How hard is a 9c climb?
9c is the hardest grade proposed for a roped sport route so far. Five routes carry it and none has been repeated, so none of the five is confirmed. It is a French grade; in the American YDS the same level is 5.15d. Checked 29 October 2026.
Where 9c sits
9c is a French sport grade. The French scale has no top, so a harder route would need a new grade.
Gripped counted five routes at a proposed 5.15d (9c) on 28 September 2026, none of them repeated. A sixth, once proposed at 9c, is now confirmed at 9b+. Until a second climber repeats a route, its grade is still the first climber's proposal.
In the app
The Summit Social's grade table has 17 levels and its top level is French 9a, so 9c is above the table. The French grade picker goes up to 9c, so you can log one.
Source
- Gripped, These Five Routes are the Hardest Climbs in the World, 28 September 2026: https://gripped.com/profiles/these-five-routes-are-the-hardest-climbs-in-the-world/
- The Summit Social app, its grade table (17 levels) and grade picker, read in the app's code on 29 October 2026
For all six grade systems side by side, see climbing grades explained.