The King of Climbing Comes to Canada

I’ll admit it:

I was star struck when I met Adam Ondra. I have crossed paths with most of my climbing heroes, that’s what happens when you climb long enough, but there was never a star-struck moment. Ondra is undoubtedly the world’s strongest climber. I’d been following his climbing career since he redpointed 5.14b at age 11. I knew how he climbed, his style and his trademark screams. It is fair to say that the 22- year-old Ondra is the king of climbing. On Mon., Feb. 16, after taking part in selecting the winning films at the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival, an honour in itself, I shook hands with Ondra beneath Canada’s iconic Grand Wall.

It was Ondra’s second day in Squamish. With his girlfr iend Eva and Sonnie Trotter, a group of us travelled to Cheakamus Canyon. Trotter told me about their tr ip there the day before when Ondra attempted Pulse 5.14a. Trotter said Pulse was Ondra’s most impressive climb, despite not reaching the top. Pulse is on the Big Show and had water running down it when Ondra roped up. Steve Townshend said it would be hard to climb because of the dr ipping. There is a mandatory stick-clip to avoid an ankle-breaking fall, but Ondra opted to go for the onsight without a stick-clip. He flashed the first five bolts on slick, wet holds and sent the crux. The wall was too wet and he fell off. It was a bold attempt in less-than-perfect conditions.

Fighting jet lag and exhaustion, Ondra wanted to flash Chris Shar ma’s Dreamcatcher 5.14d on the Cacodemon Boulder. Only Sharma, Sean McColl and Ben Harndon had sent the route. Arriving at the famous line, Ondra and Trotter talked about the moves. Then, like I’d seen in so many films, Ondra went into a deep trance. He disappeared under a boulder and mimed the moves. The damp coastal air was leaving moisture on the rock and it was cold out. With a dozen people watching, Ondra made the 5.12+ slab look easy. After methodically passing the first crux, he came to the thin pin scars. He took a long rest, exhaled a loud grunt and went for the difficult moves. He crossed his left hand high and slotted the tips of his fingers into a shallow seam. He looked calm and in control, but his left heelhook popped and he fell off. I thought he had it.

I was expecting him to express his disappointment, but he got back on and made the final moves to the last crux where he worked the sequence. Worn out, he lowered and fist-bumped the spectators. It was the strongest flash attempt to date. Before his second try, I asked how he liked Squamish and he said, “It’s quite hard climbing and very precise, I really like it.” Watching the king of climbing try to flash Canada’s hardest route was unforgettable. Thanks for the show Ondra and come back soon.