Patxi Usobiaga

Patxi Usobiaga Lakunza, born on 7 September 1980, is a Basque climber from Spain who competed in lead climbing World Cups and climbed outdoors at the highest sport grades. He began climbing at Atxarte at the age of ten, belayed by his father for four years, redpointed his first 8a at fifteen and his first 8b at eighteen. He started competing at the Lead Climbing World Cup in 2000, earned his first gold medal in Edinburgh in 2003 and won the overall Lead Climbing World Cup two years in a row, for which he received the Salewa Rock Award in 2007. In 2009 he won the lead title at the World Championships in Qinghai, China. He was the first climber to onsight an 8c+ route, Bizi Euskaraz at Etxauri in 2007, and he announced his retirement from competitions in 2011.