Adam Ondra starts 'final push' on Dawn Wall in Yosemite

UPDATE 16/11/2016
DAY 2: Update from Adam Ondra on the Dawn Wall: On his second day Ondra managed to free climb a further 4 pitches to reach the start of the crux pitches. The Czech climber recounted "Tired but relieved face! Made it up to the start of pitch 14! As Alex Honnold brought some dark chocolate for Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson on their push and it seemed it helped them, Heinz Zak did the same today. But he told me that I must deserve it first:-) And send pitch 10. I did in rather dramatic way on my 2nd go. Then, I almost finished the chocolate while having a few heartbreaking goes on the pitch 12 to calm my nerves. Luckily it all worked out and we are getting deserved sleep."

@adam.ondra @blackdiamond #dawnwall #elcapitan #yosemite #liveclimbrepeat #blackdiamond

Un video pubblicato da Pavel Blažek (@pavelblazek) in data: 16 Nov 2016 alle ore 00:15 PST

As reported previously, the 23-year old began working the route in mid-October finding the pitches - as he himself admitted on various occasions - significantly more difficult than he had originally imagined. Both in the lower section of the route, where the climbing has proven to be at times runout and psychologically demanding, and also in the central crux section which offers extremely technical and delicate climbing graded 9a. Caldwell e Jorgeson required years to figure these sections out and the other day Ondra stated frankly "Without having the beta, some of the sections look just impossible."

Climbing together with Pavel Blažek, Ondra forged his way up to the summit of El Capitan once in order to check out the upper pitches and then, after having hauled 40kg of gear, food and water to their portaledge and after having rested for a few days, yesterday morning at 2:46 am the duo set off for the first serious push.

Unsurprisingly, Ondra made short work of the first section: climbing mainly in the dark, he dispatched the first seven pitches before 7:00 am and only the 8th pitch (5.13d) required a second attempt before being climbed free. After six hours of climbing Ondra had dealt with the first 9 pitches and they then stopped due to the heat.

Currently Ondra and Blažek (who is following by jumar) are resting for 28 hours, waiting for the right conditions that arrive when the big stone cools down at night. The next 4 pitches are on the agenda and these lead straight to the three crux pitches of the route.

First day, good day. 9 pitches in the bag after 6 hours of climbing. Conditions were not the best, but I could still reach the goal of the day. Now hopefully we will survive the heat on the portaledge and take a 28 hours of rest untill we continue tomorrow, starting with pitch 10. @blackdiamond #Montura @mytendon @lasportivagram #elcapitan #yosemite #dawnwall

Un video pubblicato da Adam Ondra (@adam.ondra) in data: 14 Nov 2016 alle ore 10:05 PST