Silence 9c (5.15d)

Silence climbs a severely overhanging 45 meter line of granite through the Hanshelleren cave at Flatanger, Norway. It links three distinct boulder problems, estimated at 8C (V15), 8B (V13), and 7C+ (V10), joined by rests that only work because of the cave's unusual geometry, including an inverted kneebar position climbers call the bat hang. Graded 9c (5.15d), it was the first route ever proposed at that grade, a step up built on extreme power, precise body positioning, and rests rehearsed almost as carefully as the moves themselves.

History

Adam Ondra made the first ascent on September 3, 2017, the culmination of a long project built around training specifically for the route's rest positions and its opening 8C boulder crux, which he called the hardest 8C he had climbed, with ten unusual and very hard moves. The ascent established the 9c grade and became a reference point for the upper limit of sport climbing difficulty. As of mid 2026 no one has repeated the full route, though strong climbers including Stefano Ghisolfi and Will Bosi have climbed its individual crux sections.

On film

Silence (2021), made by Adam Ondra, documents the route from its early attempts through the September 3, 2017 ascent in the Hanshelleren cave. It follows the specific preparation the climb demanded, including the training built around the bat hang rest, and frames the send as the moment the sport's difficulty scale moved to 9c, a grade that, at the time of the film, no one else had repeated.