Today, “Steezy” Bailey grabbed the third ascent of one of the world’s two 5.15d (9c) sport routes. Alex Megos sent “Bibliographie” in 2020, calling it 5.15d. This August, Stefano Ghisolfi proposed 5.15c. In the few hours since his fresh send, Bailey hadn’t yet graded it.
Bailey needed a massive, transformative effort to climb the route. Via Instagram, the 25-year-old said that sending it required “the hardest battle” he’d ever been through with himself.
Bailey training indoors. Photo: Ben Neilson
“Hard” is an apt descriptor for “Bibliographie”. The first ascent took Megos, one of the world’s best sport climbers, then at the height of his powers, 60 days. It was the crown jewel in a series of significant ticks by the young German. At 19, he claimed the world’s 5.14d onsight in 2013. From there, he steadily climbed through the world’s most challenging grades until he hit 5.15d with “Bibliographie.”
Ghisolfi landed the first repeat of the route in August 2021. He estimated the difficulty at 5.15c, calling it a “personal” grade. He thought the route wasn’t significantly more demanding than other 5.15c’s that he had climbed.
Steezy, for now, appears unbothered by numbers. An approach based on patience, self-exploration, training, and trusting the process all factored into his repeat. He wrote (eloquently) about the experience on Instagram.
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While “Bibliographie” awaits a confirmed grade, the world’s other 5.15d remains unrepeated. Adam Ondra redpointed “Silence” in Norway’s Flatanger Cave in 2017.
