For this 7a, Adam Ondra needs three attempts

Even the best climber in the world, Adam Ondra, is only human. During a trip to Croatia, he needed three attempts for a 7a. But then he got going.

Actually Adam Ondra planned a trip to Catalonia, but the miserable weather in January made him rethink his travel plans. In the end he drove with his girlfriend Iva Vejmolova to Croatia.

Three attempts to warm up

Adam chose the 7a route truffle pig above the hamlet of Kompanj for the first route of the year and the warm-up tour of the day. But shortly after the first hook, his foot slips away. The same game, in the same place in the second try. But Adam Ondra takes it easy. After all, in the third attempt, the climb works. Somehow it is reassuring that even a climber of the caliber by Adam Ondra drips from a 7a.

But then: Heavy onsight inspections and a full ticklist

After these starting difficulties, the climbing trip then proceeds as usual. Adam Ondra climbs loss of reality (8a), Hard Sun (8b +), Rainini (8b), nutcracker (8b) onsight in one day. The next day he takes off and takes an onsight tour of the 8c route Starec in morje. On the remaining three days he climbed another six routes in the upper eighth degree of French.

“I think most of the routes in Kompanj need to be downgraded. But the route All In I'm Out (8c) could be an 8c+.”

Adam Ondra on the routes in Kompanj, Croatia

Video: Adam Ondra struggles in a 7a and then runs to top form

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Credits: Cover picture AO Productions

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