BURSTRecently, Laura Rogora sent Adam Ondra’s Niobe 5.14d (9a), a slab route in Arco, Italy. Established only a few months ago by Ondra, Rogora made quick work of the slab, climbing it in only four attempts. Her first female ascent of Niobe marked her thirtieth 5.14d. Despite it being one of many, Rogora noted that this one was special as it was her hardest slab ever. A new video of her ascent has been released on her YouTube channel, which you can view below.
“My 42nd route above [5.14d] but my very first slab above [5.11d],” said Rogora on Instagram after her send. “Yesterday morning, I honestly didn’t know what to expect from a slab of this level. Stepping onto something different from my usual style was scary and exciting at the same time. Pushing myself on new terrain, trusting my feet, staying calm and clipping the chain on the 4th go was such a huge satisfaction.”
After his Niobe first ascent, Ondra called it a king line and said it was, “Definitely one of the best slabs I’ve ever done.” He continued, “It was pretty crazy just to find the sequences. But then, climbing it all together, it adds a very interesting element, which is endurance in your feet. The rock is [so] low-friction, and you really have to push in a certain direction so you don’t slip off. It’s very difficult.”
Laura Rogora is one of the best climbers ever on rock. She has now ascended 43 climbs graded 5.14d or harder – few climbers can even come close to this high volume of sends. She is an extremely talented onsight climber – last year alone, she was able to onsight four 5.14b and two 5.14c climbs. Her onsight of Ultimate Sacrifice 5.14c in Gorges du Loup, France made her the first woman in history to onsight the grade 5.14c. During the same session as her Ultimate Sacrifice onsight, Rogora also sent Trip Tik Tonik 5.14d (9a) in just three attempts. These were just two of many sends on that trip. During her first few days at Gorge du Loup, she sent Punt’X 5.15a on only her fifth attempt. She also clipped the chains on Kinematix 5.14d/15a and flashed Hotchilix 5.14b. She next sent Just Two Fix 5.14d/15a.
In November 2025, she made history again with her onsight of La Ligne Claire in Saint Léger, France. To this day, only a handful of climbers have onsighted 5.14c. Rogora’s onsight of La Ligne Claire made her the third climber ever to have two or more onsights of 5.14c or higher. The other two climbers able to make this claim are Adam Ondra and Alex Megos. Later that day, after her onsight of La Ligne Claire, she also onsighted the first pitch of La Tournée du Patron 5.14a, climbed the 5.14b extension on her second go, and onsighted Abrège Nief 5.13d.
Laura Rogora Climbing Niobe 5.14d
The post Before This 5.14d Slab Send, Laura Rogora’s Hardest Was 5.11d appeared first on Gripped Magazine.