Josune Bereziartu
Josune Bereziartu (born January 19, 1972), also known as Josune Bereciartu Urruzola, is a Basque rock climber. For a decade starting in the late 1990s, she was considered the strongest female sport climber in the world and is regarded as one of the most important female rock climbers in history.
Josune Bereziartu on Yeah Man, 2004 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Born | 19 January 1972 Lazkao, Gipuzkoa, Spain |
| Occupation | Financial services |
| Height | 174 cm (5 ft 9 in) |
| Weight | 57 kg (126 lb) |
| Spouse | Rikar Otegui (m. 1999) |
| Climbing career | |
| Type of climber | Sport climbing, bouldering, Competition climbing, Traditional climbing, Alpine climbing |
| Highest grade |
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| Known for | First female to climb 8c (5.14b), 8c+ (5.14c), 9a (5.14d) and 9a/9a+ ; first female to onsight 8a+ (5.13c), 8b (5.13d), 8b+ (5.14a); first female to solve 8B+ (V14), 8C (V15) |
| First ascents |
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| Updated on 20 January 2022. | |
In 2005, Bereziartu almost completely closed the gap with the strongest male climbers by climbing to grade 9a/9a+ when the world's hardest climb was at 9a+/9b. She is known for being the first-ever female in history to climb grade 8c (5.14b), 8c+ (5.14c), 9a (5.14d) and 9a/9a+ sport climbing routes. Bereziartu is also known for being the first-ever female in history to onsight 8a+ (5.13c), 8b (5.13d), and 8b+ (5.14a) graded routes. She was one of the first-ever females to solve bouldering problems at 8A (V11) and above.