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German rock climber From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alexander Megos (born 12 August 1993) is a German rock climber specializing in sport climbing, bouldering and competition climbing. In 2013, he became the first-ever climber to onsight a 9a (5.14d) graded route. He has made the first free ascent (FFA) of some of the hardest sport climbing routes in the world, including two 9b+ (5.15c) routes (Perfecto Mundo and Bibliographie), four 9b (5.15b) routes (Fight Club, Ratstaman Vibrations, Move and The Full Journey), and several boulders with a boulder 8C (V15) rating.
 | You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in German. (August 2022) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
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 Megos at the 2022 European Championships | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nationality | German | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 12 August 1993 Erlangen, Germany | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Professional rock climber | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 173 cm (5 ft 8 in)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 57 kg (126 lb)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Known for |
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| First ascents |
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Medal record
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| Updated on 27 June 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Megos started climbing at the age of six. With his father, he climbed multi-pitch routes up to 300 m at the age of ten. In 2006, Megos began training in the mountainous region of his native Bavaria, known as Franconian Switzerland, and later at the German Alpine Club's national climbing center in Erlangen-Nuremberg.[2] There, he was mentored by Patrick Matros and Ludwig Korb, who continue to train and coach Megos to this day. In 2007, Megos completed his first 8a (5.13b). Two years later, in 2009, he climbed his first 8c (5.14b) by completing Drive-by Shooting, and, in 2011, his first 9a (5.14d) by ascending San Ku Kai.
Alexander Megos started competition climbing in 2006. He won two youth European Championship titles (2009 and 2010) and was the runner-up in the youth World Champion in 2011.[3] In 2009, he won every single competition in the EYC series.[4] In 2017, he was the runner-up in bouldering at the European Championship and won his first World Cup in the lead climbing discipline in Briançon, France, on 21 July 2018.[5]
In 2017, he won the silver medal for bouldering at both the European Championships in Munich and the IFSC Lead World Cup in Kranj, Slovenia. In 2018, he won a bronze medal in the lead climbing discipline at the IFSC World Cup in Chamonix, France,[6] and, one week later, won the gold medal at the Briancon World Cup.[7] Later in that year, he took the bronze medal at the World Championships in the lead competition.[8] He followed this up with a silver in lead at the 2019 World Championships. By reaching the finals of the combined event at the World Championships, he secured a qualifying spot for Tokyo's 2020 Summer Olympics.[9]
Megos has also climbed in the La Sportiva Legends competitions, where he has placed second and third on numerous occasions, celebrating in a win in 2018.[10] He currently holds the high point of Black Diamond's The Project, which is widely considered one of the world's hardest indoor routes.
On 24 March 2013, Megos ascended Estado Critico in Siurana, Spain, completing the world's first 9a onsight. In August 2013, Megos climbed The Red Project 9a (35), Australia's first 9a, and Wheelchair (9a+).[11] Due to the boulder's uncommonly long length, Megos assigned the Wheelchair a sport grading.[12]
Alexander Megos is known for speedily ascending difficult climbing routes. From mid-April to mid-June 2014, he completed nine routes, ranging from 9a+ (5.15a) to 8c+ (5.14c), in Franconian Switzerland, including Modified 9a+ (5.15a), one of the most challenging routes in the region. He also managed a redpoint attempt of the famous Action Directe within two hours, setting a record time.[13] In addition, he is the only person to complete an asccent of Biography also known as Realization 9a+ (5.15a) in Ceüse, France in a single day of effort.[14]
In June 2014, Alexander Megos, together with Roger Schäli, completed the first ascent of the 20-pitch route Fly 8c (5.14b) in Staldeflue, Switzerland, one of the most difficult big-wall climbing routes in the world.[15]
In April 2015, Megos returned to Australia, completing the first ascent of SchweinebaumeIn 9a (35). On 1 October 2015, he climbed the route Supernova in Franconian Switzerland and, by doing so, likely established the first route of grade 11+ (UIAA) (9a + / 9b French) in German-speaking countries.[16]
Megos' ascent of First Round First Minute in December 2015 marked the completion of his first 9b (5.15b).
On 9 May 2018, he secured the first ascent of the route Perfecto Mundo in Margalef, Spain, a line bolted by Chris Sharma. Megos and Sharma had tried it together several times in the days before his ascent and graded it 9b+ (5.15c).
In August 2020, Megos completed his long-term project Bibliographie in Céüse, grading it 9c (5.15d), after working on it for 60 days.[17] However, in August 2021, after Stefano Ghisolfi had matched this feat, the route was downgraded to 9b+ (5.15c), which Megos agreed was more fitting.[18]
In May 2020, Megos ascended Upgrade U 8C (V15), one of the most challenging bouldering problems in his native northern Bavaria.[19][20]
9b+ (5.15c)
9b (5.15b)
9a+/b (5.15a/b)
9a+ (5.15a)
9a (5.14d)
Other notable ascents
9a (5.14d)
8c+ (5.14c)
8C (V15)
8B+ (V14)
| Discipline | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | 55 | 37 | 35 | - | - | - | - | - | 22 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 2 |
| Bouldering | - | - | - | 73 | - | - | - | - | 28 | 55 | 19 | 9 | 22 | 33 |
| Speed | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Combined | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 38 |
Youth[63]
| Discipline | 2009 Youth A |
2010 Youth A |
|---|---|---|
| Lead | 8 | 2 |
Adult[63]
| Discipline | 2010 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|
| Lead | 23 | - |
| Bouldering | - | 2 |
| Speed | - | - |
| Season | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2018 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 2019 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 2021 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2022 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2023 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 2024 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Total | 1 | 5 | 4 | 10 |
Megos has been vegan since the beginning of 2021.[64]
Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24th 2022, Megos and his family have taken in 15 Ukrainians. Two of the refugees were minors and had to leave the country without their parents, so Megos hosted them for a couple of months.[65][66] [67]
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