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Steph Davis

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For the cricketer, see Steph Davies.
Stephanie Davis
Steph Davis BASE jumping with a wingsuit
Personal information
NationalityAmerican
Born1973
Home townFulton, Maryland
EducationB.A. University of Maryland
M.A. Colorado State University
OccupationRock climber
Height5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)[1]
Weight120 lb (54 kg) (2006)[1]
Climbing career
Type of climberTrad climber, Free soloist, Free climber, BASE jumper
Known for

Stephanie "Steph" Davis (born 1973) is an American rock climber, BASE jumper and wingsuit flyer. She is one of the top female climbers in the world,[1][2][1][3] having completed some of the hardest routes in the world.[2] She is the only woman to have free solo climbed a 5.11 climb, the first woman to summit all the peaks of the Fitzroy Range in Patagonia, the second woman to free climb El Capitan in a day, the first woman to free climb the Salathė Wall on El Capitan, the first woman to free solo The Diamond on Long's Peak in Colorado, and the first woman to summit Torre Egger.

Early life

Davis was born Illinois and grew up in New Jersey and Columbia, Maryland.[4][1] Her father, Virgil, was an aeronautical engineer and her mother, Connie, a school teacher.[4] Davis describes herself as an unathletic child;[5] she was a straight-A student and very musical.[4] She grew up playing the piano from the age of three using the Suzuki method.[5] By the time she was 18, she practiced six hours a day; she also played the flute and sang.[4] In the documentary A Perfect Circle, Davis says that she learned "discipline" and "how to project things" from her 15 years of playing the piano.[5] Her own self-description has been mirrored by others. In one Outside profile, for example, her "greatest assets" are described as "sheer will and a brainy, methodical work ethic" rather than "natural athletic talent and flawless technique".[1] Despite playing for so long, she did not love it like climbing. She described herself as "lit up" after climbing for the first time; she did not have this love for piano, so she quit.[5]

In 1990, she attended the University of Maryland as an English major.[4] In the spring of 1991, a fellow student offered to take her climbing and she fell in love with it.[1] She started rock climbing when she was 18 and "had a hard time wanting to do anything else."[6] In her breaks from school, Davis climbed on Long's Peak and bouldered in Hueco Tanks.[1]

She enjoyed climbing so much that she she moved to Colorado for a year where she was an exchange student at Colorado State University for a year. She graduated with a bachelor's degree form the University of Maryland and then moved to Colorado and attended CSU to get a master's degree in English.[1] He thesis focused on the canon of mountaineering literature and "the ways in which reality can be so disparate and shifting for each individual who is living through extreme circumstances", as Davis describes it.[7] She considered attending PhD programs in English but decided against it.[5] She attended University of Colorado's law school, but after five days of law school in September 1995 she quit,[4][1] knowing it was not the life for her, against the will of her parents, to pursue her passion for climbing.[5] Davis' mother, Connie, said "It was a big shock. We were just a regular family - climbing wasn't something we could relate to. She did it by herself, with no help from us."[2]

Climbing

"Free soloing is a practice for life. What I learned is that it is all about controlling what is going on in the brain....There's a euphoria to finishing a long free solo. That's the only way I can describe it. I've never felt that with anything else I've done. But I always feel it after free soloing."
—Steph Davis[5]

For the next seven years, she lived out of her vehicle, which at first was her grandmother's Cutlass Sierra; she even built a bed in the backseat.[4][1] She drove around to climbing areas, guiding, and waiting tables to make ends meet; she earned about US$6,000 a year.[1] She read throughout her journeys, from Gabriel García Márquez to Kirstie Alley's autobiography to French short stories.[1] Her parents continued to disapprove of her lifestyle, however, and she felt very alone: "My parents did not like my choices and thought I was doing stupid things with my life, and they told me so. I didn't feel like anyone cared if I did a climb I was proud of. They were just like, Great. What about your future schooling?"[1] As Davis became more well-known and successful at climbing, however, she was able to make a living from climbing, particularly from sponsorships from major companies, such as Patagonia, Five Ten, Clif Bar, and Black Diamond.[4][1]

In the fall of 1994, Davis was climbing Long's Peak in Colorado and noticed Dean Potter climbing. He had dropped out of the University of New Hampshire in 1992 and been living out of his VW Jetta so that he could pursue climbing. When they met, Davis was not interested in a boyfriend, but Potter persisted and finally the two got together. As Davis describes it, "It was fireworks and drama from then on."[1] The two began a tumultuous on-again, off-again relationship that involved living in each other's vehicles and trying to secure sponsorships.[1]

In 1995, Davis and Potter made Moab, Utah their home by "acquiring a storage unit and a library card."[8][5] However, she does not live there full time, often traveling to Yosemite, where she plans to build a house, or to other climbing destinations.[1] In Moab, Davis has turned a doublewide trailer into a small cottage, which includes a piano.[1]

In 1998, Patagonia hired Davis as its first female "climbing ambassador". In exchange for money and free gear, she would promote their products. For Davis, it was the "validation she craved"; "it was like they were playing the role my parents never did. Their support of my passion even more than the financial support means everything to me."[1] However, being a paid promoter means that Davis has had to adjust her ideas of climbing. "To be a professional climber, you have to sell yourself and convince everybody you're the best. But I don't think there is a 'best'."[1]

Davis and Potter split up in 2001, just before a trip to Patagonia. Davis had been hoping to summit Fitz Roy and ended up finding a partner after she flew down alone and summitted. However, a month later in Moab, Potter proposed and in June 2002 the two were married in meadow in La Sals.[1]

Despite being married, the couple did not have a traditional relationship. They were rarely in the same place at the same time due to their climbing projects. They also fought over whose projects had priority. As Davis tells it, Potter usually won these arguments and did not offer her much in return: "I had this perception that I had to be all virtuous and wifely and help him with his climbs and not have any of own goals....But to be fair, he didn't ask that of me. It was something that I'd made up in my mind".[1] Davis helped Potter train for his one-day free climb of El Capitan and Half Dome in September 2002, for example, but he did not help her train for her ascent of Cosmic Debris, an extremely difficult 5.13b crack climb in Yosemite.[1]

In 2004, Davis started working on Freerider, a 38-pitch climb on El Capitan. Her aim was to free climb the route. In order to be able to achieve this in one climb, she had to know the route through and through, so she practiced it extensively. Two to three times a week, she would hike 10 miles to the summit, self-belay 1000 ft to the lower parts of the route and climb up alone.[1] Potter belayed her, after at first refusing, during her actual attempt in April 2004. After a grueling four-day climb, she became the first woman to free climb the route.[1] In May, with Heinz Zak belaying her, she became the second woman, after Lynn Hill, to free climb El Capitan in a day.[1]

Salathé Wall

Davis free climbed the Salathé Wall route (at left) on El Capitan in Yosemite, which stretches 3,200 feet (980 m).

In 2003, Davis became the second woman to free climb El Capitan in one day.[2] Two years later, in October 2005, she became the first woman to free climb the Salathé Wall, on El Capitan,[2] The route is rated 5.13b/c, is 35 pitches, and approximately 3,200 feet (980 m) long.[9][1] The difficulty of the climb can be described as "spidering up the side of a skyscraper, climbing to [handholds] no bigger than lentils".[1] What makes Davis' achievement even more impressive is that she free climbed the route, meaning that she used only her hands and feet to climb the rock; she did not hang off the rope or any other mechanical aids.[1] Davis worked on the route throughout September, learning every inch of the climb and meeting Cybele Blood, who became her belayer. Davis had initially planned for the climb to take five days and had cached water and food along the route for that length of the time, but poor weather, high numbers of climbers on the route and difficult climbing made the climb take eleven days.[9] In fact, Davis wore only light climbing shoes, climbing tights, long underwear, and light wind jacket. The only other gear she had was climbing gear, a lightweight sleeping bag, and portable espresso maker, water and food.[1] When the two ran low on food and water, Blood went looking for the cached supplies but couldn't find them, so Davis "jugged" to the top to get some water and then returned to the route to continue the free climb. [9] This climb was Davis' "dream come true" and afterwards she said "I don't have to prove anything to myself anymore, or to anyone else."[1]

She is also the first woman climb Torre Egger, a difficult summit in Patagonia, of which she made the first one-day ascent, with her then partner Dean Potter.[2][10] When Davis arrived in Patagonia, Potter was already established and she and he climbed Cerro Stanhardt via what might have been a new route on the east face. They next attempted Torre Egger but half-a-rope-length from the top had to turn back because of a melting ice mushroom that would have made it dangerous to continue. Once colder weather returned, the couple climbed Titanic on the east side of Torre Egger, a feat that took them 23 hours. It may be the peak's first one-day ascent and is the first female ascent. [11]

2006 and 2007 were pivotal years for Davis in terms of her relationships and her climbing. In 2006, Davis' marriage to Potter ended after he climbed Delicate Arch that year. The controversial climb resulted in a public outcry and there was a lot of criticism directed at him for climbing "such a revered landmark". The couple lost much of their finanacial stability because they lost a lot of sponsorships. This financial stress added to their already tension-filled relationships and led to their divorce.[4] As a result, Davis drove from Yosemite to Colorado; she could not face going home to Moab.[4]

Free soloing

The Diamond on Long's Peak in Colorado is the first place Davis went alpine-climbing. It is "the most famous alpine rock climbing destination in Colorado".[12] It is vertical to overhung granite full of cracks and at the top is 4346m.[12] After her first experience there at the age of 24, she returned frequently in the summers.

[12] She began her free solo experience of the area by soloing Kieners on 7 July 2007, working up to harder routes.[12] Next, on 14 July, she free soloed Casual Route (5.10) and returned again on 27 August, after soloing a route on another mountain, to see if she would feel more at ease.[12]

On 3 September 2007, Davis free-soloed Pervertical Sanctuary, which was her goal, a difficult route the east face of Long's Peak (14,255ft), a thousand-foot granite wall known as "The Diamond" in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. She repeated the feat on 13 September with Peter Mortimer filming.[13] Famous among climbers, Ryan Minton explains in his article about Davis' achievement that "The Diamond is one of the most revered alpine walls in North America" and all of the climbing routes on it are extremely difficult.[13] To be fully prepared and be sure she was not bothered by other climbers, Davis slept close to the peak itself on 3 September and began climbing at 4:15am. Interviewed after the climb, Davis said that positive thinking was central to her success as well as knowing that she was carrying very little gear and the conceptualized of herself as a crack climber.[13] Davis is the first woman to free solo the Diamond and the second person to free solo the Pervertical Sanctuary route (the other is Derek Hersey).[13]

On 4 May 2008, Davis free soloed the North Face Castleton Tower, making her perhaps he only woman to have free-soloed at the 5.11+ grade. [14] The route is rated 5.11a and is 375ft. of climbing. It is a famous formation in Castle Valley, Utah. After Davis climbed it, she BASE jumped from the top.[15] In describing this climb, she referred to her climb and jump as "the cleanest possible style".[5] The climb was filmed by a close friend, Jim Hurst. Davis has said in an interview that while she had always refused to have her free solos filmed in the past because she has known him so long and because he knows how she climbs, having him film was not an imposition. There was no communication between them during the filming.[16]

Davis has made first ascents around Moab including the Tombstone. In 2008, she climbed Concepcion, one of the hardest pure crack climbs in the world. Steph has been on successful international expeditions to climb new routes in alpine, big wall, and solo styles, including in Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Baffin Island, Argentina, Italy, and Patagonia. Davis was the first American woman to summit Fitzroy in Patagonia and to summit all seven major peaks of the Fitzroy Range. [citation needed]

Davis has written in the past about the hurdles she faced being a woman in a male-dominated sport, but in 2009 she commented to an interviewer that she felt much of that discrimination had disappeared.[7]

Skydiving and base jumping

Davis started skydiving in 2007.[5] As she explains in A Perfect Circle, because there are not official dropzones in Moab and she became enamored of skydiving, she needed to learn to BASE jump, so she quickly became a BASE jumper so she could jump in the area around where she lived.[5]

In 2011 she married BASE jumper Mario Richard. Together the couple made a living through their sponsorships and started Moab Base Adventures, which offers BASE jumping in the Moab area to the public.[4] Richard died wingsuiting 18 August 2013.[17] In the documentary A Perfect Circle, she described her relationship with Richard as wonderfully complementary, saying that their combined skills allowed both to take their sports to the next level.[5]

Media

Davis's book High Infatuation: A Climber's Guide to Love and Gravity (ISBN 1594850658), has been translated into multiple languages. In it, according to Michael Robinson, professor of history who specializes in exploration and adventure, she "asks difficult questions about high-risk climbing, examining her own motives, personal relationships, and the broader meanings of her life's work".[7]

After four years of working on the project, Davis published Learning to Fly: An Uncommon Memoir of Human Flight, Unexpected Love, and One Amazing Dog in March 2013.[18] She had faced a lot of fear free soloing, BASE jumping and sky diving and felt that she could offer people advice about facing fear in general. As she said in an interview, "A big part of the reason I wanted to write the book is that most people have had experiences like this [fear in climbing], or will, whether it's a relationship or a career or whatever," she said in a recent interview. "Even a happy person can become depressed. When you're in that place, if you have some kind of guidance, some ray of hope … What I knew to hold on to was climbing and this whole new world of skydiving and having new experiences. Life's about change. Don't be afraid."[4]

Steph also practices yoga and is a vocal vegan activist.[19] She believes that "factory farming is abhorrent and no one should add one more penny of their money into sustaining it".[18] She blogs about her climbing, BASE jumping, yoga, and veganism at highinfatuation.com.

Notable climbs

Ascents

  • 1996, Obelisk IV 5.11, The Diamond, Long's Peak, Colorado — First all-female ascent with Elaine Lee[20]
  • 1996, Ticks are for Kids 5.13a/b, Indian Creek, Moab, Utah — First female ascent[20]
  • 1997, French Route 5.12a, Peak 3850, Ak-Su Valley, Kyrgyzstan — First free ascent with Kennan Harvey[20]
  • 1997, Big Yellow Moon V 5.12, Peak 3850, Kyrgyzstan — First free ascent with Kennan Harvey.[citation needed]
  • 1998, Inshallah VI 5.12 A1, Shipton Spire, Pakistan — Third ascent of Shipton Spire, new route climbed all free except for a blank 10-foot section. With Kennan Harvey and Seth Shaw.[20][citation needed]
  • 1999, Zen and the Art of Leadership VI 5.11 A4, Jushua Tower, Gibbs Fjord, Baffin Island — New route with Russ Mitrovich and Brandon Kannier.[20]
  • 2000, All Quiet on the Eastern Front VI 5.11 A3, Tahir Tower, Kondus Valley, Pakistan — New route and first ascent of the mountain with Jimmy Chin, Brady Robinson and Dave Anderson.[20]
  • 2000, Chouinard-Herbert V 5.11+, Sentinel, Yosemite — First free ascent with Kenny Yaeger.[20]
  • 2000, Zodiac, El Capitan, Yosemite - With Beth Cost, a paraplegic who made the first female paraplegic ascent of the wall.[20]
  • 2001, The Potter-Davis Route V 5.11 C1 WI4, north face of Poincenot, Patagonia — New route.[20]
  • 2002, Red Pillar 5.10 A1, Aguja Mermoz - Ascent with Isaac Cortez. Became the first woman to ascend all seven major ridgeline summits of the Fitz Roy massif.[20]
  • 2002, The Epitaph 5.13b, Tombstone, Utah — First free ascent with Dean Potter.[20]
  • 2004, Freerider VI 5.12.d/13a, El Capitan, Yosemite — First female ascent. Third woman to free climb El Capitan. Free climbed it in April and returned in May to free climb it in a day.[20]
  • 2004, The Crackhouse, Moab, Utah — First female ascent.[citation needed]
  • 2005, The Tombstone 5.13, Moab, Utah — First free ascent, team style with Dean Potter.[citation needed]
  • 2005, Salathé Wall VI 5.13 b/c, El Capitan, Yosemite — First woman to free climb the Salathe Wall. 10th person overall to free climb this route.[20]
  • 2005, Titanic ED 6+/A2, 1000m, Torre Egger, Patagonia — First one-day ascent of the mountain with Dean Potter. First woman to summit mountain.[20]
  • 2008, Concepcion 5.13b/c, Moab, Utah — Third ascent of the route, first woman to redpoint it.[citation needed]

Free solos

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af Arnold, Katie (2006 2 June). "She Rocks". Outside. Retrieved 25 March 2014. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ a b c d e f Douglas, Ed (5 May 2007). "Against the Odds". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  3. ^ Outside Television. "Interview with Steph Davis". Outside. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Robinson, Doug (6 May 2013). "Moab's Steph Davis making the most of her 'vertical cravings'". Deseret News. Retrieved 26 March 2014.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Keith Ladzinski (2013). A Perfect Circle (Documentary). Boulder, CO: 3 Strings Media.
  6. ^ The Sporting Life- Steph Davis
  7. ^ a b c Robinson, Michael. "Interview with Steph Davis". Time To Eat the Dogs: On Science, History, and Exploration. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  8. ^ Davis, Steph. High Infatuation: A Climber's Guide to Love and Gravity. p. 8. ISBN 1-59485-065-8.
  9. ^ a b c The Editors (1 March 2006). "Salathe Wall". Alpinist. Retrieved 25 March 2014. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  10. ^ "documentary film Daredevils: The Skywalker". Retrieved 2010-08-03.
  11. ^ MacDonald, Dougald. "Wild Times in Patagonia". Climbing. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  12. ^ a b c d e Kimball, Brian. "Steph Davis free solos the Diamond". climbandmore. Retrieved 26 March 2014.
  13. ^ a b c d Minton, Ryan (15 October 2007). "Steph Davis Free Solos the Diamond Four Times". Alpinist. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  14. ^ Nomes, Christopher. "Steph Davis, Rock Climber". Who & Whom. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  15. ^ a b Lambert, Erik (5 May 2008). "Davis Free Solos 5.11a on Castleton Tower". Alpinist. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  16. ^ Laurence (2 June 2008). "Interview with Steph Davis". Escalade. Retrieved 26 March 2014.
  17. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/21/sports/mario-richard-base-jumper-and-sky-diver-dies-at-47.html?src=recg
  18. ^ a b Leonard, Brendan. "10 Questions with Climber and BASE Jumper Steph Davis". adventure journal. Retrieved 26 March 2014.
  19. ^ Steph Davis. "Talking About Sports Nutrition". Retrieved 2008-07-25.
  20. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "Steph Davis". climbandmore. Retrieved 26 March 2014.

External links

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