The woman conquering the toughest mountains
Boundary-pushing big wall climber, Sasha DiGiulian, holds multiple first ascents and more than 30 female first-ascents of some of the world’s most revered and difficult big wall climbs. A climber since childhood, at the age of 18 she was the first American woman to climb a 9a/5.14d.
Sasha DiGiulian
© Red Bull Content Pool
In this episode, Rob Pope chats to DiGiulian about her journey from six-year-old indoor climber to world-renowned pro climber and free soloist, touching on her historic ascent of the Rocky Mountains Trilogy as the first woman – and only the second person ever – to send the trio of climbs in one season, three weeks faster than she expected.
From unexpectedly having to free solo one of her first big wall first-ascents as the holds crumbled away in her hands 1,000ft up without any protection, to experiencing the exhilaration of climbing in a flow state whilst conquering the 5.14-grade Rocky Mountains Trilogy in 2018, DiGiulian chats about the risks and rewards that come with climbing sheer walls thousands of feet above the ground.
Sasha DiGiulian
© Red Bull Content Pool
DiGiulian, who broke her back in a fall, describes the moment she thought she was paralysed, and reveals the method she sometimes uses when she’s feeling scared of falling mid-climb, as she discusses her relationship with fear on the wall.
“Even after 20 years of climbing, I don’t think fear ever goes away.”