Adam Ondra Establishes The Right of Passage (5.14d), Flatanger
Adam Ondra has established yet another new line in Flatanger’s Hanshelleren Cave—The Right of Passage (9a 5.14d). The route is his tenth first ascent 5.14d or harder in the area.
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Claudia Ziegler.” title=”Adam Ondra catches a marginal rest on Move (5.15b) in the Hanshelleren Cave, Flatanger, Norway, on the cover of Rock and Ice issue 215 (January 2014). Cover photo: Claudia Ziegler.”> Adam Ondra has established yet another new line in Flatanger’s Hanshelleren Cave—The Right of Passage (9a 5.14d). The route is his tenth first ascent 5.14d or harder in the area.
“Amazing extension of Andre Hoyre [7c/+ 5.12c/d],” Ondra described on his 8a scorecard. “Now
finally goes up to the easy terrain and the top is not easy… Flatanger at its best in its left less steep part.”
The Right of Passage was a side project for Ondra. His main focus of the season is what he calls “Project Hard,” possibly the world’s first 9c
(5.15d). Along with Project Hard, Ondra has three other super-projects remaining in the cave.
“The most feasible project is ‘Kangaroo Dyno,’ which includes [a] dyno that is much harder than Three Degrees of Separation [5.14d] dyno,” he told 8a.nu. His other projects are a “hard 9b+ [5.15c]” variation to Change—the world’s first 5.15c and benchmark
for the grade, which Ondra established on October 4, 2012—and “Project Big,” another possible 5.15d according to Ondra.
“Big Project is the LINE of the cave and the dream of my life,” he told 8a.nu, “but I think it will take a few seasons, but let’s see.”
On June 19, too exhausted from his end-of-year exams, Ondra put his remaining energy into an “easier” project and made the first ascent of 120 Degrees (9a+
5.15a).
With 12 routes 5.14d and harder, Flatanger hosts one of the highest concentrations of hard climbs in the world. These routes include Ondra’s unrepeated
lines The Change (9b+ 5.15c), Iron Curtain (9b 5.15b) and Move (9b 5.15b), 120 Degrees (9a+ 5.15a), Witchhammer (9a
5.14d), Brunhilde low start (9a 5.14d), Art of Flight (8c+/9a 5.14c/d), and now The Right of Passage (9a 5.14d). His other
FA’s include Thor’s Hammer (9a+ 5.15a), Kangaroo’s Limb (9a+ 5.15a) and Illusionist (9a 5.14d), which have all been repeated.
Out of the top 12 routes in the Hanshelleren Cave, only Little Badder (9a 5.14d), first climbed by Sébastian Bouin, wasn’t established by
Ondra. If he continues push the boundaries of the sport, the cave might soon be home to the world’s first 5.15d.
Watch Ondra project Change, the world’s first 5.15c, in the video below:
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Adam Ondra Makes First Ascent of 120 Degrees (5.15a), Flatanger