Adam Ondra tries Rainman (9b): Britain's hardest climb

Fresh off speaking at Kendal Film Festival, Adam Ondra heads straight to Malham Cove to sample Rainman, the route that made history as Britain’s first 9b. With Steve McClure on hand as the climber who first unlocked it, this short film captures Ondra’s first real impressions of one of the UK’s most talked-about sport climbs. In under six minutes you get a front-row look at what “Britain’s hardest” actually means: razor-sharp power, precise movement, and the kind of intensity only a top-end limestone testpiece can deliver. It’s a rare, candid moment where a visiting legend measures himself against a national milestone—raising the big questions about grade, style, and whether Rainman is a route you can brute-force, or one you have to truly understand.

teamBMC · 5:48

One of the highlights of 2017 was Steve McClure climbing Britain's first 9b: Rainman at Malham. In November 2017, Adam Ondra paid a flying visit to the UK to speak at Kendal Film Festival. The very next day, he dragged Steve down to Malham to have a go on this epic new route. What would he think of it? Was it definitely 9b? Would he climb it? Keith Sharples grabbed his camera to make this short clip for us. Thanks to Black Diamond for their help. #CLIMBING #9b We're the BMC. Climb walls, rock, hills, ice or mountains? Join us. https://www.thebmc.co.uk/join