DNA is a single-pitch sport climbing route at the La Ramirole sector of the Verdon Gorge in France. It was bolted by French climber Sébastien Bouin and first climbed by him on 29 April 2022, with Bouin proposing a grade of .
Climbing media described the proposal as potentially the second sport route graded after Silence (2017). , DNA had not been repeated, and was listed as one of three routes then described as being graded and unrepeated.
PlanetMountain reported that Bouin scoped and bolted DNA in 2019, then worked the project over multiple seasons before completing the first ascent in April 2022. UKClimbing and PlanetMountain reported approximately 250 attempts over about 150 days of work prior to the ascent.
Bouin stated that he debated between suggesting and before proposing , describing it as a proposal that would require repeat attempts to confirm or adjust. PlanetMountain noted that other top-end routes have seen grades revised after repeat ascents, citing Bibliographie as an example.
PlanetMountain described DNA as approximately 55 metres long, located in the steep limestone cave of La Ramirole. UKClimbing described the route as beginning with sustained climbing (reported as around for the initial quickdraws) into a rest, followed by multiple boulder-style cruxes (reported as around 8A and 8A+) and a difficult finish (reported as around ).
DNA and BouinâÂÂs first-ascent process were featured in a Reel Rock film segment titled DNA (Reel Rock, Series 9 Episode 4), distributed online via Red Bull TV in 2023. The segment is also listed as part of the Reel Rock 17 collection on Reel RockâÂÂs streaming platform.