Alex Megos has made the first ascent of Slice of Heaven at Cheesedale, near Nowra, south of Sydney. He sent it on 17 September 2026. At 9b (5.15b, Australian grade 37) it is the first route of the grade in Australia and the hardest established sport climb in the country.

The line is about 15 metres and packs roughly 20 hard moves into short sandstone: a 7c+ boulder start, then a sequence of pockets, a sidepull and a shallow three-finger dish that stopped him on the previous trip. Ryan Sklenica bolted it earlier in 2026 (Rob LeBreton had started the line in 1992). Only one hold was reinforced; the rest is natural rock.

Megos first tried it in July and fell on the last hard move. He came back in September for one good day. On the 17th the temperature dropped to about 15°C, the southerly stayed off the sheltered wall, and he sent. He did not fly out looking for Australia’s hardest route — locals, including Sklenica, invited him onto the project.

The route on climbing.place: Slice of Heaven.

Source: Gripped (30 Sep 2026). Photo: Talia Suh.