Climbing
Domen Škofic attempts the world's most extreme climb
Slovenian climber Domen Škofic takes on a gravity-defying challenge under the wings of a glider. How did he pull it off?
Slovenian climber Domen Škofic has achieved a new milestone in climbing history by tackling a specially built route beneath the wings of a glider - 2,500m above the ground and at speeds of up to 100kph.
High above the clouds, Domen Škofic took on a challenge unlike any other: climbing while suspended from the wings of a flying aircraft. With gravity no longer his only obstacle - wind, cold, and speed joining the mix - the sport entered an entirely new dimension. The Slovenian champion completed the world’s first climbing route on the wings of a plane, an Austrian Red Bull Blanix team glider, soaring above the Styrian town of Aigen.
Climbing pro Domen Škofic
© Mirja Geh/Red Bull Content Pool
It was an unbelievable feeling, much harder than I imagined
01
Creating the world’s most exposed climbing route
There's never been a climbing route like this before
© Mirja Geh/Red Bull Content Pool
What sounded impossible became reality through precision, courage, and months of preparation. The Blanik glider of the Red Bull Blanix team was transformed into a flying, three-dimensional climbing wall. Once the two-seater reached its ideal altitude, Škofic, parachute on his back, opened the canopy and climbed out, ready to begin his extraordinary ascent along the glider’s underside.
02
Climbing an 8a route at 2,500m in 100 kph winds
The route, graded 8a, traced a figure-of-eight path over both wings. Škofic began near the fuselage on the left wing, moving outward along its underside. The further he climbed, the harder it became for the pilot to keep control of the glider. From there he worked his way beneath the fuselage and onto the right wing, reaching its midpoint before pulling off a spectacular move to the top side. All of this took place while the glider cruised at 80–100kph, creating headwinds of the same speed. Unlike a rock wall, where gravity is the only force at play, here the wind pushed against him from every direction, forcing him to balance constantly between gravity and airflow.
What looked like an aerial miracle was the product of meticulous planning and flawless coordination between climber, pilot and machine. Škofic, who had recently conquered his hardest-ever 9b+ route, took on this mission with rigorous preparation. Nine onboard cameras captured every angle of the climb, documenting not only the action but the innovation behind it. The project showcased how human ambition combined with technical precision can elevate climbing into entirely new realms.
What sounded impossible became reality through months of preparation
© Mirja Geh/Red Bull Content Pool
At 2,500m, the temperature was around 4°C, but felt closer to -5°C
© Mirja Geh/Red Bull Content Pool
Pilot and climber had to work in perfect harmony
© Mirja Geh/Red Bull Content Pool
Every movement affected the plane's aerodynamics
© Mirja Geh / Red Bull Content Pool
The traverse beneath the fuselage was particularly tricky
© Mirja Geh/Red Bull Content Pool
"Climbing is all about falling," says Škofic
© Mirja Geh/Red Bull Content Pool
Route completed, Škofic makes an exit
© Mirja Geh/Red Bull Content Pool
Pilot and climber embrace
© Mirja Geh/Red Bull Content Pool
03
Defying the cold and gravity: A fight for control in mid-air
The temperature at 2,500m was very cold, and the headwind increased the effect, bringing the perceived temperature down to roughly –10 °C. Every movement had to be exact. Despite the custom-engineered holds - each capable of supporting 1.2 tonnes - the extreme conditions left no room for error. Communication with the pilot was maintained via headset, where split-second timing and absolute trust were essential.
One of Škofic’s biggest challenges was protecting his fingers from the cold while staying in sync with shifting G-forces. Each move had to be executed at just the right moment, clinging firmly before making the next step in a neutral phase of the flight. In addition to the parachute’s weight, he had to constantly adjust for the added strain of G-forces.
After about a minute, Škofic completed the route and leapt from the wing at 1,500m, finishing his “climbing flight” with a backflip into the open sky - a symbolic victory leap that embodied courage, skill, and the pushing of human limits.
04
Climbing at high altitude was much harder than Škofic imagined
For Škofic, the project was more than just a sporting challenge - it was the culmination of his passions: climbing, flying, and confronting the elements head-on. “It was an unbelievable feeling, much harder than I imagined. I thought I was ready, but I wasn’t. I even started to doubt whether I could do it. In the end, I was lucky the route was just difficult enough - any harder and it might have been impossible. There are no words to describe the experience. Nothing like this has ever been done before,” he reflected.
Škofic had already made climbing history at 15 by sending a 9a route - placing him among the youngest in the world to ever achieve it. In 2016, he crowned his career by winning the Lead Climbing World Cup.
The Plane Climb required a lot of courage and perfect timing
© Mirja Geh/Red Bull Content Pool
To make the perfect jump to the next hold at around 2,500m
© Mirja Geh/Red Bull Content Pool
“The biggest motivation for the ‘Plane Climb’ project was skydiving,” he explained. “I’d wanted to try it ever since I saw my first videos, but it was too expensive and time-consuming, so I stuck with climbing. Still, the dream was always there. Climbing is all about falling, with air beneath you, and many times I’d stood on a cliff edge wanting to jump. Skydiving seemed like the perfect match. When the chance finally came, I was hooked. It was a dream come true.”
As part of Slovenia’s army sports squad, Škofic trained in military skydiving - an essential foundation for this project, which demanded both technical mastery and mental clarity at altitude.
05
Between thermals and technology: the strengths of the Blanik
The Blanik glider, known for its history and reliability, has featured in numerous spectacular projects, including Akte Blanix 1–3. A modified Czech L-13 Blanik, it is valued for its size, stability, and forgiving flight characteristics - even under unusual loads. Its ability to fly slowly while remaining steady made it the perfect aircraft for this project. Unlike modern high-performance gliders, the Blanik’s aluminum frame allowed climbing holds to be mounted securely, while its stable aerodynamics kept it calm even with the added weight and asymmetrical forces of a moving climber.
Every shift in weight - from a change in grip to a move across the wings - affected aerodynamics. The Red Bull Blanix team meticulously tested the aircraft in simulations and wind tunnels to ensure safety under such stresses. The result: smooth, predictable handling even under extraordinary circumstances.
Red Bull Blanix pilot Ewald Roithner with Domen Škofic
© Mirja Geh/Red Bull Content Pool
Pilot Ewald Roithner explained the importance of preparation: “During the flight, we spoke very little - and that was intentional. On the ground, we practiced every detail until our movements were perfectly in sync. Domen knew exactly how I would fly, and I knew how he would climb. Only if something went wrong would we need to communicate directly - and we had clear codes for that.”
06
How were the holds attached to the plane?
The aerodynamic climbing holds were designed and built specifically for this project by a Slovenian company - founded by Škofic’s father, Pavel, who also helped engineer them. As co-inventor of the carving ski, Pavel brought his expertise to solving the problem of attaching holds to the glider.
“When we first stood in front of the aircraft, we knew it would be a huge challenge. Luckily, my father is a mechanical engineer, and he came up with the idea for attaching the holds. The aluminum is soft and flexible, so we had to find reinforced structural points to anchor them. The plane itself dictated the route. By placing the holds only where the frame was strongest, and shaping them aerodynamically, everything came together perfectly. I didn’t want a single hold that could shift,” Škofic explained.
Each hold was designed to withstand up to 1.2 tonnes of force, combining cutting-edge engineering with pure athletic daring to make the world’s first flying climbing route possible.