Adam Ondra

“I live to climb, I climb to feel alive.”

Adam started climbing when he was about three years old and his talent became evident very soon. In 2001 (at age 8), he onsighted his first 7b+ (5.12c). Onsight of his first 7c+ (5.13a) and redpoint of 8a (5.13b) came a year later. During the following four years, he onsighted 8a (5.13b), 8a+ (5.13c), 8b (5.13d), and redpointed 8c (5.14b) and 9a (5.14d). In 2009 (at age 16), he won his first gold medal in lead Climbing World Cup and first silver medal in lead Climbing World Championships, both in the adults category.

In 2012 (at age 19), he redpointed and was the first to scale Change (Flatanger, NOR), the world’s first 9b+ (5.15c). The next year, he redpointed and made the first ascent of La Dura Dura (Oliana, ESP) and Vasil Vasil (Sloup, CZE), both graded 9b+ (5.15c). In 2016 (at age 23), he repeated Dawn Wall (El Capitan, USA), a multi-pitch, 915-meter-high route, in just 8 days. The route was redpointed by Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson a year before. Their ascent took 19 days. In 2017 (at age 24), Adam returned to Flatanger in Norway to redpoint and be the first to top Silence, the world’s first 9c (5.15d). Another great achievement came in 2018, when he was able to flash Super Crackinette (Saint-Léger-du-Ventoux, FRA), a route classified as 9a+ (5.15a).

In 2021 Adam participated as the only Czech climber in the Olympic Games in Tokyo. He made it to the finals and took 6th place in Combined Format (Speed climbing / Bouldering / Lead climbing). Adam spent the following year in the rocks, where he sent the hardest route in the Czechia - Zvěřinec (9b+, 5.15c). At the end of 2022 he made the first free-climb of a wall inside Macocha abyss in Moravian Karst.

In 2023, he added significant sport climbs such as El Maquinista 9a+/9b (5.15a/5.15b) in Montanejos, Spain and a flash of Peščena Ura (Sopota, SLO), classified as 9a (5.14d). In 2024, he followed with major achievements including the bold trad line Bon Voyage 9a (E12) in Annot, France and Narcissus 9a (5.14d) in Italy’s Val Pennavaire. In July he participated in the second Olympic Games in Paris and secured 6th place in Lead & Boulder combined format.

In 2025, Adam opened the season with a repeat of the iconic Fontainebleau boulder Soudain Seul 9A (V17) in France. Later in May he achieved a historic first-ever flash of E11 trad route Lexicon in Lake District, England. At the beginning of November, he made a flash of the crack-classic line Greenspit (8b+ trad) in Valle del Orco, Italy. He then completed the 8C (V15) boulder Foundation’s Edge in Fionnay, Switzerland, becoming the second person in the world to flash this boulder problem!

In 2026, Adam spends most of his time in Italy with his wife Iva and son Hugo, where he combines family life with climbing projects throughout Europe. He set himself the goal of flash-climbing the world’s hardest boulders, and in the spring he succeeded on three 8C boulders. He particularly valued the boulder Emotional Landscapes in the Maltatal Valley in Austria. In addition to his success in Austria, he conquered Lion’s Share and subsequently the challenging boulder Celestite in Ticino, Switzerland. That marked the end of his bouldering phase for a while, giving way to preparations for the competition season, which will finish at the end of summer with the European Championships in Laval, France.