# Adam Ondra Downgrades World’s First V18 to V17 > Adam Ondra repeats Exodia, the world’s first proposed V18, calling it V17 after four sessions. - Title: Adam Ondra Downgrades World’s First V18 to V17 · Climbing - Summary: Adam Ondra repeats Exodia, the world’s first proposed V18, calling it V17 after four sessions. Adam Ondra downgraded Exodia from V18 to V17 after four… - Keywords: adam ondra, exodia, v17, v18, bouldering, climbing, piemonte, italy, grade, downgrade, first ascent, repetition - Source: Climbing — https://climbing.com/news/adam-ondra-downgrades-exodia-v18-to-v17 - Author: Sam MacIlwaine - Published: 2026-10-20T18:30:41+00:00 - Read time: 1 min - Topics: adam ondra, exodia, v17, v18, bouldering, climbing, piemonte, italy, grade, downgrade, first ascent, repetition ## Adam Ondra repeats Exodia Czech climber Adam Ondra made the second ascent of Exodia, the world’s first proposed V18, in Piemonte, Italy. > It’s very much my style ## Ondra downgrades Exodia to V17 Ondra called Exodia V17 after four days of climbing, ending a year of speculation about the world’s first proposed V18. > extremely cool and very fun to project ## Exodia’s history Italian climber Elias Iagnemma sent Exodia in November 2025 after four years, proposing it as the world’s first V18. > the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life ## Exodia’s structure Exodia contains a V14 and V16 section with an inverted kneebar rest, approximately 25 hand moves across a blocky overhang traverse. > the face of the Exodia Yu-Gi-Oh card ## Ondra’s assessment Ondra said the second part of Exodia is easier than Iagnemma’s version, requiring no foot cutting. > I can reach one hold from one toe hook without cut[ting] loose ## Iagnemma’s response Iagnemma congratulated Ondra, calling him the strongest climber in the world and hoping to climb together someday. > You’re not only the strongest climber in the world, but an amazing person as well ## Ondra’s downgrade history Ondra has downgraded 10 first ascents since 2003, including Stefano Ghisolfi’s Erebor and Jonathan Siegrist’s Pure Imagination. > I wouldn’t call it downgrading, I would call it a personal suggestion or opinion ## Ondra’s grading philosophy Ondra uses a geo-agnostic grading system that compares ascents across regions to avoid local subjectivity. > What is a grading system worth if we are not even trying to make it objective ## Ondra’s O-grade system Ondra’s O-grade system labels his climbs with session counts, like O4 for Exodia and O5 for Soudain Seul. > O1 will be, it will take him one session ## Exodia’s O-grade Exodia is O4 on Ondra’s scale, slightly lower than Soudain Seul’s O5, explaining the V17 downgrade. > It’s O4, slightly lower on the O-grade scale than Ondra’s only other V17 ## Rainman’s survival Rainman, the hardest U.K. sport climb, survived Ondra’s 2017 attempt to downgrade it to O1. > You can be relaxed ## Why Exodia was downgraded Ondra downgraded Exodia to V17 because it required fewer sessions than Iagnemma’s version, aligning with his grading philosophy. > The second part is even more my style ## Key takeaway Adam Ondra downgraded Exodia from V18 to V17 after four sessions, ending a year of uncertainty about the world’s first proposed V18.