Крис Шарма: Тас өрмелеудің шебері мен жаңарушысы

American rock climber
and has since become an important route in the history of sport climbing, with Climbing magazine noting that "technical rock climbing jumped in its evolution". Sharma's ascent of the route was captured in Josh Lowell's 2002 film, Dosage Volume 1. Days later, Sharma won the Munich leg of the IFSC World Cup in bouldering, only to be disqualified on testing positive for marijuana.

After Realization, Sharma considered quitting climbing and went on Buddhist pilgrimages. A 2003 trip to Mallorca, Spain to meet Miquel Riera, a pioneer of deep water soloing, led him to "fall in love with climbing all over again". In 2007, Sharma moved to Lleida, a town near the Spanish Pyrenees, in Catalonia, Spain, predominantly in Catalonian limestone crags (namely Oliana, Siurana, Santa Linya and Margalef), starting with the classic of Papichulo in May 2008. and now he needed to find his own limit saying: "I wanted to push myself to the next level. Where is that? I had to discover it. That was a big process in itself. So I bolted all these routes [in Spain]. And a lot of them ended up being that next level". Both Ondra and Sharma declared the collaboration to be a very positive experience with Sharma saying post his March ascent: "It was a healthy process for both of us, we fed off each other's motivation and through him, I think I became a better climber myself". Their collaboration was documented in Reel Rock 7 (2012), and La Dura Complete (2013).

At , La Dura Dura would hold the rank of "world's hardest climb" until Ondra climbed Silence at in 2017, and while Sharma would put up several more "King Lines" over the next 5 years, it marked the high point in terms of his hardest route. In March 2023, aged 41, Sharma made the first redpoint of Sleeping Lion, a route beside La Rambla in Spain, which he described as the hardest thing he had done in over eight years. In 2016, Outside said "Sharma shaped modern rock climbing. Whatever he thought was cool, we followed. Bouldering. Projecting hard sport routes. Deep water soloing. In 2016, Climbing said: "Over the past three decades, Sharma has cultivated a mellow Southern California persona, but in reality, he's one of the most competitive, focused, and driven athletes out there". or when seeking direction and motivation. Sharma was also known for eschewing any gym based training (including fingerboards or cross training) or dieting, preferring to climb as his sole method of training. Sharma is credited with developing the commercial potential of extreme sport climbing, with Climbing saying "Not only did Sharma have the guns to become the first human to climb 5.15, he had the genius to see the potential, coupled with the commitment to spend months and years of his life proving it", Sharma's commercial appeal, and becoming one of the most filmed climbers, In August 2015, he married Venezuelan model and television personality Jimena Alarcón, and the couple moved from Oliana to Barcelona. and their second child, a son, in 2019.

Sharma's parents were practising Zen Buddhists (although they did not live in at the Mount Madonna ashram) Sharma has been on various Asian pilgrimages lasting several months, including the Shikoku Pilgrimage in Japan that he undertook after climbing Realization in 2001. The 2010 book Climbing: Because It's There (Philosophy for Everyone) discussed the impact of Zen Buddhism on Sharma saying: "Sharma's affinity for Buddhism, and Zen in particular, is well documented in film and print. He exemplifies the spirit of Zen, being humble (but potent), ordinary (but extraordinary), self aware, and most of all, authentic". Sharma has however rejected the label of "spiritual climber", saying in 2011: "To be stereotyped like that definitely detracts from me personally. Like I said, I'm totally happy talking about this stuff. I just don’t want to make some image for myself like I’m some sort of saint or something. I get frustrated, and I get bummed out".