Routes: Route as sport in Action Directe

Grade	Route	Gear style	Popularity
11	★ Action Directe The world's first UIAA 11 (8c+/ 9a) and today considered a benchmark for 9a. The original route bolted by Milan Sykora traversed in from the right, but Güllich bolted a more direct start that consisted of crux dynamic move to a two-finger pocket. The route is named after a French far-left terrorist group which was active between 1979 and 1987, murdering 12 people and injuring 26. Apparently the inspiration for the name came during training for the route (including mono campusing) as it appeared to Wolfgang that the intense training required was an act of terror against his fingers. It was also a fitting name for the direct start Wolfgang had bolted. It took 11 days of efforts for Wolfgang to free the short (5 bolts / 15m) but powerful route, which he did using a 16-move sequence on September 14 1991. The route has seen about 20 repeats after the first ascent by Wolfgang Güllich †. The fastest redpoint to date was by Alex Megos who sent the route in just 2 hours. He has repeated the route 4 more times since. Ascents Alexander Adler on 9 September 1995 Iker Pou on 7 June 2000 Dave Graham on 21 May 2001 Christian Bindhammer on 14 May 2003 Rich Simpson on 13 October 2005 (ascent has been questioned by UKC, and many other climbing sites. Dai Koyamada on 15 October 2005 Markus Bock on 22 October 2005 Kilian Fischhuber on 25 September 2006 Adam Ondra on 19 May 2008 Patxi Usobiaga on 24 October 2008 Gabriele Moroni on 17 April 2010 Jan Hojer on 22 May 2010 Adam Pustelnik on 10 October 2010 Felix Knaub on 22 October 2011 Rustam Gelmanov on 26 March 2012 Alexander Megos on 3 May 2014 Felix Neumärker on 16 May 2015 Julius Westphal on 25 June 2015 Stefano Carnati, 2016 David Firnenburg, 2016 Stephan Vogt, 2017 Simon Lorenzi, 2017 Said Belhaj, 2018 (ascent is being questioned, belayer unknown) Stefan Scarperi, 2018 Adrian Chmiała, 2019 Melissa Le Nevé, 2020 First female ascent Philipp Gaßner, 2021 Buster Martin, 2022 Marco Zanone, 2022 Vojtěch Trojan on May 2023 Moritz Welt on 13 October 2023 Stefano Ghisolfi on 4 November 2023 Set: Milan Sykora FFA: Wolfgang Güllich †, 1991	Sport 15m

The world's first UIAA 11 (8c+/ 9a) and today considered a benchmark for 9a.

The original route bolted by Milan Sykora traversed in from the right, but Güllich bolted a more direct start that consisted of crux dynamic move to a two-finger pocket.

The route is named after a French far-left terrorist group which was active between 1979 and 1987, murdering 12 people and injuring 26. Apparently the inspiration for the name came during training for the route (including mono campusing) as it appeared to Wolfgang that the intense training required was an act of terror against his fingers. It was also a fitting name for the direct start Wolfgang had bolted.

It took 11 days of efforts for Wolfgang to free the short (5 bolts / 15m) but powerful route, which he did using a 16-move sequence on September 14 1991. The route has seen about 20 repeats after the first ascent by Wolfgang Güllich †.

The fastest redpoint to date was by Alex Megos who sent the route in just 2 hours. He has repeated the route 4 more times since.

Ascents

Alexander Adler on 9 September 1995
Iker Pou on 7 June 2000
Dave Graham on 21 May 2001
Christian Bindhammer on 14 May 2003
Rich Simpson on 13 October 2005 (ascent has been questioned by UKC, and many other climbing sites.
Dai Koyamada on 15 October 2005
Markus Bock on 22 October 2005
Kilian Fischhuber on 25 September 2006
Adam Ondra on 19 May 2008
Patxi Usobiaga on 24 October 2008
Gabriele Moroni on 17 April 2010
Jan Hojer on 22 May 2010
Adam Pustelnik on 10 October 2010
Felix Knaub on 22 October 2011
Rustam Gelmanov on 26 March 2012
Alexander Megos on 3 May 2014
Felix Neumärker on 16 May 2015
Julius Westphal on 25 June 2015
Stefano Carnati, 2016
David Firnenburg, 2016
Stephan Vogt, 2017
Simon Lorenzi, 2017
Said Belhaj, 2018 (ascent is being questioned, belayer unknown)
Stefan Scarperi, 2018
Adrian Chmiała, 2019
Melissa Le Nevé, 2020 First female ascent
Philipp Gaßner, 2021
Buster Martin, 2022
Marco Zanone, 2022
Vojtěch Trojan on May 2023
Moritz Welt on 13 October 2023
Stefano Ghisolfi on 4 November 2023

Set: Milan Sykora

FFA: Wolfgang Güllich †, 1991

Route as sport in Action Directe

Route filters:

Ascent filters:

Other filters: