Even when climbing was still in its infancy, it was all about continually pushing the boundaries of human possibility—and not just by men. We've collected ten female ascents that made climbing history.
Whether bouldering, redpoint climbing, or alpine and trad climbing, many strong female climbers have always contributed to the history of climbing. Nevertheless, men are still mostly at the forefront when it comes to difficult and significant ascents. So it's high time to highlight ten (first) ascents by women* that have significantly shaped climbing history.
* In this article, we had the difficult task of selecting ten special achievements from the countless impressive female ascents that have particularly raised the difficulty level of female ascents. The list below makes no claim to completeness and certainly does not diminish the achievements of unmentioned female climbers.
Lynn Hill – The nose (8b+), 1993
«It goes, boys» – this quote from legend Lynn hill symbolizes the greatest climbing milestone in the American's career. In 1993, Hill became the first person in the world to free the famous route The nose am El Capitan in Yosemite. A year later, she even surpassed her own achievement by conquering the entire line in a single day.
Particularly impressive: Another free ascent of the Nose remained elusive for five years – despite numerous attempts by some of the best big-wall climbers. It wasn't until 1998 that Scott Burke achieved the second ascent.
Beth Rodden – Meltdown (8c+), 2008
A generation later than Lynn Hill, she was a driving force in sport climbing in the 90s and 2000s: Beth Rodden Rodden came to international attention in 1998 when, with only three years of climbing experience and as the youngest woman ever to climb an 8b+. Lynn Hill then invited her to join the first all-female ascent of the Tsaranoro Massif in Madagascar in 1999. In her subsequent career, Rodden devoted herself more and more to traditional climbing. There she completed her first ascent of Meltdown (8c+) definitively established him as one of the strongest male trad climbers in terms of difficulty. The crack line in Yosemite was only repeated eleven years later and is still considered a true benchmark today.
Beth Rodden is also the first woman to free climb two routes on El Capitan: Lurking Fear (2000) and The Nose (2005).
Josune Bereziartu – Bain de sang (9a), 2002
She cannot be left out of the list of women who have repeatedly pushed the boundaries of sport climbing: Josune Bereziartu was the first woman to climb routes graded 8c+, 9a, and 9a/+. Just two years after Isabelle Patissier freed the 8c grade with Masse Critique, Bereziartu climbed the first 8c+: Honky Tonky in Oñate. Ten years later, the climber from the Basque Country finally reached the 9th grade of the French with her ascent of Fred Nicole's Bain de Sang (9a) line – at a time when the scale ended at 9a+. Bereziartu's ascent of one of the hardest routes in the world at the time marked a turning point for women in climbing, who thus climbed at the same grade as elite male athletes.
Josune Bereziartu later climbed other routes in grade 9, including Bimbaluna (9a/+) and Logical Progression (9a+), the grade of which is still debated today.
Ashima Shirashi – Horizon (8C), 2016
When it comes to difficult female bouldering ascents, her name has legendary status: In 2016, the 14-year-old US American Ashima Shirashi raised eyebrows worldwide when she successfully climbed Dai Koyamada's Horizon (8C) in Japan. Her ascent of the approximately 30-move, full-roof boulder on Mount Hiei made Shirashi instantly famous in the bouldering scene—and simultaneously made her the first female and youngest 8C boulderer of all time.
Even as a child, Ashima Shirashi attracted attention with particularly young ascents—including an 8B at the age of ten. However, Shirashi isn't a pure bouldering specialist: from 2012 to 2020, she held the record for the youngest ascent of an 8c+ on the rope.
Margo Hayes – La Rambla (9a+), 2017
Back to the rope and into 2017: A young American woman makes climbing history in Siurana, Spain. The then 19-year-old Margo Hayes scored after seven days the route La Rambla (9a+) – becoming the first woman to reach this grade. Fifteen years after Josune Bereziartu's first 9a ascent by a woman, Hayes once again pushed the upper limit of female sport climbing upwards.
Hayes, who hails from Colorado, climbed on the US youth team from the age of ten and trained there under Robyn Erbesfield-Raboutou. She later climbed two more 9a+ routes, which are considered benchmarks for the grade: Realization/Biographie in Céüse and Papichulo in Oliana.
Angela Eiter – La Planta de Shiva (9b), 2017
The year 2017 was to bring another milestone for women in sport climbing. Just in the spring, Margo Hayes had broken the 9a+ barrier – in October Angela «Angy» Eiter She went one better: With La Planta de Shiva in Villanueva del Rosario, Spain, she became the first woman to climb a route at the magical grade 9b. The Austrian had previously repeated routes like Hades (9a) and Big Hammer (9a). She significantly increased the visibility of women in elite sport climbing in the 2000s and 2010s – both on rock and in the World Cup, where she won 25 gold medals alone.
In 2020, Angela Eiter made her first 9b first ascent with the route Madame Ching in the Tyrolean Oberland, which is still unconfirmed.
Michaela Kiersch – Dreamtime (8C), 2024
She is one of the names you have to remember on the rope and when bouldering: Michaela Kiersch is one of the strongest all-round climbers of all time. In 2024, she achieved the first female ascent of the iconic boulder Dreamtime (8C) in Cresciano, making her the seventh woman ever to climb 8C. With her repeat of Fred Nicole's Ultra-Kingline, Kiersch also became the first woman to climb 8C bouldering and 9a+ sport climbing. The 155 cm tall American had climbed La Rambla (9a+) in 2023 and Víctima Perfect (9a+) in 2024.
Just this week, Michaela Kiersch made the hardest female first ascent since Beth Rodden’s route Mad Lib (9a) in Vermont. Meltdown (8c+).
Katie Lamb – The dark side (8C+), 2025
The American Katie Lamb has not only "unlocked" the grade 8C+ once, but twice. With her repetition of Box Therapy (8C+) in the Rocky Mountains, she conquered this difficulty level (previously reserved for men) for the first time. Shortly afterward, Brooke Raboutou the line to 8C – probably the hardest bouldering downgrade from woman to woman.
In the spring of 2025, Katie Lamb struck again: The then 27-year-old repeated the boulder "The Dark Side," which is now considered a confirmed 8C+ grade, at Yosemite National Park's historic Camp 4. Lamb can now finally call herself the world's first 8C+ female boulderer.
Brooke Raboutou – Excalibur (9b+), 2025
The year 2025 was also significant for difficult ascents by women on the rope. Brooke Raboutou succeeded with Excalibur in Arco for the first time, climbing a route of grade 9b+. The American thus replaced the Italian Laura Rogora which will be launched in 2021 erebor (9b/+) had achieved the most difficult female ascent to date. Particularly impressive: The 24-year-old had previously "only" climbed an 8c+ redpoint – thus skipping grades 9a, 9a+, and 9b.
Raboutou, whose bouldering tick list already includes several 8Cs, is the only woman among only nine people worldwide to have climbed a confirmed 9b+ route. Excalibur, the toughest tour in Italy, had previously only been completed by Stefano Ghisolfi and Will Bosi.
Babsi Zangerl – Freerider (7c+) Flash, 2025
More than 30 years after Lynn Hill's legendary rescue of El Capitan, an Austrian woman has once again accomplished something on that historic wall that no human has ever achieved before. Babsi Zangerl was the first person ever to flash the 1.000-meter big wall route Freerider (7c+). With her fall-free ascent on the first attempt, Zangerl continued her long list of free ascents in Yosemite Valley to a new level. In the past ten years, she has achieved the first free female ascents of climbs including El Niño, Zodiac, and Magic Mushroom.
Babsi Zangerl is considered the best all-round climber in the world. The Tyrolean professional climber has repeated rarely climbed trad routes such as Meltdown (8c +) and Magic Line (8c+) in Yosemite and climbed some of the most challenging multi-pitch routes in the Alps such as The Gift or Seventh DirectionIn 2025 she was the second woman to receive the Paul Preuss Prize.
That might interest you
- Laura Rogora is the first woman to climb grade 9b / + with Erebor
- Katie Lamb makes climbing history again: She is the first woman to boulder 8C
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Credits cover photo: Matty Hong