Adam Ondra’s latest ascent, Niobe (9a/5.14d), is being hailed as one of the hardest slab climbs in the world, redefining what’s possible on low-angle rock.
The ascent of Niobe
- In December 2025, Adam Ondra completed the first ascent of Niobe at Passo Due Sassi, Arco (Italy).
- Graded 9a (5.14d), it is considered among the hardest slab climbs globally.
- Ondra described the climb as “pretty crazy just to find the sequences,” emphasizing the unique challenge of foot endurance on low-friction rock.
- Unlike steep overhangs, slab climbing demands precision, balance, and subtle weight shifts rather than raw power.
- Ondra explained that the rock’s low friction forces climbers to push in exact directions to avoid slipping.
- This ascent revives Arco’s legacy: while the area is now famous for steep sport climbs, its roots lie in slab climbing of the 1980s, pioneered by Heinz Mariacher and others.
- During his trip, Ondra also repeated classics like Tom and Jerry (5.12d), one of Mariacher’s iconic slab lines.
- His climb of Niobe connects eras:
- Past – honoring the elegant, technical slab climbs of the 1980s.
- Present – pushing difficulty into the 9a range, a rarity for slabs.
- Future – inspiring climbers to explore “lines that don’t yet exist” on smooth rock faces.
Ondra’s reflections
“I am going back in time to climb what is possibly the most slabby 9a in the world… Arco’s fame as a climbing area began with slab climbing, which feels like a lost art from the ’80s.”
He sees slab climbing as an art form that blends elegance with extreme difficulty, and Niobe as a step toward routes “so difficult that no one has dared to try them yet”.
