Watch Adam Ondra, nearly 12 (born Feb 5, 1993), from Brno (Czech Republic) climb 8c - story, photos and video.
More in article from his parents:

After hesitating about where to spent the rest of the year, we decided to set out to Italian Sperlonga.

The weather forecast was not very promising, but we did not want to go to El Chorro, and Southern France didn’t promise a lot of warm weather either.
It is also the closest - we are not going to sit at home.

In Sperlonga everybody may find what he/she is looking for – there are plenty of sectors with routes to 6b/c, and climbing of a more sporty routes can be found in a great cave directly on the beach (Grotta del Aeronauta). At First it looks not very striking,




but then it opens in the full beauty.



The surrounding sectors contain many moderate routes.

Here is a good tip for trip up to 10 days. You can spend a rest day in the old time town of Sperlonga, take a walk through narrow streets and relax a while in a café, just romantic.



or go swimming in the sea....



Area Information:  The Sperlonga has a mild climate in the Winter months like December and January.  The coastal strip is often warmer and dryer while the inland areas are usually dull and wet, and you can fairly celebrate New Years Eve here. Probably the best time to visit is in the Spring and late Autumn when you can be fairly sure of plenty of good climbing and a sun tan. The summer months will only bring impossibly hot temperatures. Distance from Brno is 1450 km, temperature could be round 16 degree in December. Night temperatures are round 5-8 degrees.
There is a camp, but sleeping on the beach is also tolerated.
The wild camp is no more tolerated. Please don't break fragile understanding between climbers and local councilors.

Adam´s Sylvester ride

Adam celebrated the Sylvester  - Dec 31 2004 - with a bang by the sending by the route Zatopek – originally 8c, today 8b/c. It went quite easy – on the 4th attempt. Then Adam said he should try the 2nd variant the route Mascherina 8c. Both routes share a common end (look at video), the 1st starts with 7c/c+ climbing, Mascherina with 8a+. The 1st attempt and he has done it... Grrroarh...a nice closing of the season :).




Mascherina

One of the largest stalactites in the cave

The view at the beach from the road

A bat in the route La teoria dell‘ 8a, rated 8c /AF/

Download of the video (50 MB) - the video is in Quick Time.

Italians recommend many other areas in the winter as well – Grotti for harder routes and Ferentillo for easier ones. Both of them are above Rome.  We visited Grotti, but the artificial routes - chipped two fingers pockets – were not for us.  We also visited the colder inland – an acclimatization before the return home.

Sponsors: Sun Sport, Saltic, Singing Rock.