Editing First ascent (section)

==Notable disputes==

There have been notable disputes over claims of a first ascent (or first free ascent), for various reasons (disputes over the style employed, issues with verifiability, accusations of bad faith and fraud), and the most notable are where a new grade milestone and/or major advancement in difficulty is being proposed:<ref name=CL2>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/people/who-did-it-first-style-grades-and-dispute-in-first-ascents/ | title=Who Did It First? Style, Grades and Dispute in First Ascents | first=Francis | last=Sanzarro | date=22 March 2022 | accessdate=8 February 2023 | archive-date=10 February 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210095821/https://www.climbing.com/people/who-did-it-first-style-grades-and-dispute-in-first-ascents/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

===Mountaineering===

* First ascent of Everest: Arguably the most famous case of an unverified first ascent is whether [[George Mallory]] and/or [[Andrew Irvine (mountaineer)|Andrew Irvine]] reached the summit of Everest on the [[1924 British Mount Everest expedition|1924 Everest expedition]].  Subsequent Everest expeditions have not been able to answer the question including the 1999 [[Mallory and Irvine Research Expedition]], and the [[2007 Altitude Everest expedition]].

* First ascent of [[Cerro Torre]]: In 1959, [[Cesare Maestri]] claimed he and {{ill|Toni Egger|it}} summited, but that Egger who had the camera, was swept to his death by an avalanche on the descent. [[Lionel Terry]] called it "the greatest climbing feat of all time".<ref name=NG1/> Inconsistencies in Maestri's account, and the lack of equipment on the route, led most to doubt his claim.<ref name=NG1>{{cite web | magazine=[[National Geographic]] | url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/patagonias-cerro-torre-climbing-controversy-maestri-unbolted | title=Patagonia's Cerro Torre Gets the Chop: Maestri Unbolted | first=David | last=Roberts | author-link=David Roberts (climber) | date=29 January 2012 | accessdate=8 February 2023 | archive-date=10 February 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210135029/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/patagonias-cerro-torre-climbing-controversy-maestri-unbolted | url-status=dead }}</ref>  Maestri further inflamed the controversy by returning in 1970 and drilling 400 bolts onto his new ''Compressor Route'', to claim the second ascent.<ref name=NG1/> In 2012, yet more controversy followed when American climbers [[Hayden Kennedy (climber)|Hayden Kennedy]] and Jason Kruk, removed Maestri's bolts, enabling [[David Lama]] and Peter Ortner to make the FFA, for which all four won a 2013 [[Piolet d'Or]].<ref name=NG1/>

===Rock climbing===

* In 1995, French climber [[Fred Rouhling]] created a major controversy when he proposed ''{{ill|Akira (climb)|lt=Akira|fr|Akira (escalade)}}'' as the world's [[List of grade milestones in rock climbing#Redpointed by men|first-ever]] {{climbing grade|9b}} route, when the highest grade at the time, ''[[Action Directe (climb)|Action Directe]]'', was only at {{climbing grade|9a}}.<ref name=PW/>  Rouhling faced an unprecedented level of personal vilification from parts of the climbing community on whether he had actually climbed the route, as all other attempts had failed.<ref name=PW>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine) | Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/people/fred-rouhling/ | title=The Other Side of Fred Rouhling | first=Pete | last=Ward | date=2004 | accessdate=22 June 2022 | archive-date=22 June 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220622205227/https://www.climbing.com/people/fred-rouhling/ | url-status=live }}</ref>  In 2020, [[Sébastien Bouin]] made the first repeat of ''Akira'' and estimated its grade at {{climbing grade|9a}}, a grade Rouhling has climbed on other routes, and thus his FFA became accepted.<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine) | Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/news/fred-rouhlings-akira-sees-first-repeats-since-1995-fa-receives-downgrade/ | title=Fred Rouhling's Akira Sees First Repeats Since 1995 FA, Receives Downgrade | first=Keven | last=Corrigan | date=23 November 2020 | accessdate=22 June 2022 | archive-date=22 June 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220622205220/https://www.climbing.com/news/fred-rouhlings-akira-sees-first-repeats-since-1995-fa-receives-downgrade/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | website=PlanetMountain | url=https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/fred-rouhling-akira-finally-repeated-after-25-years-sebastien-bouin-lucien-martinez.html | title=Fred Rouhling's Akira finally repeated after 25 years by Sébastien Bouin, Lucien Martinez | date=23 November 2020 | accessdate=22 June 2022 | archive-date=22 June 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220622210022/https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/fred-rouhling-akira-finally-repeated-after-25-years-sebastien-bouin-lucien-martinez.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

* In 2003, Spanish climber Bernabé Fernández proposed ''{{ill|Chilam Balam (climb)|lt=Chilam Balam|fr|Chilam Balam (escalade)}}'' as the world's [[List of grade milestones in rock climbing#Redpointed by men|first-ever]] {{climbing grade|9b+}} route, when the highest grade at the time, ''[[Realization (climb)|Realization]]'', was at {{climbing grade|9a+}}.  As with Fred Rouhling on ''Akira'', his claim provoked a significant backlash from parts of the climbing community and even accusations that he never completed an FFA (the person who belayed him could not be identified to help verification).<ref name=CL5/> The route was repeated in 2011 by [[Adam Ondra]] who downgraded it,<ref name=CL5>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/news/ondra-grabs-ascent-of-chilam-balam/ | title=Ondra Grabs Ascent of Chilam Balam | first=Amanda | last=Fox | date=13 April 2011 | accessdate=9 February 2023 | archive-date=10 February 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210150423/https://www.climbing.com/news/ondra-grabs-ascent-of-chilam-balam/ | url-status=live }}</ref> and further repeats reduced its grade to circa {{climbing grade|9a+}}.<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Rock & Ice]] | url=https://www.rockandice.com/climbing-news/sebastian-bouin-claims-third-ascent-of-chilam-balam-5-15b-spain/ | date=2014 | accessdate=8 February 2023 | title=Sébastian Bouin Claims Third Ascent of Chilam Balam (5.15b), Spain | archive-date=10 February 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210151459/https://www.rockandice.com/climbing-news/sebastian-bouin-claims-third-ascent-of-chilam-balam-5-15b-spain/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | magazine=Climber | url=https://www.climber.co.uk/news/dani-andrada-does-fourth-ascent-of-chilam-balam/ | title=Dani Andrada does fourth ascent of Chilam Balam | date=16 November 2015 | accessdate=10 February 2023 | archive-date=10 February 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210151500/https://www.climber.co.uk/news/dani-andrada-does-fourth-ascent-of-chilam-balam/ | url-status=live }}</ref>