Chris Sharma

Climbing career 1996–2002 (to Realization) From the outset, Sharma was considered a prodigy in the climbing world. The following year, Sharma won silver at the biennial UIAA World Championships at Paris, and in February 2000, completed the first ascent of The Mandala, a world-famous boulder problem. Climbing author Andrew Bisharat notes in a 2016 essay on climbing re-grades, that "The other interesting point about Open Air that’s worth mentioning is that the route reportedly contains some rather flaky holds that have broken off over the years. So was the Open Air that Ondra climbed the exact same route that Alex Huber climbed? Maybe, but probably not." and has since become an important route in the history of sport climbing, with Climbing magazine noting that "technical rock climbing jumped in its evolution". Sharma's ascent of the route was captured in Josh Lowell's 2002 film, Dosage Volume 1. Days later, Sharma won the Munich leg of the IFSC World Cup in bouldering, only to be disqualified on testing positive for marijuana.

2002–2008 (to Jumbo Love)

After Realization, Sharma considered quitting climbing and went on Buddhist pilgrimages. A 2003 trip to Mallorca, Spain to meet Miquel Riera, a pioneer of deep-water soloing, led him to "fall in love with climbing all over again".

In 2007, Sharma moved to Lleida, a town near the Spanish Pyrenees, in Catalonia, Spain, predominantly in Catalonian limestone crags (namely Oliana, Siurana, Santa Linya and Margalef), starting with the classic of Papichulo in May 2008. and now he needed to find his own limit saying: "I wanted to push myself to the next level. Where is that? I had to discover it. That was a big process in itself. So I bolted all these routes [in Spain]. And a lot of them ended up being that next level". Both Ondra and Sharma declared the collaboration to be a very positive experience with Sharma saying post his March ascent: "It was a healthy process for both of us, we fed off each other's motivation and through him, I think I became a better climber myself". Their collaboration was documented in Reel Rock 7 (2012), and La Dura Complete (2013).

Post 2013

At , La Dura Dura would hold the rank of "world's hardest climb" until Ondra climbed Silence at in 2017, and while Sharma would put up several more "King Lines" over the next 5 years, it marked the high-point in terms of his hardest route. In March 2023, aged 41, Sharma made the first redpoint of Sleeping Lion, a route beside La Rambla in Spain, which he described as the hardest thing he had done in over eight years. At the same time in 2023, noting that neighboring Golpe de Estado has never had a third ascent, Sharma wondered if it was a really graded route, which would have made it the world's first-ever at that grade. In 2016, Outside said "Sharma shaped modern rock climbing. Whatever he thought was cool, we followed. Bouldering. Projecting hard sport routes. Deep water soloing. In 2016, Climbing said: "Over the past three decades, Sharma has cultivated a mellow Southern California persona, but in reality, he's one of the most competitive, focused, and driven athletes out there". or when seeking direction and motivation. Sharma was also known for eschewing any gym-based training (including fingerboards or cross-training) or dieting, preferring to climb as his sole method of training.

Sharma is credited with developing the commercial potential of extreme sport climbing, with Climbing saying "Not only did Sharma have the guns to become the first human to climb 5.15, he had the genius to see the potential, coupled with the commitment to spend months and years of his life proving it", Sharma's commercial appeal, and becoming one of the most filmed climbers, In August 2015, he married Venezuelan model and television personality Jimena Alarcón, and the couple moved from Oliana to Barcelona. and their second child, a son, in 2019.

Zen

Sharma's parents were practising Zen Buddhists (although they did not live in at the Mount Madonna ashram) Sharma has been on various Asian pilgrimages lasting several months, including the Shikoku Pilgrimage in Japan that he undertook after climbing Realization in 2001.

The 2010 book Climbing: Because It's There (Philosophy for Everyone) discussed the impact of Zen Buddhism on Sharma saying: "Sharma's affinity for Buddhism, and Zen in particular, is well documented in film and print. He exemplifies the spirit of Zen, being humble (but potent), ordinary (but extraordinary), self-aware, and most of all, authentic".

Sharma has however rejected the label of "spiritual climber", saying in 2011: "To be stereotyped like that definitely detracts from me personally. Like I said, I'm totally happy talking about this stuff. I just don’t want to make some image for myself like I’m some sort of saint or something. I get frustrated, and I get bummed out".

Notable ascents

Redpointed routes La Dura Dura – Oliana (ESP) – 23 March 2013. Sharma developed and bolted the route, and made the first repeat after Adam Ondra's February 2013 first ascent.

Sleeping Lion – Siurana (ESP) – 28 March 2023. First ascent of a route that Sharma developed and bolted. In 2024, Alexander Megos proposed that it be downgraded to . now considered closer to 5.15b, but a classic. Jumbo Love – Clark Mountain (USA) – 11 September 2008. First ascent, and world's first-ever route. Repeated by Ethan Pringle (2015), and Jonathan Siegrist (2018). – Siurana (ESP) – 17 December 2008. First ascent, and the first-ever to be repeated when Adam Ondra climbed it in March 2010 (it was Ondra's first-ever 9b). In 2023, noting that it has never had a 3rd ascent, Sharma wondered if it was a . Neanderthal – Santa Linya (ESP) – 18 December 2009. First ascent. Second ascent by Jakob Schubert (2018), and third, after almost a decade of attempts, by Adam Ondra (2019). First Round First Minute – Margalef (ESP) – 19 April 2011. First ascent. First repeat by Adam Ondra (2014), second by Alex Megos (2016), and third by Stefano Ghisolfi (2017). Fight or Flight – Oliana (ESP) – 5 May 2011. First ascent. First repeat by Adam Ondra (2013); the "first 9b" for many others (Jakob Schubert (2015), Sachi Amma (2015), Matty Hong (2018)). Stoking the Fire – Santa Linya (ESP) – 6 February 2013. First ascent. First repeat by Adam Ondra (2016), and like Fight or Flight, a popular 9b route. Realization – Céüse (FRA) – 18 July 2001. First ascent and the world's first-ever consensus route; features in Dosage Volume 1. Demencia Senil – Margalef (ESP) – 20 February 2009. First ascent. First repeated by Iker Pou (2010), and second repeat by Ramón Julián Puigblanqué (2010). Pachamama – Oliana (ESP) – 29 May 2009. First ascent. First repeated by Sachi Amma (2011), and then by Ramón Julián Puigblanqué (2015), and Adam Ondra (2017). First Ley – Margalef (ESP) – 28 February 2010. First ascent. Shorter 15m route that avoids the 9b finish of First Round First Minute; popular "first 9a+" with several repeats. Power Inverter – Oliana (ESP) – December, 2010. First Ascent. First repeated by Ramón Julián Puigblanqué (2014), and then by Sachi Amma (2015). Catxasa – Santa Linya (ESP) – 14 January 2011. First Ascent. First repeated by Ramón Julián Puigblanqué (2012); numerous repeats. La Rambla – Siurana (ESP) – 1 December 2006. Third ascent (just a day after the second ascent), and made Sharma the first climber to have climbed multiple confirmed routes. Dreamcatcher – Squamish, British Columbia (CDN) – September, 2005. First ascent. Bolted with Sonnie Trotter, since considered one of the most iconic climbs in North America. Three Degrees of Separation – Céüse (FRA) – July, 2007. First ascent. Right of Realization and uses 3 large dynos; Era Vella – Margalef (ESP) – March, 2010. First ascent. Sharma did it warming up and called a "soft 9a"; it became a popular "first 9a", but the grade is now considered 8c+/9a. Samfaina – Margalef (ESP) – June, 2010. First ascent. Sharma felt it was 9a, but Jorge Díaz-Rullo and Alex Megos suggest 9a+. Necessary Evil – Virgin River Gorge (USA) – 1997. First ascent. Sharma, aged 15, freed Boone Speed's project to create North America's hardest route at the time. Divine Fury – Maple Canyon (USA) – September, 2008. V for Vendatta – Siurana (ESP) – 1 April 2022. Sharma was about to turn 41, and it was his sixth time onsighting 8c.

Deep-water solo routes Alasha – Mallorca (ESP) – 16 September 2016. First ascent (named for his daughter Alana). Sharma felt it would be 9a with bolts, but as a DWS route was closer to 9b. First repeat by Jakob Schubert in 2021 who felt it was a 9a DWS route.

Boulder problems Practice of the Wild – Magic Wood, (CHE) – August, 2004. First ascent. First repeat by Tyler Landman, then Daniel Woods; Witness the Fitness – Ozarks (USA) – March, 2005. First ascent of roof and filmed in Dosage 3. Repeated by Fred Nicole and Daniel Woods, but unclimbable after hold broke. Catalan Witness the Fitness – Cova de l’Ocell (Barcelona, ESP) – January, 2016. First ascent. A tunnel-like, horizontal roof; possible . The Mandala – The Buttermilks (Bishop, USA) – February, 2000. First Ascent of an iconic boulder problem. Several holds have since broken, and it is speculated the original grade was . 1997 UIAA World Cup (Lead), Kranj event. Gold Medal. Sharma was aged 16. 1999 Summer X Games, San Francisco (Bouldering). Gold Medal. Sharma was aged 17. 2001 18th Annual Phoenix Bouldering Contest. but subsequently disqualified when testing positive for marijuana. 2004 American Bouldering Series, third round of the 2003–04 Series (ABS5). 2007 Mammut Bouldering Championships 2009 Ilerbloc Open Internacional 2010 Earth Treks Roc Comp 2010 Psicobloc Masters Series, Bilbao, Spain. The world's first DWS competition.