Climbing
Shauna Coxsey becomes first woman to conquer UK’s hardest deep-water solo
Climber Shauna Coxsey Coxsey needed just two attempts to complete Olympiad, a 12-metre route above the sea in Wales, making the fastest ascent of the climb to date.
British pro climber Shauna Coxsey needed only two attempts to climb Olympiad, an 8b route above the sea in Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK. Coxsey became the first woman to complete the route – and made the fastest ascent of the climb to date.
“Olympiad is one of the most captivating climbs I’ve ever seen,” says Coxsey. “I wanted to climb it from the moment I first saw it, but I was braced for a battle. The moves are hard, and it’s a lot longer than I’m used to, plus the logistics are crazy.”
12 metres of climbing above the sea
Olympiad is a 12-metre deep-water solo route
© Jessica Glassberg / Red Bull Content Pool
Olympiad is a 12-metre deep-water solo route at Skrinkle Haven in Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK. The line follows a 45-degree overhanging wall above the Celtic Sea, requiring climbers to link difficult moves with open water below. Graded 8b/5.13d – an elite level of climbing difficulty – Olympiad is described as the UK’s hardest deep-water solo climb. Deep-water soloing is climbing above open water without ropes, with the water providing the landing if you fall.
Neil Gresham established the route in 2012, and Coxsey’s ascent is the sixth successful completion. Previous ascents came from British climbers Steve McClure, Edmund Morris, Josh Ibbertson and Cailean Harker.
Coxsey drops into the sea during her historic ascent
© Jessica Glassberg/Red Bull Content Pool
The Brit was all smiles after completing the climb
© Jessica Glassberg/Red Bull Content Pool
The conditions made the climb even harder. With no rope, a fall meant dropping straight into the sea. “Trying the route above water was wild,” Coxsey says. “With the tide, temps, wind, and humidity, it feels almost impossible to get perfect conditions."
This experience will stay with me forever
Coxsey did not expect to send the line so quickly. “Sending this route on my second try from the start was not at all what I expected, and I still can’t quite believe it,” she says. “It was an experience that will stay with me forever and one of my favourite climbing moments to date.”
