Exodia (boulder)
Exodia is a boulder — a rock formation equipped for climbing without ropes — located in Val Pellice, near the Barbara Lowrie mountain hut, in the municipality of Bobbio Pellice, in the Province of Turin. It was opened by the Abruzzo climber Elias Iagnemma and has been described as possibly the hardest boulder in the world [1][2].
Opening and original grade
The boulder was opened by Elias Iagnemma, who graded it 9A+, a grade that would have made it the first boulder of that difficulty ever climbed in the world. News of its opening spread in November 2025 [2].
Adam Ondra's repeat
In October 2026 the boulder was repeated by the Czech climber Adam Ondra, a professional climber born in 1993 and considered among the strongest in the history of sport climbing, who was visiting Val Pellice near the Barbara Lowrie hut [1]. On his social media channels Ondra called Exodia «this masterpiece by Elias Iagnemma», saying he was «thrilled and excited» [1].
Ondra, however, proposed a lower grade for the boulder than the original one, 9A (V17), describing it as «harder than Soudain Seul», a 9A boulder in the Fontainebleau forest in France, and «similar to Alphane», a 9A in Chironico, Switzerland, «or to Monte Fato», a 9A in the Maltatal valley in Austria. According to Ondra, «I don't think it will be a forgotten boulder in the future» [1].
Location
The boulder lies near the Barbara Lowrie mountain hut, a facility located in Val Pellice, in the territory of Bobbio Pellice, a mountain area in the Province of Turin popular with climbers [1][2].
Related articles: Adam Ondra Repeats the Exodia Boulder Problem in Val Pellice (October 2026), Adam Ondra's record on the Exodia boulder in Val Pellice, Bobbio Pellice
Sources
- Eco del Chisone — 18 October 2026
- Eco del Chisone — 18 November 2025