BURSTOn October 10, Jakob Schubert made the second ascent of Seb Bouin’s DNA 5.15d (9c). He did it live on YouTube, streaming to roughly 8,000 rapt viewers. It was his ninth attempt over the course of approximately one week.
Located in La Ramirole, France, Bouin made the first ascent of DNA in April 2022 after nearly 200 days of projecting and roughly 250 attempts. He described the route as the most challenging project of his career, writing: “It’s the most challenging project I’ve ever done. It’s the hardest route I’ve ever tried and climbed in my climbing career. This route marks a milestone in my climbing life.”
It’s 2026, at a time when climbing news is full of hard sends from the world’s best, it can be hard to appreciate the significance of Schubert’s latest achievement. But the Austrian climber’s repeat of DNA is incredibly significant. Here are some reasons why the second ascent of DNA is worth paying attention to.
It is the first time a 5.15d has been repeated
In 2017, Adam Ondra proposed the first-ever 5.15d in the world with his ascent of Silence in the Hanshelleren Cave in Flatanger, Norway. Nearly ten years have passed, and the route has yet to be repeated.
Since then, four more routes of the grade have been proposed: Bouin’s DNA in Verdon Gorge, France in 2022, Schubert’s B.I.G. in Flatanger in 2023, Duality of Man in Arizona, USA in 2025, and Jorge Díaz-Rullo’s Café Colombia in Margalef, Spain in March this year.
In 2024, Ondra and Schubert spent time on DNA, but neither was able to send it at the time. Meanwhile, in August 2022, Ghisolfi began his journey to repeat Ondra’s Silence and he is continuing with his efforts to send the line. Will Bosi has also been putting a great amount of effort into repeating Silence since he first tried the climb in 2025. Despite the efforts of the world’s absolute best climbers, it has taken over nine years for anyone to repeat any of these climbs and confirm the grade.
Schubert is the first climber ever to tick two 5.15d’s
With the ascent of DNA, Schubert became the first climber to complete two routes with a grade proposal of 5.15d. He made the first ascent of B.I.G. in 2023 before returning to the grade with a repeat of Bouin’s route.
Schubert is a rare breed who has excelled in competition climbing, winning multiple World Championship titles, while also establishing himself on some of the world’s hardest outdoor routes. He was also the first climber to send two boulders proposed at V17, before going on to climb a third.
Interestingly, while Schubert has the most climbs at 5.15d, he’s only climbed one 5.15c – Alex Mego’s Perfecto Mundo in Margalef.
He has possibly forever changed the way hard ascents are shared with the world
Schubert’s ascent of DNA was not his first time bringing a high-level, high-stakes project to a live audience. In September 2023, he also livestreamed his redpoint attempts on B.I.G.
Livestreaming rock climbing outdoors, to some, may sound modern and gimmicky, and perhaps create a real disruption at the crag. However, most who were following the stream would likely agree that watching Schubert live and hearing his analysis after his attempts was one of the most engaging interactions with a sport climber ever. Most people would rightfully be terrified at the thought of having to send under so much pressure, but it is conceivable that a seasoned comp climber like Schubert thrives under pressure.
Since Schubert’s stream of B.I.G., other climbers have since followed suit, livestreaming their own projects. Will Bosi streamed attempts on Silence during his final day of the 2025 season, while Japanese climbers Makoto Yamauchi and Ritsu Kayotani livestreamed attempts on Nalle Hukkataival’s Burden of Dreams V17 in October 2025. Time will tell whether livestreaming will become a regular part of how elite climbers share their progress on the world’s hardest climbs.
Jakob Schubert’s livestream ascent of DNA 5.15d
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