Adam Ondra Wraps Smith Trip with Project Attempt

Adam Ondra just had a very productive trip to Smith Rock and as he prepares to leave Oregon, he leaves locals with a tentative grade of an open project.

Ondra summarized his trip and onsight of Just Do It 5.14c in the following write-up: Just Do It 5.14c was just an incredible experience. I wanted to this route just so much since I first read the name of the route and its history (being eight years old). Then I was finally at Smith, not really sure if I was ready for it or not.

Failure on my onsight try on To Bolt or Not To Be 5.14a did not give me much confidence either. But after taking a restday, I felt good and I was psyched. The only concern was if the weather was suitable. It was cold (5°C) and really windy. But I made a good warm up on the other side of the crag at Aggro Gully, climbing Aggro Monkey 5.13b and Bad Man 5.14a onsight and I moved up to the Monkey Face, where the route Just Do It is located.

A post shared by Adam Ondra (@adam.ondra) on Nov 12, 2018 at 8:29pm PST

It was freaking windy, but I was hoping that down at the base it would be less windy than up in the pass from where it is really nice to check the route. I was trying to convince myself by seeing the no quickdraws moving in the lower bit (well, those quickdraws are in vertical wall so it is clear they were not moving so much). At base it was too obvious that it was freaking windy. But I just set off.

Friction felt great, I felt strong but this relentless wind did not want stop. In every single restpoint I was trying to warm up my fingers, but my success was limited. Getting higher and higher, the pressure grew, but on the very top it got eventually that hard that I could completely forget about everything, even the cold and I somehow made it to the top at the absolute limit.

There was a nice crowd including Alan Watts who bolted this beauty back in 1989. Thanks for that and thanks for the encouragement.

Ondra left Smith Rock after trying an old project that he says will be around 5.14d. It’s one of many projects that remain in Smith Rock.

Last day in Smith Rocks I was trying this old project. Close but could not finish it. I think it will be brutally bouldery 9a 5.14d. Good thing is that it is not the only project left in Smith Rock. @montura_official @mytendon @blackdiamond @lasportivagram @gardatrentino

A post shared by Adam Ondra (@adam.ondra) on Nov 13, 2018 at 7:57am PST