In the northwest of the Czech Republic, Adam Ondra swaps the highest levels of difficulty for daring climbing with long runouts and strict ethics. Together with the sandstone legend Tomáš "Tomajda" Sobotka he succeeds in the ground-up first ascent of Falling into Presence (8b).
In the northwest of the Czech Republic, near the German border, there is a fairytale landscape with endless sandstone towers and walls. Climbing here is as special as the local climbing scene and its strict ethics. New routes are opened up from below, and wide gaps between belays are part of it. A master of this discipline is Tomas «Tomajda» Sobotkawith which Adam Ondra together to open a new route or to complete an old unresolved project. The result of their efforts is Falling into presence (8b), a bold line with a difficult boulder well above the last hook.
“This is real onsight climbing. You enter unknown territory without knowing whether it will work or not. For me, this is the highest art of climbing.
Adam Ondra
Falling into Presence (8b): Adam Ondra with a bold ground-up first ascent
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Credits: Cover picture AO Production sro