The most difficult rock climbs in the world are like peer-reviewed scientific papers. They’re only proven when enough climbers have tested it for themselves. And at the most elite level, there are only a handful of people with the ability to send them.
For years, the grade of the five hardest climbs in the world — a difficulty level called 5.15d — remained unconfirmed, since only one person had climbed each one. That all changed on October 10 when Austrian climber Jakob Schubert, 35, became the second person to send the 5.15d DNA in France.
The landmark accomplishment cements the difficulty of the climb, and makes Schubert one of the most accomplished sport climbers of all time.
The Story
DNA is located in the Verdon Gorge in France, and is characterized by extreme overhang terrain and multiple difficult bouldering-style cruxes. French climber Seb Bouin bolted and first climbed the route in 2022, and his journey to sending the route (which involved over 250 attempts) appeared in the Reel Rock film series.
Schubert established a 5.15d of his own, B.I.G., in Norway in 2023. His history with DNA dates back to 2024, when he first tried it, to no major success. He came back again recently to work the route, and sent it on his ninth attempt of the week. Schubert estimated that he spent 30 days on it total. The climber is known for his unique approach to social media, where he live-streams his attempts on major projects like B.I.G. and DNA, allowing the public to watch his struggle and process.
Typically, any time a climb this hard with so few ascents gets repeated, the climber will share what they believe the grade is and their reasons for their decision. On Instagram after his send, Schubert confirmed DNA‘s 5.15d rating.
“DNA is way less my style than B.I.G. and for sure the hardest route I’ve ever done (for me personally),” he wrote on Instagram. “I feel like I learned so much from projecting this route.”
Why Does it Matter?
A climb’s grade only gets confirmed through repeats, and since no one had repeated any of the five 5.15ds in the world, their first ascensionists (and the climbing community) couldn’t be sure if they were really that hard.
This repeat confirms that 5.15d is truly the hardest any sport climb can be (at least until someone claims a grade of 5.16).
It’s also a landmark send for Schubert. He’s now the first-ever climber to send two routes at the world’s toughest grade. This feat, along with one 5.15c send and eight 5.15b sends, cements Schubert’s legacy as an all-time great in the world of sport climbing.
