Hazel Findlay

Hazel Findlay
Personal information
NationalityBritish
Born
Bristol, England, U.K.
EducationUniversity of Bristol, Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Philosophy (2011)
Websitewww.hazel-findlay.com
Climbing career
Type of climber
Highest grade

5.14c (8c+) Trad

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. She married climber Angus Kille in Las Vegas in 2023.

Notable climbs

In 2019, Findlay made the 3rd ascent of Magic Line (2nd ascent placing gear), a route graded 5.14b/c (8c/+) at Vernal Fall in Yosemite National Park. She 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] She was the first person to climb 'Tainted Love' in Squamish (5.13d). 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] In 2022, along with Alex Honnold, she made a first free ascent of Ingmikortilaq, a 3,750-foot wall and one of the world’s tallest monoliths, in Greenland.[12] A more complete list of Hazel's ascents can be found on theCrag.

Other first female ascents of trad routes by Findlay include:

As well as trad climbing, Findlay has also climbed sport climbing routes;[22] 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.[23][24]
  • In 2017, she climbed Mind Control (8c), also in Oliana.[25]
  • In 2022, she climbed Esclatamasters (9a) in Catalonia, Spain.[26]

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.

She has launched a mental training business for climbers called "Strong Mind Climbing".

Filmography

References

  1. ^ a b Ambassadors – Hazel Findlay, La Sportiva, archived from the original on 16 February 2016, retrieved 11 October 2015.
  2. ^ a b "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. ^ a b 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, archived from the original on 12 January 2018, retrieved 11 October 2015.
  5. ^ a b Hazel Findlay, Black Diamond Equipment, archived from the original on 7 August 2019, retrieved 11 October 2015.
  6. ^ Geldard, Jack (July 2011), Hazel Findlay and Charlie Woodburn – E9 – Details, UK Climbing.
  7. ^ a b 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, archived from the original on 28 June 2017, retrieved 11 October 2015.
  12. ^ @NatGeoUK (18 August 2022). "Alex Honnold just led the first ascent of one of Earth's tallest Arctic sea cliffs—for science". National Geographic. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  13. ^ MacDonald, Dougald (12 May 2010), "Hazel Findlay Does Air Sweden (5.13R)", Climbing.
  14. ^ Gripped (31 August 2010), "Hazel and Marc-Andre Do 69", Gripped: The Climbing Magazine.
  15. ^ Geldard, Jack (May 2011), Hazel Findlay Climbs San Simeon – E8, UK Climbing.
  16. ^ "Watch Hazel Findlay Send A Hard Italian Crack", Gripped: The Climbing Magazine, 7 September 2015, retrieved 11 October 2015.
  17. ^ Geldard, Jack (March 2013), Hazel Findlay on Chicama E9 6c – More Info and Photos, UK Climbing.
  18. ^ Hazel Findlay FA of Trad Testpiece Tainted Love (5.13d), Squamish, Rock and Ice, 1 May 2018, archived from the original on 4 May 2018.
  19. ^ a b Top Achievements, Hazel Findlay, retrieved 20 January 2019.
  20. ^ "Hazel Findlay Does "Magic Line," 5.14c Trad!", Rock and Ice, 26 November 2019.
  21. ^ "Hazel Findlay makes fifth ascent of Mission Impossible", Climber, 23 September 2020, archived from the original on 14 December 2020, retrieved 1 October 2020
  22. ^ Geldard, Jack (July 2012), Ceuse 8b for Hazel Findlay, UK Climbing
  23. ^ "Hazel Findlay climbs 8c with Fish Eye", SA Mountain, 7 April 2014.
  24. ^ Gannaway, Ryan (8 April 2014), "Hazel Findlay Becomes the First British Woman to Climb 5.14b", Rock & Ice, archived from the original on 16 October 2015, retrieved 11 October 2015.
  25. ^ Berry, Natalie (4 March 2017), Mind Control 8c by Hazel Findlay, UK Climbing, retrieved 28 February 2018
  26. ^ Escalatamasters 9a by Hazel Findlay, UK Climbing, 11 March 2022, retrieved 28 January 2026
  27. ^ "Sea fever: Classic climbs of Pembroke". MTNFILM. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  28. ^ "Monkey See Monkey Do". Hot Aches Productions. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  29. ^ "Reel Rock S1 E10: Spice girl". Red Bull. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  30. ^ "Reel Rock S4 E1: Break on through". Red Bull. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  31. ^ "Brit Rock II". Brit Rock Films. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  32. ^ "Pretty Strong". NEVER NOT COLLECTIVE. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  33. ^ "Reel Rock S7 E3: Action Directe". Red Bull. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  34. ^ "Reel Rock S7 E7: First ascent/last ascent part 1". Red Bull. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  35. ^ "Black Diamond Presents: Foiled with Hazel Findlay". YouTube. 3 May 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  36. ^ "Reel Rock S10 E1: Yeah buddy – part 1". Red Bull. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  37. ^ "Finally: A Mainstream Film That Doesn't Mangle Climbing". Climbing Magazine. 27 June 2025. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
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