Champions Challenge: Adam Ondra - Stefano Ghisolfi interview before Saturday showdown

Champions Challenge: what makes this special?
Stefano: Champions Challenge is special because it's a challenge between two friends, both on plastic and on rock, where the spectators can interact with us during the day and not only watch us like at others competitions. The spectators will be an integral part of the event.
Adam: Where it takes place - Garda Trentino - is very special to me. I have been going there almost all my life and I am very fond of it. But the challenge would not be a challenge without the one I am challenged with - Stefano Ghisolfi. He is a great climber and, most of all, a great friend!

What’s your aim?
Adam: Of course I want to climb as well as possible. But rather than climb better than Stefano, the real goal is to make a great show for the spectators.
Stefano: Yes, the aim is to have fun and enable everyone to enjoy themselves during the day and leave something good to remember, a positive experience for me, Adam and everyone who'll come and be with us on Saturday.

You both mentioned friendship: how much rivalry is there in this challenge? And how much collaboration?
Adam: I don't think there is any real rivalry between us, just healthy competition. It's about going climbing together and, at the same time, doing something that is fun for the spectators.
Stefano: Like in other competitions we'll share some beta and secrets on the routes we'll climb, but then when the challenge starts and we will try our best to send the routes or climb higher than the other. I’d say there will be 50% collaboration and 50% rivalry.

Rock Master Stadium, Massone, then Climbing Stadium again. Plastic and rock: how do you prepare for these two different scenarios? And what makes them interesting for you?
Adam: I did not do any specific training for this event and as you probably know I have been climbing all my life, mixing rock with plastic holds, sometimes even on the very same day. I have to say I am really looking forward to getting to climb a lot on Saturday!
Stefano: These are the two most common training scenarios. I’m used to training on indoor climbing walls for competitions and also climbing outside at the crags, so my preparation is just doing what also do every day! On Saturday though all of this is condensed into one single day, it’s going to be hard!

You talked about the spectators. What message do you want to get across?
Stefano: The most important message is that even at a high level, competition can coexist with friendship, and that we are rivals while climbing but the results won't change who and what we are when we are not climbing.
Adam: That climbing is very, very fun!

PROGRAM Saturday 13 October

Champions Challenge 2018 - a day with the champions

09.30 - Rock Master Stadium
Pushing your limits always means training properly. In the temple of modern climbing that is the Rock Master Climbing Stadium, Adam and Stefano will swap tips with each other and with you too on how to get the most from your training sessions.

15.30 - CLIMBING - Pueblo di Massone
Physical and mental preparation and management of the climb are the keys to success. At the Pueblo di Massone cliff watch Adam and Stefano, first in the preparation – warm ups, study, visualisation and concentration – then the ascent of a route grade 9a or harder
A free shuttle bus service will be available from the Foro Boario parking lot in Arco to the cliff just for this event (from 2.30 pm)

20.30 - NIGHT SHOW - Rock Master Stadium
A challenging route, a parallel, two climbing stars, the perfect ingredients for a magical evening, a spectacle to watch and listen to, excitement guaranteed.


Info: www.gardatrentino.it/it/Champions-Challenge-Arco