‘Bloody fingers with pink nails”: how Sasha DiGiulian broke climbing’s glass ceiling

Big wall climber Sasha DiGiulian hopes to be remembered for establishing a new baseline for female climbers, including how they are recognized, treated and paid

In August 2013, Sasha DiGiulian traveled to the Dolomites to attempt Bellavista, a dream years in the making. After two weeks of working on the crux pitches, she climbed the entire route in a single push, becoming the first woman to climb a 5.14b big wall, breaking a major barrier in the sport.

Then a sport climber, DiGiulian was incredibly strong on single-pitch routes, but unaccustomed to the complexity of big walls. “I had climbed 5.14d, so I thought the 5.14b pitches wouldn’t be so hard, but I learned how much the logistics, weather, and fatigue add up,” she says.

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