Jakob Schubert repeats DNA: the first 9c to be confirmed
On 10 October 2026, in the Verdon Gorge (France), Austrian climber Jakob Schubert sent DNA, a 55-metre route at La Ramirole. Until that day, no 9c, the highest grade in sport climbing, had ever been repeated by anyone else. Now it has.
What exactly happened
DNA was opened by Frenchman Seb Bouin on 29 April 2022, after roughly 150 days of work and more than 250 attempts. Bouin spent a long time torn between proposing 9b+ or 9c, and finally chose the higher grade.
Schubert, 35, had been projecting it since 2024, with at least 30 days on the wall. The send came on his ninth livestreamed attempt, broadcast on his YouTube channel and watched by around 180,000 people.
As he put it himself, he "would never trade this story for anything" (according to Climbing).
Why it matters so much
A climbing grade is a proposal: the person who opens the route says "I think this is a 9c". Until someone else repeats it and agrees, the number is just an opinion. With Schubert's repeat, which backs Bouin's proposal, DNA becomes the first confirmed 9c. It is a historic moment, because the 9c that Adam Ondra opened in 2017 (Silence) and the other routes proposed at that grade had not been repeated.
Schubert also becomes the first climber with two routes of that difficulty to his name (the other, B.I.G. in Flatanger, is still awaiting confirmation).
What the rest of us can learn
You don't need to climb a 9c to get something out of this story. There are very useful ideas for any project, whether it's a 6b or an 8a:
- Patience is part of training. More than 30 days on a single route is not a failure: it is the method.
- Adapt the sequence to your body. Schubert adjusted part of Bouin's method because he is shorter. Someone else's beta is a starting point, not a recipe.
- Break the route into sections. Work the key moves separately and link them up bit by bit.
- Rest and look after your body. Long projects are hard on fingers, shoulders and elbows. Our article on how to avoid climbing injuries may help.
- Enjoy the process. Schubert himself stresses that what he values is the story behind the send.
More news this month
If you like milestones in modern climbing, you may also enjoy our piece on Lara Neumeier and her ascent of Rhapsody (E11).
Project days: clothes that hold up
Project days are long: approach, warm-up, attempts, waiting at the base and sometimes a descent in the dark. Comfortable clothing that keeps up with you all day without getting in the way is a plus.
At Jeanstrack we design denim trousers made for exactly that. They are designed and finished in Spain:
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