Adam Ondra’s New 5.14d Slab Repeated in a Day
Gianluca Vighetti has made the second ascent of Niobe and doesn't rule out that it might be easier than 5.14d
Adam Ondra recently completed the first ascent of Niobe, a slab route in Italy that he graded 5.14d, instantly placing it among the hardest routes in the world. He announced the ascent in a YouTube video, which caught the attention of Gianluca Vighetti. After learning about the route, Vighetti tracked down Niobe and managed to repeat it in a single day. Vighetti first made headlines in 2021 when he became the youngest climber to send 5.14d with TCT. Watch that send below.
“It was pretty crazy just to figure out the sequences,” Ondra said of Niobe. He explained that the route’s demanding slab moves introduce “a very interesting element”: foot endurance. “The rock has such low friction that you really have to push in a specific direction, or you’ll just slip off.”
In 2025, Vighetti also sent Lapsus 5.15a after eight sessions and went on to win the European Youth Championship. He recalls being instantly captivated the moment he watched Ondra’s video of Niobe’s first ascent, drawn in by the subtle, technical movement and immediately wanting to try the line himself.
The route turned out to be exactly what he had imagined: “one of the best I’ve ever tried, for sure.” After a single attempt, Vighetti had unlocked all the cruxes and came close to sending on his second go, falling only on the final hard move. With little rest and fading light, he decided to give it one last try, and succeeded. Reflecting on the ascent, Vighetti admits he doesn’t yet have enough experience to give a definitive opinion on the grade, having never climbed such a hard slab before. Still, he emphasises the beauty of the route, saying that “it’s almost a shame to even talk about the grade.” While the climb clearly suits his style, he adds that although it feels difficult enough to warrant 5.14d, he can’t rule out the possibility that it might be slightly easier.
Ondra’s Niobe FA
TCT at 12 Years Old
Hard Slab
While there are dozens of hard slab climbs around the world, the following is collection of what are likely the most difficult, of which Ondra’s new route might be one of.
Meltdown 5.14d: The route was first attempted and bolted by Johnny Dawes in the 1980s but wasn’t freed until 2012, when James McHaffie made the first ascent and proposed the grade of 5.14d. Dawes, widely regarded as one of the world’s best slab climbers at the time, came close to sending the route. Meltdown was later repeated in 2018 by Spanish climber Ignacio Mulero, who said after his ascent, “Slippery slate slab, weird moves, perfect! There are not too many places in the world to climb on rock like slate.” Veteran climber Steve McClure has also attempted the route, describing it as “a world of no holds.”
Dewin Stone 5.15a: Franco Cookson’s 5.15a slab at Twll Mawr in the U.K. is called The Dewin Stone. Long known to local climbers as a major unfinished project, the route adds a direct start to The Meltdown, continues through the original line, and finishes up The Meltdown Direct, a 5.15a extension added by Cookson in 2022. Cookson said: “For years now, I’ve been completely obsessed with the idea of pushing slab climbing as far as it will go. James McHaffie’s The Meltdown opened my eyes to what sustained slab climbing entailed and hinted at what the future could hold. I went abroad to try to find benchmarks on other hard slabs, but discovered the best climbing was right on my doorstep here in North Wales. What we have here is world class, not just in difficulty, but also in quality. I just love it so much.”
Cosmic Energy 5.15a: In 2018, Alessandro Zeni made the first ascent of Cosmic Energy at Bilico in the Italian Dolomites, completing the route after 62 redpoint attempts. Standing roughly 25 metres tall, the climb is distinctive in several ways. “The crux is located in the middle, four really small crimps that require perfect footwork,” Zeni said. “The route doesn’t let up, and at three-quarters height there’s another finger crux. Despite being short, there are nevertheless 52 moves.” Zeni added that the bolting respects the character of the other routes at the crag, making the line fairly runout.
Cryptography 5.15b: In January 2020, Alessandro Zeni returned with the first ascent of Cryptography at Saint Loup, Switzerland. He spent several days traveling to the crag to work the highly technical line, which links Bain de Sang 5.14d, established in 1993 by Fred Nicole, with Bimbaluna 5.14d/5.15a, first climbed by Fred’s brother, François Nicole, in 2004. Cryptography is possibly the hardest slab route in the world.
