Adam Ondra frees Mamichula at Oliana, new 9b sports climb

The ink hasn’t even run dry and another small chapter already needs adding to the unprecedented success story entitled Adam Ondra. In fact, not even a week has passed since the Czech climber managed to repeat the 9a+ Pachamama at Oliana in Spain, and he has now already completed his new project at the same top-end crag.

The line Ondra immediately jumped on after Pachamama is a link-up between Pachamama and Papichulo, another 40m 9a+ freed by Chris Sharma in 2009. Initially this connection seemed utterly extreme - perhaps even 9b+ like neighbouring Dura Dura freed by Ondra in 2013 - but was then rendered more "humane" when Ondra discovered a new sequence to get across the traverse. More humane… translates into something absolutely unattainable and incomprehensible for everyone except of the tiniest world elite that climbs 9b.

The new 40m connection has been called Mamichula and Ondra, after having worked Pachamama for four days, needed just another three to send what he has defined as "incredible power endurance without any rest." It’s worth noting that Ondra also knew the moves on Papichulo since he had repeated the climb in 2009, but yesterday the redpoint came about in conditions he described as "crazy". The quickdraws swayed in the blustering wind and the 24-year-old believed conditions for a free ascent were impossibile therefore. But things turned out differently; after having climbed the first 10 meters in circa two minutes, and after having rested patiently for 10 minutes on the ledge, Ondra then battled for another 10 minutes to reach the chain unharmed.

Mamichula is Ondra’s 13th 9b, his 8th 9b first ascent. An absolute record. To these one needs to add the three 9b+ Ondra freed between 2012 and 2013, namely Change at Flatanger / Hanshallaren in Norway, La Dura Dura at Oliana and Vasil Vasil at Sloop in the Czech Republic. The three most difficult sport climbs in the world. For the record, only Dura Dura has been repeated so far, by Chris Sharma a month after Ondra's first ascent.

Ondra told planetmountain.com he will remain in Catalonia for a while yet as that he has various interesting other projects in mind. Let’s see if, at least this time, the ink has enough time to run dry.

ADAM ONDRA 9B and 9B+
03/2010 Golpe de Estado, Siurana, Spain, repeat
02/2011 La Capella, Siurana, Spain. 9b, first ascent
03/2011 Chaxi Raxi, Oliana, Spain. 9b, first ascent
04/2011 Chilam Balam, Villanueva del Rosario, Spain. 9b, repeat
04/2011 La Planta de Shiva, Villanueva del Rosario, Spain. 9b, first ascent
10/2012 Change, Flatanger / Hanshallaren, Norway. 9b+, first ascent
02/2013 Fight or Flight, Oliana, Spain. 9b, repeat
02/2013 Dura Dura, Oliana, Spain. 9b+, first ascent
08/2013 Iron Curtain, Flatanger / Hanshallaren, Norway. 9b, first ascent
08/2013 Move, Flatanger / Hanshallaren, Norway. 9b, first ascent
12/2013 Vasil Vasil, Sloup, Czech Republic. 9b+, first ascent
02/2014 First Round First Minute, Margalef, Spain. 9b, repeat
11/2015 C.R.S., Mollans, France. 9b, first ascent
02/2016 Stoking the Fire, Santa Linya, Spain. 9b, repeat
10/2016 Robin Úd 9b, Alternativna stena, Slovakia, first ascent
02/2017 Pachamama, Oliana, Spain. 9b, repeat
02/2017 Mamichula, Oliana, Spain. 9b, first ascent

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04/02/2017 - Adam Ondra climbs Pachamama 9a+ and attempts new difficult project at Oliana
Czech climber Adam Ondra has repeated Pachamama 9a+ at Oliana in Spain and is currently attempting a difficult new linkup at this top Spanish crag.