Gripped Magazine
Laura Rogora Sends 5.14d Slab First Climbed by Adam Ondra
In just four attempts, Italian climber Laura Rogora, 24, secured the third ascent of Niobe, a 5.14d slab established by Adam Ondra in December 2025.
“I had watched Adam’s video, but not to check the betas,” Rogora said on 8a.nu. “Basically, before starting I only knew that after the first chain there was a palm-move boulder. On my first go, I climbed the first pitch of 8a+/b and figured out the betas for the upper section. I think the first boulder suits my body measurements quite well, while the upper part is a bit more morpho, although I’m not sure whether I used the same betas as the other repeaters.”
Her ascent adds another milestone to an already staggering résumé. Rogora now counts 42 climbs graded 5.14d and harder, more than a dozen of them completed in 2025 alone. That same year, she onsighted seven routes graded 5.14b or 5.14c, building an onsight record unmatched in the sport. With Niobe, she once again proved her ability to adapt quickly to highly technical terrain, especially the delicate, friction-dependent style that defines the route.
When Ondra completed the first ascent of Niobe, he immediately recognized its significance. Graded 5.14d, the route became one of the hardest slab climbs in the world, an unusual accolade in a grade range more often dominated by steep, powerful lines.
“It was pretty crazy just to find the sequences,” Ondra said of his FA. The climb’s defining characteristic, he explained, is its demand for foot endurance. “The rock is such low friction that you really have to push in a certain direction so you don’t slip off.”
Though widely known for doing the world’s steepest and most powerful routes, including Silence 5.15d, Ondra embraced the contrast Niobe offered. The precision, balance, and mental control required on the slab presented a different kind of difficulty, one rooted less in raw power and more in absolute trust in rubber and micro-features.
The route didn’t wait long for a repeat. After Ondra announced the first ascent in a YouTube video, Italian climber Gianluca Vighetti sought it out, and sent it in a single day.
“It was pretty crazy just to figure out the sequences,” Ondra had said, and Vighetti quickly discovered why. After unlocking the cruxes on his first attempt and falling on the final hard move during his second, he rested briefly despite fading light and committed to one final try. He clipped the chains.
Reflecting on the ascent, Vighetti admitted he lacked the experience to confirm the grade definitively, having never climbed such a hard slab before. Still, he emphasized the climb’s quality, saying that “it’s almost a shame to even talk about the grade.” While it felt difficult enough to justify 5.14d, he allowed that it might be slightly easier.
With three ascents now secured by three climbers of different styles and strengths, Niobe has rapidly established itself as a modern slab benchmark. Ondra’s intricate vision, Vighetti’s precision, and Rogora’s composed efficiency each highlight a different facet of the climb’s character.
First Ascent
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