Sachi Amma, Yuji Hirayama and Adam Ondra at Flatanger

A fortnight ago we reported that Sachi Amma and Yuji Hirayama had just reached Norway to see with their own eyes Flatanger, the immense granite cave recognised by all top climbers as being one of the best hard sport climbing areas in the world.

After a short ‘warm-up’ (which translates into 8b flash for Hirayama) the two Japanese chose their routes which now, just before their return home, they’ve managed to redpoint: the 8c+ Odin’s Eye for both Hirayama and Amma, and the extenuating 65m 9a+ Thor’s Hammer for Amma who confirms once again that he’s one of the strongest and most efficient sport climbers of his generation.

During their trip the duo were in excellent company, in the form of “local” Adam Ondra who just a couple of days ago freed Right of Passage, another 9a. The route takes a line up the left-hand side of the cave and is therefore, according to the Czech “not that severely steep, but nevertheless with some very interesting moves packed into 45 meters of climbing.” The route was a sort of ‘distraction’ from Ondra’s main goal, currently nicknamed ‘Project Hard’. “This has just become the goal of the season, if not next year even. It has a lot of crazy moves, and revolves around shallow fingerlocks and toehooks with my body completely upside down. Possibly 8C boulder, right in the middle of the cave. We’ll see…”

Yuji Hirayama climbing Odin’s Eye


Flatanger top climbs 
9b+ Change - first ascent: Adam Ondra
9b Move - first ascent: Adam Ondra
9b Iron Curtain - first ascent: Adam Ondra
9a+ 120 Degrees - first ascent: Adam Ondra
9a+ Thor's Hammer - first ascent: Adam Ondra
9a+ Kangaroo's Limb - first ascent: Adam Ondra
9a The Illusionist - first ascent: Adam Ondra
9a Witchhammer - first ascent: Adam Ondra
9a Brunhilde - first ascent: Adam Ondra
9a Right of Passage - first ascent: Adam Ondra
9a Little Badder - first ascent: Sébastian Bouin