Video: Adam Ondra and the intricate climbing ethics of Czech sandstone

The ethics that dictate the climbing on the thousands of sandstone towers in the Czech Republic are extremely intricate. In short though they boil down to three basic rules: routes are established ground-up, nuts and friends are not used in order to avoid damaging the soft rock. And bolts, better still, the huge rings, are ideally extremely run-out and placed by hand.

Adam Ondra is not an expert at establishing new routes on these stunning towers but nevertheless the most difficult route on Czech sandstone still bears his signature: To tu jeste nebyl, established together with Ondra Benes in 2011. Obviously ground-up, respecting the country's centenary climbing tradition.