BURSTAdam Ondra has just repeated Elias Iagnemma’s Exodia, the world’s first proposed V18 (9A+) boulder problem. Iagnemma established the boulder in November 2025 after 211 sessions of work. Incredibly, Ondra got it done in four days. He had help from Iagnemma, as you can read below, which undoubtedly accelerated the process. But for Ondra, he thinks the world’s first V18 boulder ascent is still to come.
“I definitely felt it was sort of expected that I would go to check out [Elias Iagnemma’s] masterpiece,” said Ondra on Instagram. “Nevertheless, I was very psyched. Elias came there to show me the boulder in September, explained all the beta to me, and I was even more psyched to get it done. Elias was incredibly nice and helpful; we made a really cool interview with him for the upcoming video about Exodia. But I got a very nasty cold, then I got more duties to do on my agenda, and as soon as I felt fit to return, it seemed that I had only two days left and the season might be over because of upcoming rain. But I kept it together and executed very well in some of the most memorable moments of my career.”
Ondra went on to say that he used the same sequence as Iagnemma, but changed the way he used some of the holds by generally crimping more and pinching less. He called the problem his style, saying, “It’s not too much about kneebars (they are relatively simple); it is much more about heelhooking, tension and delicate body positioning. The second part is even more my style, and I can reach one hold from one toe hook without cutloose. My shape for this kind of boulder is pretty good, possibly my best ever?”
And of course, he divulged his thoughts on the grade: “I totally respect Elias for proposing [V18], having his track record, having tried some other 9A boulders and being close, and still trying Exodia for 212 days. I would have done the same…”
For some context, Iagnemma has climbed some of the hardest boulders in the world, including Burden of Dreams V17, The Big Slamm V17 (FA), Gioia V15/16, Ganesh V16 (FA), and Ephyra V16.
Ondra continued, “I think the boulder is [V17]. I don’t comment on which part of the [V17] range it is. To me, personally, it felt harder than Soudain Seul, and similar compared to Alphane or Mount Doom. But Exodia is possibly much more my style, and I will not be surprised if people find this harder than Alphane or Mount Doom
“Climbing on Exodia is extremely cool and very fun to project, even long-term; it is skin-friendly and offers conditions when other places with [V17] boulders become too hot. I don’t believe it will be a forgotten boulder problem in the future.”
Exodia is located in Rifugio di Barbara, Italy. The boulder was first envisioned by Christian Core and sat unfinished for years after his attempts. According to Brazz, Exodia features a 60-degree overhang, 25 hand moves, and is approximately eight meters of climbing. Iagnaemma described the problem, saying it starts with a ~V14 section into a no-hands, inverted double knee bar rest, followed by a final V16 section with a very powerful crux move.
Ondra is one of the greatest climbers in history. His bouldering resume is stacked. He flashed four V15 boulders over the course of five months from November 2025 to March 2026: Foundation’s Edge, The Lion’s Share, Celestite, and Emotional Landscapes. He also has four V16s to his name. In February 2025, he climbed Soudain Seul V17 in Fontainebleau, France – he climbed the boulder in five sessions.
Elias Iagnemma Climbing Exodia V18
The post Adam Ondra Climbs Exodia, the World’s First Proposed V18 appeared first on Gripped Magazine.