Graham Nails Realization’s 4th Ascent

Dave Graham has redpointed Realization (5.15a) at Ceüse, France, completing the landmark route’s fourth ascent. Graham had been attempting the route periodically ever since he belayed Chris Sharma on the first ascent in 2001, and had spent several weeks at the cliff this summer hoping to finish it off.

Realization, considered a benchmark for 5.15a, was previously repeated by Sylvain Millet (France, 2004) and Patxi Usobiaga (Spain, 2004). The route was bolted by the late Jean-Christophe Lafaille and named Biographie (the name still used by most climbers in France); Frenchman Arnaud Petit completed the first half of Biographie at 5.14c in 1996.

It’s not as if Graham wasn’t ready for Realization. One of the world’s most prolific climbers of hard sport routes and boulder problems, Graham has completed at least half a dozen 5.14d routes and established the unrepeated Coup de Grace (5.15a) at Ticino, Switzerland.

Graham is climbing at Ceüse with Ethan Pringle and Sharma, who recently completed a new 5.14d, Three Degrees of Separation, to the right of Realization and has bolted a new line just to the left of his 2001 route that he reportedly called “futuristic but possible.”

Date of Ascent: July 30, 2007

Sources: www.bigupblog.com, www.8a.nu
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