Josune Bereziartu, 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.
Jerry Moffatt, is a British rock climber and climbing author who is widely considered as being the best British rock climber from the early-1980s to the early-1990s, and was arguably the best rock climber in the world in the mid-1980s, and an important climber in the history of the sport.
Lisa Rands is an American rock climber. She is known for her bouldering for which in 2002, she became the first American female to win IFSC World Cup bouldering competitions, and topped the IFSC world boulder rankings in 2002. Rands was the first American female to climb boulders of grade V11 (8A), and V12 (8A+), and was the second-ever female in history to climb a 7C+/8A boulder. As well as making first female ascents (FFAs) of boulders such as The Mandala V12 (8A+), Rands was the first female in history to do an E8-graded traditional climbing route, The End of the Affair.
The Mandala is a 6-metre (20 ft) high granite bouldering route in the Buttermilks, a popular bouldering area near Bishop, California. Considered a "next generation" problem in the 1970s, the route was first solved by American climber Chris Sharma in February 2000. It is one of the most widely known boulder problems in the world and is graded at V12 (8A+), and the sit start variation is graded at V14 (8B+).
Jim Holloway, an American, was one of the first of a new generation of boulderers for whom the sport was a lifestyle rather than a recreation. He began bouldering in the early 1970s in Boulder, Colorado, and in 1973 established his first notable route, Just Right. In 1975 he put up Trice – at today's grade of V12 (8A+), now considered the first-ever at that grade in bouldering history.
Paul David Robinson is an American professional rock climber who specializes in bouldering. He has established and repeated several bouldering problems at the V15 difficulty rating, in such areas as Hueco Tanks, the Buttermilks, and Magic Wood. In 2007, Robinson became the second climber in history to successfully climb a V13 boulder problem in one attempt.
Jason Kehl is a professional American rock climber known for his highball bouldering ascents, inspired artistic endeavors, and for his work shaping holds. In 2006, he was awarded the prestigious Everest Award for climbing, and is the first person to ever boulder a 5.14d grade route; The Fly (climb), Rumney, NH.
Alex Puccio is a professional climber specializing in bouldering. She competes in climbing competitions and split her time between climbing outdoor and indoor. She finished third overall in the 2011 and 2013 World Cup bouldering competition, second overall in the 2014 Climbing World Championship bouldering competition, and has won the American Bouldering Series eleven times.
Ashima Shiraishi is an American rock climber. Shiraishi started climbing at the age of six at Rat Rock in Central Park, joining her father. Only a few years later, she quickly established herself as one of the top boulderers and sport climbers in the world. Her numerous accolades include first-place finishes in international competitions, and multiple first female and youngest ascents. Shiraishi is featured in several short documentary-style films, and is the subject of the documentary short "Return to the Red" (2012).
Daniel Woods is an American professional rock climber who specializes in bouldering, and who is considered one of the most important climbers in the history of bouldering. Woods has climbed over thirty boulder problems graded at or above 8C (V15). He has also won several competition bouldering events, such as the U.S. National Bouldering Championship and some international events. In March 2021, Woods achieved the first ascent of a low start to Sleepwalker V16 (8C+) which he named Return of the Sleepwalker and proposed the grade 9A (V17), only the second-ever route in history at that grade.
Matt Segal is an American professional climber. He participates in a variety of climbing activities including single-pitch traditional climbing and bouldering.
Brooke Raboutou is an American professional rock climber who specializes in competition climbing where she competes as part of the US National Team. She competed at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games and represents the United States at IFSC Climbing World Cups.
Tomoko Ogawa is a Japanese boulderer. In 2012, she sent Catharsis, a boulder route in Shiobara established by Dai Koyamada, and confirmed by Daniel Woods, to become the first-ever woman to climb an 8B+ (V14) route. Ogawa began climbing in 2000, at age 22. Her other notable ascents of boulders include Caramba 8A+ (V12), Mutante 8A+ (V12), Akugeki 8A/8A+ , Atomic Playboy 8A (V11), Hatchling 8A (V11), and No Late Tenders 8A (V11).
Angela Payne is an American rock climber specializing in bouldering, who won a clean sweep of the 2003-2004 US American Bouldering Series, and who in 2010, became the first-ever female in history to climb an 8B (V13) boulder.
Alexandra Johnson is an American rock climber who specializes in bouldering and who has made numerous first female ascents of notable boulders, including Clear Blue Skies V12 (8A+) in Colorado, and Book of Nightmares V12 (8A+) and Lethal Design V12 (8A+) in Red Rocks. Her highest rated boulder send, as of 2022, was The Swarm at grade V14 (8B+) in Bishop. In competition bouldering, she won the overall American Bouldering Series in 2009, and has twice won individual stages in the annual IFSC Climbing World Cup series in bouldering.
Mélissa Le Nevé is a French professional rock climber specializing in competition bouldering, but and also in outdoor sport climbing and bouldering.
Akiyo Noguchi is a Japanese professional rock climber who specializes in competition bouldering as well as outdoor bouldering and sport climbing.
Nina Williams is an American professional rock climber based in Boulder, Colorado, best known for her highball bouldering.
Barbara "Babsi" Zangerl is an Austrian rock climber who is widely considered as one of the best all-round female climbers in the world. At various stages in her career, she has climbed at, or just below, the highest climbing grades achieved by a female in every major rock climbing discipline, including bouldering, traditional climbing, sport climbing, multi-pitch climbing and big wall climbing.
