The 40th-anniversary Rock Master in Arco (2–4 October 2026) ended with Adam Ondra’s ninth win, a record for the event. He took the KO Boulder on Saturday night, a day after Filip Schenk beat him in the Lead Duel final. Jessica Pilz won both women’s events.

Lead Duel, Friday. Almost 6,000 people filled the Climbing Stadium. The men’s final was a rerun of 2025, Ondra against Schenk. Ondra hesitated on the first holds, the two climbed side by side to the last metres, and Schenk topped about a second ahead. It is his second Duel win after 2024, and it came a week after he flashed Vivi si muore (9a). In the women’s final Pilz met Brooke Raboutou. They were level until the wave section near the top, where Raboutou’s left toe hook slipped. Pilz had already knocked out Laura Rogora in the quarter-finals.

KO Boulder, Saturday. Defending champion Yannick Flohé, who had flashed Flow State (8C) in Val Daone just before the event, went out in the third round and finished fourth. Ondra got into the final on his first try on the third boulder, Luka Potočar on his second, Schenk on his last. Nobody topped the final boulder. Ondra and Schenk both climbed high on it, and the win went to Ondra because he had needed fewer attempts on the way there: three tops in four tries. Potočar was third. In the women’s final all three missed their first go, then Pilz worked it out and matched the top.

More than 12,000 people came over the three days, from over 50 countries. If you are heading to Arco now the comps are done, our Rock Master guide lists the crags around town.

KO Boulder, men: 1 Adam Ondra (CZE), 2 Filip Schenk (ITA), 3 Luka Potočar (SLO), 4 Yannick Flohé (GER). Women: 1 Jessica Pilz (AUT), 2 Lučka Rakovec (SLO), 3 Hana Koike (JPN), 4 Laura Rogora (ITA). Lead Duel winners: Filip Schenk and Jessica Pilz.

Photo: Newspower / Planetmountain.

Sources: Planetmountain (Lead Duel), Planetmountain (KO Boulder, Italian), PlanetGrimpe.