Just two months after Janja Garnbret, Laura Rogora achieved the second female ascent of "Bibliographie" in Céüse. The Italian needed only six days for her first 9b+ – no one had ever climbed this grade so quickly before.
It was originally intended as a short exploratory trip. Two days in Céüse, trying out a few moves on one of France's most famous climbing lines, seeing what was possible. In the end, Laura Rogora managed to tick off her first 9b+, and in record time, too.
Rogora is after Brooke Raboutou and Janja Garnbret She is only the third woman to redpoint a route of this grade. Her ascent of Bibliographie is the second female ascent and the seventh overall. And it is the fastest so far: just six days on the route – no one has ever been faster on Bibliographie, or likely on any other route of this difficulty.
“What started as two days turned into a mission”
Rogora herself wrote on Instagram after her success that she had no idea what to expect when she first visited Céüse. As she began the Bibliography section, she realized that the individual sections resonated with her. What was planned as a two-day trip turned into a mission, and after six days on the route, her dream had come true.
What was planned as a two-day exploratory trip turned into a mission, and somehow the dream became a reality in just 6 days along the route.
Laura Rogora on Instagram
This feat didn't come entirely out of the blue, however. Rogora's summer of 2026 was already exceptional: In Rodellar, she sent two more 9a+ routes, "No pain no gain" and "Patanics," thus surpassing the mark of 50 routes in the ninth grade. She also achieved her third onsight of 8c+ with "Così fan tutte." With "Ultimate Sacrifice" in Gorges du Loup in July 2025, she became the first woman ever to onsight an 8c+ route. In November 2025, she followed this up with "La ligne claire" in Saint Léger – no woman before her had achieved three onsights of this grade.
The Kingline of Ceüse
"Bibliography" is located directly to the right of the legendary "Biography" and was bolted by Ethan Pringle in 2009. The 35-meter-long line with over 80 challenging moves is considered one of the purest endurance tests of modern sport climbing.
The first ascent was achieved by Alexander Megos on August 5, 2020, after approximately 60 days of climbing over several seasons. Megos initially proposed a grade of 9c, which would have made "Bibliographie" the second hardest route in the world. A year later, Stefano Ghisolfi repeated the line, found a more efficient beta, and downgraded it to 9b+. Megos agreed with this assessment, noting that grades should be determined by consensus. The grade has remained at 9b+ ever since.
After that, things were quiet on the route: Sean Bailey repeated it in September 2021, Seb Bouin in June 2023, and Jorge Díaz-Rullo in the same year. The next ascent wasn't until June 6, 2026, when Janja Garnbret made it.
The women's 9b+ club is growing
Just over a year ago, no woman had yet achieved this grade. In April 2025, American Brooke Raboutou became the first woman to climb a confirmed 9b+ with "Excalibur" in Drena near Arco. Remarkably, Ghisolfi's test piece was her first route in the ninth grade ever. Janja Garnbret followed in June 2026, now Laura Rogora. Within just a few months, a record has become a small list.
For Rogora, "Bibliographie" also brings things full circle. When she repeated "Erebor," then Italy's hardest route, in Arco in October 2021, first ascensionist Stefano Ghisolfi commented on her Instagram post, suggesting that "Bibliographie" wasn't much harder if she hadn't yet planned her 2022 vacation. It took a few years longer than Ghisolfi had suggested. But in the end, it all happened quickly. The crème de la crème of the climbing world also congratulated Rogora extensively on her achievement. "Not too surprised, but still totally crazy, Laura!! The fastest 9b+ ever," one wrote, for example. Adam Ondra under the post about their inspection. Ghisolfi responded with the humorous words, "Unbelievable, but please stop making us all look like beginners!"
You might be interested in:
- Laura Rogora and Alessandro Zeni – Two repetitions for »Niobe« 9a
- Another 8c+ onsight: Laura Rogora's tick list from Saint-Léger
- Laura Rogora is the first woman to climb 8c+ onsight | Gorge du Loup
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Credits: Archive image Rogora in Niobe