Alexander Megos facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Alexander Megos

Megos at the 2022 European Championships
Personal information
Nationality	German
Born	(1993-08-12) 12 August 1993 (age 31) Erlangen, Germany
Occupation	Professional rock climber
Height	173 cm
Weight	57 kg
Climbing career
Type of climber	Competition climbing Sport climbing Bouldering
Highest grade	Redpoint: 9b+ (5.15c) On-sight: 9a (5.14d) Bouldering: 8C (V15)
Known for	First-ever person to onsight a 9a (5.14d) Third-ever person to climb 9b+ (5.15c)
First ascents	Fight Club (9b, 2016) Perfecto Mundo (9b+, 2018) Bibliographie (9b+, 2020) Ratstaman Vibrations (9b, 2022) The Full Journey (9b, 2022)
Medal record Men's competition climbing Representing  Germany World Championships Silver 2019 Hachiōji Lead Bronze 2018 Innsbruck Lead Bronze 2023 Bern Lead World Cup Gold Briancon 2018 Lead Silver Innsbruck 2024 Lead Silver Innsbruck 2023 Lead Silver Villars 2021 Lead Silver Chamonix 2019 Lead Silver Kranj 2017 Lead Bronze Villars 2023 Lead Bronze Briancon 2022 Lead Bronze Villars 2019 Lead Bronze Chamonix 2018 Lead
Updated on 27 June 2024.

Alexander "Alex" Megos (born 12 August 1993) is a famous German rock climber. He is known for his skills in sport climbing, bouldering, and competition climbing. In 2013, he became the very first climber to onsight a 9a (5.14d) route. Onsight means climbing a route perfectly on the first try, without any practice or falls.

Alex has also been the first to climb some of the hardest sport climbing routes in the world. These include two 9b+ (5.15c) routes, Perfecto Mundo and Bibliographie. He has also conquered four 9b (5.15b) routes and several very difficult boulder problems rated 8C (V15).

Early life

Alex Megos started climbing when he was just six years old. By the age of ten, he was already climbing tall routes up to 300 meters with his father.

In 2006, Alex began serious training in Franconian Switzerland, a mountainous area in his home region of Bavaria. He also trained at the German Alpine Club's climbing center in Erlangen-Nuremberg. There, he was coached by Patrick Matros and Ludwig Korb, who still train him today.

By 2007, Alex had completed his first 8a (5.13b) route. Two years later, in 2009, he climbed his first 8c (5.14b) route called Drive-by Shooting. In 2011, he achieved his first 9a (5.14d) by climbing San Ku Kai.

Climbing career

Competition climbing

Alexander Megos began competing in climbing events in 2006. He won two youth European Championship titles in 2009 and 2010. In 2011, he was the runner-up at the youth World Championships. In 2009, he won every single competition in the EYC series, showing his early talent.

In 2017, he earned a silver medal in bouldering at the European Championship. He also won his first World Cup in lead climbing in Briançon, France, on 21 July 2018.

He continued to win medals, including a silver in bouldering at the European Championships in Munich in 2017. He also got a silver at the IFSC Lead World Cup in Kranj, Slovenia that year. In 2018, he won a bronze medal in lead climbing at the IFSC World Cup in Chamonix, France. A week later, he won a gold medal at the Briancon World Cup.

Later in 2018, he took home a bronze medal at the World Championships in the lead competition. He followed this with a silver medal in lead at the 2019 World Championships. By reaching the finals of the combined event at the World Championships, he earned a spot to compete in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

Alex has also competed in the La Sportiva Legends competitions, winning in 2018 and placing second or third many times. He holds the record for the highest point reached on Black Diamond's The Project, which is one of the hardest indoor routes in the world.

Sport climbing

On 24 March 2013, Alex Megos made history by climbing Estado Critico in Siurana, Spain. This was the world's first ever 9a (5.14d) onsight climb.

In August 2013, Alex climbed The Red Project (9a) in Australia, which was Australia's first 9a route. He also climbed Wheelchair (9a+). Because Wheelchair is unusually long for a boulder problem, Alex gave it a sport climbing grade.

Alex Megos is known for climbing difficult routes very quickly. From mid-April to mid-June 2014, he completed nine routes in Franconian Switzerland. These routes ranged from 9a+ (5.15a) to 8c+ (5.14c). One of these was Modified 9a+ (5.15a), which is one of the toughest routes in the area. He also set a record by climbing the famous Action Directe in just two hours. He is also the only person to climb Biography (also known as Realization) 9a+ (5.15a) in Ceüse, France, all in a single day.

In June 2014, Alex Megos and Roger Schäli made the first climb of a 20-pitch route called Fly 8c (5.14b) in Staldeflue, Switzerland. This is one of the hardest "big-wall" climbing routes in the world.

In April 2015, Alex returned to Australia and made the first climb of SchweinebaumeIn (9a). On 1 October 2015, he climbed Supernova in Franconian Switzerland. This climb likely became the first route of grade 11+ (UIAA) (9a+/9b French) in German-speaking countries.

In December 2015, Alex climbed First Round First Minute, which was his first 9b (5.15b) route.

On 9 May 2018, he made the first climb of Perfecto Mundo in Margalef, Spain. This route was set up by Chris Sharma. Alex and Chris had tried it together many times before Alex's successful climb. They graded it 9b+ (5.15c).

In August 2020, Alex finished his long-term project, Bibliographie, in Céüse. He worked on it for 60 days. He first graded it 9c (5.15d). However, in August 2021, after Stefano Ghisolfi also climbed it, the route was changed to 9b+ (5.15c). Alex agreed that this grade was a better fit.

Bouldering

In May 2020, Alex Megos climbed Upgrade U 8C (V15). This is one of the most challenging bouldering problems in his home region of northern Bavaria.

Notable ascents

Here are some of Alex Megos's most impressive climbs:

Redpointed routes

Redpoint means climbing a route after practicing it and falling on earlier tries.

• 9b+ (5.15c)

* Bibliographie (2020): Alex was the first to climb this route. He spent 60 days trying it. * Perfecto Mundo (2018): Alex was the first to climb this route. * Change (2024): Alex made the fourth climb of this route.

• 9b (5.15b)

* First Round, First Minute (2015): Alex made the third climb of this route. * Fight Club (2016): Alex was the first to climb this route. * King Capella (2021): Alex made the second climb of this route. * Ratstaman Vibrations (2022): Alex was the first to climb this route. * The Full Journey (2022): Alex was the first to climb this route.

• 9a+ (5.15a)

* La Rambla: Alex climbed it on his second try. * Biographie: Alex climbed it in one day, on his third try. * Modified: Alex was the first to climb this route. * Super Crackinette: Alex was the first to climb this route.

• 9a (5.14d)

* Action Directe: Alex climbed this route in just two hours. It was the world's first 9a route. * Dreamcatcher: Alex climbed this route in one day. Other climbers took many days.

Onsighted routes

Onsight means climbing a route perfectly on the very first try, without any practice or falls.

• 9a (5.14d)

* Estado Critico: This was the world's first ever 9a onsight climb. * TCT

Boulder problems

• 8C / 8C+ 

* Wheelchair: Alex was the first to climb this. It's a very long boulder problem.

• 8C (V15)

* The Story of Two Worlds: Alex climbed this in 2020. * Dreamtime: Alex climbed this in 2020. * Upgrade U: Alex was the first to climb this in 2020. It's the hardest boulder problem in the Frankenjura region. * The Finnish Line: Alex made the second climb of this in 2017. * Wheel of Life: This is a very long boulder problem. * Lucid Dreaming: Alex made the third climb of this boulder.

Rankings

Climbing World Cup

Climbing World Championships

Megos in the 2018 World Championships lead finals

Youth

Adult

Climbing European Championships

Number of medals in the Climbing World Cup

Lead

Personal life

Alex Megos became a vegan in early 2021. This means he does not eat any animal products.

Alex and his family have helped people in need by offering housing at their properties in Erlangen. They have welcomed refugees, treating them like "friends and family." Alex believes that athletes should use their public platform to help others.

See Also

In Spanish: Alexander Megos para niños

• List of grade milestones in rock climbing
• History of rock climbing
• Rankings of most career IFSC gold medals