Josh Lowell

Sleeping Lion

Chris Sharma is one of the GOATs of climbing. His first ascents of iconic boulder problems, deep water solos, and sport routes around the world have defined the cutting edge of athletic performance and aesthetic vision for the last 25 years. But it’s been a minute since we’ve seen a new “King Line” from Sharma. Now in his forties, Chris has spent the last few years raising two young kids, opening a series of climbing gyms, launching a TV show, and trying to stay in shape through it all. When he discovers a magnificent new line in the sport climbing mecca of Siurana, Spain, just an hour and a half from his house, the Sleeping Lion is awakened, and Sharma is pulled deep into the project mindset again. Becoming a self-described “extreme weekend warrior,” he juggles family and work commitments with the obsession of trying to climb one of his hardest routes ever.