When: November 21, 2016
- Began on November 14, 2016 — 1:30 am
- Finished eight days later, November 21, 2016
Where: Yosemite National Park
- El Capitan
- The Dawn-Wall
- A 3,000-foot monolith
- Believed to be the hardest, longest free climb in the world.
Who: Adam Ondra
- Born February 5, 1993 — age 29 today
- Started climbing at the age of 6
- Internationally recognized at age 10
- Age 23 at the time
- From Brno, Czech Republic
- A world champion Czech rock climber
What:
- Climbed Dawn-Wall of El Capitan
- 32 “pitches” — A pitch is a rope-length of climbing, usually around 100 feet long
- Six attempts at pitch 14 – November 17 and November 18
- “Pitches 14 and 15 are the two most difficult pitches not just on the Dawn Wall, but in all of Yosemite.”
- The total climb took 8 days.
- Fastest recorded climb [2] of the Dawn-Wall
- Previously remarkable climb by Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson in 19 days, January 2015
- “Ondra’s rapid free ascent is easily one of the most impressive accomplishments in climbing ever. And it almost certainly earns him the title of being the best all-around rock climber in the world.”
^
Quotes:
“In the end it was just as hard as I expected, but it took more time than I expected, because I was a total beginner to this style of climbing in Yosemite . . . . There’s no doubt this is the hardest big-wall rock climb in the world.”
Arriving at the summit: “It feels amazing right now. . . . This is one of the best feelings I’ve ever had in climbing. Wow, so good. I think it’ll be a long-lasting happiness and joy due to the length and effort of the route.”
“What Tommy and Kevin did was even much more impressive than what I did,” says Ondra. “I arrived with all the information, they told me the beta, and all I had to do was climb.”
“Ondra’s speed (in 8 days), in some ways, is to be expected. Second ascents are almost achieved quicker than first ascents in part due to the advantage of knowing a pitch is possible as a free climb. First ascensionists don’t have that mental crutch, and must instead rely on their own self-belief that they can do something that’s never before been done by anyone.” [1] [3]
^
Useful Words & Phrases:
- I was born into a climbing family.
- All of that knowledge speeds up the process.
- I arrived with all the information, they told me the beta, and all I had to do was climb.
- Enormous talent and desire find their life’s purpose at an early age
- Won my first medal, put it over my bed, and thought, “I would like to get more of these!”
- That feeling is hard to find!
- I believe it’s a feeling you can only find if you bring to an activity the kind of passion I have for climbing.
- It feels like I’m doing what I really love, something I was born to do.
- the book Rock Stars: The World’s Best Free Climbers, by Heinz Zak, which inspired me so much! That’s when I started thinking that I only wanted to be a climber.
^
Key Illustrative Thoughts:
- child-rearing
- talent
- desire
- discipleship
- feelings
- passion
- purpose
- success
- attainment
- trust
- joy
- fulfillment
^
Sermonic Example:
(use whatever information from above you find useful)
. . . . Adam Ondra stated that there were two factors that made his climb easier and faster than that of Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson — who climbed together and took 19 days — not 8 days.
First, he spoke to Tommy Caldwell and gained a lot of information about their climb the previous year. He said – “I arrived with all the information, they told me the beta, and all I had to do was climb.”
Second, he stated — “the advantage of knowing a pitch is possible as a free climb. . . . First ascensionists don’t have that mental crutch, and must instead rely on their own self-belief that they can do something that’s never before been done by anyone.”
He was not the first one to make such an attempt and he knew it was possible!
Now think about that when it comes to various biblical characters — those who were first or did not have accounts of others — as we do — Job didn’t even have the book of Job. Hebrews 11 and 12 are accounts of those who were firsts in many ways. . . . They were the Real Rock Stars!
^
^
Other Information & Links:
1. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/climber-adam-ondra-dawn-wall-yosemite-success
2. “The first free ascent of the Dawn Wall, meanwhile, took American climbers Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson 19 days.” — [1]
3. In addition, first ascensionists often share with ensuing suitors what’s known in climbing jargon as “beta,” which is information about the climbing movement, from which handholds and footholds are used, to how they used, and so on. All of that knowledge speeds up the process.
Before arriving in Yosemite, Ondra spoke to Caldwell over Skype. Once in Yosemite, the two climbers met in person, in Yosemite Valley, and Caldwell shared helpful information with Ondra.
“What Tommy and Kevin did was even much more impressive than what I did,” says Ondra. “I arrived with all the information, they told me the beta, and all I had to do was climb.” [1]
4. https://www.climbing.com/people/adam-ondra-the-future-of-climbing/
His Websites:
— http://www.adamondra.com/beyond-focus
— http://www.adamondra.com/
♦♦♦♦♦
“To see Ondra climbing onsight, you’d think he had rehearsed it a thousand times, but in reality, his split-second decisiveness, calm, and grace, all while hanging from impossible-looking holds, speaks to his preternatural intuition for moving in a vertical realm.” [1]
“Adam Ondra is arguably the best climber in the world— he flashes 5.14d, has more 5.15c ticks than anyone, and has topped the podium in a half-dozen international competitions. Ondra represents the potential of a new generation born to climbing parents and raised in gyms. his career is a case study in what happens when enormous talent and desire find their life’s purpose at an early age. . . . .
Later when I was in third grade, a friend of my parents gave me the book Rock Stars: The World’s Best Free Climbers, by Heinz Zak, which inspired me so much! That’s when I started thinking that I only wanted to be a climber.” [4]
♦♦♦♦♦
Tell us the story of how you got started.
I was born into a climbing family. My parents have been climbing for 30 years, and when I was a little baby they brought me with them to the rocks. I can’t remember the first time I climbed. I think it came gradually, starting with playing in the dirt under the crag to hanging and swinging on the rope to more serious climbing.
The first climbing I really remember was when I was 6, and that was the time I entered my first competition. I placed third, won my first medal, put it over my bed, and thought, “I would like to get more of these!” Later when I was in third grade, a friend of my parents gave me the book Rock Stars: The World’s Best Free Climbers, by Heinz Zak, which inspired me so much! That’s when I started thinking that I only wanted to be a climber. I decided I wanted to live exactly the way I’m living now, and that feels pretty good!”
What do you love most about climbing?
There are many things. Climbing is beautiful. There are moments when I’m high on the rock, and I’m enjoying every move, every handhold, every foothold. That feeling is hard to find! I believe it’s a feeling you can only find if you bring to an activity the kind of passion I have for climbing.
I don’t know if I want to use the word freedom. Many people describe climbing as a kind of freedom. I don’t think freedom is precise enough, but I’ve never found a better word. How do you describe the feeling you get when you wake up in the van in the morning, and then you go to the crag all day and come back to camp in the evening and have a nice dinner? It just feels great! It feels like I’m doing what I really love, something I was born to do.”
[4]
RhetoricAndHomiletics.Org 