Alex Megos

Alexander Megos
Megos on Action Directe in Frankenjura, 2014
Personal information
Nationality German
Born (1993-08-12) 12 August 1993
Erlangen, Germany
Occupation Professional rock climber
Height 174 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight 57 kg (126 lb)
Climbing career
Type of climber Bouldering, Lead climbing
Highest grade
Known for Being the first person to onsight a 9a (5.14d) route
Updated on September 9, 2018.

Alexander Megos (born 12 August 1993) is a German rock climber. He was the first climber to ever on-sight (climb without prior practice or advice) a route graded 9a (5.14d). He has climbed multiple notably hard routes and boulder problems, including one 9b+ (5.15c) route (Perfecto Mundo), two 9b (5.15b) routes (First Round, First Minute and Fight Club), and some boulder problems with a confirmed 8C (V15) rating. Megos has won many international competitions, mainly in Youth or Junior category. In 2017, he won the silver medal in both the Bouldering European Championships, in Munich and the IFSC Lead World Cup in Kranj, Slovenia. He currently holds the high point of Black Diamond's The Project, widely considered one of the world's hardest indoor routes.

Notable ascents

Redpointed routes

9b+ (5.15c)

  • Perfecto Mundo - May 9, 2018 - First Ascent - Route bolted by Chris Sharma[1]

9b (5.15b)

  • Fightclub - First Ascent.[2]
  • First Round First Minute - Third Ascent. First Ascent by Chris Sharma.[3]

9a+/b (5.15a/b)

  • Supernova - First Ascent.[3]

9a+ (5.15a)

  • Demencia Senil - First Ascent by Chris Sharma.[4]
  • La Rambla - Megos climbed it on his second try.[5]
  • Realization - First Ascent by Chris Sharma. Megos climbed it in one day, on his third try.[6]
  • Corona - Third Ascent.[5]
  • Classified - First Ascent.[5]
  • Modified - First Ascent.[7]
  • First Ley - Megos also sent a variation called La Ley Indignata 9a (5.14d), possible first ascent.[3]
  • Thor's Hammer - First Repeat. First Ascent by Adam Ondra.[8]
  • Geocache - First Ascent. Repeated by Adam Ondra.[9]
  • Becoming - First Ascent. [10]
  • Super Crackinette - First Ascent. [11]
  • Jaws 2 - Sent on third try.[12]

9a (5.14d)

  • Action Directe - Megos sent this route in just two hours. Action Directe was the world's first 9a, and continues to be a benchmark for the grade.[13]
  • La Sensación del Bloque - March 2017 - FA of the first south american 9a in Valle de los Condores, Chile.
  • Dreamcatcher - Fourth Ascent. Climbed in one day, other previous ascents by Chris Sharma, Sean McColl and Ben Harnden took multiple days.[14]
  • Era Vella - Second Try. Subject to much controversy about whether it is 9a(14d) or 8c+(14c).[15]

Other Famous Ascents

  • Pure Imagination: 8c+ (5.14c). Flash.[16]
  • Fly: 8c (5.14b). Megos made the first free ascent of this twenty pitch big wall in Switzerland.[6]
  • Hubble: 8c+ (5.14c) - Megos became the first to climb both Action Directe and Hubble by sending Hubble in June of 2016.[17]

Onsighted routes

9a (5.14d)

  • Estado Critico - World's first 9a onsight.[16]
  • TCT[18]

8c+ (5.14c)

  • Victimes del Passat[4]

Boulder problems

8C / 8C+ 

  • Wheelchair - First Ascent. Although Megos suggested a 9a+ sport climbing grade because of its length, this Wheel of Life variation is not a sport climb. It is a long boulder problem, harder than Wheel of Life, and possibly worth a 8C+ (V16) rating.[13][19]

8C (V15)

  • The Finnish Line - Summer 2017 - Second ascent of hard testpiece established by Nalle Hukkataival in the Rocklands bouldering area of South Africa. The grade is still controversial, but consensus seems to grow on 8C (V15).[20]
  • Wheel of Life: - First Ascent by Dai Koyamada. Megos suggested a sport climbing grade of 9a (5.14d), but this not a sport climb. It is a long boulder problem, rated 8C.[19]
  • Lucid Dreaming - Third Ascent of Paul Robinson's boulder, originally graded 8C+ (V16).[3]

8B+ (V14)

  • Never Ending Story[6]
  • Bad Boys for Life - First Ascent.[6]
  • Montecore:[21]
  • Riot Act[21]
  • Double Demerit - First Repeat.[22]
  • Sky[23]
  • Trainspotting - First Ascent.[24]

Rankings

Climbing World Cup[25]

Discipline 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Lead 55 37 35 - - - - - 22
Bouldering - - - 73 - - - - 28
Speed - - - - - - - - -
Combined - - - - - - - - 38

Climbing World Championships

Youth[26]

Discipline 2009
Youth A		 2010
Youth A
Lead 8 2

Adult[26]

Discipline 2018
Lead 3

Climbing European Championships[26]

Discipline 2010 2017
Lead 23 -
Bouldering - 2
Speed - -

Number of medals in the Climbing World Cup

Lead[26]

Season Gold Silver Bronze Total
201711
201811
Total1102

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Alexander Megos on Instagram: "I'm incredibly relieved... Clipping the anchor of "Perfecto Mundo", my first 9b+"". Instagram. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  2. ↑ "Alex Megos Establishes Fightclub – Canada's First 5.15". www.rockandice.com. 16 August 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Alex Megos Sends First Round, First Minute (5.15b) and More". www.rockandice.com. Retrieved 2016-05-07.
  4. 1 2 "Alex Megos: Super-Fast 5.15a". Climbing. 30 November 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 "Alex Megos: Corona (5.15a) - Rock Climbing & Bouldering Articles". www.dpmclimbing.com. Retrieved 2016-05-07.
  6. 1 2 3 4 http://sbx.me, Sbellcheck -. "Alexander Megos - Pro Team - DMM Climbing Equipment". DMM Climbing Equipment. Innovative climbing gear, made in Wales. Retrieved 2016-05-07.
  7. ↑ "Video: Alex Megos Climbs Modified (5.15a) in Frankenjura". Climbing. 9 November 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  8. ↑ "Alex Megos Repeats Thor's Hammer (5.15a), Flatanger Cave". www.rockandice.com. Retrieved 2016-05-07.
  9. ↑ "Adam Ondra Repeats Geocache (9a+/5.15a) in a Day". www.rockandice.com. Retrieved 2016-06-02.
  10. ↑ "Instagram photo by Alexander Megos • Oct 24, 2016 at 6:06am UTC". Instagram. Retrieved 2016-10-24.
  11. ↑ "Instagram photo by Alexander Megos • Oct 17, 2016 at 9:02pm UTC". Instagram. Retrieved 2016-11-13.
  12. ↑ "Instagram post by Alexander Megos • Oct 11, 2017 at 12:44am UTC". Instagram. Retrieved 2017-10-11.
  13. 1 2 "Alex Megos Sends Action Directe (5.14d) in Two Hours - Rock Climbing & Bouldering Articles". www.dpmclimbing.com. Retrieved 2016-05-07.
  14. ↑ "Alex Megos Sends Dreamcatcher 5.14d for Fourth Ascent". www.gripped.com. Retrieved 27 Aug 2016.
  15. ↑ "Alexander Megos on Instagram: "Wooop! The ultra classic "Era Vella" went down yesterday on my second try. I checked it out first and then straight away did it. This one…"". Instagram. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
  16. 1 2 "World's First 9a Onsight? - Rock Climbing & Bouldering Articles". www.dpmclimbing.com. Retrieved 2016-05-07.
  17. ↑ Pohl, Bjorn (Jun 1, 2016). "UK Climbing". Retrieved Jun 2, 2016.
  18. ↑ "TCT, second 9a onsight by Alex Megos". ukclimbing.com. Retrieved 2017-11-08.
  19. 1 2 "Alex Megos Establishes 5.15a Link-Up in Australia's Grampians". www.rockandice.com. Retrieved 2016-05-07.
  20. ↑ "Daniel Woods sends Finnish line says v15". gripped.com. Retrieved 2018-09-07.
  21. 1 2 "Alex Megos on a V14 - Gripped Magazine". Gripped Magazine. 2014-11-26. Retrieved 2016-05-07.
  22. ↑ "Alex Megos Makes Fast Work Of 'Double Demerit' (V14/8B+) | EpicTV". www.epictv.com. Retrieved 2016-05-07.
  23. ↑ "Videos: Alex Megos Climbing in Ceuse and Rocklands - Rock Climbing & Bouldering Articles". www.dpmclimbing.com. Retrieved 2016-05-07.
  24. ↑ "Instagram photo by Alexander Megos • Oct 30, 2016 at 5:46pm UTC". Instagram. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
  25. ↑ IFSC, ed. (July 20, 2017). "World Cup Rankings". Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  26. 1 2 3 4 IFSC, ed. (July 20, 2017). "Megos's profile and rankings". Retrieved July 20, 2017.
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