List of grade milestones in rock climbing

In rock-climbing, a first free ascent (FFA) is the first redpoint, onsight or flash of a single-pitch, multi-pitch or bouldering climbing route that did not involve using aid equipment to help progression or resting — the ascent must thus be performed in either a sport, a traditional, or a free solo manner. First-free-ascents that set new grade milestones are important events in rock climbing history, and are listed below. While sport climbing has dominated overall grade milestones since the mid-1980s (i.e. are now the highest grades), milestones for modern traditional-climbing, free-solo-climbing, onsighted & flashed-ascents, are also listed.

A climbing route's grade is provisional until enough climbers have repeated it to establish a "consensus". At the highest grades, this can take years as few climbers are capable of repeating these routes. For example, in 2001, Realization was considered the world's first 9a+ (5.15a), however, the first repeat of the 1996 route Open Air, which only happened in 2008, suggested that it was possibly the first 9a+ (5.15a). Open Air has had no further repeats, and has had holds broken since 1996, whereas Realization has had many ascents and is thus a "consensus" 9a+. Thus, the 2nd to 4th ranked candidates are also recorded.

As of June 2025, the technically hardest redpoint of a single-pitch route is at the grade of 9c (5.15d) for men and the grade of 9b+ (5.15c) for women. The technically hardest onsight is at the grade of 9a (5.14d) for men and 8c (5.14b) for women. The technically hardest boulder solved is at the boulder grade of V17 (9A) for men and V16 (8C+) for women. The technically hardest redpoint of a multi-pitch (or big wall) route is at the grade of 9a+ (5.15a). The technically hardest free solo of a single-pitch route is at the grade of 8c (5.14b), and the technically hardest free solo of a multi-pitch (or big wall) route is at 7c+ (5.13a).