List of grade milestones in rock climbing

Part of a series on
Climbing
Wolfgang Güllich set new "hardest-ever routes" multiple times
Lists
Climbers Piolet d'Or winners IFSC victories Equipment Knots Historical events Grade milestones Eight-thousanders Terminology
Types of rock climbing
Aid Big wall Multi-pitch Bouldering Highball Competition Speed Free Sport Traditional Solo Free solo Deep-water solo Rope solo Top roping
Types of mountaineering
Alpine Mixed Via ferrata Himalayan Alpine style Expedition style Ice Dry-tooling Scrambling Hillwalking
Other types
Buildering Canyoning Crane Grass Commercial Parkour Pole Rock hopping Rooftopping Roof hacking Slide Tree
Key actions
Abseiling Belaying Leading Redpointing Jumaring Self rescuing Simul climbing Traversing Techniques
Key terms
Anchor First ascent FFA FFFA Grade Route Beta Guide Pitch
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In rock climbing, a first free ascent (FFA) is the first redpoint, onsight or flash of a single-pitch, multi-pitch (or big wall), or boulder climbing route that did not involve using aid equipment to help progression or resting; the ascent must therefore be performed in either a sport, a traditional, or a free solo manner. First-free-ascents that set new grade milestones are important events in rock climbing history, and are listed below. While sport climbing has dominated absolute-grade milestones since the mid-1980s (i.e. are now the highest grades), milestones for modern traditional climbing, free solo climbing, onsighted, and flashed ascents, are also listed.

A route's grade is provisional until enough climbers have repeated the route to have a "consensus". At the highest grades, this can take years as few climbers are capable of repeating these routes. For example, in 2001, Realization was considered the world's first 9a+ (5.15a), however, the first repeat of the 1996 route Open Air [de], which only happened in 2008, suggested that it was possibly the first 9a+ (5.15a). Open Air has had no further repeats, and has had holds broken since 1996, whereas Realization has had many ascents and is thus a "consensus" 9a+. Therefore, where known, the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th ranked candidates are also chronicled.^[1][2]

As of May 2024, the hardest single-pitch redpoint was at the grade of 9c (5.15d) for men and 9b (5.15b) for women. The hardest onsight was at the grade of 9a+ (5.15a) for men and 8c (5.14b) for women. The hardest boulder solved was at the boulder grade of V17 (9A) for men and V15/V16 (8C/8C+)  for women. The hardest multi-pitch (or big wall) redpoint was at the grade of 9a (5.14d). The hardest single-pitch free solo was at the grade of 8c (5.14b), and the hardest multi-pitch (or big wall) free solo was at 7c+ (5.13a).