Adam Ondra Opens Up About Free Soloing & Dangerous Trad Climbing

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This clip is pulled from a full podcast interview: Elite climber Adam Ondra shares his struggles and breakthroughs in Training, Nutrition, Tactics, and Mental Game

[thestruggleclimbingshow]

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[daxmusix]

I’m blown away when I watch Adam climb.
My palms sweat when I watch Alex free solo.
It’s a whole different experience

[denisred]

'Every single second you are in fatal danger'. Dude nailed it in one short sentence.

[UnleashedTraining]

He has nothing to prove by free soloing. Adam has cemented his reputation already as essentially the best climber in the world. And he can enjoy that status while he lives and not posthumously.

[Zraknul]

Respect for saying it Adam. I won't watch free solo content, I don't want people taking that kind of risk for my entertainment.

[DuBCraft]

I completely agree with Adam's view on putting bolts on el cap. It would be so much better for everyone if the free climbers could just add a few bolts here and there to make a line go with less mank. For the pitch Adam was talking about with the fixed beaks, having a few bolts instead of fixed beaks would be super helpful because the beaks are going to rust way faster than stainless steel bolts ever would. (beaks are generally not made of stainless steel and instead are usually made of carbon steel.) Not just that, but the aid climbers would have to work harder for the route too. A 40m pitch with 15 fixed beaks would basically turn the pitch into a bolt ladder where you occasionally have to make a single placement between fixed pieces, and that would be a lot less engaging than even an A1 or A2 beaks pitch. The bolter could even put the bolts right next to bomber beak placements and it would have zero effect on the aid rating of the pitch!

[pauljepson]

Adam, for someone who doesn't "want to take unnecessary risk", you have a pretty dodgy light fitting.

[dorianhunt]

Hurray I finally found something I have in commun with Adam... the ceiling light!

[IronJohn]

A weird comment, but bolting ethics in climbing remind me a bit of open source software development. The hard-core developers tend to conspire to create a barrier to entry (requiring ever-more complex knowledge) over the heads of casual developers/designers. This tends to make the tool less useful and efficient (and in some cases dooms the tool entirely by shrinking the user base, but in the short run is good for job security. It's not "unfair" - those hardcore developers built the tools, and anyone is free to learn to be a better developer. But it's a tension implicit at just allowing the whole world to use the thing you worked hard to build.
Similarly, hard trad climbers are under no obligation to bolt lines, even though it would make them safer, usually more enjoyable, and even (as Ondra says) more bad-ass and run-out. They remain unbolted because the only people capable of bolting them don't want a bunch of weekend warriors on their lines.
I'm in no position to offer a solution, but I suspect we'll see a lot more route-bolting in 10 or 20 years when a lot of the old school guys aren't climbing anymore and a bunch of strong young kids who grew up in gyms show up and want safe, fun, hard lines to climb.

[bogdanvlad]

I think it's good you asked the question, that is your job as an interviewer, I also applaud him for being honest, I don't watch any free solo content and I wouldn't encourage anybody to do it. Climbing should be fun, free solo means eliminating the safety net for testing yourself or worse reasons, but you are also testing God, things can happen like fainting, cramping, that have nothing to do with your abilities and you die. Sure you can be clipped in and the equipment might fail or a rock could dislodge but it's not the same. Imagine racers going in without protection costumes helmets and seat belts because they want to test themself and are more comfortable.

[julianalexander]

I think, he wanted to replay on why he doesn't free solo, "well, I am not an idiot", but was to polite for such a harsh answer. 😆

[alexdiamond]

Soloing is a totally different sport. Some people just don’t want to do that sport and that’s fine

[piotrtomasinski]

Very reasonable! Both about free solo and about bolting in those 'sacred' places. I came across some fanatics being against any bolts on rocks, even talking off existing single bolts on known routes in Tatra mountains in sketchy places, putting many people expecting these known bolts at risk. Just approach things with common sense, not snobbery

[Penrose]

Adam's ability at English just one or two years later is incredible. A testament to the mind he possesses

[undaware]

Did Ondra just say the American bolting ethic is bunk? Couldn't agree more. No dirtbag owns Our rock.

[amanitebg]

Proud to hear my favorite climber won't die because of stupidity. 🙂‍↕️

[Dan_Slee]

Do I expect to one day see a headline about Ondra dying climbing (soloing)? No. Do I think I'll eventually see that headline regarding AH? Definitely.

[thetravelingboulderer]

"cause he doesnt want to die."

[marchd]

How about climbing the dawn wall in a day? Seems crazy but 3 climbing days seemed ok for him last time, so with a bit more effort who knows...

[lefgia]

Briliant question in the beggining of the video "You ve basicaly dominated every style of climbing out there but you haven't tryied dying and why is that?" Amazing job