Chris Sharma klettert Pont-d` Arc

People have stood in awe of the Pont d’Arc — a giant natural stone arch at the opening of the Ardèche Canyon in southern France’s Gorge de l’Ardèche — for ages. The arch stands more than 160 feet high and 200 feet wide, straddling the flow of the Ardèche River underneath. The arch is a massive natural feature, and one that caught the eye of professional climber Chris Sharma.

He smelled climbing potential. In June 2017, after four days of ground-up effort, Sharma soloed (i.e. climbed without a rope) the underbelly of the arch, curving around to an exit at the top, making the first ascent of a colossal 100-foot route, rated 5.14a. (https://www.redbull.com/us-en/climber-chris-sharma-free-solo-pont-d-arc-france)