First Repeat of Adam Ondra V15/16

Martin Stráník picks up the second ascent and suggests an upgrade after a hold break

Aaron Pardy January 14, 2023

On January 12, Czech climber Martin Stráník made the second ascent of Adam Ondra’s Kráter V15/16 (8C/+). The long endurance boulder problem is located at the Holštejn crag in the Moravský Kras area of Czechia. First sent by Ondra in June 2017, Kráter is a 22-move link-up of two V13 problems, Blatant and Kra.

Originally graded V15, Stráník has suggested an upgrade to V15/16 due to a broken hold. After working the project for seven days, a key hold broke requiring him to reassess his beta. The project took another four days of work to send. He said the problem is likely his hardest bouldering send to date.

Before attempting Kráter, Stráník had climbed each of the problem’s two distinct halves. He sent Kra V13 in May 2017 and Blatant V13 in November 2022. Both problems are Ondra first ascents. During a trip to the Moravský Kras with Ondra in early 2022, Will Bosi sent Blatant V13, finding new beta in the process and suggesting a downgrade to V12.

Stráník, 32, has a impressive list of bouldering ticks. Including Kráter, he has climbed 17 V15’s, 66 V14’s, and 158 V13’s, many of which are located in Moravský Kras. He has extensive comp climbing experience, participating in dozens of IFSC events over the years. In 2021, he took fourth at the World Championships in Moscow. He podiumed in third at the Briançon and Chamonix World Cups that same year. You can watch him on Kráter V15/16 and Blatant V13 below.