Adam Ondra, his total climbing progression via Tough Enough in Madagascar

2011 is about to come to an end... so why show a video now which dates back to 2010? Perhaps because, despite the months gone past, it documents a key moment. The video traces the first free ascent in a day of Tough Enough in Tsaranoro, Madagascar, at the hands of Adam Ondra (together with Pietro Dal Prà) last October. Right from the outset we felt this ascent would mark an important stepping stone in Ondra's growth and maturity. That it might be a standard bearer for climbing in all its forms, for the future.

It's common knowledge and almost superfluous to say that at the crag the "boy"... sends, there are no two ways about it. The same holds true on boulder problems - read his recent repeat of Gioia 8C+ followed by his flash of Gecko Assis at Fontainebleau, the legendary 8B+ which for Ondra, that day, seemed a "simple" 8B. And he's got a thing or two to say in competitions too: in 2009 he won the Lead World Cup, a year later he won the Bouldering World Cup while this year during the Arco World Championship he stepped onto the podium in both Bouldering and Lead (silver and bronze respectively) and he happened to win the Combined event.

We're probably not particularly original, but to understand Ondra perhaps one needs to take a step back in time and retrace some fundamental steps in his career. Of which there are obviously a fair number. Such as his first 8a aged 9 in 2002. Or, in 2004, his first 8b followed immediately by his first 8c. The 9a barrier fell in 2006, while in 2010 the time was ripe for 9b. During all of this he obviously found time to establish his own super routes (such as La Capella 9b at Siurana), succeed on some incredible on-sights (up to 8c+) and also put himself to the test on boulder problems which also resulted in his second 8C+, Terranova.

These are the raw numbers behind his progression. Having said that – and perhaps this is the important detail - one really mustn't forget that Ondra has always searched for "his" way up the grade scale. One could almost say that his has been a journey into the past to understand and plan out the future. This explains his decision to climb some difficult testpieces such as those unrepeated Alexander Huber climbs. And also his desire to tread some "sacred terrain" in the multi-pitch category: Silbergeier by Beat Kammerlander (first one-day repeat), Hotel Supramonte by Rolando Larcher and Roberto Vigiani (the coveted first onsight). And then there's Tough Enough. Just like the other two, Tough Enough had become the testing ground for the best climbers in the world, an open air challenge almost 400m high. In Ocotober 2010 Ondra climbed this in great style, leaving everyone aghast. His achievement was difficult to comprehend and even harder to repeat. And proof, once again, of his open mentality which comprehends all 360° of this sport. A real project or, better still, an interpretation of climbing with no holds barred.

This, in short, is why we're showing this important stage in Ondra's vertical progression which paved the way for his splendid 2011. We hope he will continue in the same vein in 2012 and, in doing so, fuel the dreams of all those dedicated to total climbing.