Alex Megos Releases New Film of 5.15b First Ascent
The 35-metre route starts with power endurance pocket pulling and ends with a mono boulder problem
In early October 2022, 29-year-old German climber Alex Megos got the first ascent of The Full Journey 5.15b (9b) in Margalef, Spain. The route is 35-metres of classic overhanging Margalef stone, containing two halves of near equal difficulty separated by a jug rest. Today, Megos released a 22-minute film detailing this new first ascent on his Youtube channel. The film features Megos projecting The Full Journey, a great interview on the history of the line with its bolter Tom Bolger, and Megos’ eventual send of route, which begins at the 15:32 timestamp.
After bolting the full line a couple of years ago, Bolger sent the first half of the route in April 2022. He named this pitch The Journey, which clocks in at 18 metres and a grade of 5.14d/15a. The extension, The Full Journey, adds 17 metres of climbing which according to Megos, could be graded 5.14d alone. Megos also tried the route in April 2022 and knew it was going to be a very difficult task to link the two halves.
On Instagram, Megos had this to say about the two distinct sections of the route: “The first part is pure power-endurance on mostly two finger pockets with a hard mono move in the middle. The second part is a boulder with a rather violent dead point move to a mono and a few more hard moves after.”
Megos returned to Margalef in Fall 2022 for a three-week trip. He sent The Journey in early October and nearly a week later he got the first ascent of the entire route, The Full Journey, grading it 5.15b.
Megos’ Margalef Tick List
Megos had a wildly successful trip to Margalef. In the span of only three weeks, he climbed one 5.15b, one 5.15a/b, two 5.15a’s, one 5.14d/15a, and three each of 5.14d, 5.14c, and 5.14b. Several of these climbs were first ascents, including the 5.15b, the 5.15a/b, one 5.15a, one 5.14d, and two 5.14c’s. You can find the complete tick list from his trip below:
– The Full Journey 5.15b (FA)
– Chan Chan Bastards 5.15a/b (FA)
– Pink Patatas 5.15a (FA)
– Red Ram 5.15a
– Gancho Perfecto 5.14d/15a
– The Journey P1 5.14d
– Patatas Pantera 5.14d (FA)
– Perfecto Passat 5.14d
– Pink Pantera 5.14c
– Patatas el villano 5.14c (FA)
– Patatas Satan 5.14c (FA)
– Off the Tractor 5.14b
– Patan Satan 5.14b
– Patan el villano 5.14b (Flash)
Megos’ route Chan Chan Bastards 5.15a/b just saw its second ascent by Jorge Diaz-Rullo.
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