Silence | World's Hardest Route 9c | Adam Ondra 

This is apparently how my parents got to school every day.

I love the zoom out after he sends the route. The hardest climb man has ever accomplished and yet from 300m away, you can’t even see him against the backdrop of the magnificent rock. Beautiful.

I'm not a climber myself, not even athletic, but I was hooked recently binge watching lots of climbing videos on RU-vid, primarily Magnus Midtbø's channel, being absolutely awestruck by what these athletes are capable of. What I didn't expect was that one of these videos would make me cry by the end. I'm at a point in my life trying to turn things around after years of depression and this was inspiring beyond belief. It shows that almost anything is possible if you just put your mind to it. You're probably not going to read this but thank you Adam, this could be the nudge I needed to change my life once and for all.

Big props to the camera man for flying in the air around the route for the shot! Truly the most impressive feat of camera work I’ve seen!

6:13 the guy is climbing himself, he's getting so strong he soon won't need walls anymore

The ending shot as it pulls away from his tiring and exhausting struggle to show how small he really is in the landscape of Norway is just humbling. Adam spent months of effort to finally complete the route only to show that there are hundreds if not thousands more routes in the world that could compare to Silence. The struggle is so personally immense but at the same time so small compared to the vastness of the world.

The zoom out at the end is absolute stunning. The mindblow i had was so beautiful. Goosebumps. On one side one can see happiness of an incredible human who just reached his (highest) goal and pushed the limits of humanity a centimeter forward, but if you look closely the whole rock represents the unreached, unexplored side of the world. The cave is what we humans have only achieved, explored, where we have put our limits for the time being.

What Adam does is a total madness to my mind. When I look at his crazy movements, twisted body hanging here and there, incredibly strong grips allowing him rest in such unusual positions and all that smooth flow, I am officially loosing perspective where up and down is. Seriously. Hats off.

Imagine hearing those screams if you were way out there hiking... Hearing those death screams would become legend to the locals.

Silence? I think more appropriate title would be: "Aaaaarg, raaaaargh, aaaaaaa, roaaaaaaar, graaaagh"

Stefano is going to have a great challenge ahead of him, it is incredible to see how difficult each movement is after watching his video.

9:24 I haven't seen Strength and Conditioning/injury prevention/training simulation being done like this... EVER. It's truly amazing, the lengths they are going to in order to complete this climb- the dedication and preparation simply beautiful. This is elite simulation, and impressive how depsite not being near the wall they have memorised the EXACT points of contact and muscular contractions needed to be trained- I'm so stunned I could go on forever.

Beautiful work

I LOVE that you kept in over a minute of him resting from 14:15 to 15:30. This really adds to the tension and I think adds to the entire experience. Fantastic editing on this video, thank you!

climbing for around 7 years and i have never heard such primal yelps and screams. This mans work and dedication is amazing and he deserves all the fame he has accumulated from vids like these and comps

I haven’t climbed in years. I have been suffering from ME/CFS for a few years now and I find watching these amazing videos so inspirational! Someday I will be back on the rock pushing my body and mind. I get very emotional watching these inc athletes. There is nothing that compares to sending a climb that pushes you physically and mentally. Thank you for the inspiration!

As a boulderer, I can compare one thing to Adam, its something that seldom happens even when trying hard routes. This thing is the need to scream. Its something that "comes out" when the body is at maximum effort or exertion. As far as my memory recalls, this has never happened to me more than once throughout any one particular boulder problem. Of course a move that might force a scream for me, Adam could simply walk through. But that isn't the thing that boggles the mind. Its that fact that he can force that maximum effort, continuously, for multiple moves on an extremely long pitch. What needs to be understood is that as much as Adam is a naturally amazing climber with the genetic gift. He also just pushes past the mental barriers that almost no others dream to do. This is just as crucial to his dominance and success. Whether in training or projecting, he simply wants it the most. Not just the most, but the maximum. Many climbers need a grade to believe something is possible for them, even if its in a gym where all the boulders are by nature "possible", the grade is what makes us feel secure and will encourage us to endeavour. This man had no idea this route is even possible when first attempting it. After countless agonizing moves, tiring his muscles, tearing his fingers and inducing continuous screams of maximum exertion, we see Adam achieve something that no other man could do. Even if someone else could they would not have been through this same ground breaking journey that he has. This is something the video can't quite put into words. He is out there at the forefront, paving the way and setting examples for everyone, including the Sharma's and Ondra's of the next generation. I am just grateful to be alive at a time to be able to witness it happening. It doesn't even matter that he's a wise, kind and humbled man, as his achievements alone are epic.

I saw Adam Ondra made a video called silence and I just started laughing.

I’m not into the climbing scene and stumbled on this Video and I have to say. I had no idea a human being could do something like this. To climb up an almost vertical cave wall….upside down. So impressive. This guy is dedicated to his craft and it shows. A master at work 👏🏻

Came for some climbing, left with profound sense of awe at this man's hard work and dedication. You can tell that a lot of Adam's success lies in his ability to overcome his mind. I'm sure this is why he is so cheerful otherwise - he's not boggled down in negative thinking and pettiness.

Great to be able to see what goes into something like this, real dedication. Also that ending shot is amazing!

love how red bull is not involved .

The zoom out truly let's you appreciate the grandiose and important nature of the accomplishment as truly the hardest kind of climb done by a human being...That's madness

I've seen this so many times and every time I'm just amazed

16:05. The zoom out gave me chills. This entire video is incredible.

im at a horrible point in my life. i lost my job, i have no family left. no money. ive been so depressed and hating myself for being such a waste. ive been watching your videos and they bring me so much inspiration that i desperately needed. you have to keep going with a good attitude. you climb everything your very best every time and train so hard. thank you. you are an inspiration to many

Wow what an inspiration to any young person . As a fitness fanatic 60 year old I’m simply in Shock regarding his brutal dedication. What a athlete ❤

I don’t even climb. But I appreciate this so much. The passion he puts into his climbs pulls me through my screen. I can almost feel his pain and joy. Absolutely flooring.

I absolutely love how he feels the pain when he’s visualizing on the floor, hilarious to me but really shows his dedication and ability to visualize

By Eric Horst Analysis: The first 65 feet of climbing (briefly shown ~3:40) checks in around 5.13d/14a and brings Adam to a knee-bar rest at the start of the business. From here, it’s 80 feet of severely overhanging and bouldery climbing comprised of four chunks as defined by four rest stops and the anchors. Adam has graded these four sections as V15, V13, V10, and V5. The send footage begins at the 11:00 mark of the film with Adam resting (knee bar) before blasting into the route’s hardest section (chunk #1). Chunk #1: (11:12 - 12:02) This is the crux of the route-a mind-blowing 12-move sequence that Adam grades as 8C/V15. Such a long, difficult-and inverted!-boulder problem off the ground would be a world-class send….but doing it on a rope, after a 65-foot 5.14a “pitch” is astonishing, miraculous, and just plain sick (in a good way)! Commentary: Adam climbs this section in 50 seconds-which is extremely fast for such a technical, awkward, and unlikely sequence-with not a hint of pause or doubt. There’s no searching for foot holds or “just the right balance point”, as Adam has the sequence programmed to perfection…like an Olympic gymnast or figure skater executing a gold medal performance. The close-up camera work on the inverted moves (11:36) reveals how Adam alternates between brief moments of breath-holding (Valsalva maneuver to maximize core stiffness and stability) and forceful exhalations, which compel inhalations that maintain arterial oxygen saturation (important to support aerobic power production). I don’t know if Adam was ever coached to do this or if it’s just intuitive for him, but his MO of screaming through hard sequences is an excellent strategy to drive deep breathing and maintain aerobic power, by avoiding the common problem of “legacy breath holding” (as I call it) in which you continue to breath-hold beyond the instant of doing a single hard move (this results in hypoxia and a greater rate of fatigue). As important as Adam’s fast, precise climbing is his ability to find rest positions that will allow for significant recovery. Arriving at a critical knee bar rest (12:02), after 50 seconds of near maximal power output, Adam’s undoubtedly got high blood lactate and low intracellular pH that have severely disrupted homeostasis-to successfully climb the upcoming V13 sequence will require massive recovery taking minutes, not seconds, to achieve. Interestingly, Adam has commented that when first working the route he could only stay at this rest a short time due to leg pain/cramping. With specific training (of his left leg) and a more nuanced approach to this rest position he was able to stay here more than 4 minutes (mostly edited out the movie) on the redpoint! These 4 minutes of slow, deep breathing and arm shaking allowed Adam’s, perhaps peerless, climbing-specific aerobic power to direct exceptional recovery (via lactate shuttle, H+ buffering, and creatine phosphate resynthesis)…enough to successfully climb the powerful V13 sequence beginning at 12:14. Chunk #2: (12:14 - 12:39) This V13 is sequence is 8 hand move and 12 foot moves performed in just 25 seconds. Commentary: Adam’s 20 hand and foot moves in 25 seconds makes of a climbing rate of one move every 1.25 second-that’s likely 3 to 5 times faster than the average redpoint climber! In my 40 years as a climber, I’ve never witnessed (or viewed on video) a climber moving so fast up a difficult climb-compare video of this section to any non-Ondra video on RU-vid and the other video will look like it’s in slow motion. Of course, speed is a necessity for Adam here, since his anaerobic reserve (coming out of the rest) was likely only enough for 30 seconds or less of high-power-output climbing. (Note: A video of Adam on this section in Spring 2017 shows him moving slightly slower…taking ~32 seconds to climb this section-cutting out 6 or 7 seconds of time under tension from these hard moves may equate to a ~20% savings of ATP/CP…or an equivalent savings of H+ and lactate production, however you prefer to look at it.) The bottom line: these 25 seconds of climbing depict absolute climbing perfection and laser-like focus. Hail Adam! Having completed V15 and V13, you’d think the send was in the bag. NOT! Compared to the two previous rests (which Adam could linger for a few minutes), he spends a mere 37 seconds (12:39 - 13:16) shaking out at this “poor rest” before launching into the V10 section. Chunk #3: (13:16 - 14:12) This chunk is “only” V10, but after 125+ feet of climbing (5.14a to V15 to V13) it’s astounding that he’s able to hang on through this 56-second sequence. Commentary: In climbing this super-steep section Adam makes only 12 hand moves, but at least 18 foot moves in order to maintain body tension and the necessary posture to make the sequence work (there is one brief unintentional “loss” of foot contact at 13:36-perhaps proof that Adam is indeed human!). Once again, Adam screams his way through the sequence-as I mentioned earlier, this yelling is not superfluous, but an absolute necessity to pulse core tension, drive forceful breathing, and maximize aerobic power. Something new in this chunk is Adam’s brief mid-sequence “shake out” (13:50 and 14:09) to provide the arm muscles an extra sip of oxygen. Chunk #4: (15:37 - 15:49) Only a 3-move V5 boulder problem stands between Adam and a barrier-breaking achievement… Commentary: Twelve seconds to glory! Sure, Adam can probably do V5 in his sleep, yet notice that he’s not celebrating, nor rushing through the final rest. In taking a relatively long (85 second) rest, with lots of deep, forceful breathing (listen!), he’s guaranteed to resynthesize enough creatine phosphate to be able to send the final three-move chunk. Booyah!

I love how when adam is here he spends time fishing too. catching a fish is like a little taste of victory, which sorta makes you want those bigger victories even more.

Being climbing for something like three years or so and just beginning to understand how much Adam's climbing speed and efficiency is non-human, this performance on Silence is absolutely historic.

4th time i have watched this video now, Its the greatest climbing video ever made! Biggest thanks to everyone involved.

The crazy thing is that this guy motivates me to keep on pushing through on my studies when it gets hard and I lose motivation, and feel like giving up. There's something about watching someone face challenges that are far beyond my comfort zone that inspires me to pick the books up again, despite feelings of self-doubt and uncertainty about whether I'll ever be able to master my subject. Thank you Adam.

This is honestly one of the most inspirational pieces I've ever watched. I've watched it 7 days straight now.

Watching again Adam Ondra climb Silence is just amazing. If you watch more of him climbing and bouldering he rarely shouts or vocalizes during climbs making most seem easy; seeing him struggle so much but still making it at the end and the dedication this man has for it. Massive respect

The ending shot got me man, to think of the intense struggle and triumph happening in his brain, the shouts of pure exasperation and humanity. To zoom out and see a tiny human, suspended like a fly caught in the web of an enormous beast, on the rocky planet suspended in space, that we call home.

Video name: Silence Adam: TAAAAHH RAAAAAGHH!!!

The drone zoom out at the end was absolutely beautiful.

I just watched the video you did with Magnus. I had never heard of you before but I had to come watch this. You are so powerful and inspiring. I’m very glad you allowed the world to share in this with you, thank you

That last shot was amazing, props to the cameraman.

The irony of the route being called "Silence" when Adam screams like he's being murdered the entire send

"Never have i seën any thing like this before. "Strenght and "Honer Adam.💪🎉

There's just something so beautiful about the scream of relief and the zoom out that makes this video incredible. Like a cherry on the cake. Well done.

Amazing amazing drone shot at the end. And thanks for showing the whole climb-including long rests. People who climb and people who can appreciate excellence don’t want highlights.

This is the most inspiring thing I've ever seen in my entire life. That zoom out at the end was mind blowing. You have inspired me to try and become as hard working as you, not just in climbing but everything in my life. Much love

One thing that really makes me resonate with Adam is his SCREAMS. I almost died once leading a climb in the Arapiles Mountains in Australia. Screaming on the crux move helped me survive. I ended up doing the wrong route and had to do ridiculously hard move while hundreds of meters up a multi-pitch climb. The move was way beyond my capabilites, but I realised that if I didn't do it I would die; there simple was not enough protection in to hold me. My legs started jackhammering, so I summoned all my reserves, screamed like a bloody madman to summon up inner "chi" (energy) that they describe in karate, and made the move. You could hear the scream echo through the mountains. The instructor (way better than me) fell trying to do the same move (as I later belayed from above). The only reason I could do it was adrenaline. I firmly believe that primal scream helped bring all my reserves so that I could survive.

Blown away by this man's determination. Bravo, Adam! Truly inspirational.

13:23-13:31 When you get up for a late night snack and stub your toe on a door frame.

That ending hits harder when you know how Adam usually reacts when he finishes a climb

Just the thought of hanging from the ceiling with one hand and one foot as a way of relaxing is crazy

The fact a human is capable of getting to that place on that rock is astounding. When the camera panned out, it really puts it into perspective.

That last shot was so unexpected and epic.

That last shot is the most amazing thing I've ever seen. It shows how small we really are in this world. To watch him accomplish something so astonishing and seconds later we see how truly amazing and beautiful this planet really is. Amazing video and amazing climb! Well done on the final shot 👏👏

Watching someone see a goal and then work and work and work to achieve it is something that not a lot of things can capture. This whole video captured the raw emotion and dedication it took. Absolutely beautiful and so so enjoyable to watch you climb and achieve that goal that had evaded you for so long.

it's absolutely insane how this man can climb like that. how the hell is he upside-down, chilling, USING ONE LEG. bro is grabbing onto air practically.

I am awed as both an active 70 year old climber and osteopath! It opened my eyes to the depth that one can go and use physical mechanics to the maximum potential. Truly insightful into putting it all together to attain almost impossible odds. A wonderful inspirational video and my hat is dutifully off to this young man and his team. Thank you.

Kudos to the cameraman for climbing up to the top first to film the epic climb by Adam.

jesus christ, i don't even know where to begin.. not to be a complete fanboy but i cry every time i watch this video. adam ondra i only just started climbing 1 month ago but man you are such a huge inspiration not only in climbing but in life for me. i hope you are blessed

legitimately began to tear up at that final shot. what a magnificent landscape. what a magnificent accomplishment

1:01 walks past his GF to hug his bro.

My head sometimes get stuck in depression to a very dark place. Going for long walks and watching the energy in this video always help me snap out of it. Thank you.

That climb, everything about it, the dedication, nature, just visually stunning... I don't even know what I'm trying to say, in total loss for words. :'D That was awe-inspiring!

Watching this video tears me up. Knowing to an extent how hard you work and how dedicated you are by watching you on YT, it amazes me. Thank you for pushing forward! I really want to climb now! XD You're a huge inspiration!

Insane what it takes to climb at that level - the mental prep, the time, a physiotherapist actually watching him and working with him, building a climbing wall just to practice for this climb, and of course the pure dedication he devotes. It's inspiring and humbling at the same time.

This may be one of the most amazing feats of strength and willpower I've ever seen. Thank you for sharing this epic journey! Fascinating and inspiring!

Frightening passion, awe inspiring dedication, super human ability, glorious success. Picking my jaw off the floor. Thank you for sharing!!

So intense! All my muscles felt hurt while I was lying on my sofa. A big respect for what he’s gone through to accomplish this.

When the camera panned out at the end, the combination of the human achievement and the beauty of the scenery was too damn epic.

Thank you for sharing adam, it's such a joy to see you climb, very inspring...i think every climber has a little tear in his eyes, such a great send :)

I'm just impressed that he speaks so engagingly in English, let alone how amazing the clime was. Amazing video. Enjoyed every second of it.

It’s just truly amazing to be able to witness such a feat. Just to get a personal and intimate gaze into a seemingly impossible accomplishment from such an accomplished man is incredibly inspiring……especially when I really need some inspiration right now. Thanks Adam 🙏

Even in 2021 i like to watch this little master piece time to time, it brings me peace.

How did they edit the drone sound out while being able to hear the people? Well done Adam!

Silence is a great name for it will humble and bring someone with a big mouth to Silence real quick if you dont put in the dedication and hard work that adam has

Absolutely inspiring Adam. You are a gift to the climbing community and the world.

16:00 is an exact representation of what achieving your goals feels like

I have to say: Adam, you made me start crying. It was just like to see a master painting drawing by an artist. No words - just some tears.

Bro, how beautiful it is to see someone doing something so passionately.

This was awesome to see. What a beast of a route and such a trial to finally reach the goal.... Amazing effort finally rewarded. Thanks so much for sharing.

Maybe the most underrated athlete of all time!

As a none climber there is something magnificent about watching how it’s done, crazy levels of determination, strength and balance!

What a quality... I started watching the video mindlessly, but found myself rooting for him in the end. Amazing work.

It is amazing how one man climbing a rock invokes so many emotions within us. Makes one ponder on the highs and the lows in life. It gives us a glimpse of the power of the mind and what it is capable of. Teaches us what mental strength is. Teaches us what resilience is. It inspires us to be more, to do more, to create more, to explore more, to expand. Inspires us to be better versions of ourselves. Takes us into the present moment where the past nor future exists. Thank you to all that inspire. Ending zoom out shot... pure class. 👌👌👌

There are no words that can describe this way. The difficulty, the necessary concentration, the resilience in believing it again and again every time it goes wrong..we ordinary mortals can only stay in SILENCE ..and admire THE KING while giving us the hardest way in the world! Keep it up Adam you are a source of inspiration for everyone!

I find it incredible the amount of preparation that Adam Ondra puts into his projects. It’s inspirational

So much respect for you and other professional climbers. The strength, stamina everything. You guys and girls are amazing

His screams and emotional release when he climbs are so great to see, thats passion

that ability to hang out for a full two minutes and shake out the pump of 35 meters after all those crazy moves.

A Manager, Physio/Osteopath & Support Team...... just a few elements required to be on the cutting edge. Once again Adam proves that talent alone is not enough. His work ethic & commitment are also world class Výborně .....🙏🏽👊🏽☝🏽

it was sooooo incredible that everything about this video, the clamber, the scenary, the lake and the hard working.

He really is on another level.........

What I love about the video, apart from obviously being perfectly presented, is showing the analysis of such a project. Mostly the breakdown of the physical abilities with Klaus and studying the parts of the route. I would have never thought that the preparation gets this deep.

Simply stunning. The last shot gave me goosebumps. Adam youre not a human, truly best of the best

What an amazing guy is Adam Ondra, perseverance, dedication, and peak human capacity exemplified.

ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE! He has one solid life partner behind him as well. They are blessed to have each other. :)

Yeah!

You're an inspiration in so many ways. Thank you Adam Ondra

iconic video now. Still The peak of climbing

9:22 is awesome. So much preparation and attention to details