Gripped Magazine
Adam Ondra Climbed Silence, the First 5.15d, Eight Years Ago
On Sept. 3, 2017, Czech climber Adam Ondra made the first ascent of Silence, a 45-metre, overhanging route in Norway’s Hanshelleren Cave, Flatanger. Rated 5.15d, it became the world’s first climb at this grade, a milestone in climbing history.
Unrepeated as of September of this year, Silence showcases Ondra’s unparalleled skill and dedication. Bolted in 2012, Ondra initially deemed the route’s V15 crux—a sequence of single-finger locks, upside-down moves, and an extreme drop-knee—“ridiculous.” After years of specialized training, including kneebar muscle work and mental visualization to navigate the disorienting overhang, he committed fully, calling it his “lifetime goal.”
Over 40 days across seven visits (2016/17), Ondra pieced together the route’s three crux boulder problems: a hard V15, a burly V13, and a slippery V10.Upon redpointing Silence, Ondra felt profound stillness, naming the route for the quiet he experienced, unable to scream his usual victory cry.
He cautiously proposed the 5.15d, noting it was “much harder than anything else” he’d climbed. The ascent, documented in the 2018 film Silence, is considered one of the hardest sends in climbing history.
Silence First Ascent
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