Being “badass” strikes me as a driving force on the international rock-climbing scene. Whether in bouldering, indoor or outdoor climbing, there’s no doubt that more and more incredible women are contributing to this ongoing trend. Are you curious to learn more about them? If so, keep reading and discover the stories of the most badass female climbers.
What is the definition of a badass?
First ascents, adventurous women-led expeditions, and boulder problems that got crushed against all odds are only a few of the achievements that led to writing this detailed climbing guide.
To me, a badass is someone who commits to whoever they are and understands winning is also about giving something in return and not just about taking, receiving, or luck. Badass people show us the impossible is possible. This is inspiring to our climbing community and worth mentioning.
The subject intrigued me so I got curious and asked around my climber friends what is a badass from their point of view. Here’s what some replied:
Ariane LaFusée: “Someone who is capable of letting fears go, always supportive, capable of saying “I’m scared” and capable to go anyway or stop if they don’t feel like continuing anymore.”
Christelle: “Someone who, whatever their max grade is, prefers to fall off than take, and keeps going even when pumped.”
Marco Mastrazzo: “One who doesn’t give a s**t about falling and where the last protection is, one who doesn’t care of conditions nor the grade and the style of the route…they just continue moving from hold to hold, screaming and shaking hands…and sometimes they make it to the top. “😆
Liana: “One that loves climbing for the movement, for pushing oneself, for getting better every day.” 💪
Here’s our list of the most badass female climbers
Janja Garnbret
Image from Insta @janja_garnbret
Janja Garnbret has been climbing since the age of 7, has two Olympic titles, and won 10 overall world cups. Long story short, at only 26 years old she has become the inspiration of every climber on this earth, man or woman, adult or child.
What makes Janja a badass climber?
Janja is also good at whatever she puts her mind to. Despite her being a competitor and not climbing often outdoors, this sportswoman is the first and only one who onsighted two 8c routes. An achievement that makes her the best at rock climbing as well.
Undoubtedly Janja is the Queen of competition climbing with a huge potential in all other climbing disciplines. Considering her amazing warrior ability to adapt to the game’s rules and take climbing challenges with a smile, we can’t wait to see her evolution in the next years!
By watching her checking out moves on Bibliographie we assume it’s a matter of time until she also becomes the first woman to send one of the hardest 9b+ in the world. 😀
Michaela Kiersch
Image from @michaelakiersch
What makes Michaela Kiersch stand out? At present, there are only 9 women climbers in the world who have climbed above 8b+ boulder and Michaela Kiersch is one of them. Beginning of autumn of 2024, Michaela sent Dreamtime (8c), and with it, she became the first woman to have climbed both V15 & 5.15.
Moreover, during her summer trip to the Rocklands, Kiersch thicked an incredible list of bouldering sends: one V14, three V13s, two V12s, nine V11s, and three V10s. And that’s not all! Later in November, she sent Dreamtime, the world’s first proposed V15 boulder.
What makes Michaela Kiersch a badass?
Only two weekends before her trip to Rocklands she broke her pinkie and had surgery. That also means only a few months before sending one of the world’s first 8c boulders! Now that’s badass! Watch more about this story here.
Beth Rodden
Image from Insta @bethrodden
Beth Rodden is undoubtedly part of the rock-climbing royalty. She was the first woman to complete two routes in Yosemite’s notorious El Capitan (Lurking Fear (5.10 A3)), with no preplaced gear, and was also the first one to climb the Meltdown in 2013.
This 22-metre vertical route is one of the hardest 5.14d trad routes in the world and remained unrepeated for 10 more years!
What is so badass about Beth?
In a world where talking about setbacks is still a hard thing to do and almost taboo (although they’re part of success), Beth doesn’t shy away from sharing her climbing journey.
Is not only her amazing climbing achievements per se but also her being a pioneer in climbing and breaking barriers in both sport climbing, trad, and big wall climbing.
I find this a very down-to-earth vision that’s comforting and very inspiring for people who sometimes feel afraid and stay in the shadow of those who seem fearful on social media.
I find the story she shares with the Red Bull team pretty inspiring and down to earth. Watch it here.
Babsi Zangerl
Image from Insta @babsizangerl
Babsi is a very experienced rock climber with numerous first female free ascents under the belt, along with several major multi-pitch and big wall climbing routes.
That includes the Alpine Trilogy in 2013, three major routes on El Capitan (El Nino, Zodiac, Magic Mushroom), and the Eiger’s hardest route, Odyssee, in 2018.
What makes Babsi a badass climber?
She works part-time as a radiographer in a hospital in Austria and she sends cracks and big wall routes full-time. Or full on! Babsi likes a good challenge therefore she is constantly trying climbing styles that she’s not talented at just to see if she can improve.
By looking at her Yosemite resume and not only, I’d say she’s really awesome at not being bad!
Her clarity and precision – a great set of skills for a climber, led her to flash climbing Freerider at the end of 2024. According to Wide Boyz, this is the first true flash on El Capitan: she did it in a one-push, no fall.
But there’s more: Babsi sent so many routes I am just gonna leave some of them here for you to watch while eating popcorn:
- The 6th ascent of Yosemite’s legendary Magic Line, a 35-metre 8c+ (5.14c) crack near Vernal Falls
- Greenspit (8b+, 5.14) in Valle dell’Orco, italy
- First woman repetition and 4th ascent of Meltdown (5.14c)
- Sprengstoff (9a) , Bludenz, Austria
Mélissa Le Nevé
Image from Insta @melissaleneve
Mélissa Le Nevé used to be a French competitor for the national team and is one of the most determined climbers I know. At some point, however, she decided to turn her back on it all and focus solely on rock climbing.
What was the incentive? Action Directe – the 9a no woman could do and only a handful of men dared try.
Bolted by Milan Sykora in the 80s, Action Directe is a 12 m magical line (9a/5.14d) that was first climbed by Wolfgang Güllich in 1991. Apart from being the first 9a in the world it also became a line of reference.
What makes Mélissa a badass?
Her determination in projecting the most badass 9a in the world. Back in 2014, Mélissa began projecting Action Directe, and a year later, she stuck the famous pocket move. But it was only five more years later, in 2020, when she sent the route after trying it for 6 years in total.
By clipping the chains of this route, she also claimed the First Female Ascent of Action Directe.
Melissa has a very enthusiastic approach to climbing: hard-working, stubborn, and determined. This is a rare skill and I believe it is not often we see someone so motivated to work the same route over and over. Not to mention brave for making Action Directe her climbing project!
Are you missing some motivation for climbing and some sweaty palms?
Watch her journey movie to 9a/5.14d – six amazing years of training and planning, not only an explicit insight into her training but also into her approach to climbing.
Badass female climbers in history
Lynn Hill and Catherine Destivelle – the best women climbers of all time
Both Lynn and Catherine are legendary figures in the history of rock climbing and competition and a point of reference during a time when the sport was predominantly male-dominated. Therefore we couldn’t end this badass guide without mentioning them.
Lynn dominated the US climbing scene and early indoor and outdoor climbing competitions in the 1980s and 1990s.
She free-climbed “The Nose” of El Capitan in a day, and was the first to climb free climb Ophir Broke, a 5.12d in Colorado. Notably, Lynn completed the first ascents and first female ascents of more than 30 routes around the world.
Curious for more? Watch Making the Case: Lynn Hill
Catherine Destivelle, on the other hand, while also being a direct opponent to Hill in competitions, focused on alpine climbing and became a mountain guide.
She did the most outstanding female ascents of all time such as soloing the Grandes Jorasses (Walker Spur), Bonatti Pillar, and soloing (onsight) the Eiger North Face.
Curious for more? Watch it here.
What it takes to be a badass climber
At the end of the day being badass sometimes leads to performance but it doesn’t have to necessarily be all about it. Someone brave enough to go against the odds or the misbeliefs of society and follow their calling is badass enough. And inspiring.
These climbers have redefined the sport through sheer dedication, and inspiring countless others to chase their own impossible goals.
However, just because you haven’t sent 9a boulder, climbed El Cap, or haven’t won the Olympics, no worries – you can still be a badass!
Just do your best when climbing that mountain, overcome your fears, accept your failures, and grow from that.
Now that you know what we think, and what other climbers think, what does being a badass climber mean to you?
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