5 Climbing Videos We Can't Wait to See

2. Adam Ondra flashing Confessions

Adam Ondra, a 17-year-old from the Czech Republic, is one of the strongest climbers alive. Both the International Federation of Sport Climbing and 8a.nu rank him as the world’s top sport climber, and he’s famous for his repeats of hard routes like Action Directe (5.14d) and Golpe de Estado (5.15b).

Photo: Svíčková

During a trip to Switzerland last December, Ondra became the first person ever to flash a V14 boulder problem when he climbed Confessions on his first try.

Petr Pavlíček, a filmmaker who is making a movie about Ondra, caught the send on tape.

3. Tanec kuøátek

Adam Ondra had another “first” this March, when he bolted his first route using a power drill that he had gotten as a Christmas present. After climbing the absurdly complicated result, Ondra named it Tanec kuøátek (don’t ask how it’s pronounced) and graded it 5.14d.

On his 8a.nu profile page, Ondra described Tanec kuøátek as a

“narrow but long cave with tricky moves. After bouldery start, pumpy climbing follows difficult chimney where only your calfs are getting pumped”

Pavlíček filmed the first ascent; no word on when the movie might come out in the US.

4. The Game and Lucid Dreaming

The US now has two boulder problems rated V16, the highest level of difficulty that currently exists. Daniel Woods put up the first, The Game, in February. Paul Robinson climbed the second, Lucid Dreaming, in March.

Big UP Productions and Cedar Wright shot both sends, and are making the footage into a short film for this year’s Reel Rock Tour.

5. Ashima Shiraishi in The Insiders

Photo: Adam Roy

Ashima Shiraishi is probably one of the only people on the planet whose age is a smaller number than the ratings of the boulder problems she climbs.

At eight years old, Ashima has already climbed two V10s, Power of Silence in Hueco Tanks, TX, and The Wave, located on Central Park’s Rat Rock.

In early March, Big UP filmed Ashima and several other climbers for The Insiders, an upcoming short about gym climbing. There’s still no set release date for the film, which will be available for free online, but Josh Lowell of Big UP said it would likely come out this month.

Community Connection

Matador Goods has gear tips for budding climbers and filmmakers. Check out our guides to packing your camera and lenses for travel, choosing a helmet camera, and buying bouldering gear.

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