Hazel Findlay

Hazel Findlay (born May 1989) is a British traditional climber, sport climber and big wall climber. She was the first female British climber to climb a route graded E9, and a route graded 8c (5.14b). She did the third ascent of the Yosemite traditional route Magic Line 5.14c (8c+). She has free climbed El Capitán four times on four different routes and made many first female ascents on other routes. Climbing magazine gave her their Golden Piton Award (Alpine) for traditional climbing in 2013.

Biography

Findlay was born in 1989,[1] the daughter of climber Steve Findlay.[2] She began climbing on the sea cliffs of Pembrokeshire with her father when she was six years old.[3][4] She became a six-time junior national rock climbing champion but gave up competition climbing in favor of traditional climbing.[1] She is a graduate of the University of Bristol, where she studied philosophy.[5] She lives in North Wales.

Notable climbs

Findlay made the 3rd ascent of Magic Line (2nd ascent placing the gear) 5.14c/bc+ (E10) Findlay made the first female ascent of a British E9 grade climb with her June 2011 climb of Dave Birkett's route Once Upon a Time in the South West (E9 6c) at Dyer's Lookout in Devon.[2][6]

She is the first British woman to free climb El Capitán in Yosemite National Park, which she has done four times:[5] she made the first female ascent of Golden Gate in 2011,[3] the first female ascent of Pre-Muir Wall in 2012,[7] and an ascent of Freerider in only three days in 2013.[8] In 2017 she free-climbed the Salathé Wall.[9]

She was the first person to free-climb Adder Crack (5.13a), in Squamish, British Columbia, in 2012.[10] With Jack Geldard, she made the first ascent of the front face of the Aiguille de Saussure, a spire in the Mont Blanc massif, Chamonix, France, also in 2012.[11] A more complete list of Hazel's ascents can be found on theCrag. She was the first person to climb 'Tainted Love' in Squamish (5.13d).

Other first female ascents of trad routes by Findlay include:

As well as trad climbing, Findlay has also climbed sport climbing routes;[21] most notably:

  • In 2014, she climbed Fish Eye in Oliana, Spain, reaching a difficulty level of 8c/5.14b. Although not a first female ascent (the route had been climbed in 2010 by Daila Ojeda) it was the highest level attained by a British female climber.[22][23]
  • In 2017, she climbed Mind Control (8c), also in Oliana.[24]
  • In 2022, she climbed Esclatamasters (9a) in Spain

Awards and sponsorship

Climbing magazine gave Findlay their Golden Piton Award for traditional climbing in 2013, citing climbs including Chicama and Freerider.[7]

She is professionally sponsored by Black Diamond Equipment, La Sportiva, Sea to Summit, Motion Nutrition

References
  1. Ambassadors – Hazel Findlay, La Sportiva, retrieved 11 October 2015.
  2. "Hazel Findlay with the First Female Ascent of Once Upon a Time in the Southwest (E9 6c)", Rock & Ice, archived from the original on 4 March 2016, retrieved 11 October 2015.
  3. McCarthy, James (30 May 2015), How climber Hazel Findlay conquered Yosemite's 3,000ft El Capitan in five days, WalesOnline.
  4. Kaikobad, Vera (28 May 2015), "On the Cover: Hazel Findlay", ClimbSkiBoulderMagazine.
  5. Hazel Findlay, Black Diamond Equipment, retrieved 11 October 2015.
  6. Geldard, Jack (July 2011), Hazel Findlay and Charlie Woodburn – E9 – Details, UK Climbing.
  7. MacDonald, Dougald (2013), "Golden Pitons 2013 – Traditional", Climbing, retrieved 11 October 2015.
  8. Campell, Duncan (October 2013), INTERVIEW: Hazel Findlay Climbs Freerider on El Cap, UK Climbing.
  9. "Hazel Findlay Frees Salathe Wall 5.13 on El Cap", Gripped, 1 December 2017
  10. Carpenter, Hayden (21 July 2015), "Vikki Weldon Makes Fourth Free Ascent of Adder Crack (5.13 R)", Rock & Ice, retrieved 11 January 2018.
  11. "Jack Geldard", Pro Team, DMM Climbing, retrieved 11 October 2015.
  12. MacDonald, Dougald (12 May 2010), "Hazel Findlay Does Air Sweden (5.13R)", Climbing.
  13. "Hazel and Marc-Andre Do 69", Gripped: The Climbing Magazine, 31 August 2010.
  14. Geldard, Jack (May 2011), Hazel Findlay Climbs San Simeon – E8, UK Climbing.
  15. "Watch Hazel Findlay Send A Hard Italian Crack", Gripped: The Climbing Magazine, retrieved 11 October 2015.
  16. Geldard, Jack (March 2013), Hazel Findlay on Chicama E9 6c – More Info and Photos, UK Climbing.
  17. Hazel Findlay FA of Trad Testpiece Tainted Love (5.13d), Squamish, Rock and Ice, 1 May 2018.
  18. Top Achievements, Hazel Findlay, retrieved 20 January 2019.
  19. "Hazel Findlay Does "Magic Line," 5.14c Trad!", Rock and Ice, 26 November 2019.
  20. "Hazel Findlay makes fifth ascent of Mission Impossible", Climber, 23 September 2020, retrieved 1 October 2020
  21. Geldard, Jack (July 2012), Ceuse 8b for Hazel Findlay, UK Climbing
  22. "Hazel Findlay climbs 8c with Fish Eye", SA Mountain, 7 April 2014.
  23. Gannaway, Ryan (8 April 2014), "Hazel Findlay Becomes the First British Woman to Climb 5.14b", Rock & Ice, retrieved 11 October 2015.
  24. Berry, Natalie (4 March 2017), Mind Control 8c by Hazel Findlay, UK Climbing, retrieved 28 February 2018
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