Garnbret Climbs Bibliographie, First Woman to Do So
Slovenian climber Janja Garnbret completed the 115-foot Céüse route on June 6, a feat no woman had achieved before.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Cycling
Janja Garnbret became the first woman to climb Bibliographie on June 6, completing the 115-foot route on a limestone cliff in Céüse, France. Five people had previously climbed the route, all of them men.
Why it matters
The climb marks a milestone for women in one of the sport's most demanding routes, graded 9b+. It also comes as Garnbret pursues two gold medals in climbing at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The route is 115 feet long and graded 9b+, and Garnbret completed it in 21 sessions across two years, beginning two weeks after the Paris Olympics. Her plans for the Brisbane 2032 Games remain undecided.
The players
Janja Garnbret
A 27-year-old Slovenian climber who won the combined event at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics and dropped speed climbing after Tokyo.
The details
Garnbret began the climb two weeks after the Paris Olympics and finished it in 21 sessions spread over two years. She started climbing at age 7 on trees, closets and doors, and has competed internationally in boulder and lead since age 14.
Timeline
June 6, 2026: Garnbret completes Bibliographie.
2026: Garnbret wins three of five World Series starts.
2028: Los Angeles Olympics, where she targets two climbing golds.
Competitive Landscape
Climbing had one combined competition at the Tokyo Games, but Paris split it into a boulder-and-lead event and a speed-only event. Los Angeles 2028 will award a separate set of medals for each of the three disciplines.
The Los Angeles 2028 format means separate medal events across three disciplines, which changes how Olympic climbing results will be tallied. Garnbret's undecided status for Brisbane 2032 leaves open whether she will compete in the next Games after Los Angeles.
The takeaway
Garnbret's ascent shows that the top tier of climbing now rewards sustained, multi-year commitment to a single route. Readers following Olympic climbing should track how the split disciplines change medal counts in Los Angeles.
What happens next
Climbing at the 2028 Los Angeles Games will award separate medals for boulder, lead and speed, with Garnbret targeting two golds there.
Further reading
For more on the sport's competitive calendar, see Cycling.
Source note: This article includes information reported by NBC Sports.
