🧗Ondra Repeats the World's Hardest Trad Line

Howdy. FlashPumped here. Your weekly slice of climbing pie, always fresh from the oven.

Here’s what we got for you today:

• Adam Ondra Repeats Bon Voyage 

• Learn to Trust Your Trad Placements

• 5.10 Hiangle Review

• Guide to Mantling

Let’s dig in.

Adam Ondra Confirms the World’s Hardest Trad Grade

Belated Happy Valentine’s Day to Adam Ondra, who just repeated Bon Voyage, confirming an E12 rating on February 14th, marking it as the world’s hardest trad route to date. 

Bon Voyage is a variant of Le Voyage (E10) and a sparse face climb leading the climber up through pockets to finish on an exposed arete. 

To climb the route safely, Ondra spent a few days on top rope getting to know the route with the help of the original climber, James Pearson. 

Ondra isn’t primarily known for his trad climbing, but on Instagram, he commented on the grade: 

“It is hands down one of the best routes I have ever climbed, and it is a true miracle that there are just enough holds to make it climbable and enough gear to make it runout, but safe. Gradewise, I think if it was bolted, it would be very solid and specific 9a 👊 Placing the gear makes it a little more physically difficult and adds some extra spice 😎”

With the repeat of Bon Voyage, Ondra has again solidified himself as not only a strong technical climber but also one who is versatile. From bouldering to big walls, Ondra performs cutting-edge performances time and time again.

Beginners Guide to Trusting Your Trad Placement

Getting comfortable with trad placements can be a journey, and learning to trust that your placements will hold under a fall can be a big hurdle for many climbers. 

While we put together an in-depth guide to help you feel more confident climbing and placing gear, nothing beats practice. 

Trad climbing is a more technical form of climbing, but it can be highly rewarding, bringing you new heights. 

The progression to becoming a confident trad leader can be slow and should be done knowing there are inherent risks. With time, practice, and hopefully, a stellar partner and mentor, you can go from following to mock leading and, eventually, sending your first trad climb on lead.

The Perfect Shoe for Narrow Feet

The Five Ten Hiangle is a sensitive, aggressive performance slipper for sport, boulder, and gym climbers tackling steep terrain. 

It can tackle technical footwork and overhangs and has a powerful toe edge. We found a high level of support and sensitivity with the medium-stiffness sole. 

The narrow fit and low volume forefoot and heel make these ideal for climbers with narrow feet. For the average or wider foot, these shoes may be somewhat uncomfortable. They’re definitely a shoe you must try on to see how they fit before buying them. 

Read our full review of the Five Ten Hiangle for more details.

Master Your Mantling Technique

A mantle in climbing is when you transition from pulling to pushing to hoist yourself up onto a ledge or large hold.

If you’ve never done this before, having the power to hoist yourself up isn’t as easy as others make it look. Like any climbing movement, mantling can be made easier with practice and knowledge of the proper technique. 

Mantles are common when topping out a boulder or mid-route while trad climbing when moving to a shelf or onto a ledge. They’re less common in gym climbing as it can be a difficult feature to replicate safely, but they may be part of some boulder problems. 

Wherever you find them, one thing is for certain: you want to avoid being a beached whale. Understanding how to harness your momentum, looking for ideal foot placements, and having the confidence to push up and transfer your weight are all factors in mastering the mantle movement. 

In our newest technique guide, we provide a complete rundown of where you might find mantles and the technique you need to know to push past any mantle on your next climb.

Bacon & Waffles

🤣 🤣

That's it for today. See y’all next week!