In sport climbing, the difficulty grade 9c (5.15d) represents the absolute pinnacle of human performance on rock. Worldwide, there are currently only five routes rated at this grade, and none of them have been repeated. But who exactly is currently part of the 9c club, and who is trying to secure a place in this elite group?
As of: June 2026
The world's first 9c – »Silence«
Since 2017, the grade 9c has marked the absolute pinnacle of sport climbing. At that time, [the author] wrote... Adam Ondra History, when he was in the Hanshelleren cave in Norway on the third of September Flatanger with Silence He established the world's first 9c. For years, the Czech climber referred to the line as "Project Hard." After the first ascent, he was certain: This is a 9c. He chose the name very deliberately: "When I climbed the crux of this route, I felt like I was in my own world, my mind was completely still, my body relaxed, and despite the extreme difficulty of the moves, I moved upwards in complete harmony. When I reached the anchor, I wanted to scream, but I couldn't. I was too overwhelmed to break the silence."
Silence has not been repeated to this day. However, two top athletes have recently committed themselves to the project: Stefano Ghisolfi and Will BosiGhisolfi has been working on the Silence project since 2022. In 2025, Bosi also traveled to Flatanger to join the project. After his broadcast of "Por do Sol" in January, the Scotsman announced that he intended to dedicate 2026 entirely to Silence.
Seb Bouin's "DNA" in the Verdon Gorge
The world's second 9c route was established in the La Ramirole climbing area in France. The routes on the wall are long and steep and Sebs DNA: Bouin is no exception. The top climber invested three years in DNA, from bolting and setting up the route, through working out the boulder problems, to the final ascent on April 29, 2022. 150 days and over 250 attempts went into this passion project, with which Bouin wanted to truly challenge himself. He long debated whether the route should be graded 9b+ or 9c. "I've never attempted a similar route with a similar grade to DNA," the French pro explained after the redpoint. "The 9c is my suggestion for DNA, which now needs to be confirmed or adjusted by other climbers."
In 2023, it ventured Jakob Schubert to the ultimate test in the Verdon Gorge. The following year, he returned together with Adam Ondra to crack the beta and exchange ideas about the line during the project planning.
Project Big – »BIG«
Back in 2013, Adam Ondra established another challenging project in the Hanshelleren cave. The approximately 50-meter-long route ascends the left side of the cave. Almost ten years later, Ondra traveled to Norway again with Jakob Schubert to tackle the project. Ondra himself was initially intimidated by the line, and Schubert felt the same way. "In the first few days, I was definitely overwhelmed by the length, the numerous difficulties, and the complexity of the route." ProjectBig. "
In 2023 he returned with the goal of achieving the first ascent and indeed succeeded on July 23rd, completing the anchor to cliffs and Project Big.BIG"It was rated 9c by Schubert. The Austrian climber stated that he deliberated for a long time about whether it should be a 9c or "only" a 9b+, but the difficulty of the crux move clearly tipped the scales towards 9c. Now BIG is waiting in the Norwegian cave with Silence for his first repeat ascent. During his trip to Flatanger last year, the German professional climber began..." Alex Megos to make initial attempts in BIG.
First 9c in the USA? Sean Bailey's "Duality of Man"
Sean Bailey also assigned the highest difficulty grade of 9c to a route in January 2026. The 29-year-old American had previously invested four years and three seasons in his hardest project to date, "Duality of Man" in Dry Canyon. Should Bailey's proposal stand, it would be the hardest route in the USA. According to insiders, he had already climbed the route in early 2025 and withheld the news until now.
More on the recent 9c ascent by Sean Bailey:
Margalef: Jorge Díaz-Rullo celebrates “Café Colombia”
After more than four years of work on his life's project, Madrid native Jorge Díaz-Rullo achieved the first ascent of "Café Colombia" in the Racó de la Finestra sector in Margalef on March 13, 2026. He also proposed the grade 9c, thus placing the route at the pinnacle of sport climbing.
"Café Colombia" was originally bolted by Colombian climber Anghelo Bernal on the right side of the wall. The route is approximately 30 meters long, overhanging, and consists of about 40 moves in the technically demanding style characteristic of Margalef. Díaz-Rullo began working on the route in the fall of 2021 and invested 240 days over more than four years before finally achieving the ascent.
That might interest you
- Alex Megos and Yannick Flohé are planning a potential 9c route in the Franconian Jura
- Jakob Schubert rates BIG 9c | formerly Project Big
- Everything you always wanted to know about Silence (9c) | Stefano Ghisolfi
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Credits: Cover photo: Pavel Blazek, © Adam Ondra