Chris Sharma
Chris Omprakash Sharma, born April 23, 1981, in Santa Cruz, California, is recognized as one of the greatest climbers in the history of modern climbing. He discovered climbing at the age of 12 and quickly distinguished himself with his exceptional talent, winning the US Open Bouldering Nationals in the adult category at 14. From the very beginning, Sharma impressed the international community with his ability to push the boundaries of what was possible, both in sport climbing and bouldering.
In the late 1990s, he made the first ascent of Necessary Evil (5.14c) in the Virgin River Gorge, then the most difficult route in North America. But it was in 2001 that he made history by making the first ascent of Biographie in Céüse, France, the first route in the world to be graded 9a+ (5.15a). This success cemented his reputation and placed him at the top of the world's elite. Sharma then went on to make first ascents of extreme routes, including Dreamcatcher (9a) in Squamish, Jumbo Love (9b) on Clark Mountain, and La Dura Dura (9b+) in Oliana, contributing to the evolution of grades and difficulty standards in sport climbing.
Alongside his exploits on the cliff, Sharma also distinguished himself in bouldering, notably completing Dreamtime (8B+) in Cresciano, Practice of the Wild (8C) in Magic Wood, and Witness the Fitness (V15/8C) in Horseshoe Canyon Ranch. He also invested in the development of psicobloc, a spectacular unroped climbing discipline over water, for which he became an ambassador with the first ascent of Es Pontas in Mallorca, a natural arch that has become emblematic of the genre.
Sharma is also a pioneer in the media promotion of climbing. A key figure in numerous films and documentaries, he has inspired generations of climbers with his aesthetic approach, his pursuit of pure lines, and his humble attitude. For over a decade, he was considered the best climber in the world, setting records and world firsts, while promoting major sites such as Bishop in California and Margalef in Spain.
Based in Barcelona, he now divides his time between opening new routes, managing climbing gyms in California and Spain, and producing content to promote his sport. In 2023, he co-created the television series The Climb, broadcast on HBO Max, with his friend Jason Momoa, aiming to democratize climbing among the general public. Married to Jimena Alarcón, he is the father of two and continues to push boundaries, as evidenced by his first ascent of Black Pearl in Mallorca in 2023, considered the world's most difficult psicobloc route.
Chris Sharma embodies the quest for perfection and aesthetics in climbing, combining strength, creativity, and humility. His influence extends far beyond sport, making him a living legend and a source of inspiration for the entire contemporary climbing community.
| Known For | Acting |
|---|---|
| Most Rating | 0.0925 |
| Birthday | 1981-04-23 |
| Place of Birth | Santa Cruz, California, USA |
| Also Known As | كريس شارما, Chris Omprakash Sharma, Крис Шарма, クリス・シャーマ, |
2007
King Lines
6.9/11
King Lines follows Chris Sharma on his search for the planet's greatest climbs. From South American fantasy boulders to the sweeping limestone walls o...
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King Lines
2009
Progression
6.1/5
Behind every breakthrough in the progression of climbing, there's a true story of doubt and determination, perseverance in the face of failure. From b...
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Progression
1998
Free Hueco
0/0
"Climbing Magazine" reviewed the video and called it the best climbing video they've seen. Filmed during the winter of 1998, featuring Sharma, Speed,...
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Free Hueco
2008
Dosage V
4.2/2
Big UP's Dosage Series is the definitive annual portrait of climbing's state-of-the-art. Volume V features many of the world's best climbers, includin...
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Dosage V
2003
Pilgrimage
6/1
Join Chris Sharma on a bouldering pilgrimage to the sacred village of Hampi, in the south of India. Along with friends Katie Brown and Nate Gold, Shar...
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Pilgrimage
2002
Dosage I
7.5/2
Eight doses of maximum-strength climbing action from the makers of Rampage. Each dose tells a story from the world of high-end sport climbing & bo...
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Dosage I
2009
The Players
4.2/2
The Players are the best American athletes of the modern rock-climbing era. Dave Graham, Chris Sharma, Emily Harrington, Daniel Woods, Lisa Rands, Joe...
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The Players
2008
The Fanatic Search
6.2/4
After a nice and slow start with some gorgeous deep water soloing footage from Mallorca, the movie slowly increases in tempo with footage of Sharma on...
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The Fanatic Search
2005
Dosage III
7.5/2
Dosage III has it all: Top climbers, exotic locations, historic first ascents, and a variety of styles (bouldering, sport climbing, trad climbing, and...
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Dosage III
1999
Rampage
5.2/2
This classic American bouldering movie that helped launch the bouldering revolution follows Chris Sharma, Obe Carrion and friends on a two month road...
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Rampage
2011
The Scene
4.2/2
What makes a climbing mecca? The Scene takes a comprehensive look into four major epicenters of hard climbing and training, and the characters who def...
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The Scene
2017
Above The Sea
0/0
American rock climber Chris Sharma makes his first ascent at El Bufador on the island of Mallorca, Spain, one of his favourite places in the world bec...
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Above The Sea
2004
Dosage II
0/0
Dosage Volume 2 features eight high powered doses of strength climbing action. Watch Austrian strongman Klem Loskot deepwater soloing in Mallorca, Spa...
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Dosage II
2012
Abyss
0/0
ABYSS, the latest viral film from Louder Than Eleven, provides an insider’s look at rock climbing development. Exploration of secret, alpine climbing...
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Abyss
2023
Ashima
0/0
One of the world’s youngest elite rock climbers, Ashima Shiraishi spent her formative years breaking numerous age-based climbing milestones, spurred o...
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Ashima
2023
Sleeping Lion
10/1
Chris Sharma is one of the GOATs of climbing. His first ascents of iconic boulder problems, deep water solos, and sport routes around the world have d...
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Sleeping Lion
2012
Reel Rock 7
7.5/6
The biggest stories from the climbing world, told with humor, heart, and mind-bending action. Featuring Alex Honnold in Honnold 3.0, Chris Sharma and...
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Reel Rock 7
2010
Reel Rock 5
8.4/5
From death-defying speed link-ups of the wildest faces in the Alps, to Olympian displays of strength and tenacity on the hardest boulders ever climbed...
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Reel Rock 5
2013
Reel Rock 8
7.9/7
The latest groundbreaking films from Big Up Productions and Sender Films. Featuring Yuji Harayama, Daniel Woods, Hazel Findlay, Emily Harrington, Ueli...
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Reel Rock 8
2006
Dosage IV
5/1
Don't miss the biggest names in sport climbing, traditional climbin and bouldering in the "Dosage Volume 4" DVD. Watch as Lisa Rands completes the fir...
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Dosage IV
1998
Inertia
0/0
Straight from 1998, own the videos that started a revolution! Witness America's strongest rock climbers, Chris Sharma , Joe Brooks, Dave"Strife" Strut...
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Inertia
2005
Depth Charge
7.5/2
In 2004 X1 Sports took a band of intrepid climbers to Croatia . Their mission was to find some of the best and unknown rock in the Europe ; the reason...
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Depth Charge
1997
Masters of Stone IV - Pure Force
10/1
DAN OSMAN Speed Free-Solo / Major Air RON KAUK5.14b Yosemite and Tuolumne CA CHRIS SHARMA5.13d Mickey's Beach and Pinnacles CA ALEX HUBER 5.14d Siu...
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Masters of Stone IV - Pure Force
2007
Big Game
0/0
It's about as far away as you can fly from the US. Could it really be worth it? Boone Speed, Chris Sharma, and Nate Gold finally realize the dream of...
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Big Game
2005
Best of the West
0/0
2005. When a trip to New Zealand gets put off, Boone Speed, Chris Sharma, and Nate Gold have 2 weeks to kill and skin to burn. With stories of Hueco’s...
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Best of the West
2017
Uncharted Lines
10/1
Every climbing reward comes at the cost of a potential risk, but when you are a climbing pioneer, driven by the unknown and unexpected, you are willin...
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Uncharted Lines
2017
Reel Rock 12
7.1/5
Reel Rock Tour 12 - 2017 - brings you four new nail-biting, hair-raising, and awe-inspiring stories of real rock climbers from around the world. Chris...
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Reel Rock 12
2011
Petzl RocTrip China 2011
10/2
During a reconnaissance trip, Olivier Balma, a guide and instructor at CMDI, accompanies Erwan Le Lann into the Getu Valley, in the heart of Guizhou P...
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Petzl RocTrip China 2011
2014
Into The Light
8.5/2
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Into The Light
2012
La Dura Dura
10/2
La Dura Dura is a documentary about climbing in Oliana and Margalef. Directed by Josh Lowell in 2012 and produced by Sender Films, it is part of the R...
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La Dura Dura
2014
Solo: Climb to Live
0/0
In this climbing documentary we analyze the concepts of fear, death and life. Jordi Salas (Pelón) is a free solo climber. He performs alone without us...
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Solo: Climb to Live
2025
Black Pearl
10/1
Chris Sharma's latest masterpiece in Mallorca, Black Pearl, could be his hardest deep water solo yet, joining his earlier routes Es Pontas, Alasha, an...
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Black Pearl
La Dura Complete
0/0
Epic footage of two of the world's most elite sport climbers making the first and second ascents of the hardest route in the world, La Dura Dura.
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La Dura Complete
First Round First Minute
0/0
A sport-climbing phenom's latest 5.15 first ascents and his epic battle with a Spanish mega-project.
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First Round First Minute
2019
Age of Ondra
0/0
Adam Ondra is the best climber in the world, a mantle he has earned by doing the unthinkable. After he established not one, but two new grades in the...
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Age of Ondra
2018
Break on Through
10/1
Her ascents of La Rambla first and then Biographie, have in a sense opened the doors to difficult higher than 9a by women and in particular the first...
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Break on Through
2010
The Fanatic Search 2 - A Girl Thing
10/1
The French director, Laurent Triay, tells us in this documentary the different stages that mark the lives of some of the best climbers in the world. C...
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The Fanatic Search 2 - A Girl Thing
2017
The World’s Best Belayer
0/0
This long-term project (one year of production) features the world’s best climbers. It also stars Jean Siuen and the legendary Gilles Estramboulli ! T...
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The World’s Best Belayer
2025
The Future of Climbing
10/1
With the proliferation of private climbing gyms and the sport's inclusion in the Olympic Games, climbing, long a counter-cultural movement, is undergo...
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