Comments on: Adam Ondra Repeats (World’s First?) 5.15

By: Video: Adam Ondra Sending “Open Air” 9a+/5.15a | Climbing Narcissist

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 13:34:09 +0000

[...] month Adam Ondra made headlines when he made the 2nd ascent of Alex Huber’s Open Air (5.15a) at Austria’s Schleier [...]

By: Björn

Björn — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 17:27:03 +0000

About the possibilities for first 9a+, there aren’t really that many. I don’t think there’s any doubt “Akira” (FA 1995) is at least 9a+, meaning you can definitely remove both “Realization” and “Im Reich des Shogun” (FA in 2000) from the list, but I’d add the possiblity of “Action directe” being up there… Why not?

By: Narc

Narc — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:19:10 +0000

Well said HaeMeS!

By: HaeMeS

HaeMeS — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:13:16 +0000

It’s been mainly the Americam climbing media presenting Realization and Jumbo Love as the first of a new grade. There have been other routes at those grades before, editors must have known. And surely we all know, coz it’s all over the internet that harder has been climbed before. But hey, it sure looks good on the cover ‘Sharma sends worlds hardest’, now doesn’t it?

When Realization (or Biography as it was called by the guy who’s bolted it) was climbed Oruju and Akira had allready been done years earlier. Realization is a beautiful line for sure, and impressive, but probably not a new grade. Note that Pringle has it as 9a in his scorecard on 8a.nu – maybe it is just a difficult 9a.

And Jumbo Love the worlds first 9b? When there’s several proposed 9b routes allready? Take a look at http://andradalista.blogspot.com/ for the hardest (well, most of them anyway) routes in the world.

As for the worlds first 9a+, there are still several possibilities: Om, Akira, Oruju, Realization, or maybe even Im Reich des Shogun. Only time will tell. And guys like Ondra, Sharma, Rouhling, Usobiaga will eventually find out how routes compare to each other. So instead of labelling a new route the hardest in the world, why not call it a bloody good effort or a stunning and hard line. No need for claiming hyperboling it.

There are some very hard routes that have not had an repeat ascent in years. Maybe one of those routes was the worlds first 9a+ or 9b. Looks like Ondra is well on his way to find out. Be patient.

By: sock hands

sock hands — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:33:13 +0000

distortion and omission sell. unfortunately, our sport is underfunded enough that blood must be squeezed from every stone. the concept of progression in difficulty is what drives the value of “news” and thus grade inflation, as it circles back on itself and the snake begins to swallow its own tail.

By: peter b

peter b — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:43:02 +0000

Great minds thinking alike? I posted a very similar response to the Open Air ascent in my blog yesterday morning. The effect of media distortion and omission is a major issue in such a subjective sport as climbing.

By: sock hands

sock hands — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:08:56 +0000

omg the media making grand claims for the sake of selling stuff??? it’s REVOLUTIONARY!

…

sure the mags have a basis for claiming chris’ ascent is the hardest… he decimated standards in europe and FA’d long standing projects… so by comparison, his game is at a higher level so something at his absolute max probably is the hardest… but comparisons are only as good as the sample size and duration of the experiment.

really the debate is as pointless as rock climbing itself, but yet it can be just as captivating.

more and more i have been respecting the comment by an author unknown to me that climbing is pointless, but a tremendous way to pass the time. nothing more. nothing less.

the ‘hardest’ routes. the ‘hardest’ boulder problems…. just another act in the human comedy to give purpose to our sincere, yet pointless struggles and trying to make a lasting mark in the sand.