The Czech Adam Ondra is currently the world’s best climbers. In a DW Interview, the 25-Year-old about what drives him, talks about the most difficult Route in the world – and also about his Olympic plans.
Adam Ondra at the climbing Competitions here at the world Cup in Innsbruck, Austria last September
DW: Adam Ondra, climbing, ever since you were a little Boy. Can you imagine one day to have the nose full of?
Adam Ondra: I think, in such a Moment, I would just be tired, but not necessarily from Climbing. Sometimes it’s just necessary to recharge the batteries and feel fresh again. But that has nothing to do with the Climb. Climbing is so great. I don’t think I’ll be tired of it, because there are so many different disciplines. It is quite another to climb a two-Meter-high boulders, or a 1000-Meter-high wall is something. I think I can keep my Motivation very high when I switch between the disciplines.
What do you do to relax?
Every December, I’m taking a climbing break of two or three weeks. After a full season of Training and Climbing my body needs. And mentally it helps me, as I said, to switch between indoor climbing and rock climbing, in-between competitions and Climbing outside. All of this helps me to be always motivated 100 percent.
You have to be maybe a little crazy to climb such impressive routes?
What really motivates me to climb harder is not necessarily that I want to push my limits, make me about want to be happy or the other wants to show who is the Best. It is, rather, that it somehow makes more fun to climb harder routes. The harder you are, the more interesting the Climbing becomes and the more crazy Moves you have to think of. And once you know how it feels to climb to a certain Level, you don’t want to do it, because you don’t know that you would then feel the Same.
You have, in a cave near flat elsewhere in Norway, the first Route in the world in the French grade 9c [12.Degrees on the scale of the world Federation of the climbers and mountain climbers UIAA – note. d. Red] opened. First of all, you have baptized the Route “Hard Project”, hard project. After they had mastered them, they called it “Silence”, silence. Why?
When I reach the end of a super-hard Route, scream out I usually take my joy. But in that Moment the Emotion was so strong that I couldn’t say anything. For a Minute I was silent.
What is the reason?
I don’t know it. Maybe I couldn’t believe it, that it was now really happening. If you work for 14 weeks on a single project, and over two seasons especially have come, then it happens just this way.
What is the particular challenge of the Route?
It is the Route that I’ve invested so much time, as in no other before. I climbed most of the 9b+ routes in the world, and I think that this Route really suits my style. That’s why I had the courage to say: This is the first 9c of the world. I would not have been sure, had I valued you more likely to 9b+. But they should ever be downgraded, I would have been totally embarrassing. (laughs).
You can also take part in climbing competitions. At the world Championships in Innsbruck, Austria, last September, they were climbing to Second place in the Olympic combination of Speed, Lead (Lead climbing) and bouldering. The Olympic games in Tokyo 2020 for are you a target?
Yes, definitely. Next year I will start both in the Boulder world Cup, as well as in the Lead world Cup. This is my preparation for the season 2020, the Olympic games will be my biggest goal.
When it was decided that sport climbing in Tokyo for the first Time, is an Olympic discipline, they belonged to the critics of the new Format. Have you changed your mind?
I’m still against the Format doesn’t change. I always wanted to start at the Olympic Games. It doesn’t matter how critical I am to the Format. My critical attitude, nothing has changed. But if I want to participate, do I have to accept the Format. Another Option is to waive the games.
So it’s a bitter pill to swallow.
Yes, exactly.
In the case of the 2018 world Cup Ondra in Second place behind the Austrians Jakob Schubert and the German Jan Hojer (v. l. n. r.)
Can bring the Olympic games to the Climbing in any way?
I would always distinguish between the world of competitions and climbing outside. I believe that it can improve the competitions themselves definitely. You are going to be greater, the interest of the Mainstream media is on the rise. It could even develop to a better Show. At the same time it must not climb necessarily have a negative impact on the rock, because this is a world in itself. I don’t think it necessarily must come, that our Sport will eventually become too large and our climbing areas will be crowded. I expect that the competitions are becoming increasingly popular and that a lot more people go to the climbing gym. Perhaps the number of those is climbing, Outdoor climbing, but not so to a considerable extent.
You are only 25 years old, but the day will come when they realize that their physical strength is reduced. Have you ever thought about what might come after in the sport of climbing?
I’m pretty sure that I will climb as long as sport as I can. I am convinced that I can improve my sport climbing level until I am 35 years old. After that, it will not be likely possible. At the same time I would like to bring everything I’ve learned, in the greater walls – not necessarily on an eight-thousander, but maybe on a six-thousander, where the main difficulty Climbing the self is and you still can with your bare hands and Climbing. That would irritate me for the future.
Do not fear, therefore, from the cold, you would have to endure Seven or six thousand?
But. But that’s part of the game: a bit of adventure to make the Climb more interesting.
Adam Ondra is the best climber in the world. At the age of 13 the Czech climbed a Route in the difficulty level 9a in sport climbing scene customary in French scale – which corresponds to the rating of the world Federation of mountaineers and climbers (UIAA) is a Route in the eleventh grade. For comparison: Reinhold Messner mastered to the best of his times as a rock climber in the seventh grade. 2017 mastered Ondra in a cave in Norway, is an extremely overhanging Route – the world’s first 9c. In competitive climbing, the 25-Year – old in the Lead (Lead climbing and difficulty of accumulated climb) and bouldering (Climbing at jump height) a total of three world titles and three world Cup overall victories.
The Interview was conducted by Stefan Nestler.