Alex Megos
Quick Info ˅
| Nationality: | DE |
| Date of birth: | 12th August 1993 |
| Hardest Boulder (Worked): | 8C |
| Hardest Sport (Worked): | 9b+ |
| Hardest Sport (Onsight): | 9a |
| Hardest Sport (Flash): | 9a |
| Hardest Trad (Flash): | E9 |
| Social Media |
|
Alex Megos grew up in the Frankenjura area Germany and specialises in sport climbing and bouldering. He's famed for very fast ascents of hard testpieces as well as establishing some of the hardest sport routes in the world.
Alex was the first person in the world to onsight 9a with his ascent of Estado Crítico in Siurana.
Sources
Podcasts
- Jam Crack Podcast, November 2016
- Jam Crack Podcast, December 2020
- The Struggle Climbing Show, March 2022
- The Struggle Climbing Show, January 2023
Pics + Vids
Bat Route (8c)
Lucid Dreaming (8C)
Lucid Dreaming (8C)
Estado Crítico (9a)
La Capella (9b)
King Capella (9b)
Unjustified (8b+)
Cadafist (9a, FA)
Northern Lights (9a)
Das Pumpenhausen (8B, FA)
The Finnish Line (8C)
Fight Club (9b, FA)
La Furia de Jabali (9a+)
Hubble (9a)
Hubble (9a)
Kaa'bah (8c+)
Evolution (8c+)
Perfecto Mundo (9b+, FA)
Perfecto Mundo (9b+, FA)
Era Vella (9a)
Dreamcatcher (9a)
The Path (E9)
Louis Cut (8B+, FA)
First Round, First Minute (9b)
Intermezzo XY Gelöst (9a)
Bibliographie (9b+, FA)
Kulebras Gemelas (9a, FA)
Mejorando Imagen (9b)
Wunderheiler (9a)
Ratstaman Vibrations (9b, FA)
The Full Journey (9b, FA)
La Castagne (9a+)
Ascents
59 recorded ascents.
| Year | Climb | Grade | FA | Ascent Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Estado Crítico | 9a (Lead Onsight) | 24th March 2012 | |
|
The first ever onsight of a 9a. Doubly impressive as up until that point the hardest route Alex had climbed was 9a. Alex had originally planned to try La Rambla Extension but couldn't find the route from the topo and so got on Estado instead. When he reached the point where the route splits with Kalea Borroka he nearly went up Kalea instead as he felt very pumped, fortunately he persevered! |
||||
| 2013 | La Rambla Extension | 9a+ (Lead) | March 2013 | |
|
Second go! |
||||
| Corona | 9a (Lead) | May 2013 | ||
|
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2013/05/corona_9a+_by_megos-68050 |
||||
| Das Pumpenhausen | 8B (Boulder) | ✓ | May 2013 | |
|
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2013/05/alex_megos_climbs_new_8b_at_porth_ysgo_wales-68080 |
||||
| The Wheel of Life | 9a (Boulder) | 6th July 2013 | ||
| RED | 9a (Lead) | ✓ | 18th August 2013 | |
| 2014 | Mecca - The Mid-life Crisis | 8b+ (Lead) | 2014 | |
|
Second go. |
||||
| Action Directe | 9a (Lead) | 3rd May 2014 | ||
|
In 2 hours! |
||||
| Bat Route | 8c (Lead) | June 2014 | ||
| Unjustified | 8b+ (Lead) | June 2014 | ||
| Biographie | 9a+ (Lead) | 11th July 2014 | ||
|
Third go and in a single day! https://www.facebook.com/AlexanderMegosSportler/posts/440127572793892 |
||||
| Los Revolucionarios | 9a (Lead) | October 2014 | ||
|
Second ascent. |
||||
| 2015 | Lucid Dreaming | 8C (Boulder) | 27th January 2015 | |
|
Third ascent. |
||||
| Supernova | 9a+ (Lead) | ✓ | 2nd October 2015 | |
|
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2015/10/megos_climbs_supernova_9a+b_frankenjuras_hardest-70015 |
||||
| First Round, First Minute | 9b (Lead) | 31st December 2015 | ||
|
Alex's first of the grade. https://www.facebook.com/AlexanderMegosSportler/photos/1057809127692397 |
||||
| 2016 | Hubble | 9a (Lead) | 31st May 2016 | |
|
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEHebU6RtG0 https://www.facebook.com/AlexanderMegosSportler/photos/a.428895480583768/730615073745139/?type=3 |
||||
| Progress | 8c+ (Lead) | June 2016 | ||
|
Second go. |
||||
| True North | 8c (Lead) | June 2016 | ||
|
Second go. |
||||
| Kaa'bah | 8c+ (Lead) | June 2016 | ||
|
Fourth go. https://www.facebook.com/AlexanderMegosSportler/photos/a.428895480583768/731664970306816/?type=3 |
||||
| Evolution | 8c+ (Lead) | 3rd June 2016 | ||
|
Third go. https://www.facebook.com/AlexanderMegosSportler/photos/a.428895480583768/731664970306816/?type=3 |
||||
| Northern Lights | 9a (Lead) | 5th June 2016 | ||
|
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2016/06/alex_megos_repeats_northern_lights_9a-70498 https://www.facebook.com/AlexanderMegosSportler/photos/a.428895480583768/732079860265327/?type=3 |
||||
| Louis Cut | 8B+ (Boulder) | ✓ | 10th June 2016 | |
| The Path | E9 (Lead Flash) | August 2016 | ||
|
A very impressive effort given Alex had done very little trad climbing. https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2016/08/the_path_514ar_trad_flash_by_alex_megos-70630 https://www.facebook.com/AlexanderMegosSportler/photos/767732296700083 |
||||
| Dreamcatcher | 9a (Lead) | August 2016 | ||
|
https://www.facebook.com/AlexanderMegosSportler/photos/773706999435946 |
||||
| Fight Club | 9b (Lead) | ✓ | 14th August 2016 | |
| Super Crackinette | 9a+ (Lead) | ✓ | October 2016 | |
|
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2016/10/supercrackinette_9a+_first_ascent_by_alex_megos-70740 |
||||
| 2017 | Monkey Wedding | 8C (Boulder) | 2017 | |
| TCT | 9a (Lead Onsight) | May 2017 | ||
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2017/05/tct_second_9a_onsight_by_alex_megos-71104 |
||||
| Jungle Boogie | 9a+ (Lead) | 21st June 2017 | ||
| The Finnish Line | 8C (Boulder) | 22nd July 2017 | ||
|
Second ascent. https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2017/07/alex_megos_repeats_the_finnish_line_at_the_coop_8c-71201 https://www.facebook.com/AlexanderMegosSportler/photos/1043566919116618 |
||||
| 2018 | Era Vella | 9a (Lead) | 17th April 2018 | |
|
Second go. https://www.facebook.com/AlexanderMegosSportler/photos/1120128374793805 |
||||
| Perfecto Mundo | 9b+ (Lead) | ✓ | 9th May 2018 | |
|
Alex became the third person in the world to climb 9b+ with this ascent (after Adam Ondra and Chris Sharma). 15 days of effort [4]. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbWvFjUIt5k [2] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2018/05/perfecto_mundo_9b+_first_ascent_by_alex_megos-71571 [3] https://www.facebook.com/AlexanderMegosSportler/photos/1132511353555507 |
||||
| 2019 | Zoolander | 9a (Lead) | ✓ | 2019 |
| 2020 | Bibliographie | 9b+ (Lead) | ✓ | 5th August 2020 |
|
60 days of effort on this king line next to biographie. Alex initially suggested 9c but after a (relatively) quick repeat from Stefano Ghisolfi (who found some new beta and suggested a downgrade to 9b+) Alex adjusted his suggestion down to 9b+. |
||||
| Underground | 8c+ (Lead Flash) | 14th September 2020 | ||
|
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CFIbe3YqEfL/ https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2020/09/9a_flash_for_alex_megos_in_arco-72486 |
||||
| 2021 | Cadafist | 9a (Lead) | ✓ | 2021 |
| La Castagne | 9a+ (Lead) | March 2021 | ||
|
Second ascent. |
||||
| Mejorando Imagen | 9b (Lead) | April 2021 | ||
|
https://www.instagram.com/p/COD4HL9hyHz/ Footage from an earlier attempt https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYmtaitHdWA |
||||
| Intermezzo XY Gelöst | 9a (Lead Flash) | 22nd September 2021 | ||
|
||||
| Meiose | 9a+ (Lead) | October 2021 | ||
|
||||
| Chromosone Y | 8c+ (Lead Flash) | ✓ | October 2021 | |
| Wunderheiler | 9a (Lead) | 1st November 2021 | ||
|
Second ascent? |
||||
| King Capella | 9b (Lead) | 21st November 2021 | ||
|
Second ascent. Alex used slightly different beta to Will (taking a wide pinch). 9 days. |
||||
| La Furia de Jabali | 9a+ (Lead) | 29th November 2021 | ||
|
Second ascent. 7 days of effort. |
||||
| Kulebras Gemelas | 9a (Lead) | ✓ | 13th December 2021 | |
| La Capella | 9b (Lead) | 14th December 2021 | ||
|
Interestingly Alex struggled with La Capella, saying he found it harder than both King Capella and La Furia de Jabali. |
||||
| 2022 | Patatas Pantera | 9a (Lead) | ✓ | 2022 |
| Ratstaman Vibrations | 9b (Lead) | ✓ | July 2022 | |
| Chan Chan Bastards | 9a+ (Lead) | ✓ | October 2022 | |
| Pink Patatas | 9a+ (Lead) | ✓ | October 2022 | |
| Red Ram | 9a+ (Lead) | October 2022 | ||
|
Second ascent. |
||||
| The Journey | 9a+ (Lead) | October 2022 | ||
| The Full Journey | 9b (Lead) | ✓ | 5th October 2022 | |
|
https://www.instagram.com/p/CjlJa5_qrH2/ |
||||
| 2023 | ||||
| Climb | Grade | FA | Ascent Date | Suggested Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perfecto Mundo | 9b+ (Lead) | ✓ | 9th May 2018 | |
|
Alex became the third person in the world to climb 9b+ with this ascent (after Adam Ondra and Chris Sharma). 15 days of effort [4]. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbWvFjUIt5k [2] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2018/05/perfecto_mundo_9b+_first_ascent_by_alex_megos-71571 [3] https://www.facebook.com/AlexanderMegosSportler/photos/1132511353555507 |
||||
| Bibliographie | 9b+ (Lead) | ✓ | 5th August 2020 | 9b+ |
|
60 days of effort on this king line next to biographie. Alex initially suggested 9c but after a (relatively) quick repeat from Stefano Ghisolfi (who found some new beta and suggested a downgrade to 9b+) Alex adjusted his suggestion down to 9b+. |
||||
| Fight Club | 9b (Lead) | ✓ | 14th August 2016 | |
| Ratstaman Vibrations | 9b (Lead) | ✓ | July 2022 | |
| The Full Journey | 9b (Lead) | ✓ | 5th October 2022 | |
|
https://www.instagram.com/p/CjlJa5_qrH2/ |
||||
| First Round, First Minute | 9b (Lead) | 31st December 2015 | ||
|
Alex's first of the grade. https://www.facebook.com/AlexanderMegosSportler/photos/1057809127692397 |
||||
| Mejorando Imagen | 9b (Lead) | April 2021 | 9b | |
|
https://www.instagram.com/p/COD4HL9hyHz/ Footage from an earlier attempt https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYmtaitHdWA |
||||
| King Capella | 9b (Lead) | 21st November 2021 | ||
|
Second ascent. Alex used slightly different beta to Will (taking a wide pinch). 9 days. |
||||
| La Capella | 9b (Lead) | 14th December 2021 | ||
|
Interestingly Alex struggled with La Capella, saying he found it harder than both King Capella and La Furia de Jabali. |
||||
| Supernova | 9a+ (Lead) | ✓ | 2nd October 2015 | |
|
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2015/10/megos_climbs_supernova_9a+b_frankenjuras_hardest-70015 |
||||
| Super Crackinette | 9a+ (Lead) | ✓ | October 2016 | |
|
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2016/10/supercrackinette_9a+_first_ascent_by_alex_megos-70740 |
||||
| Pink Patatas | 9a+ (Lead) | ✓ | October 2022 | |
| Chan Chan Bastards | 9a+ (Lead) | ✓ | October 2022 | 9a+/9b |
| La Rambla Extension | 9a+ (Lead) | March 2013 | ||
|
Second go! |
||||
| Biographie | 9a+ (Lead) | 11th July 2014 | ||
|
Third go and in a single day! https://www.facebook.com/AlexanderMegosSportler/posts/440127572793892 |
||||
| Jungle Boogie | 9a+ (Lead) | 21st June 2017 | ||
| La Castagne | 9a+ (Lead) | March 2021 | 9a/9a+ | |
|
Second ascent. |
||||
| Meiose | 9a+ (Lead) | October 2021 | 9a | |
|
||||
| La Furia de Jabali | 9a+ (Lead) | 29th November 2021 | ||
|
Second ascent. 7 days of effort. |
||||
| The Journey | 9a+ (Lead) | October 2022 | ||
| Red Ram | 9a+ (Lead) | October 2022 | ||
|
Second ascent. |
||||
| Mutation | 9a+ (Lead Did not finish) | |||
| RED | 9a (Lead) | ✓ | 18th August 2013 | |
| Zoolander | 9a (Lead) | ✓ | 2019 | |
| Cadafist | 9a (Lead) | ✓ | 2021 | |
| Kulebras Gemelas | 9a (Lead) | ✓ | 13th December 2021 | |
| Patatas Pantera | 9a (Lead) | ✓ | 2022 | |
| Wild Público | 9a (Lead) | ✓ | ||
| La Ley Indignata | 9a (Lead) | ✓ | ||
| Classified | 9a (Lead) | ✓ | ||
| Estado Crítico | 9a (Lead Onsight) | 24th March 2012 | ||
|
The first ever onsight of a 9a. Doubly impressive as up until that point the hardest route Alex had climbed was 9a. Alex had originally planned to try La Rambla Extension but couldn't find the route from the topo and so got on Estado instead. When he reached the point where the route splits with Kalea Borroka he nearly went up Kalea instead as he felt very pumped, fortunately he persevered! |
||||
| Corona | 9a (Lead) | May 2013 | ||
|
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2013/05/corona_9a+_by_megos-68050 |
||||
| Action Directe | 9a (Lead) | 3rd May 2014 | ||
|
In 2 hours! |
||||
| Los Revolucionarios | 9a (Lead) | October 2014 | ||
|
Second ascent. |
||||
| Hubble | 9a (Lead) | 31st May 2016 | 8c+ | |
|
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEHebU6RtG0 https://www.facebook.com/AlexanderMegosSportler/photos/a.428895480583768/730615073745139/?type=3 |
||||
| Northern Lights | 9a (Lead) | 5th June 2016 | ||
|
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2016/06/alex_megos_repeats_northern_lights_9a-70498 https://www.facebook.com/AlexanderMegosSportler/photos/a.428895480583768/732079860265327/?type=3 |
||||
| Dreamcatcher | 9a (Lead) | August 2016 | ||
|
https://www.facebook.com/AlexanderMegosSportler/photos/773706999435946 |
||||
| TCT | 9a (Lead Onsight) | May 2017 | ||
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2017/05/tct_second_9a_onsight_by_alex_megos-71104 |
||||
| Era Vella | 9a (Lead) | 17th April 2018 | ||
|
Second go. https://www.facebook.com/AlexanderMegosSportler/photos/1120128374793805 |
||||
| Intermezzo XY Gelöst | 9a (Lead Flash) | 22nd September 2021 | ||
|
||||
| Wunderheiler | 9a (Lead) | 1st November 2021 | 9a/9a+ | |
|
Second ascent? |
||||
| El Potro | 9a (Lead) | |||
| Chromosone Y | 8c+ (Lead Flash) | ✓ | October 2021 | 8c+ |
| Progress | 8c+ (Lead) | June 2016 | ||
|
Second go. |
||||
| Kaa'bah | 8c+ (Lead) | June 2016 | ||
|
Fourth go. https://www.facebook.com/AlexanderMegosSportler/photos/a.428895480583768/731664970306816/?type=3 |
||||
| Evolution | 8c+ (Lead) | 3rd June 2016 | ||
|
Third go. https://www.facebook.com/AlexanderMegosSportler/photos/a.428895480583768/731664970306816/?type=3 |
||||
| Underground | 8c+ (Lead Flash) | 14th September 2020 | ||
|
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CFIbe3YqEfL/ https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2020/09/9a_flash_for_alex_megos_in_arco-72486 |
||||
| Pure Imagination | 8c+ (Lead Flash) | |||
| Bat Route | 8c (Lead) | June 2014 | ||
| True North | 8c (Lead) | June 2016 | ||
|
Second go. |
||||
| Mecca - The Mid-life Crisis | 8b+ (Lead) | 2014 | ||
|
Second go. |
||||
| Unjustified | 8b+ (Lead) | June 2014 | ||
| Climb | Grade | FA | Ascent Date | Suggested Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucid Dreaming | 8C (Boulder) | 27th January 2015 | ||
|
Third ascent. |
||||
| Monkey Wedding | 8C (Boulder) | 2017 | ||
| The Finnish Line | 8C (Boulder) | 22nd July 2017 | ||
|
Second ascent. https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2017/07/alex_megos_repeats_the_finnish_line_at_the_coop_8c-71201 https://www.facebook.com/AlexanderMegosSportler/photos/1043566919116618 |
||||
| Louis Cut | 8B+ (Boulder) | ✓ | 10th June 2016 | |
| Das Pumpenhausen | 8B (Boulder) | ✓ | May 2013 | |
|
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2013/05/alex_megos_climbs_new_8b_at_porth_ysgo_wales-68080 |
||||
| Climb | Grade | FA | Ascent Date | Suggested Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Path | E9 (Lead Flash) | August 2016 | ||
|
A very impressive effort given Alex had done very little trad climbing. https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2016/08/the_path_514ar_trad_flash_by_alex_megos-70630 https://www.facebook.com/AlexanderMegosSportler/photos/767732296700083 |
||||
| Climb | Grade | FA | Ascent Date | Suggested Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Wheel of Life | 9a (Boulder) | 6th July 2013 |