Adam Ondra has been penalized by the  Committee of Alpinisum ČHS (Czech Mountaineering Association)  for using chalk on such routes as: Pěkná ústa, oči zelené XIc and Boží muka Xb, in the sandstone areas around Zleb (Labe valley, Elbetal), in the north of the Republic.

At a meeting on the 3rd of June, the ČHS heard the case. The issue was a complaint regarding an infraction of the rules of sandstone climbing. The penalty placed on Ondra was a reduction of his grant by 10%.

this is not an isolated incident, however. It is a rather small, but highly visible chapter in the on-going dispute regarding the use of magnesium in sandstone areas.  While it is technically forbidden, the use of chalk is widespread in the areas where Ondra used it. There is speculation that Ondra was singled out and prosecuted based on his high profile within the climbing community, as there have been several pictures of him climbing sandstone with magnesium in the public view recently. 

More to come about Ondra, the CHS, magnesium, and the fate of sandstone climbing ethics...