First Ascent Bomba 9b
Created by: Adam Ondra2022/03/03
Last day of the trip to Arco, I was pretty sure this would be the only "working" day on my project, not the sending day. To get everything dialed, knowing exactly what to do for my next trip within 2 weeks. I felt a little tired from the previous active rest-day (bolting-day), and that is not the best situation for sending the project that was about to become 9b+.
The most epic moments of my climbing life happened
Coming to the crag, I could feel the conditions were just perfect. I felt calm but really eager to climb. My goal was to climb the project from one point halfway up to the top, eliminating the first part. I did not even bring the two kneepads which are necessary for the whole route. I brought only one kneepad for the upper kneebar. Fortunately, I borrowed another one from the local, Max. On my first try, trying only the last section, I fell from the last move, but I felt super good. Why not try from the ground. The next go was perfect until I fell due to being not precise enough just below the crux move. I rested for 30 minutes and then some of the most epic moments of my climbing life happened.
10 years later it is done
Unfortunately, I cannot give it 9b+ as it only took me 5 days of cleaning and trying (plus a few days in the neighbouring variation), but I think it is definitely on the upper end of the grading scale. It is very much my style - tricky kneebars to rest and very reach moves on tiny holds. I think it is probably 8b+ with some kneebars (that allows you to be pretty fresh), up to a very specific section of 10 moves, which could be an 8C boulder on its own. Huge move off a bad kneebar using a tiny, slopy knob, then big cross-over move into 7mm crimp, and heartbreaking last hard move into horizontal three-finger slot. I bolted this thing in 2012 as the last obvious line of this amazing wall Hotel Olivo, back then I almost thought it was impossible. 10 years later it is done.
The name is Bomba "perche questo tiro e una bomba!" (= means because this route is so good). Sad that people in Ukraine are dealing with very different kinds of bombs.
Alfredo Webber behind the lens of cellphone camera
A new era with my new climbing partner Mammut begins! The whole story will be on my YouTube channel very soon.