February 2024. Czech climber Adam Ondra took advantage of his stay in the south of France to complete the second ascent of Bon Voyage, in Annot. Opened and conquered only a year earlier by British climber James Pearson, who had rated it E12 – the equivalent of a hard 9a (or 9a+?) on wedges according to British grading – this reference line, characterized by concrete protections but far apart, was considered one of the most difficult traditional climbing routes in the world.
Attracted by the technical and physical difficulty of the challenge, as well as the line’s beauty and reputation, Ondra completed the route in just three days, with James’s help. The line has since been climbed by Belgian Seb Berthe, just one month later, in March 2024.
During his three real attempts before the enchaînement, Adam Ondra fell into the crux or the exit, as he did on the third attempt, resulting in a big fall that could have ended badly: he came to within a few centimetres of a blade of rock some ten metres below. Very impressive!
In this superb 30-minute video, the Czech climber looks back at the whole process behind this masterpiece, and once again confirms his status as the best climber on the planet.