Considered by many to be the best rock climber in the world, Chris Omprakash Sharma is originally from Santa Cruz, CA. ^http://www.climbing.com/news/press/sharm... He left school at the age of sixteen to climb professionally, shortly after winning the US Bouldering Nationals. http://www.prana.com/blog/index.php/tag/chris-sharma/ He has numerous first ascents in bouldering, sport climbing, and deep-water soloing which involves free climbing over a body of water. http://www.climbing.com/news/hotflashes/sharmasarch/

In 2001, Sharma climbed Realization in Ceuse, France. At its completion, a new grade (5.15a) was conferred to mark the route's difficulty. Previously, the American scale set a threshold of 5.14d. http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web08f/newswire-sharma-clark

Sharma has been on the road for several years in search of new climbs. The lifestyle has been a nomadic one: "home" dictated by seasons and temperature, red-eye transatlantic flights, crashing on friends' floors, and living out of a backpack for days. http://www.climbing.com/exclusive/features/threedegrees/index1.html He is sponsored by a few climbing-gear companies and is often filmed climbing in destinations around the globe. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15825820

Unlike many professional athletes, Sharma does not train in the traditional sense. His workouts are not structured or overseen by a coach. His training happens on-site, working routes. http://www.climbing.com/exclusive/features/threedegrees/index8.html In this way, he feels more connected to climbing as opposed to training in a systematic way. http://www.climber.co.uk/categories/articleitem.asp?cate=19&topic=103&item=512

Realization was the culmination of several years of effort. Sharma describes the ascent as more of a mental challenge than a physical one; in order to finish, he had to learn to be in the moment: http://www.yogaclimbing.com/meditation.htm

'' Meditation is important for balance... It makes you realize that you're not always going to be at your best, because when you meditate, you're paying close attention to your body and how it feels... You learn to appreciate the lows, just let them happen, learn from them, and go back and try again." http://www.yogaclimbing.com/meditation.htm

• 1996 - Necessary Evil (5.14c) - fifteen years old, 5.14c highest grade in America at the time
• 2000 - The Mandala (5.14b) - a massive, overhanging boulder in Bishop, CA
• 2001 - Realization (5.15a) - the world's first established 5.15a
• 2007 - Es Pontas (5.15b?) - a deep-water solo that took more than fifty tries to complete
• 2008 - Jumbo Love (5.15b?) - his self-proclaimed hardest to date
• 2009 - Pachamama (5.15a) - a fifty meter endurance climb up the limestone cliffs of Oliana, Spain http://www.climber.co.uk/categories/articleitem.aspcate=19&topic=103&item=512http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web08f/newswire-sharma-clarkhttp://www.climbing.com/exclusive/above/lisarandsmandala/

In 2009, Chris Sharma purchased a home in Catalunya, Spain. http://www.climber.co.uk/categories/articleitem.asp?cate=19&topic=103&item=512 Located in the Pyrenees, the area features more than seventy crags with steep limestone caves and high degrees of difficulty. Sharma is said to climb there almost daily with his girlfriend, Daila Ojeda. http://www.prana.com/blog/index.php/2010/02/01/chris-sharma-the-legacy-continues/