Adam Ondra
Adam Ondra

Climbing in the Olympics would be my dream, but I'm not so optimistic that it will make it in 2020.

Adam Ondra
Adam Ondra

I started climbing thanks to my parents, who have been going with me on the rocks since I was a baby.

Adam Ondra
Adam Ondra

I think speed climbing is kind of an artificial discipline. Climbers compete on the same holds and train on the same holds, which doesn't have much in common with the climbing philosophy in my opinion.

Adam Ondra
Adam Ondra

My mother and father met through climbing and it was totally natural that I would become a climber too.

Adam Ondra
Adam Ondra

Bouldering on real rock, which I'm more used to climbing on, is a lot more static and requires mostly finger power, whereas competition-style boulder problems are about coordination.

Alain Robert
Alain Robert

To me, climbing is like eating or drinking. I have to do it; it's part of my life.

Alain Robert
Alain Robert

If you've climbed the first 140 meters it doesn't mean that you've succeeded; you are going to succeed by climbing the last 10 meters.

Alex Honnold
Alex Honnold

I am a vegetarian, and I sort of aspire to vegan-hood. So far I've noticed no difference at all in my climbing, but I feel a bit healthier overall. Though that's only because I'm eating more fruits and vegetables. I think the whole protein thing is overhyped. Most Americans eat far more than we need.

Alex Honnold
Alex Honnold

Free soloing is almost as old as climbing itself, with roots in the 19th century. Climbers are continuing to push the boundaries. There are certainly better technical climbers than me. But if I have a particular gift, it's a mental one - the ability to keep it together where others might freak out.

Alex Honnold
Alex Honnold

Seven years ago, when I started free soloing long, hard routes in Yosemite - climbing without a rope, gear or a partner - I did it because it seemed like the purest, most elegant way to scale big walls. Climbing, especially soloing, felt like a grand adventure, but I never dreamed it could be a profession.