WORLD FIRST: Climbing around the outside of a plane in mid-flight

Domen Škofic scales specially constructed 8a Route on the wings of a glider at 2,500 metres altitude and 100 km/h

Red Bull athlete Domen Škofic (Slovenia) has made history as the first climber in the world to scale the outside of a plane in mid-flight. Climbing across the wings of the Red Bull Blanix Team’s historic Blanik glider, he completed an 8a climbing route at 2,500 metres altitude while the aircraft flew at speeds of up to 100 km/h.

Equipped only with a parachute, Škofic defied freezing windchill, shifting G-forces, and the constant push of airflow — a challenge unlike anything ever attempted in climbing or aviation.

Key Facts

• Athlete: Domen Škofic (SLO) – Red Bull athlete, 2016 Lead World Cup champion
• Route: 8a difficulty, figure-eight path across both wings of a Blanik glider
• Altitude / Speed: 2,500 m / 80–100 km/h ground speed
• Conditions: Windchill equivalent to –10 °C, G-forces, constant airflow
• Location: Aigen im Ennstal, Styria, Austria
• Finale: Completed with a backflip skydive from 1,500 m

Route Overview and Timeline

After take-off, Škofic opened the cockpit canopy, climbed out with a 12 kg parachute backpack, and began his ascent:

1. Lower Left Wing: Started near the fuselage, moving along the underside.
2. Wing Transfer: Passed beneath the fuselage to switch wings in mid-flight.
3. Upper Right Wing: Transitioned onto the top surface, resisting heavy airflow and drag.
4. Exit: After roughly one minute, he leapt from 1,500 m, finishing with a celebratory backflip skydive.

Unlike traditional routes, each move had to be timed at “neutral moments” between gravity and aerodynamic pull, requiring millimetre-precise coordination with the pilot.

The Physiology of Flight Climbing

At 2,500 metres, air temperature hovers near 4 °C, but with windchill from 100 km/h airflow, Škofic endured conditions closer to –10 °C. With fingers numbing rapidly, he had to protect grip strength while balancing the parachute’s 12 kg load and shifting G-forces.

Unlike rock climbing, where gravity is the only opponent, this ascent demanded equilibrium between gravity, wind pressure, and motion – a new a completely new challenge in the physical endurance demands of climbing.

Athlete Reactions

• Domen Škofic revealed:“It was an incredible feeling – much harder than the preparation on the ground. I started to doubt whether I could do it, but the route was just challenging enough. Something like this has certainly never been done before,”
• Domen Škofic continued: “Climbing always gave me the urge to jump. Combining climbing with skydiving in this project was a dream come true.”
• Red Bull Blanix Pilot Ewald Roithner explained: .“Everything was rehearsed in detail. Domen knew exactly how I would fly, and I knew his moves just as precisely. In the air, communication was minimal but trust was absolute.”

Engineering & Innovation

• Aircraft: Red Bull Blanix Team’s L-13 Blanik — stable, slow-flying, aluminium-built glider, ideal for the route.
• Climbing Holds: Custom aerodynamic holds designed in Slovenia by Škofic’s father, engineered to withstand 1.2 tons of force.
• Preparation: Months of wind tunnel training, parachute jumps, and extreme-condition route simulations.
• Filming: Nine onboard cameras captured the climb from every angle.

Why It Matters

The Plane Climb merges climbing and aviation into one unprecedented challenge, proving what is possible when human ambition meets technical precision. By turning a glider into a vertical climbing route, the project expands the limits of the sports into three dimensions – altitude, gravity, and airflow.

Domen Škofic

Domen Škofic is a Red Bull athlete and Slovenian professional climber. Known for precision, creativity, and pushing climbing into unconventional arenas, he has combined elite competition success with record-setting ascents and now with groundbreaking aerial challenges.

Major Achievements

• Plane Climb (2025): First climber to scale the outside of a plane in mid-flight.
• 9a Route at 15 (2006): Among the youngest in history to achieve this grade.
• Lead World Cup Champion (2016): Crowned as the world’s best sport climber.
• Hardest Route (2025): Climbed 9b+ earlier this year, his toughest line to date.
• Unique Challenge (2021): With fellow Slovenian climbing champion Janja Garnbret, Domen Škofic climbed the tallest chimney in Europe at 360m tall.