27 April 2022

Ondra - Be honest about the important grades

Adam Ondra is the top global climber suggesting the most personal, i.e. honest grades. His amazing tick list would have been even more impressive if he had skipped the honesty part and just taken the topo grade. Adam onsighted the first two 9a graded routes in the world but downgraded them to 8c+. Last year he also downgraded the third, out of five 9a onsights that he has done, Cabane au Canada.

"Update 2021: seems the consensus is more 8c+. The long-term dream came true when I did not even expect it. I travelled to this incredible area, thinking that the route would be pretty dirty and abandoned after a long winter, but I found it perfectly cleaned with the draws hanging in place. I admit that it is definitely not hard 9a, it's definitely rather lower end, but it fits my style, I felt in very decent shape and I fought hard! For the first time in my life, I onsighted a route which had been suggested 9a and I could honestly believe that it could be in the 9a region. For all the others it was simply not case, even though it is very hard to judge it while you are onsighting. Beautiful moment and experience in the early morning session in one of the most breathtaking sport climbing-wall(s) I have ever seen."
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