Black Diamond Presents: Sean Bailey Goes “A Muerte” in Spain on Joe Mama 9a+ (5.15a)

Sean “Steezy” Bailey heads to Oliana, Spain in this short Black Diamond Presents film, trading the intensity of the World Cup circuit for the singular pressure of a 5.15. With Daniel Woods framing the weight of the grade and Bearcam behind the lens, the story follows Bailey as he locks onto Joe Mama (9a+/5.15a) and chases that razor-thin margin where confidence, nerves, and precision collide. What makes this worth your eight minutes is the honesty of the process: the quiet build of attempts, the calculated rest, and the mental battle that comes with “heavy numbers.” It’s a focused portrait of modern sport climbing at its limit—power, tactics, and commitment on a mega line—capturing the fleeting moment when everything finally clicks and the barrier breaks again.

Black Diamond Equipment · 8:17

“I think the nerves kick in when you’re about to do 5.15,” says Daniel Woods. “It’s a heavy number.” BD Athlete Sean “Steezy” Bailey knows that feeling. Roughly three years back, the reticent rope gun and comp crusher sent the world’s penultimate 5.15—Biographie/Realization in Céüse, France—during a week off from his grueling World Cup circuit. Last Spring, Sean was finally able to take a break from the competitions and travel to Oliana, Spain, where he tried the mega line Joe Mama (5.15a). Check out this film by Bearcam documenting Sean’s journey to once again find that fleeting feeling of breaking the 5.15 barrier. #liveclimbrepeat