Adam Ondra Talks About Downgrading Change, His Groundbreaking 5.15c
Leo Bøe, who made the sixth ascent of Change last fall, has shared a conversation he recently had with Adam Ondra
Last fall, Norweigan Leo Bøe climbed Change at Flatanger, Norway, a steep climb famously established by Adam Ondra in October 2012 as the world’s first 5.15c (9b+). Ondra was 19 years old at the time. The line consists of two distinct halves: Change P1 5.15a features a shoulder-wrecking crux that has shut down many climbers over the years. The full-length Change takes Change P1 and adds a 5.14c/d pitch on top, upping the total grade to 5.15c. Bøe’s send came a year after he sent Change P1.
Change has seen five repeats since being established by Ondra. In addition to Bøe’s recent send, Stefano Ghisolfi, Seb Bouin, Alex Megos, and Jorge Díaz-Rullo have all clipped the chains. Of note, Ondra did not use knee pads when he first climbed Change. Every subsequent ascent has employed the use of two knee pads, except for Megos, who opted for only one on his right leg. Bouin, Megos, Díaz-Rullo, and Bøe have suggested a slash grade of 5.15b/c.
“Months of effort exploded into emotions yesterday when I finally clipped the chains,” said Bøe after his send of Change. “I’m beyond proud and relieved! I’m left with so many great lessons from this experience as I’ve pushed myself so far, both mentally and physically.” Change was Bøe’s first of the grade, and it came a month after he made the first ascent of Hafgúfa 5.15a in Trondheim, Norway.
Bøe recently shared a conversation he had with Ondra about Change, which you can watch below. In the discussion, Ondra talks about the cruxes of Change, the new beta, and why he thinks the route could possibly be 5.15b. He explains that many climbers are reluctant to downgrade his routes out of respect, but he also acknowledges that the way Change is climbed today might justify a lower grade. Ultimately, Ondra says that because he hasn’t climbed the route using knee pads or the new beta, he can’t say with certainty that it isn’t still 5.15c. The conversation with Ondra begins at 5:45 in the film below.
If Change is only 5.15b, then the first 5.15c ever climbed would become La Dura Dura in Oliana, Spain, which Ondra made the first ascent of on Feb. 7, 2013. It was notably repeated later that year on March 23 by Chris Sharma, marking the first repeat of a 5.15c.
The next 5.15c climbed was also by Ondra of Vasil Vasil, located in Moravský Kras in the Czech Republic, back on Dec. 4, 2013, and it remains unrepeated as of January 2026. Perfecto Mundo in Margalef, Spain, was the next 5.15c climbed, it was opened on May 9, 2018, by Alex Megos, and has since seen repeats by Stefano Ghisolfi in 2018 and Jakob Schubert in 2019, and is widely regarded as a benchmark route at 5.15c.
