Potentially World's Hardest Trad Route - Bon Voyage E12 (9a) | Adam Ondra

Trad climbing is a kind of climbing I always hesitated to immerse myself in. ✊ Influenced by the film Hard Grit, the idea of a bold and dangerous route where you can seriously hurt yourself was not very tempting to me, even though I climbed many bold routes on Czech sandstone. When I first heard of @OnceUponAClimb - James Pearson's Bon Voyage route, I knew I had to go there immediately. It simply looked too good. Relatively safe, but runout climbing with seriously difficult boulder problems on immaculate sandstone in the idyllic countryside of southern France.
As icing on the cake- potentially the world's hardest trad route (in terms of physical difficulties) - I found it too tempting. James Pearson himself came along the way, showed me the moves and I admitted that the route was hard. I had to dig deep, take some rest and execute. Still, it was not enough to do it straight away. I had to take some big falls from the end of the crux sequence, eventually even testing the worst possible fall before I could link all the moves of this brutal masterpiece.
Enjoy this masterpiece and do not forget to watch the bonus video ➡️ • Commented Ascent of Bo... - commented ascent of this amazing route with my commentary for all CLIMBING FANATICS and LOVERS in my membership section right now.
Check out @OnceUponAClimb channel for more rad climbing joy, routes and stories.
Timecodes:
00:00 - Intro
00:55 - Day 1 (Annot, France)
01:25 - Adam Ondra talks about James Pearson
01:47 - James Pearson - @OnceUponAClimb, professional climber from the UK
03:00 - Bon Voyage E12 9a trad
04:40 - Adam's strategy
05:38 - James' story
06:35 - The last piece of gear
08:13 - No fear falling
10:00 - Swithc the method
12:48 - Enjoy SENS cricket snacks
13:10 - What is important in trad climbing?
16:00 - French 9a (E12), for sure
17:40 - Day 2
22:19 - Attempt #1
23:44 - Attempt #2
24:40 - Day 3 - Attempt #3
25:40 - Attempt #4
30:45 - Crux
31:18 - Top
31:45 - Adam calls to James
32:35 - James talks about the route and Adam's scent
33:21 - @WideBoyz? :-)
33:41 - Outro
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Have you seen this video of mine ?!
• Adam Ondra #47: The Be...
Have you seen this video of mine ?!
• Commented Ascent of Bo...
Thumbnail picture by: Petr Chodura
SPECIAL THANKS TO
JAMES PEARSON - @OnceUponAClimb
STORY BY
ADAM ONDRA
DIRECTED & EDITED BY
LACO KORBEL
CAMERA
PAVEL KLEMENT
LACO KORBEL
PETR CHODURA
PRODUCTION
JAN VERNER
JAKUB PÍNA
KATEŘINA KUŘÁTKOVÁ
SUBTITLES BY
JARKA MARČEKOVÁ
© ADAM ONDRA 2024
SONGLIST
TeaTime - Intense Hybrid Trailer
Peter Sandberg - Amber
Peter Sandberg - Sunbeams
Score Squad - Inhale life
#climbing #france #rockclimbing #tradclimbing

[@WideBoyz]

Adam you're a true legend for climbing everything in every style! Absolutely amazing once again. James big congrats again on the first ascent. Also James, yes...we're filthy filthy crack climbers 😂😅

[@TheValinov]

is this O4 rated?

[@stephenmcdonald7385]

Rocking the gloves 🤘

[@doposud]

@@TheValinov i thought O grades are by session so it should be O1 or O2 ? becose first try is O0 ? :D

[@wd4413]

​​​@doposud adam sent in 3 sessions. Edited 4 sessions to 3 according to adams insta.

[@yoyoyo18988]

You next Pete 😊❤

[@xLoFeSx]

27:25 [David Attenborough voice]: And here we see the climber emerging from his lair after his rest, hoping that this will give him the energy to survive the oncoming battle..

[@doposud]

i was getting more Lord of the Rings vibes there :D :D

[@flowrida1138]

Haha I thought exactly the same. Us climbers are a special breed indeed. Rare specimen with a weird voice when the pressure is on.

[@Jabaltaya]

It's as if i heard him 😂! Would be great if it actually happened

[@sibrilliant]

I hope it becomes iconic, I can’t figure out which is funnier him disappearing into the cave like a goblin or him emerging like lizard.

[@TristanCleveland]

I love how that rest was actually long enough for a short nap.

[@TrackpadProductions]

Having Adam Ondra agree with his grade must have felt like a _massive_ weight was lifted off his chest for Pearson. Finally conquering E12 after all these years of being haunted by it...

[@lawsong6663]

Bet dave would still give it e11. He is a bit of a dirty sanbagger lol

[@fastasasloth]

TBF he said that technically it felt french 9a, is it E12 though....? Did those falls (or fall potential) look more dangerous or even as dangerous as rhapsody? I'm not qualified to give an opinion though... 😊

[@TrackpadProductions]

@@fastasasloth Well, the E grade takes both danger and difficulty into consideration. Safer routes tend to be more difficult for a given grade, and bolder routes a little easier. Rhapody is 8c+, and Adam said this felt around 9a+ taking gear placement into consideration, so it could potentially be E12 without having to be much more dangerous.

[@MrSilencetreatment]

@@TrackpadProductions surely it is an O4 , now for sure. Not sure about all that nonsense on E grades and French grades but we can now all agree this is a true O4. Well done James and Adam. They are the only ones that have the experience of it. I don't care a bout the grade. I am just a dude watching a video on youtube.

[@fastasasloth]

@@TrackpadProductions he did at one point, and then the title says "9a" and at 16:10 he said 9a, so at least 1 maybe 2 sport grades harder. But then ondra hasn't done (afaik) rhapsody and as is well known grading is damn subjective at best, especially at this end of the scale where so few repeats get done, and often by climbers with different "strengths".. Looks a damn good route though, and super hard, and i could only ever dream of climbing :)

[@sev_07]

"This will be quite spicy for the belayer" He says while talking about hitting a rock where you could potentially die 😂 just incredible

[@nosreuter]

Yeah, that struck me as insanely courageous as well 😮

[@leaksfoos]

Haha I laughed so hard when he said that!

[@dabneyoffermein595]

can you lay a time-stamp for me as to where the "death-rock" is? I remember them talking about it early in the project but now I can't find it. Thanks in advance!!!!

[@Andrewkcollins]

@@dabneyoffermein595 it's 8:20

[@dabneyoffermein595]

@@Andrewkcollins wow, now that i see that sharp rectangular slab down there, holy crap, that would ruin your day real quick.. Thanks for pointing out the time-stamp

[@igordobroruka7842]

I feel sorry for all the non-native speakers who miss the beauty and variety of Adams cursing when he falls :)

[@petosorus]

Do the subtitles do justice to it or is the beauty lost in translation ?

[@igordobroruka7842]

@@petosorus Unfortunately, czech language is very rich in its cursewords and translation cannot capture the poetry. But I assure you, pretty good ones in this video :)

[@lucasb6207]

The translation ist fine, but the Chech version is... "more authentic" ;-)

[@petosorus]

Haha, thanks to both of you for the insight :)

[@TLPWRlifter]

I don't think you understand The genuine feeling of profound loss this comment inspired in me. Wubba lubba dub dub

[@ayuminor]

Love the glee in Jame's face, when he explains how perfect the last placement is, even though it's still 20 moves after with the crux above the inverted guillotine of death.

[@robl1541]

Running it out on that one cam is putting me to shame lacing up HVS 😂

[@RayMurphy-ez5mo]

Inverted guillotine of death lol so true!

[@user-mm1en1gn4g]

Orherwise it wouldn’t be climbable so it just sits there perfectly

[@sebadioli2665]

As a climber, i am extremely glad you are writing for how long Adam rests in every single rest during the ascent; it makes for a much better understanding both of the route itself, and of the way Adam climbs.

[@kevindawson9270]

@14.00 "Have you tried to reach it like this?" (AO using bizarre back-handed grip on slopey edge...). Then falls off. Brilliant!

[@Inbox4me]

Timestamped, I have watched it at least 5 times now 😅 kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJqXcqdtba1oj9Usi=W0RPeg1pdAPNj4eZ&t=837

[@josephkennelly7758]

Came here to say just this!

[@n3v3r1s4]

"Uuummm.." ... .. "Sorry." 😂

[@uncommonsimon5775]

He climbs the world's hardest trad route while being mostly sport climbing focused ! There is no debate in this he is the best rock climber. Go Adam and good luck in the Olympic qualification ! 💪

[@joaobrito2874]

While on the more modern comp style climbs Adam can get overshadowed from time to time, he is still, and will probably remain that way for a good while, the absolute king on real rock

[@uncommonsimon5775]

@joaobrito2874 indeed you are right ! But even despite mostly being the king of rock he still performs well in comps too 😃

[@joaobrito2874]

@@uncommonsimon5775 very true aswell, just shows how good he is

[@artemiip]

He has a v17 to climb in order to fully claim that status imo

[@SpartaSpartan117]

Terranova upgrade 👀

[@hminhph]

Wow it became a feature story about james and how he finally is relieved from his ghosts that have been haunting him all these years. Incredible that the producers of this video are aware of that and share it with us, i mean it is Adams channel. But this has become more than that. Incredible thanks to adam and his team! you forget that this is premium content you get to see for free!!!

[@M0dElite]

This is definitely my favourite video on the channel ever since Pungitopo. Such a beautiful and unlikely looking line and the story behind it and what it meant to James elevate the film on another level. Well done James, Adam and the whole team providing us with this master piece!

[@AdamOndra]

Hey, thanks! PS: Pungitopo is a great movie. We're glad it stayed with you. AO Team

[@AB-fh9zh]

Yeah, the videos on here are always good but this one just hits on every level.

[@eelissallmen5432]

modelite spotted

[@themanissam1]

Love that "it's quite hard James" it felt like it wasn't just an assessment on the grade but a reassurance

[@wd4413]

I feel you see that quite a lot when adam repeats other people's climbs. Steve McClure seemed to have the same reaction when adam didn't flash 9b rainman😅 almost relief that the goat thinks it's hard lol.

[@ac311205]

The true miracle is that Adam offers this much quality content on KZbin. This is a reel rock level film for free. Such a joy and inspiration to watch this man’s climbing journey. Hell yea Adam!

[@kelamram]

I'm here for the cinematography ❤ great job

[@PeaLoop]

Plus one! Awesome work.

[@zivotvkrosne1962]

As well!

[@uncommonsimon5775]

Ah the Czech cursing is the best keep putting that in please ! 😂

[@thingswelike]

Climbing, screaming, filming and editing all triple-A. Fantastic!

[@brekkoh]

and singing

[@thingswelike]

@@brekkoh I preferred his whistling 😗

[@duncan-xg9sh]

This video stands out among recent climbing videos - great production, great backstory, great route, and truly impressive climbing. I hope this finally gets the monkey off James's back - he never deserved the scorn he received for Walk of Life, and has proven himself a really top trad climber more than enough with his many high level repeats. It was good to see Adam fully engaged with this route - it clearly had more meaning to him than another 9a limestone clip-up.

[@CedarWright]

Awesome fight. Stoked to see James get the recognition he deserves.

[@ac311205]

Hey cedar!

[@yeahilovebread]

So happy for James :") the ultimate comeback story

[@eccehomer8182]

A better comeback than Alex Zinardi? Good me a break!

[@victorcarrasquillo5081]

Thank you to the film makers for making a movie in this style. No music during climbing and a lot of narration from the climbers. Really makes you feel engaged!

[@bobbydazzler3067]

at 12:34 when Adam says he climbs with his thumbs to save skin on multi pitch the look James gives the camera is priceless. Like only AO would even contemplate saying that.

[@maxbultman7963]

Adam seems more relaxed and refreshed than he has in recent videos. Love to see it

[@markyzek]

AO Production team, hands down as always. And Adam? Just casual Adam level. 🔥🔥🔥

[@jonnenne]

James seems like a good guy. Very real, open and loving life

[@climbingclem]

Every time I watch a video on this channel feels like I am watching a documentary or a Reel Rock film, the quality is always above everything else! Thanks for the amazing content

[@oogagoogaboo]

Big ups to James! Taken a lot of shit from people over the years, but really seems like a good dude

[@danobable]

"This will be quite spicy, for the BELAYER"!! 🤣🤣 9mins25sec! Two legends, what a great film, James you are a hero! a million dollar smile at the end 😀

[@johnmcmillen4540]

a masterpiece of a climb, a masterpiece of a film and a masterpiece of a story about James too. Thanks a lot for sharing! Very inspiring!

[@AdamOndra]

Glad you enjoyed it! AO Team

[@ritas6971]

"whistling having a great time again" 🥰🤩🤩 Awesome video, thanks so much 😇

[@WJohnson-qz9hg]

the true master. boulder, trad, and sport. always inspiring.

[@tisayfaridleontolosa6554]

i felt this video was not about Adam doing really hard routes and crazy moves, but about him sharing his strength, mentality and confident with James. loved this one so much

[@user-fw9nb6pk9m]

I was in front of the route a month ago while on a bicyle world tour and met Seb Berthe (who made the 3rd ascent few days later) and James who was here again to show the beta ! So nice to see his dedication for his masterpiece of a route, it’s absolutely stunning. The place made me speechless. And James was a very lovely person :) Thanks Adam, James, and Seb for these beautiful climbing moments

[@danschmidt5189]

What a beautiful, iconic route. This one's special.

[@hogie48]

Adam, you and your editors make absolutely amazing films that even myself who has never even touched a single hold before just can't help bit sit back and love every second of it. Even though this is your channel, and the film is about your experience climbing this amazing route, you really showcased James in a beautiful and emotional way. Kudos to you and your whole team for putting out such amazing content.

[@Hruuu-fh1jh]

Touching! Nice story of James. Amazing production. The AO team nailed it here.

[@autobahn186]

Adam Ondra...the love that you inspire from the world is awe inspiring. We are all so fortunate and grateful to know you and be inspired by you. Thank you...Thank you...Thank you...

[@valaha]

This is why Adam Ondra is world best rock climber. He is lunatic. ❤

[@olestout1629]

I was looking forward to this footage so much, And god did it deliver. Absolutely gem of a climb and video, congrats 🎉

[@gregturner2668]

And when Adam saw the breadth of his domain, he wept, for there were no more worlds to conquer. Adam is one of those once in a generation climbers who is just so far ahead of everyone else it's mesmerising, inspiring and intimidating all at once. But what is most rewarding is how sincere, authentic and humble he comes across in his videos. It's rare to see someone demonstrate such calm and assured self belief without any hint of arogance. I cannot imagine this is artifice; I imagine he must be a fabulous human being to know.

[@PelleKuipers]

I still remember Adam being absolutely giddy with excitement after crushing his own record at speed climbing, even though he was way slower than his competitors. That shows who Adam is; he's an eternal kid with a beautiful excitement and hunger that never turns nasty.

[@Voidload]

Man this is a masterpiece hooooly! It's crazy that this line is possible. James is so amazing to listen to, I am sorry for his feelings about Walk of life but I think nobody sane would hate him for having an oppinion on a difficulty, especially since there is only a few people who can have a valid oppinion on it in the first place :D. Really great video! Much love

[@paddiowilson]

Those holes line up so perfectly it's amazing. It's almost like they line up TOO perfectly...

[@zivotvkrosne2132]

Wonderful video, amazing route and stunning production. As always, Thanks.!

[@lamidraw]

That is sooo amazaing and emotional for me that he can like rest now because he knows that this route is actually really hard and that you, Adam, made this climbing route to the top! ❤ It's soo impressive and also looks super cool^^ And thank you for making such a high quality KZbin video for us! 🙏💪❤🥰

[@henrylucas5757]

This genuinely might be the best intro in KZbin climbing history the music and cinematography are incredible

[@dearozero3631]

Love the rest timings!

[@user-pf4mk9kx7h]

thank you very much for this great video and thanks a lot for the German subtitles. and respect for the performance

[@wendywilson8488]

Gorgeous filmmaking! Satisfying full circle story. The absolute joy of the send. I love your content, and this might just be my favorite because of how all these elements came together so beautifully.

[@johaneriksson8144]

A beautiful video! Congrats to both Adam and James

[@halliewell8998]

Brilliant video! Smashing it Adam 😃💪🏽 Well done.

[@iggimoore]

Absolutely loved that. So pleased for you and James. 🙂🙂🤩💪

[@shaun8191]

Have been waiting with anticipation for this and it was astonishingly perfect. Incredible stuff!

[@digicard1870]

This Video is outstanding! Congrats James and Adam! 🎉

[@popcorny007]

You and your team have raised the bar for all climbing videos, fantastic work!

[@philmcmeel8530]

Have been waiting for this for at least 6 weeks. Well worth the wait. Amazing thank you

[@EliotReynal]

Was such a good video ! Especially the moment when you work the moves together, you learn so much about the process and the concerns... I really loved it thanks for sharing it with us !

[@paulbaum7673]

Nice video! I really enjoyed the personal touch it had. James was super fun

[@clementrodriguez147]

Thank you for this new video !

[@cotylukins07]

I love this new style of videos. With the in depth look at the holds and the gear. As well as getting a closer look at your process. Good stuff adam

[@gavyndame3700]

This was a beautiful documentary style video that’s so inspirational. Love your videos keep up the hard work

[@davidtran1891]

Simply amazing! AO production and Adam with James on fire!

[@AwrySulli]

Congrats on this feat, this is extremely impressive !💪

[@CaseyFackreClimbing]

Amazing story and climbing, so sick!!! Awesome to see Adam so psyched on a trad route. The power screams at the end really tied everything together

[@williammoorcroft4027]

Well done, James! Such a awesome route! One of the best climbers out there!

[@drglobule8a]

Truly beautiful. The method you apply to finding every little bit of beta is super inspiring.

[@AstroBane0001]

This is the best video out in a long time well done and congraltions! What a masterpiece.

[@aranna_]

I absolutely love this. Amazing for James, he deserves everything.

[@OwNLaM]

So much respect for James. His heart is true. This video is everything I wanted to see of this accent. Well done AO team 🤙🏼

[@dima1538]

One of the best Videos on the Channel or even on YT 👌🏼 good storytelling, great shots, perfect cinematography 🤩

[@Pseudonym-qb4gq]

Super video. I am really enjoying your content and your positive energy.

[@angelolobina1929]

Fantastic! Adam you are truly a legend for how you always push your limits forward and James is truly a humble person with great human and climbing value

[@willemvanriet7160]

Nice to see so much of the planning that is the foundation of a successful climb

[@clintstechtips6571]

Another amazing production. And hats off to James for his persistence over the decades.

[@troysmith6929]

What a great video and insight into the climb! Very well done to James for working on this for so long and also great job, Adam! 🥳

[@n2b998]

I felt so engaged with this short film. Amazing process, amazing ascent, amazing route. So emotional to see James shedding this burden. Probably the best climbing short I have ever seen. Bon Voyage a tutti.

[@timystyles5980]

Amazing vid! Seriously amazing to watch this process

[@MysteriousMrC]

I wish this vid was an hour longer. Soooo freaking good. Loved the photography, the collaboration between Adam and James, James' redemption, and of course Adam's send. Good work all around!

[@nicksharman]

Really interesting video, would love to see more like this! Thanks for sharing!

[@Kvathe]

Such an incredible route, and such an amazing send! The camerawork is also excellent. This is the video that I will show people if they ask what hard rock climbing looks like. Congratulations to Adam and to James!

[@michalpavlasek7153]

Absolutely magic! Masterpiece! Thank you!

[@arturogarcia7846]

James and Adam's attitude towards learning the moves and having fun on the wall is why I love climbing! You guys have given me a lot of stoke for my upcoming trad trip to Norway! Keep crushing 🤘🏼

[@geoffgeorges]

This is another beautiful video from Adam, the details, the interest of doing the climb on trad. James Pearson is so humble about his work on this project, and it is so top shelf. This is the very best of climbing. Real athletes using all their skills.

[@cheznikos]

Some very high quality production here to show us mere mortals something extraordinary. Thank you

[@zykxxx]

Congrats Adam! Hope to see more trad content 😎

[@williamsantangeli40]

Early contender for my favourite video of the year. Awesome all around.

[@norfolknonsense7578]

Besides the climbing, this was really beautiful storytelling, filming and editing. Such a joy to watch.

[@simeoncheshmedjiev-shraik4719]

Amazing route and amazing video, absolutely hyped! What a humble person James is, he deserves all the credit, his route is sublime. Way to go, Adam, it's such a joy to watch you! I hope The Wide Boyz send it next. :)

[@freelancecore1576]

Beautiful movie, stunning performance, nice story. Great job!

[@Ruffa_]

Shoutout to the production quality. Absolutely amazing, great work team!

[@rock_joy]

Enhorabuena crack!!! Bellísima linea, un ascenso épico con buenos vuelos y un vídeo brutal (enhorabuena al equipo Honza!) ❤❤

[@suki355]

Is there anything Adam can't climb? True legend. appreciate you always uploading amazing content.

[@ochoymedio78]

Perfecto Mundo and Excalibur, for exmple. But he's the most all rounder rock climber there is, by far. Terranova, Silence, Bon Voyage and the Dawn Wall.... the king.

[@suki355]

@@ochoymedio78 meant in type of climbs. Trad, high wall, sport. Guys a legend

[@flowrida1138]

Incredible. Big ups to James for finding this masterpiece and conquering the FA! What a proud achievement. And big ups for Adam on the send on the fourth try. Thanks for taking us along!

[@olivierriviere7527]

Everything is beautiful in this video; the rock, the climbing, the filming and the comradery between the two climbers.

[@ayozegonzalez1013]

Simply impressive, very inspiring. Two top-level climbers sharing impressions, ethics about the style in which to climb a route and the absolute commitment to a goal that is born from a very deep and personal concern, taking it to an extreme that is sometimes difficult to understand seen from the simple position of witness. . My most sincere congratulations Adam, congratulations James for having illuminated the path and believing that it was possible, the result being a next level.

[@jjgarside]

What a beautiful ‘perfect line’ climb. Really touched by your humility James. What a journey. Amazing sends both of you ❤

[@harperstutts7890]

Wow not only an incredible route but a beautiful story of vindication. Great content!!

[@ignacioinder]

Adam…….thank you for making this. Definetely a huge evolution as an integral climbing….been following you since 2010. James pearson…legend. Emotional to see him opening up and you respecting such history from the UK. Mad props to you. Cheers from USA.

[@thomasyates3078]

I haven't climbed or followed what's going on in the community in over 30 years. I just found these videos, and I can't believe how much the sport has advanced. What these guys are doing is superhuman. I can't wrap my head around it.

[@Wris007]

This is so amazing in every aspect ❤

[@michaltheb]

I remember that backlash James has gone through and felt so sorry for him. Last 15 years were a pilgrimage for him in this sense and when he invited Adam, he gambled a bit. It was all worth it and hope he found the peace in his mind now. Adam just casually climbed a 9a+ 😅 (with 10 min rests in total).

[@thepr1ms_]

Congrats on the climb, you both !

[@MP-bx3uj]

So glad that you extended such a gesture of kindness to correct James’ reputation and validate his work. You are a wonderful ambassador to the sport!!!