Does anyone seriously doubt that barring injury (which is less likely as he's built up his strength while he's developing) or a sudden lack of motivation, Ondra will eclipse previous climbing standards within the next couple of years?

Peronally I think it's fucking brilliant. Standards have stagnated in sport climbing for the last 15 years. A kick up the arse to 9b and beyond is what was needed, and now it will come.

[r-man]

Interview here: http://www.planetmountain.com/english/News/shownews.lasso?l=2&keyid=36123

[Jim]

9b was done many years ago 

[r-man]

9a onsight, that's the next one.

My mind is boggled.

[Paz]

I wouldn't be surprised if he had a trad head already.  I know there was this supposed conflict between the old guard and the younger generation who wanted more sport routes in the Czech republic (didn't he even have some money docked for using chalk there?), and a lot of things are runout on crazy old big ring bongs, but I'd be surprised if he never did any of the knotted sling trad routes on those sandstone towers.  I mena you would wouldn't you?  But hey, in other areas I could mention strong talented climbers try the local trad, get put off and then find they prefer sport or bouldering.  Maybe he'd get on well with headpointing the top end stuff, like a lot of sport climbers did and do.  I dunno if he's had chance yet - setting up a top rope on a sandstone tower isn't exactly straightforward (they don't all have a tree you can climb up to get on them like that thing at High Rocks.  And they've got that ground up ethic shizzle. 

[slackline]

From the above linked interview....

What about other forms of climbing such as trad?
Hmm, maybe. But I've never placed nuts and friends and I do not know if I’m skilful enough :-)

[Nibile]

i know it's not trad but from what he's done on silbergeier i think he's got a good head as well.

[Jim]

I thought you said he gives good head. upon re-reading I'm no longer interested

[Nibile]