The world of climbing is witnessing an unprecedented era of growth, with routes becoming increasingly challenging as elite climbers push the boundaries of human capability.
Advancements in equipment and training methods have enabled climbers to tackle routes that were previously considered impossible. The grading systems used to measure climbing difficulty vary worldwide, making it essential to understand these systems to appreciate the challenges involved.
Top climbers like Nalle Hukkataival have noted that the hardest climbs will never have an accurate grade due to the subjective nature of difficulty assessment. This guide will take you through the most challenging climbing routes across various disciplines, providing insights into the physical, technical, and mental demands of extreme climbing.
Key Takeaways
- Understanding the evolution of climbing routes and their increasing difficulty.
- Learning about different grading systems used worldwide to measure climbing difficulty.
- Exploring the world’s current hardest verified routes and the elite climbers who have conquered them.
- Gaining insights into the physical, technical, and mental demands of extreme climbing.
- Appreciating the incredible achievements of top climbers and their contributions to the sport.
The Evolution of Extreme Climbing
The world of climbing has witnessed a significant transformation over the years, with routes becoming increasingly challenging. This evolution is a result of advancements in technology, training methodologies, and the vision of climbers to push beyond existing boundaries.
Pushing the Boundaries of Human Capability
Climbing has progressed dramatically, with each generation of climbers building upon the achievements of their predecessors. The difficulty grade of climbing routes has seen a notable increase, with modern climbers tackling routes that were once considered impossible. For instance, routes rated 5.10 were once deemed extremely difficult, but now climbers routinely attempt routes graded 5.15 and beyond.
How Routes Get Harder: Equipment, Training, and Vision
The evolution of climbing is attributed to several factors, including advancements in equipment, sophisticated training methods, and the visionary approach of climbers. Some key developments include:
- Technological advancements in climbing gear, enabling climbers to attempt more complex routes.
- Increased sophistication in training methodologies, focusing on strength, endurance, and recovery.
- A psychological shift, with climbers now approaching previously “impossible” grades with confidence and determination.
The climbing community plays a vital role in this evolution, with climbers sharing knowledge, techniques, and encouragement that collectively elevates the sport’s standards. As a result, the world of climbing continues to experience new challenges and achievements, pushing the limits of human experience.
Understanding Climbing Grades: A Primer
Climbing grades serve as a universal language among climbers to gauge route challenge. These grades help climbers understand the relative difficulty of routes, although they can be somewhat subjective, especially at the highest levels.
Sport Climbing: The French and YDS Systems
Sport climbing utilizes grading systems to measure the difficulty of climbing routes. The French grading system is widely used internationally for sport climbing, ranging from 3 (very easy) to 9c (the current ceiling of difficulty). In North America, the Yosemite Decimal System (YDS) is popular, using numbers starting with “5.” for technical climbing, currently reaching 5.15d at the highest end, equivalent to the French 9c.
Bouldering: V-Scale and Font Scale
Bouldering has its own distinct grading systems. The V-Scale (or Hueco Scale) in North America ranges from V0 to V17, while Europe’s Fontainebleau (Font) scale uses numbers and letters, currently up to 9A. These systems help boulderers understand the difficulty and complexity of their chosen routes.
Traditional and Alpine: E-Grades and Beyond
Traditional climbing often employs more complex grading systems that factor in both technical difficulty and danger. The British E-system is a prime example, combining an E-grade (overall seriousness) with a technical grade. Alpine and ice climbing have their own specialized grades that account for factors beyond pure climbing difficulty, including commitment, objective hazards, and altitude.
Understanding that grades are proposals rather than absolute measurements is crucial, especially for cutting-edge routes that may not have consensus from multiple ascents. Grades have inflated over time as standards rise and techniques evolve, making historical comparisons challenging but reflecting the sport’s progression.
The 9c Frontier: Sport Climbing’s Ultimate Challenge
The world of sport climbing is witnessing an unprecedented era with the emergence of 9c graded routes. This grade represents the absolute frontier of sport climbing difficulty, with only three routes currently proposed at this level, all awaiting confirmation through repeat ascents.
Silence (9c): Adam Ondra’s Norwegian Masterpiece
Adam Ondra made history in 2017 with the first ascent of “Silence” in Norway’s Flatanger cave. This 45-meter route features a mind-boggling upside-down V15 boulder problem that required specialized training and innovative knee-bar techniques. Ondra spent seven visits and over 40 days projecting Silence, developing custom training methods to master the specific movements required.
DNA (9c): Sébastien Bouin’s Verdon Gorge Testpiece
In 2022, French climber Sébastien Bouin proposed the second 9c with “DNA” in Verdon Gorge after 150 days of effort. He described it as relentless with “non-stop boulder cruxes” on tufas and crimps with minimal rest. DNA’s sustained nature contrasts with Silence’s more specific crux sequence, showcasing how routes of equal grade can present entirely different challenges.
B.I.G. (9c): Jakob Schubert’s Flatanger Achievement
Jakob Schubert added the third proposed 9c in 2023 with “B.I.G.” in Flatanger, a 55-meter line originally bolted by Ondra. It features over 80 moves of powerful climbing before reaching its crux, a V12 boulder problem. Schubert described B.I.G. as his “biggest mental battle,” highlighting the psychological resilience required for such climbs.
These three 9c routes remain unrepeated as of early 2025, illustrating the massive gap between the absolute cutting edge and the broader elite climbing community. The ascents of these routes by climbers like Adam Ondra, Sébastien Bouin, and Jakob Schubert are redefining the limits of sport climbing.
The 9b+ Stepping Stones: Elite Sport Routes
The world’s most challenging 9b+ sport climbing routes are redefining the limits of human capability. These elite routes serve as crucial benchmarks for climbers aiming to reach the 9c frontier.
Iconic 9b+ Routes: Change, La Dura Dura, and Perfecto Mundo
The 9b+ grade is exemplified by routes like Adam Ondra’s “Change” in Flatanger, Norway, established in 2012. “La Dura Dura” in Oliana, Spain, another Ondra first ascent, features a notorious dyno move requiring exceptional power and precision. “Perfecto Mundo” in Margalef, Spain, first climbed by Alexander Megos in 2018, demands acrobat-like abilities to navigate its unforgiving edges.
Breaking Barriers: Brooke Raboutou and Excalibur
Brooke Raboutou made history in April 2025 by ascending “Excalibur,” becoming the first woman to climb a 9b+ route. This achievement highlights the progression of female climbers and demonstrates that women can overcome the same technical and physical challenges as men at the highest grades. “Excalibur,” established by Stefano Ghisolfi, features a fierce overhang with microcrimps and a high heel hook crux.
These 9b+ routes, while slightly below the proposed 9c ceiling, remain accessible to only a tiny fraction of the world’s climbers and represent extraordinary achievements in their own right. The continued progression in sport climbing is pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
Exploring the World’s Hardest Climbing Routes: Bouldering V17
The V17 grade in bouldering represents the pinnacle of climbing difficulty, where strength, technique, and mental fortitude converge at the limits of human capability. Bouldering’s elite climbers have been pushing the boundaries with increasingly complex problems, and V17 has become the benchmark for the most challenging climbs.
Burden of Dreams: Nalle Hukkataival’s Finnish Benchmark
Nalle Hukkataival established the world’s first proposed V17 with “Burden of Dreams” in Lappnor, Finland in 2016. This intense problem features just 4-5 moves on tiny, sharp crimps on a 45-degree overhang, demanding extreme finger strength and precision. Hukkataival dedicated three to four years to projecting “Burden of Dreams,” with the first move alone estimated around V13 difficulty.
Return of the Sleepwalker: Daniel Woods’ Power Endurance Test
Daniel Woods pushed the grade further with “Return of the Sleepwalker” in Red Rock Canyon in 2021. This problem adds a V13 sequence into an existing V16 without any rest, creating a power-endurance test piece. The difficulty of “Return of the Sleepwalker” has been confirmed by repeats from elite climbers like Will Bosi and Noah Wheeler.
Alphane and Megatron: Shawn Raboutou’s Contributions
Shawn Raboutou has been prolific at the V17 level, establishing “Alphane” in Switzerland’s Chironico area and “Megatron” in Colorado’s Eldorado Canyon, both in 2022. “Alphane” links a V14 start into a V15 section followed by a V10 top-out, demanding both power and endurance. “Megatron” adds a V15 sit start to an existing V14 problem, further pushing the difficulty.
The V17 grade is seeing increasing activity, with climbers like Charles Albert, Aidan Roberts, Sean Bailey, and Elias Iagnemma proposing new problems at this level. While no woman has yet climbed V17, female climbers are making significant progress, with Katie Lamb’s ascent of “The Dark Side” (V16) in March 2025 marking a milestone.
Traditional Climbing’s Ultimate Tests
Climbers tackling the world’s most difficult traditional routes face a multidimensional test of ability and resolve. These routes are not just about physical strength or technical skill; they demand a climber’s ability to manage risk, place precise protection, and push through mental barriers.
Jacopo Larcher’s Tribe: A Six-Year Odyssey
Jacopo Larcher’s “Tribe” in Cadarese, Italy, is considered one of the world’s hardest trad routes. Larcher spent six years and 50 sessions to complete this climb, which remains ungraded. Adam Ondra, after attempting “Tribe,” described it as “no doubt, the hardest single-pitch trad route in the world,” suggesting its difficulty might be around 9a+ (5.15a) if it were a sport route.
The E11/E12 Frontier: Rhapsody and Bon Voyage
Other benchmark hard trad routes include James Pearson’s “Bon Voyage” in Annot, France, graded E12, and Dave MacLeod’s “Rhapsody” at Dumbarton Rock, Scotland, which was the world’s first E11. “Bon Voyage” features a traverse on shallow pockets into a technical, runout arête, while “Rhapsody” involves an unprotected French 8c+ section above the last gear, risking falls of over 20 meters onto a small ledge.
These elite trad routes remain unrepeated for years due to their combination of technical difficulty and serious consequences, requiring a rare blend of physical ability and mental fortitude. The ethics of traditional climbing add another dimension, with climbers spending years working out protection strategies and committing to the ethic of placing gear on lead.
Big Wall Epics: Multi-Day Climbing Challenges
Climbing big walls is a test of endurance, skill, and mental toughness, with routes like The Dawn Wall and Eternal Flame standing out as ultimate challenges. Big wall free climbing represents a unique challenge where climbers must maintain extreme difficulty over multiple days and thousands of feet of vertical terrain, combining technical climbing with complex logistics.
The Dawn Wall: Tommy Caldwell’s Yosemite Vision
The Dawn Wall on El Capitan in Yosemite stands as the pinnacle of big wall free climbing, featuring 32 pitches with multiple sections rated 5.14 (8b+/c) and an overall grade of 5.14d (9a). Tommy Caldwell spent seven years visualizing, exploring, and attempting the route before he and Kevin Jorgeson completed the first free ascent in January 2015 during a 19-day push that captured global attention.
Eternal Flame: High-Altitude Free Climbing
Eternal Flame on Nameless Tower (Trango Tower) in Pakistan represents another pinnacle of big wall free climbing, combining 5.13a technical difficulty with the challenges of climbing at 6,250 meters altitude. First free climbed by brothers Alexander and Thomas Huber, and later onsighted by Babsi Zangerl and Jacopo Larcher, Eternal Flame demonstrates how high-altitude big walls add environmental challenges that multiply the difficulty beyond the technical grade.
The difficulty of these big wall routes lies not just in their hardest pitches but in the cumulative challenge of linking all pitches in sequence while living on the wall, managing finger injuries, and enduring the mental strain of repeated attempts. Adam Ondra’s swift second ascent of The Dawn Wall in just eight days showcased his exceptional ability, while Sébastien Berthe’s third ascent in early 2025 added another chapter to the route’s history, facing additional challenges including winter conditions and a back injury.
Alpine and Ice: The Most Formidable Mountain Challenges
Alpine and ice climbing embody the most comprehensive test of a climber’s capabilities, combining technical difficulty with harsh environmental conditions. Climbers in these disciplines face not only the challenge of navigating complex routes but also coping with extreme cold, high altitudes, and remote terrains.
Climbing achievements in these areas are often considered pinnacles of mountaineering success. For instance, David Lama’s solo ascent of Lunag Ri stands as a testament to the heights of human endurance and skill.
Lunag Ri: David Lama’s Solo Triumph
David Lama’s solo ascent of Lunag Ri (6,895m) on the Nepal/Tibet border in 2018 was a monumental achievement, coming after four attempts and four years of effort. Lama’s triumph was all the more remarkable given the extreme conditions he faced, including temperatures of -30°C and 80kph winds.
The climb was a significant milestone in alpine climbing, showcasing Lama’s exceptional skill and determination.
Interstellar Spice: The Hardest Ice and Mixed Routes
In the realm of ice climbing, “Interstellar Spice” at Helmcken Falls, Canada, graded WI12, is considered a cutting-edge route. Climbed by Klemen Premrl and Tim Emmett in 2016, it features an 80m pitch with a 30m overhang through a challenging “maze of ice daggers and mushrooms.”
This route exemplifies the technical complexity and physical demands of elite ice climbing, pushing climbers to their limits in a unique and formidable environment.
What Makes These Routes So Hard?
The world’s hardest climbing routes are a true test of a climber’s overall ability, encompassing strength, technique, and mental stamina. These routes demand an extraordinary combination of physical prowess, technical mastery, and psychological resilience that places them at the very edge of human capability.
Physical Demands
The physical demands of these climbs are extreme. Climbers need exceptional finger strength to hold onto tiny edges, often described as “credit card edges” or “worn golf ball dimples.” Power-endurance is crucial for linking difficult sequences without adequate rest. For instance, routes like “Return of the Sleepwalker” require climbers to execute V13 moves when already fatigued.
Technical Complexity
Technically, these routes demand precision measured in millimeters. The slightest error in foot placement or body positioning results in immediate failure. Many cutting-edge routes require specialized techniques like knee bars, toe hooks, heel hooks, and dynamic movements that must be executed perfectly while at physical limits.
Mental Fortitude
Mentally, projecting the world’s hardest routes means embracing years of failure. Climbers like Nalle Hukkataival spent four years on “Burden of Dreams,” while Sébastien Bouin dedicated 150 days to “DNA.” The psychological battle includes managing fear, maintaining motivation through hundreds of failed attempts, and developing visualization skills.
| Climbing Aspect | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Physical Demands | Exceptional finger strength and power-endurance | Return of the Sleepwalker (V17) |
| Technical Complexity | Precision in movement and body positioning | Specialized techniques like knee bars and heel hooks |
| Mental Fortitude | Embracing failure and maintaining motivation | Nalle Hukkataival’s four-year project on Burden of Dreams |
Conclusion: The Unending Pursuit of the Impossible
As climbers continue to push the boundaries of human capability, the world’s hardest climbing routes remain an ever-shifting frontier. The pursuit of these challenging climbs has become a defining characteristic of modern climbing.
The evolution of climbing difficulty is driven by a combination of factors, including improved training methods, specialized equipment, and greater knowledge sharing among climbers. As elite athletes continue to seek out new challenges, whether establishing harder routes or finding more efficient beta for existing lines, the world of climbing is propelled forward.
The subjective nature of grading means that the “world’s hardest climb” will always be somewhat debatable. However, the climbing community continues to push standards collectively, with each groundbreaking ascent inspiring others to reach further. For the average climber, these elite achievements might seem distant, but they expand our understanding of human potential and provide inspiration for personal challenges at any level. The beauty of climbing’s progression is that it has no ceiling—there will always be harder moves to execute, more sustained sequences to link, and more challenging environments to overcome on rock.
The relentless pursuit of the hardest climbing routes pushes the sport to its edge, enhancing the experience for climbers of all levels. As we look to the future, it’s clear that the journey to the top will continue, driven by the passion and dedication of climbers worldwide.
