Adam Ondra, writing about his efforts on La Dura Dura for La Sportiva:
As I felt so strong, I decided not to take another restday, and try the very next day. Lowering off the pressure, taking it less seriously. But from the morning, I had doubts about this decision. My forearms were a little sore, Chris typed me a message that he was taking rest as he felt sore. But I persisted.
For me this is one of the big takeaways from this send that can be relevant for all climbers, not just mutants. It took me a long time to realize this—and in many ways I still struggle to harness this knowledge—but oftentimes success in climbing comes at times when your mind least expects it.
1. “Knee crimp” for a rest? Another reminder of the insanity of this route
2. If he sent it when he barely got through the lower section, that would suggest there’s EVEN MORE we can expect from him. Not the last time we’re going to see “hardest route in the world” as a description.
loading...
I totally agree with the ‘success in climbing’ comment. I think lowered expectations lends to being present. Expectation often means thinking about the future, and consequently a convoluted head in the big moments. No expectations allows your brain to shut off to some degree and say “lets see what happens”. The truly great athletes can tap into this even under pressure. I think that’s one reason he can onsight routes that put most people on the edge of an annurism from projecting for years on end.
loading...