Silence is a notoriously difficult climbing route located in the Hanshelleren Cave inFlatanger, Norway. As of January 2020, it is considered to be the hardest route ever climbed, and the only route in the world to have a proposed rating of. It was bolted in 2012 or 2013 by Adam Ondra, who first ascended it on September 3, 2017. Ondra described it as "much harder than anything else" he had previously done, and cautiously suggested the 9c rating. The route was originally named Project Hard by Ondra because it appeared harder than any other route previously climbed. A few days after completion, Ondra renamed it Silence, stating that when climbing, he felt a sense of inner quiet, and also that on completion he felt unable to scream in exhilaration, which was his more usual reaction on completing a climb. Climbing Silence took Ondra more than 4 years of practice and training visits, and long-term dedicated preparation, including extensive mental and physical training for the specific difficulties posed by the route., is known worldwide for the climbing routesChange and Silence, climbed by Adam Ondra in 2012 and 2017, respectively.
Route Description
Silence is about 45 m long, curving up the cave wall and along part of the underside of its roof. The first 20 m are about along the beginning of the established routes Nordic Flower and Change, before branching off into a 5 move. It then transitions into a hard sequence of three distinct boulder problems : an extremely hard, a "burly 4-move" and a with slippery feet. The first one was described by Ondra as the hardest he ever climbed. It consists of 10 incredibly hard and unusual moves, including single-finger locks, climbing upside down and a variation of a figure four move ending with an extremely bad kneebar rest. After the third boulder, a huge jug leads to the anchor, through a relatively easy boulder consisting of five moves. In a 2017 interview, Ondra was asked about specific difficulties in climbing Silence. He stated that:
First Ascent
Working the route required Ondra to take seven trips to Flatanger, four in 2016 and three in 2017. Just linking the 10 moves in the first boulder problem required four weeks of trials. After completing the first boulder problem he practiced linking it through to the chains, then practiced startingthe climb from progressively lower. He linked the whole thing together on his second attempt from the ground. Ondra trained specifically for the route. For instance, he completed multiple hard bouldering moves with very short rests between them, and visualised the most difficult moves while doing specific exercises with his physiotherapist. He also trained his calf muscles to be able to hold as long as necessary on the extremely bad kneebar rests which he used during the ascent. On completion, Ondra commented:
