It's fair to say that for the majority of the history of rock climbing, men have hogged the spotlight. Climbing has a particular "macho" bend to it, and women throughout the past hundreds of years have faced sexism and discrimination in almost every way possible while trying to participate on the rock.
Despite this unfortunate truth, many women have continually defied convention and worked incredibly hard to not only get a seat at the table, but also to push the sport into new realms of possibility.
So...here's a list of "Women of Firsts" in climbing - noting the first time that a woman achieved a given historical feat.
I have 10 women to cover - they aren't the only firsts, nor would I say that they are all the "best;" however - I can guarantee that they are all amazing and inspiring stories.
This is "10 Incredible "Women of Firsts" in Climbing."
SOURCES
Remembering Bev Johnson – One of America’s Greatest Climbers/Adventurers (https://rockriprollgirl.com/)
Hill, Lynn: "Climbing Free: My Life in the Vertical World" 2002.
List of Grade Milestones in Rock Climbing - Wikipedia.
Bereziartu, Josune: "The First Woman to Send 5.14b, 5.14c, and 5.14d/15a No Longer Feels the Need to Climb" 2021. (Climbing Magazine)
"Katie Brown Interview" 2001 (Planet Mountain)
"First Woman to Boulder V14 - Tomoko Ogawa" 2012. (Climbing Magazine).
Ament, Pat: "Wizards of Rock: A History of Free Climbing in America" 1999.
Chambre, David: "The 9th Grade: 150 Years of Free Climbing" 2016.
VIDEOS (youtube.com)
"An Excerpt from "Brave New Wild." The First All-Female Ascent of El Capitan" (Outside Magazine Youtube)
"Lynn Hill on Today" (Lynn Hill Youtube)
"Janja Garnbret IFSC Boulder World Cup 2019 Season Sweep" (IFSC Youtube)
"Catharsis V14 8B+ in Shiobara Japan カタルシス 五段 塩原" (尾川先生のスポーツクライミング解説チャンネル Youtube)
MUSIC CREDIT:
Track: "Back In Your Town"
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Track: "Roll Through"
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Track: "Celluloid Visions"
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Track: "Just For Kicks"
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Track: “Fun Time Party”
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Track: "La Belle"
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Track: "Habanera"
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Track: "European Idol"
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Track: "Great Expectations"
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