Adam Ondra attempts to flash ‘Omen Nomen’ 5 years after Stefano Ghisolfi’s first ascent, which was then graded 8c+. But then a hold broke off, and now it’s a 9a.
Located close to Padaro, Arco, Italy, “Omen Nomen” is a 30m sport route. This route, originally ascended in 2017 by Ghisolfi, an Italian rock climber, has re-emerged in the limelight due to its grade increase.
Watch and listen as Ondra describes the route, nonchalantly mentioning kneebars, toe hooks, crimpladders, and underclings as if they were no big deal. And for him, it probably isn’t since he was the first person, to date, to flash a route rated 9a+ in 2018 by sending Alex Megos’ route “Super Crackinette” in St. Leger, France.
But this time around, you’ll see Ondra fail to flash on his first attempt. However, after taking a ridiculously short break, he tries again, somehow making it look even more effortless as he sends it on his second try.
After finishing the route, Ondra says, “Getting into the anchor, I guess you can see, I’m not as happy as I could be if I’d flashed this route.”
Flashing or not, Ondra is undoubtedly impressive to watch.
Runtime: 11 minutes
