Last week I posted an update from Yosemite, where Czech climber Adam Ondra is working on the toughest challenge imaginable. The 23-year old has been plugging away at the Dawn Wall, the massive rock face that sits on the southeast face of El Capitan. When last we checked in, Ondra was quickly zipping up the tough climb, having knocked off 10 pitches in just a couple of days. But now, progress has slowed as he hits the tougher sections of the climb, forcing him to spend a bit more time figuring out these problems.

As of this past weekend, Ondra has successfully completed the first 13 pitches of the Dawn Wall, and was working on pitch 14, 15, and 16. Those are amongst the three toughest sections of the entire climb, and he reports that it will take colder weather and more skin on his fingertips to finish those three pitches. He says both are on the way, but in the meantime he's been gathering intel on the moves he'll have to make – some of them very tough – to get through this next series of challenges.

Once he's above pitch 16 things get a bit easier and he should have few problems finishing off the Dawn Wall. If he does complete the climb, it'll be only the second time it has been scaled. You probably recall that Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson knocked it off in January of 2015, but they spent years planning their ascent. Ondra is currently making his first visit to Yosemite Valley.

The Czech climber hasn't been only focused on the Dawn Wall. Last week he took some time off to climb The Nose with his father, hoping to complete that iconic route in a single day. While they did manage to finish around midnight, it wasn't completely free climbed. They also got hit by a storm near the summit and were forced to camp out on top until the following morning.

After his foray on The Nose, Ondra has now returned to the Dawn Wall and is working on figuring out that challenge. We'll continue to bring you news of his progress as we hear more.

Remember last week, when I shared the news about Czech climber Adam Ondra preparing to make an attempt on the incredibly difficult and demanding Dawn Wall in Yosemite? At the time I had said that it seemed unlikely that he would be able to take on that epic ascent considering it was his first visit to the valley, and he hadn't even touched the rock there yet. On top of that, the Dawn Wall had only been completed once in the past, having famously been free-climbed in January of 2015 by Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson. But, it turns out I couldn't have been more wrong however, as Ondra is proving what many in the outdoor world already knew – that he just might be the best rock climber in the world today.

Ondra began his climb of the Dawn Wall last Monday – October 17 – and has been making steady progress up the face ever since. On his first day out, he managed to knock off seven quick pitches as he rapidly ascended the route, which falls along the southeast face of El Capitan, quite possibly the most famous rock climbing spot in the entire world.

But, being primarily a sport climber, Ondra found the Dawn Wall to be a different beast than he is use to tackling. By the time he finished those first seven pitches he was exhausted. Despite those challenges however, he did manage to reach the top of pitch 10 before darkness fell Tuesday, making it a very productive first couple of  day for sure.

Over the following few days of last week, Ondra continued to make progress, albeit at a slower pace on more difficult pitches. Heading into the weekend, he had reached pitch 15, which is rated a 5.14d and is considered the crux of the entire climb. There hasn't been update yet as to his progress on that particular challenge, but if he didn't get past it over the past couple of days, it will certainly be his primary focus as he starts his second week on the Dawn Wall.

If the 23-year old Czech climber can get over the next three pitches – and there is no indication that he won't – it is relatively easy sailing to the top from there. That means we could see a second ascent of what many consider the toughest rock climbing challenge in the world by the end of the week. Stay tuned for more updates. It's going to be fun to follow Adam's progress.