The Hardest Onsight of 2023 – Adam Ondra and El Gran Bellanco
In Montanejos, the world's best onsighter added another 5.14+ to his long list of hard onsights
On November 8, Adam Ondra onsighted El Gran Bellanco in the Pilas Alcalinas cave in Montanejos, Spain. While others in the past have called the route a soft 5.14d, Ondra gave it a slash grade of 5.14c/d (8c+/9a). The climb is one of Ondra’s most difficult onsights to date. He just released send footage of his El Gran Bellanco ascent, which you can watch below.
The highest grade Ondra has onsighted in the past is 5.14d. The only other climber to onsight the grade is Alex Megos, the first climber in history to do so with his first-go ascent of Estado Critico in Siurana in March 2013. In July 2013, Ondra achieved his first 5.14d onsight with Cabane au Canada in Switzerland, but years later suggested 5.14c for the route. In May 2014, he onsighted Il Domani 5.14d in Bilbao, Spain. A few months later he onsighted TCT 5.14d in Gravere, Italy. Many years passed until his next 5.14d onsight – Water World 5.14d in the Osp cave in Slovenia in 2022.
In fall 2023, Ondra went on an onsighting tear. In late August, he onsighted two 5.13d’s and two 5.14a’s in a day at the Vranjača cave in Croatia. In early October, he onsighted two 5.14b’s while visiting Ter, Slovenia: Kingslayer and Inferno do Vrha. In Switzerland in early November, he onsighted Un Chant Pour Phil 5.14b and Deja 5.14a at the Soyhières crag. After onsighting El Gran Bellanco in Montanejos, he had a few other big sends including establishing a 5.14a multipitch, repeating La Parada de los Monstruos 5.14d, and making the first ascent of El Maquinista 5.15b.
“[Montanejos] used to be a very popular crag in the 80s and 90s, and it is cool to have some old-school classics and new-school classics next to each other in sectors like Pilas Alcalinas,” said Ondra via Instagram. “The day was electric and crazy. It started with rather long and tiring travel, arriving late at the crag feeling tired, but the contagious psyche of the local climbers made me climb very well and onsight this incredible route.”
Adam Ondra Onsights El Gran Bellanco 5.14c/d
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