Adam Ondra

Adam Ondra is a Czech professional climber known for elite competition results and first ascents of exceptionally difficult sport-climbing routes, including Silence and Change.

Connect

Silence (climbing route): A sport-climbing route in Norway's Flatanger cave, first climbed by Adam Ondra in 2017 and proposed at grade 9c. Ondra's first ascent made Silence the first route proposed at 9c.
Tomáš Mrázek: A Czech sport climber who won the men's lead-climbing world championship in 2003 and 2005. Mrázek's success preceded Ondra's rise as the Czech Republic's leading climber.
Sport climbing: A form of climbing in which fixed protection or indoor walls allow climbers to attempt steep, difficult routes. This is the discipline in which Ondra made his name on rock and in competition.
Dynamic movement (climbing): A climbing movement that uses momentum to reach a hold beyond a climber's static reach. Ondra uses coordinated dynamic moves on steep routes where static reaching is impractical.
9c (climbing grade): The proposed French sport-climbing grade 9c, one step above 9b+ and associated with exceptional route difficulty. Ondra proposed this grade for Silence, prompting debate about the upper limit of difficulty.
Change (climbing route): A sport-climbing route in Norway's Flatanger cave, first climbed by Adam Ondra in 2012 and graded 9b+. Its first ascent established Ondra as a leading figure in the hardest climbing.
Chris Sharma: An American rock climber known for pioneering difficult sport routes and deep-water soloing. Sharma and Ondra jointly worked La Dura Dura before Ondra made its first ascent.
Lead climbing: A climbing discipline in which competitors clip a rope into protection as they ascend, with ranking based on height reached. Ondra won multiple world titles in this competition discipline.
Heel hook: A climbing technique that hooks the heel over a hold to support or pull the body. Heel hooks help secure the body on overhangs and reduce strain on the hands.
Climbing World Cup: An annual international series of climbing competitions organized by the International Federation of Sport Climbing. Ondra's competition career helped make the World Cup circuit a prominent stage for elite climbers.