​Women in Climbing Just Took it to a Whole New Level

Nina Williams mid-send on Ambrosia (V11) yesterday. Photo by Mike Pang, ER doc., photo wizard, and dedicated lover of rocks. ( For more amazing climbing imagery, follow him on Instagram here.)

Even if you don’t care about, or participate in climbing, what is happening in the sport right now is nothing short of inspiring. Women are rising to the top at record speeds, they're stronger than ever, and they have achieved some amazing and historical accomplishments in the last month.

It all really started a few weeks ago when 27-year-old Alex Puccio won her tenth championship title (TENTH!) at the Bouldering Nationals. It was her tenth win in only 12 years of competing in Nationals. And it didn't even look hard for her. 

On February 27, 19-year-old Margo Hayes climbed La Rambla, a sport climb graded at 5.15a. She became the first woman to climb a route that hard. Not only was it a huge day for women, but for climbing in general. Hayes was the sixth person ever to complete this climb. On top of all this, The North Face released a press release today announcing the addition of Hayes to its global team. 

(For those of you who don’t know climbing grades, the hardest grade that exists is 5.15c and it looks like this.)

That same day, 15-year-old Italian climber Laura Rogora clipped the chains on Joe-Cita, a 5.14d in Spain. Laura is the sixth known ascent. According to Rock and Ice, last March, at only 14 years old, Rogora became the first Italian female climber and second youngest climber to send 5.14d.

Then, yesterday, 26-year-old pro boulderer Nina Williams made the first female ascent (and I think the fifth or sixth ascent ever) of the V11 highball boulder problem Ambrosia. This is a fall-you-die "boulder" in the Buttermilks in Bishop, CA, on the Grandpa Peabody boulder. The hardest established bouldering problem is V16.

Here's a super old school video of a young Kevin Jorgenson doing the route five years ago. 

Alright ladies, we're stoked!  what’s next? 

About The Author

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stash member Leslie Hittmeier

Leslie is a freelance writer and photographer. Storytelling is her focus and she spends her time following badass skiers and climbers around in their natural habitats. As an obsessed skier and climber herself, she plays and trains in the Tetons.