(Trad)ition and progress | Jonas Schild explores the pull to preserve European trad routes

During a project to climb some of the most breathtaking trad routes in Europe, climber Jonas Schild reflects on his enduring pursuit to protect routes from encroaching hardware.

As the sport of climbing continues to grow at an exponential rate, views around accessibility, protection and risk management have never been more extreme. Nowhere is the divide between sport and trad climbing more prevalent than in Europe. In his new film, Schild takes on a unique and formidable trio of routes that hold a special place at the heart of the European trad climbing community and explores his own personal relationship with the sport. Watch the Swiss climber send Gondo Crack (8c/5.14b) in Switzerland, Le Voyage (8b+/5.14a) in Annot, France and Greenspit (8b+/5.14a) in Valle dell’Orco, Italy and discover what is really worth protecting in the sport of climbing.

“When you finally reach a point where (…) you're putting friends next to bolts all the time, then it becomes a game that doesn't really make sense.”

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