Chris Omprakash Sharma (born 1981-04-23) is an elite American professional rock climber, with many difficult and famous first ascents. He is one of the most recognizable faces in rock climbing popular culture. Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 113th day of the year (114th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Climbers on Valkyrie at the Roaches. ... In climbing, a first ascent (FA) is the first climb to reach the top of a mountain, or the first to follow a particular climbing route. ...

Climbing history

Raised in Santa Cruz, California, Chris Sharma started climbing at the age of 12, and it soon became apparent that he possessed an exceptional natural talent. At 14 he won the Sport Climbing Nationals and in the following year he climbed his first route of the grade 5.14c (Necessary Evil). By the age of 15 he had climbed most of the hardest routes in America and placed second in the World Cup. For other uses, see Santa Cruz. ...

In 2001, Sharma completed his long-term project Realization, in Ceüse, France. It is considered by some to be the first consensus 5.15a/9a+ (although other climbs had claimed this level of difficulty). The route is also known as Biographie, the name given by Jean-Christophe Lafaille, who first bolted the route in 1989. Later on, considering the route too difficult to be climbed as one pitch, Arnaud Petit bolted an intermediate belay station approximately half way from the top. In the United States, the use of "Realization" usually refers to the full route and extension of the shorter (and easier) "Biographie." There is also some controversy as to whether or not it was actually the first 5.15a to be climbed, as two other routes already held higher grades at the time of Realization's first ascent. These routes were somewhat controversial, however, and were graded by their first ascensionists, and are still awaiting repeats (Chris Sharma prefers not to grade routes and did not grade Realization). Realization is a sport climb in Ceüse, France. ... Ceüse is a an area in France that is home to the Realization rock climb. ...

Sharma won the Bouldering World-Cup in Munich in 2001 but it was recalled after he tested positive for THC. “THC” redirects here. ...

In September, 2006, Sharma completed his most difficult project since Realization, a deep-water solo beneath a 65-foot arch-shaped rock islet called Es Pontas, off the coast of Mallorca, Spain. The crux of the route features a difficult dynamic move, leaping from one set of holds to the next while 35 feet above the water, which apparently took Sharma 50 or more attempts to successfully complete. The route tentatively holds the same name as the islet. It is not yet graded, though the popular climbing website www.8a.nu has suggested 9b Deep-water soloing is a form of solo rock climbing that relies solely upon the presence of water at the base of a climb to protect against injury. ... Mōkōlea Rock in Kailua Bay, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i, 2. ... Location Location of Mallorca in Balearic Islands Coordinates : 39° 30’N , 3°0E Time Zone : CET (UTC+1) - summer: CEST (UTC+2) General information Native name Mallorca (Catalan) Spanish name Mallorca Postal code 07001-07691 Area code 34 (Spain) + 971 (Illes Balears) Website http://www. ... This page describes terms and jargon related to climbing and mountaineering. ...

Other famous ascents include The Mandala, a boulder problem in Bishop, California, Witness the Fitness in Horseshoe Canyon Ranch, Arkansas, and the third ascent of a sport route in Spain called La Rambla (Original), amongst others (see below).

Climbing style

Sharma is well known for his highly spiritual nature and climbing philosophy (seen to wonderful effect in a journal commissioned by Climbing Magazine in 2003). He often uses visualization and meditation techniques before attempting especially difficult routes or boulder problems, and becomes very personally invested in projects, sometimes attempting them for weeks or months before earning the ascent (see Realization and Es Pontas). Realization is a sport climb in Ceüse, France. ...

Sharma prefers dynamic, "acrobatic" climbing with spread-out, well defined holds rather than delicate crimpers or cracks. He has a unique talent for using his momentum and grip strength to power through challenging moves, such as dynos and campusy sloper sections, sometimes even skipping over difficult holds in the process. He excels at routes that require a combination of high strength, creative technique, and precise movement. This page describes terms and jargon related to climbing and mountaineering. ... A typical campus board at a rock climbing training facility The Campus Board is a Rock Climbing training tool, usually made from thin slats of wood attached to a board in a ladderlike fashion, then hung at a less than vertical angle (around 20 degrees) somewhere with plenty of leg...

Aside from his world famous sport route Realization, Sharma is probably best known for his bouldering. He has more recently taken up deep-water soloing, which combines elements of both styles: the greater height of sport routes but without ropes or harnesses, using only the water below for protection. As he describes, "All the elements are there. The stone, the air when you're free-falling, the water and the fire inside." (Rock and Ice. 12/2006) Sport climbing is a style of rock climbing that relies on permanent anchors fixed to the rock, especially bolts, for protection. ... Deep-water soloing is a form of solo rock climbing that relies solely upon the presence of water at the base of a climb to protect against injury. ... To make climbing as safe as possible, most climbers use protection to prevent injury to themselves and others. ...

Sharma is also an innovator of the tripod stance in which he uses only one foot while resting as opposed to two feet. The best example of this is the 30 minute rest on Realization he took before ascending the crux.

Notable ascents

• Necessary Evil (5.14c, FA in 1997)

• The Mandala (V12/8A+, FA in 1999)

• Realization (5.15a/9a+, FA in 2001)

• Dreamtime (8B+/V14). According to Dave Graham, only four climbers made natural ascents before it was chipped: Bernd Zangerl, Fred Nicole, Chris Sharma, and himself. Bernd Zangerl went back to the boulder after it was presumed chipped and he said himself that he didn't think that it was.[1]

• Unendliche Geschichte (8B+, FA in 2003) aka The never ending story on the Bach bloc in Averstal, Switzerland. As of May 2007, this problem has been repeated by Julius Westphal (2003), Kilian Fischhuber (Aug 12, 2006), and Chris Webb Parsons (May 17, 2007).

• Witness the Fitness (FA in March 2005) in The Ozarks, Arkansas. It is a roof boulder problem, like Esperanza (V14, Hueco Tanks, TX, FA by Fred Nicole). Sharma has repeated Esperanza and considers Witness to be a harder problem.

• Dreamcatcher (5.14+, FA 09/23/2005). This sport route is on Cacodemon Rock near The Chief in Squamish, British Columbia. It was bolted by Sharma and Sonnie Trotter in the summer of 2005, just prior to the Petzl/Arc'Teryx RocTrip in Squamish. Sharma said the route is "probably 14c or 14d." [2] Ethan Pringle on his Climbing Pro Blog has also stated that the route "checks in around 5.14c/d."

• Es Pontas (FA on 28 September 2006). A deep-water solo "Arch project" in Mallorca, Spain. The crux includes a seven-foot dyno about 35 feet above the water. There is a deep water solo route (Loskot & Two Smoking Barrels) in the film Dosage 2, which is being attempted by Klem Loskot and Tim Emmett. Sharma flashed that dyno, whereas this took him up to 50 attempts. This route could quite possibly be 5.15b/9b considering the amount of time it took Sharma to repeat La Rambla which is considered a benchmark 5.15a/9a+. In an interview where the website 8a.nu inquired whether this Mallorcan arch project might be 9b, Sharma stated that "it felt (physically) like 9a but you might be right with your suggestion...the anxiety before the dyno... we will see."

• La Rambla Extension (9a+/5.15a) Third ascent, December 1, 2006. Located in Siurana, Spain. The route was first climbed by Ramón Julián Puigblanque in 2003. The second ascent was by Edu Marin, one day before Sharma's ascent.

• Three Degrees of Separation (9a/5.14d) First ascent, July 20, 2007. Located in Ceuse, France. The line lies a couple hundred feet to the right of Realization. The route has three dynos and the first one is the crux. Sharma has also bolted a new project to the left of Realization that he calls "futuristic but possible."

Movieclip of the route[3] In climbing, a first ascent (FA) is the first climb to reach the top of a mountain, or the first to follow a particular climbing route. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... In the sport of bouldering, problems are assigned technical grades according to several established systems, which are distinct from those used in regular climbing. ... In climbing, a first ascent (FA) is the first climb to reach the top of a mountain, or the first to follow a particular climbing route. ... Realization is a sport climb in Ceüse, France. ... In mountaineering and related climbing sports, climbers give a climbing grade to a route that attempts to assess the difficulty and danger of climbing the route. ... In climbing, a first ascent (FA) is the first climb to reach the top of a mountain, or the first to follow a particular climbing route. ... Dreamtime is a V15/8C boulder problem in Cresciano, Switzerland. ... David Ethan Graham (born November 10, 1981 in Maine) is a professional rock climber. ... Fred Nicole is a Swiss rock climber, notable for his numerous cutting edge first ascents. ... Witness The Fitness is a boulder problem near Horshoe Canyon Ranch in Arkansas. ... In climbing, a first ascent (FA) is the first climb to reach the top of a mountain, or the first to follow a particular climbing route. ... “Ozark” redirects here. ... Hueco Tanks is an area of low mountains in Texas, USA. It is located in a high-altitude desert basin between the Franklin Mountains to the west and the Hueco Mountains to the east. ... Fred Nicole is a Swiss rock climber, notable for his numerous cutting edge first ascents. ... In climbing, a first ascent (FA) is the first climb to reach the top of a mountain, or the first to follow a particular climbing route. ... Squamish is a growing community in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located at the north end of Howe Sound. ... In climbing, a first ascent (FA) is the first climb to reach the top of a mountain, or the first to follow a particular climbing route. ... Deep-water soloing is a form of solo rock climbing that relies solely upon the presence of water at the base of a climb to protect against injury. ... Ramón Julián Puigblanque (also known as Ramónet, which means little Ramón) is a Spanish rock climber. ...

Filmography

Chris Sharma has also been featured in many rock climbing magazines and films, especially bigUP Production videos. The following films document the history and development of his climbing.

• Masters of Stone IV; Pure Force (1998) - Sharma on Surf Safari and Übermensch
• Free Hueco (1998, Big Up Productions) - bouldering in Hueco Tanks, Sharma on Slashface
• Rampage (1999, Big Up Productions) - bouldering
• Inertia (2000)
• Dosage Vol. 1 (2001, Big Up Productions) - Sharma on The Mandala and Realization
• The Road (2003, MC Productions)
• Pilgrimage (2003, Big Up Productions) - bouldering in Hampi, India
• Dosage Vol. 2 (2004, Big Up Productions) - Sharma deep-water-soloing in Mallorca, Spain
• Best of the West (2005, MC Productions) - bouldering in Hueco Tanks, Sharma on Esperanza
• Dosage Vol. 3 (2005, Big Up Productions) - bouldering in The Ozarks, Arkansas, Sharma on Witness the Fitness
• Big Game (2005, MC Productions) - sequel to Best of the West; bouldering in Castle Hill, New Zealand
• Depth Charge (2006) - deep-water-soloing in Croatia
• Dosage Vol. 4 (2006, Big Up Productions) - Sharma on Dreamcatcher, bouldering in Switzerland and at Hueco
• King Lines (2007, Big Up Productions/Sender Films) - bouldering, deep-water-soloing, sport routes, and even a trad climb throughout the world. Sharma on Es Pontas, Three degrees of separation, and the Clark Mountain project.

The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... Realization is a sport climb in Ceüse, France. ... Witness The Fitness is a boulder problem near Horshoe Canyon Ranch in Arkansas. ...

External links

• Sharma Repeats La Rambla
• Sharma at Eagle Peak - supporting access rights

Known Sponsors: Petzl Prana Black Diamond Evolv