Adam Ondra pushes on sight

[9b]

After his recent 9b F.A., Adam Ondra, in just two consecutive days (sunday and yesterday), has climbed on sight:

 

- Kidetasunaren balio erantsia, 8c+ (8c for Adam)

- Bizi Euskaraz, 8c+

- Fuck the police, 8c

- Tekken, 8b+

 

All the above routes mainly crimpy on vertical.

 

Adam, now 18 years old, has previously onsighted:

- 16 8c routes

- Gora gora gutarak, for which he gave a personal down grade although three others have said 8c+.

 

(Adam on sighting Bizi Euskaraz, photo from Rokoatarrabia)

 

Other photos and video here.

 

In these achievments, Adam shined a light more closely on the discipline that is on sight climbing.

 

This has been impressively developed by Patxi Usobiaga and others, but now is being pushed into a wider and more impressive realm by this young phenominal Czech climber.

 

Redpointing is an incredibly demanding discipline, but performing on sight climbing that actually starts to approach a climber previous maximum (mentally as much as physically) allows the climber to 'grow' in a way that helps the climber move on look at different challenges, because of the different skills and demands that the climber has to develope.

 

Climbing on sight could be seen as encompassing on one level alot that can be taken from hard red pointing, climbing at the right rythmn, being able to just pull down very hard on moves that otherwise might have felt impossible.

These could be termed roughly speaking "closed" skills.

 

In on sight climbing these closed skills as mentioned above act as a good foundation, but more important for fullfilling your potential in on sight climbing is possibly achieved through accessing a climbers "open" skills ... route finding skills, skills to see possible recovery, reading the moves, also mental skills that blend knowledge of movement with an intuition that helps a climber self belief at moments often when they need it most !

These open skills are only developed through doing loads of climbing and it is Adam Ondra that heads that vanguard of climbers who are prepared to travel and confront this particular challenge.

 

(Written in cooperation with Dave, new 9b editor)

 

[9b]

Today 3 8c+ in 1 day:

- Powerade and El templo del cafe on sight (so 8c+ on sight all the styles: vertical, overhanging and roof)

- Desafiando a Tsunami 1st go (Adam climbed the first pitch Desafiando a Newton 8b+ in 2007)

 

Then, 8b on sight to warm down ...

Adam (interview) is really pushing on sight ! :-)

 

 

Even if next planned route seems to be Neanderthal, 9a on sight, after 9a second go, seems more than possible !