Video: Adam Ondra 8c ground-up and without chalk at Elbsandstein

Czech climbing legend Adam Ondra has made a striking ascent on the sandstone towers of Saxony, Germany. On the Nonnengärtner tower in the Elbe River Valley, Ondra climbed Robert Leistner’s “Die Vertreibung der letzten Idealisten” (XIIa / 8c) completely ground‑up, without the use of chalk as per Saxon tradition.

“Sandstone has always held a special kind of magic for me,” Ondra said. “In Saxony, that magic runs deep.” He described the climb as a fight against sweaty hands, exposure, and history itself. “What started as doubt turned into one of the most meaningful climbing experiences I’ve had.”