| Es Pontàs | |
| Photo Width: | 220px |
| Map: | Spain Majorca |
| Location: | Santanyí, Mallorca, Spain |
| Coords: | 39.3257°N 3.1447°W |
| Climbing Area: | Es Pontàs |
| Route Type: | Deep-water soloing |
| Vertical Gain: | 20m (70feet) (length)[1] |
| Pitches: | 1 |
| Grade: | [2] |
| First Free Ascent: | Chris Sharma, 26 September 2006 |
Es Pontàs is a 20m (70feet) long limestone deep-water soloing (DWS) climbing route on the Es Pontàs sea-arch in Mallorca, Spain. After it was first free soloed in September 2006 by American climber Chris Sharma, it became graded at – the world's first-ever DWS route at that grade, and one of the earliest 9a+ graded rock climbs of any type in history. Es Pontàs was credited with promoting the emerging sport of DWS, and further enhancing Sharma's reputation and legacy as a pioneer in rock climbing. Sharma's first ascent was featured in the award-winning 2007 climbing film, King Lines.
In 2001, after making the first free ascent of Realization/Biographie, the world's first-ever consensus sport climbing route, Chris Sharma considered quitting climbing and went on Buddhist pilgrimages. A 2003 trip to Mallorca in Spain to meet Miquel Riera, the pioneer of deep-water soloing, led him to "fall in love with climbing all over again".[3] [4] Sharma decided to largely abandon competition climbing to focus on finding "King Lines", a term he adopted for iconic routes that motivated him.[5]
In 2004, Riera pointed out to Sharma a potential DWS "King Line" on the picturesque sea arch of Es Pontàs. It followed the arch from its base to the apex, was severely overhanging, and required committing dynos 35-feet above the water. In November 2005, Sharma completed the first ascent of Pontax, a variation of the line that took an easier seaward exit at the dyno and was graded . In September 2006, after almost 50 attempts (and long falls into the water), Sharma stuck the crux 7-foot dyno to complete the line of Es Pontàs. Sharma did not grade the route but said its difficulties were similar to that of Realization. This made Es Pontàs the world's first-ever DWS route, and with Realization and La Rambla, one of only a handful of climbing routes—of any type—at that grade.[6]
It wasn't until November 2016 that Slovenian climber Jernej Kruder made the first repeat of Es Pontàs (and also Pontax). Kruder spent over a month attempting it with German climber Jan Hojer and said: "For sure it's about 9th grade",[7] and that DWS was "a very difficult mind battle". In October 2018, Hojer returned and made the third ascent, saying that it was one of the best experiences in his climbing career, and that the grade was at .[8] In October 2021, Austrian climber Jakob Schubert made the fourth ascent, and did other DWS routes in Mallorca. Schubert felt Sharma's 2016 DWS route Alasha was on balance, but that Es Pontàs was harder again. As with Hojer and Kruder, he felt that it was a unique experience and that the mental side of DWS was important to adjust to.
Es Pontàs (and Pontax) starts at the base of the right pillar on a little ledge just 2 metres above the water line. The first obstacle is getting over a small roof, to reach an overhanging face and better holds. A series of moves on small pinches and pockets leads to a "barrel of the gun" shaped feature.[9] At this stage, a 7-foot dynamic lunge from two undercuts gets to a large but hard-to-stick pocket hold.[9] Hojer noted that Kruder and himself found that even after succeeding on the dyno, it was a "surprisingly low percentage" dyno saying: "At first I thought that once I stuck it I'd stick it every go or every other go afterward. But Jernej and I would stick it two out of four times one day, and then none the next time".[8]
After the dyno, Pontax exits via the easier seaward side, whereas Es Pontàs moves rightwards on tiny edges to a more difficult arete on the landward side of the arch. This traverse is considered one of the most technically difficult parts of the route.[8] Small sloping holds on the arete lead to the apex of the arch, with a final powerful direct ascent to the top.[9]
Sharma's first ascent of Es Pontàs featured prominently in the award-winning 2007 climbing film, King Lines,[10] [11] which became an iconic film in rock climbing.[12] Images of Sharma soloing on the dramatic and overhanging arch above deep blue sea, adorned the covers of most climbing magazines, showcasing DWS to the global climbing community. In 2016, Rock & Ice said: "The silhouette of Sharma on the underside of the Es Pontàs arch is an indelible image for climbers of the mid-2000s".[13] In a 2016 interview with Climbing, when DWS pioneer Miquel Riera was asked about the most impressive DWS ascent, he replied: "Have you seen Chris Sharma on Es Pontàs? That should answer your question".[14]
Sharma said of his ascent: "... definitely a pivotal experience in my life that set me on an entirely new path in my life and in the world".[15] He also said: "... deep water soloing embodies for me the perfect form of climbing. Take Es Pontàs for instance, it's a route I put up in Mallorca. It's 5.15, but I can solo it. For me, that's as good as it gets".[3] Climbing considered his ascent of Es Pontàs as being another example of Sharma's talent for "... the genius to see the potential, coupled with the commitment to spend months and years of his life proving it".[3] Climbing also noted that the ascent, and increased profile Sharma brought to DWS, as being another example of his influence on the development of the sport of modern rock climbing, saying: "Sharma shaped modern rock climbing. Whatever he thought was cool, we followed. Bouldering. Projecting hard sport routes. Deep water soloing".[3]
Es Pontàs has been ascended by:
Pontax has been ascended by: