Next-Gen Visualization
Climbing|Issue 157

IMAGINE ADAM ONDRA lying on his back, eyes squeezed shut in concentration, while a physiotherapist holds his heel in space, helping him visualize and strengthen his body specifically for a move.

Johanna Flashman
Next-Gen Visualization

The therapist helps him mimic a crux on Silence, the 45-meter, world’s-first 5.15d Ondra climbed September 3 in the Hanshalleren Cave in Flatanger, Norway. Sound “out there”? Well, when you consider that Silence links 20 meters of 5.13d into a 5.15c, with wild, upside-down jessery and a V15 crux, this new, intense, assisted visualization starts to make more sense—Ondra needed every advantage.

Who are you doing this training with?

Klaus Isele, who is my physiotherapist and an experienced climber.My work with Klaus is not only on the level of injury prevention,but also on the level of how to climb better thanks to physiotherapy.On a climb as specific as Silence, with such rare, complex, and weird movements, it is crucial.

Explain your process with Klaus.

This story is from the Issue 157 edition of Climbing.

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This story is from the Issue 157 edition of Climbing.

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