Realization (climb)

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

In 1989, French climber Jean-Christophe Lafaille bolted the entire circa 35 metre pitch, and named it Biographie (he was not able to climb it).[7] Biographie remained an long-standing open project, and in 1996, French climber Arnaud Petit freed the lower half of the route, added an anchor at his high-point and graded it at 8c+ (5.14c).[7] Petit estimated that the remaining unclimbed section was about 8b+ (5.14a) but had a very difficult 7C (V9) boulder problem that he could not overcome.[7] American climber Chris Sharma made over 30 attempts from 1996 to 2000 but could also not overcome the boulder move.[7] In 2001, Sharma skipped the Bouldering World Cup in Gap, and after three days working on the route, on 18 July 2001,[1] successfully free climbed the route, linking up Petit's first section to Lafaille's final bolt.[7][8]

Sharma's first ascent was captured in Josh Lowell's 2002 climbing film, Dosage Volume 1.[6]

Sharma did not assign a grade to the climb.[9][8] however he did name it Realization.[7][10] 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.[7] Sharma would later clarify:[7][11]

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". ... 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. ... That piece of rock was there long, long, before us, so to get worked up about naming it is kinda ridiculous.

Though only aged 20, Sharma considered retiring after completing the ascent, but found new inspiration in extreme deep-water soloing routes in Mallorca.[12] 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.[13]

On 24 September 2017, American climber Margo Hayes became the first female climber to climb the route.[14][15]

On 5 August 2020, German climber Alexander Megos created Bibliographie, a 9b+ (5.15c) route, a few metres to the right of Realization/Biographie.[16]

The distinctive blue line of Realization (or Biographie), with quickdraws in situ

The route starts with 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, underclings, and high-steps lead to Arnaud Petit's old anchor (now since removed),[6] which is almost halfway.[8]

To the anchor, the route is considered 5.14c (8c+), although some have suggested an upgrade to 5.15a (9a+) 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 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 5.11 climbing for 50-feet leads to the final anchor at around the circa 35-meter mark".[6]

Realization was the first route to carry a consensus 9a+ (5.15a) grade, and Climbing called it a "technical revolution" in rock climbing.[12] The quality and sustained difficulty of Realization means it is still considered an important rite-of-passage for the world's best rock climbers, whose repeat ascents of the "legendary" route, are covered by the climbing media.[9][17][18] Outside magazine called it "the benchmark for the grade",[6] and it has become one of the most attempted and repeated routes at the grade at 9a+ (5.15a).[19] In 2014, National Geographic called it, "one of the most famous sport-climbing routes in the world".[5] PlanetMountain included Realization on its list of important climbs in the evolution of free climbing (1918–2013).[20]

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".[9] In 2014, when American 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".[6] 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!".[5] 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".[21]

Realization, or Biographie, has been ascended by:[1][18]

First female free ascents (FFFA):

• 1st. Margo Hayes on September 24, 2017[14][15]

• Chris Sharma's FFA: Lowell, Josh (director) (11 February 2002). Dosage Volume I (Motion picture). Big UP Productions. ASIN B000NOK288.
• Jonathan Siegrist's 8th ascent: Saarentola, Donna (director) (5 August 2014). Nomad Episide 1 (Motion picture). Bearcam Media.
• Margo Hayes' FFFA: Hong, Matty; Mortimer, Peter (director) (2 November 2017). Break on Through (ReelRock 12) (Motion picture). Sender Films.
• Seb Bouin's 19th ascent: Pilcher, Hugo (director) (October 2020). Seb Bouin's Vintage Rock Tour - Episode 3 (Motion picture). EpicTV.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Climbing in Céüse.

• History of rock climbing
• List of grade milestones in rock climbing
• Silence, first climb in the world with a potential grade of 9c (5.15d)
• La Dura Dura, second climb in the world with a consensus grade of 9b+ (5.15c)
• Jumbo Love, first climb in the world with a consensus grade of 9b (5.15b)
• La Rambla, popular 9a+ (5.15a), that forms the coveted "9a+ Trilogy" with Realization/Biographie and Papichulo
• Action Directe, first climb in the world with a consensus grade of 9a (5.14d)
• Hubble, first climb in the world with a consensus grade of 8c+ (5.14c)

• VIDEO: Chris Sharma, World's First 5.15, Big UP Productions (May 2002)
• VIDEO: Watch Margo Hayes Send Biographie 5.15a, Gripped Magazine (2021)