Recently, Red Bull athlete and Slovenian climber Domen Škofic took on an extreme challenge, successfully completing the world’s first aerial climbing project Red Bull Plane Climb in Austria. This daring feat took place at an altitude of 2,500 meters, where Škofic, soaring at nearly 100 km/h, completely conquered the aerial climbing route designed specifically for this event beneath the Red Bull Blanix glider wings, showcasing incredible rock climbing skills and bravery.
In this thrilling challenge, Skofic leapt out of the back seat of a glider, carrying just a 12-kilogram parachute. Along the climbing path on the wing’s side, he showcased his incredible balance and courage. During this approximately one-minute airborne adventure, he successfully circled the glider and elegantly finished the challenge with a backflip.
This climbing route hits a difficulty rating of 8a on the free climbing scale. Skofic not only faces the challenges of altitude and airflow, but he also has to overcome intense wind pressure coming from all directions and frigid temperatures of minus 10 degrees. All of these factors ramp up the difficulty of the challenge.
Domen Skofic, the 2016 World Cup climbing champion, conquered the most challenging 9b+ route of his career back in May. Facing this unprecedented climbing challenge, Skofic underwent months of preparation, including simulated training in wind tunnels and multiple skydiving experiments to overcome various obstacles. He emphasized that the focus of this training was not on improving finger strength, but rather on developing overall core strength to maintain stability when confronted with different external forces.
The success of this challenge is not just a personal achievement for the athlete, but the result of teamwork and engineering innovation. The climbing handles on the wings, designed by Skofic’s father, Pavel Skofic, were precisely installed to support a weight of up to 1.2 tons. Coupled with the outstanding performance of the Red Bull Blanix glider, they create the perfect partnership for this groundbreaking feat, marking a new chapter in the fusion of climbing and aviation within extreme sports.
