Realization (climb)

Realization
Biographie
Sectors Berlin and Biographie on Céüse cliff
Map showing the approximate location of Realization / Biographie
Location	Céüse, France
Coordinates	44°29′53″N 5°56′54″E / 44.4981333°N 5.9482208°E / 44.4981333; 5.9482208Coordinates: 44°29′53″N 5°56′54″E / 44.4981333°N 5.9482208°E / 44.4981333; 5.9482208
Climbing Area	Céüse
Route Type	Sport Climb
Vertical Gain	35-metre (115 ft)
Pitches	1
Rating	9a+ (5.15a)
Bolted by	Jean-Christophe Lafaille, 1989.
First free ascent	Chris Sharma, 18 July 2001.[1]

Realization, also called Biographie, is a circa 35-metre (115 ft) sport climbing route on a limestone cliff on the southern face of Céüse mountain, near Gap and Sigoyer, in France. After it was first climbed in 2001 by American climber Chris Sharma, it became the first rock climb in the world to have a consensus grade of 9a+ (5.15a).^[a] It is considered an historic and important route in rock climbing, and one of the most attempted climbs at its grade.^[4][5]

History[]

Long south-facing cliffs of Céüse, known as the Corniche de Céûse

In 1989, French climber Jean-Christophe Lafaille bolted the whole circa 35 metre pitch, and named it Biographie (he did not climb it).^[6] In 1996, French climber  [fr] freed the lower half, adding an anchor at his high-point and grading it 8c+ (5.14c).^[6] Petit estimated that the remaining unclimbed section was about 8b+ (5.14a) but had a very difficult 7C boulder problem that he could not overcome.^[6] American climber Chris Sharma made over 30 attempts from 1996 to 2000 but could also not overcome the boulder move.^[6] In 2001, Sharma canceled his participation in the Bouldering World Cup in Gap to concentrate on the climb, and after 3 days trying on 18 July 2001,^[1] successfully free climbed the route, linking up Petit's first section to Lafaille's final bolt.^[6][7]

Sharma's first ascent of the route was captured in Josh Lowell's 2002 climbing film, Dosage I.^[5]

Sharma did not assign a grade the climb.^[8][7] however he did name it Realization.^[6][9] The naming was a source of controversy as in France climbing routes are named by the person who first bolted the route, while in the U.S. (and the U.K.), they are named by the first person to successfully free climb the route.^[6] Sharma would later clarify: "I named the route Realization because the first part "Biographie" ended in the middle and I wanted to differentiate the two. Then there was some frustration from the French that I changed the name etc. So upon speaking with some French friends, I understood the history of the line and the tradition in France that the bolter names it, and I told them "that's fine with me to call it Biographie". Most of the time now like in slideshows etc, I actually call the route Biographie. I guess the whole thing was a bit confusing due to the middle anchor and not wanting to discredit the first pitch or have the name be exactly the same as the first part. For me personally, people can call it whatever they want. Naming things is just for fun. The perfection of the route speaks for itself. That piece of rock was there long, long, before us, so to get worked up about naming it is kinda ridiculous".^[6][10]

Though only aged 20, Sharma considered retiring after completing the ascent, but found new inspiration in extreme deep-water soloing routes in Mallorca.^[11] It took almost three years until the second ascent was made by French climber, Sylvain Millet, who also refused to grade it given his lack of experience of other equivalent reference climbs, however, he noted that the failure of other strong climbers to repeat the route (e.g. Patxi Usobiaga, and Dave Graham), implied that 9a+ was the likely grade.^[12] On 24 September 2017, American climber Margo Hayes became the first female climber to repeat the route.^[13][14]

Route[]

The route starts in an immediate hard "four-move boulder problem", which partially broke in 2010, potentially rendering the lower section even more difficult (it has been compared to the notable bouldering problem, Necessarily Evil). Sustained 5.13 climbing after the initial bouldering problem leads to the main rest, a large right-facing flake. After this pause, a series of "super-resistant two and three-finger pocket moves", with cross-throughs and underlings and high-steps lead to Arnaud Petit's old anchor (now since removed),^[5] which is just under halfway.^[7]

To the anchor, the route is considered 5.14c, although some have suggested an upgrade to 5.15a due to the initial bottom boulder breaking. There is a small rest at the old anchor, then sustained resistance climbing leads to a slightly better rest just below the finishing crux. This final crux is essentially 12 moves, described as "a bunch of foot movement, and some very fickle pockets and crimps". Its difficulty is amplified by the amount of hard climbing undertaken to reach it. Above this crux is a small rest, and some 5.11 climbing for another 50-feet leads to the final anchor at around the circa 35-meter mark".^[5]

Legacy[]

Realization would become the world's first rock climb to carry a consensus 9a+ (5.15a) grade, and with it, Climbing chronicled that it delivered a "technical revolution" in rock climbing.^[11] However, in November 2008, Adam Ondra on completing the second ever ascent of Alexander Huber's Open Air at Austria's Schleierfall, re-graded it as 9a+ (5.15a); Huber had climbed it in 1996 but assumed the grade was 9a (5.14d), but Ondra felt that Open Air was definitely harder than other solid "benchmark" 9a (5.14d) climbs such as Weiss Rose, and Action Directe, and even La Rambla which was at 9a+ (5.15a).^[2][3]

The high quality and sustained difficulty of the route mean that it is still considered an important test piece or rite-of-passage for the world's best rock-climbers, whose repeat ascents of the "legendary" route, are often covered by the climbing media.^[8][15][16] Outside magazine called it "the benchmark for the grade",^[5] and it has become one of the most attempted and repeated routes at the grade at 9a+ (5.15a).^[17] In 2014, National Geographic called the route, "one of the most famous sport-climbing routes in the world".^[4] PlanetMountain included Realization on its list of important climbs in the evolution of free climbing (1918–2013).^[18]

In 2012, when Adam Ondra attempted to flash the route (i.e. complete on the first attempt) he said: "It had always been my long-term crazy dream to flash this route".^[8] In 2014, when climber Jonathan Siegrist made the eighth ascent of the route and told Outside magazine: "I can remember the first time that I saw the route — it is truly magnificent. I was shocked to see that such a bold and impressive, seemingly perfect line exists. Add to that, the historic significance of this climb, not to mention its unique and brilliant holds and movement — it really is a proud route".^[5] On repeating the route in 2014, German climber Alexander Megos said: "I wanted to climb this route because it is the world’s first 9a+ and definitely one of the most famous routes worldwide! But it’s not just the history behind the route, also the route itself is one of the best ones I ever climbed!".^[4] In 2016, remembering his own 2015 repeat of the route, Italian climber Stefano Ghisolfi called it, "..perhaps the most famous cutting-edge route in the world".^[19]

Ascents[]

Realization, or Biographie, has been ascended by:^[1][16]

Filmography[]

• Chris Sharma's first ascent: Lowell, Josh (director) (11 February 2012). Dosage Volume I (Motion picture). Big UP Productions. ASIN B000NOK288. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
• Jonathan Siegrist's 8th ascent: Saarentola, Donna (director) (5 August 2014). Nomad Episide 1 (Motion picture). Bearcam Media. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
• Margo Hayes' first female and 15th ascent: Hong, Matty and Mortimer, Peter (director) (2 November 2017). Break on Through (ReelRock 12) (Motion picture). Sender Films. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
• Seb Bouin's 19th ascent: Pilcher, Hugo (director) (October 2020). Seb Bouin's Vintage Rock Tour - Episode 3 (Motion picture). EpicTV. Retrieved 25 December 2021.

See also[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Climbing in Céüse.

• History of rock climbing
• List of first ascents (sport climbing)
• Silence, first climb in the world with a potential grade of 9c (5.15d)
• La Dura Dura, first/second climb in the world with a consensus grade at 9b+ (5.15c)
• La Rambla, popular 9a+ (5.15a), and completing with Realization/Biographie and Papichulo is the "9a+ Trilogy"
• Action Directe, first climb in the world with a consensus grade at 9a (5.14d)

Notes[]

References[]

Further reading[]

• Berry, Alan (2009). France : Haute Provence. Rockfax. ISBN 9781873341278. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
• Marie, Rolland; Girousse, Laurent (2018). Ceuse Rock Climbing Guidebook. Retrieved 30 December 2021.

External links[]

• Chris Sharma, World's First 5.15, Big UP Productions (May 2002)