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YOSEMITE, USA – 1 December 2025 – Red Bull athlete Sasha DiGiulian (USA), 33, has become the first woman to free climb the longest route on Yosemite’s El Capitan, completing the 40-pitch Platinum route after a 23-day ground-up push marked by record November rainfall, snow, and high winds. DiGiulian reached the summit on 26 November 2025, securing the first female free ascent of the line and leading 27 of the route’s 40 pitches, including every crux.
DiGiulian spent nine days pinned to her portaledge as storms soaked the upper wall, forced long delays in progress, and left key cruxes dripping even after the weather cleared. The ascent marks only the fourth time a team has climbed the route since its establishment.
Context
Established between 2009 and 2017, Platinum Wall is regarded as one of El Capitan’s most complex and demanding free climbs. Where many El Cap routes follow crack systems, Platinum Wall navigates long, technical face sections and powerful traverses under a major roof feature, protected by the highest density of bolts on the formation. Continuous free ascent requires precision, endurance, and stable weather – conditions DiGiulian did not have. Despite icefall, water sheeting from the summit, and prolonged exposure on the wall, she continued upward and completed the ascent after a three-season preparation effort.
Key Facts
- Athlete: Sasha DiGiulian (USA, 33) – Red Bull athlete
- Achievement: First woman to free climb Platinum Wall, the longest free route on El Capitan
- Route: Platinum Wall – 40 pitches (includes direct Pine Line start)
- Difficulty: 23 pitches of 5.12; six pitches of 5.13
- Route Height: 3,000 ft (914 m)
- Continuous Push Dates: 2025-11-02 to 2025-11-26
- Total Time on Wall: 23 days (nine days weather-bound)
- Location: El Capitan, Yosemite Valley, California, USA
- Notable Conditions: Record November rainfall, sustained storms, summit icefall, wet crux pitches
- Climbing Partner: Elliot Faber (USA) – assisted in route establishment; climbed alongside DiGiulian
Route Overview
- Preparation (2023–2025): Three-season rehearsal of lower two-thirds; rappelled into upper third to work crux sequences.
- Start of Continuous Attempt (2 November 2025): Began ground-up ascent from Yosemite Valley floor.
- Storm Confinement: Nine consecutive days on portaledge; limited ability to climb due to wind, rain, snow, and summit runoff.
- Progress Under Extreme Conditions: Only ~200 ft gained over nearly two weeks as atmospheric rivers passed through the Sierra.
- Crux Execution: Wet holds remained despite the return of sun; DiGiulian free climbed all cruxes.
- Summit (26 November 2025): Topped out under clear skies with melting summit snow.
Athlete Quotes:
- “This climb started as a wild, audacious dream, something that honestly terrified me. I battled so many moments of feeling unprepared or not good enough. But pitch by pitch, I proved to myself that when you show up, commit, and keep believing, you can do things you once thought were impossible. This ascent is the proudest achievement of my career,” said Sasha DiGiulian from the summit, her fingertips swollen and taped after leading each crux pitch.
- Reflecting on days spent sheltering through storms, she added: “That storm was one of the scariest experiences of my life. The wind hammered the portaledge all night, the poles were bending, and I couldn’t stop thinking it might break. I felt isolated, exhausted, and terrified – but I also knew I’d regret it forever if I didn’t give this climb every possible chance. So I chose to stay. Day by day, breath by breath, believing the storm would eventually pass.”
- When she reached the most demanding section of the route, DiGiulian said: “The roof pitch was soaked, and I was exhausted – my hands, shoes, everything was wet. I fell, pulled the rope, and went again. By the downclimb, my whole body was shaking with nerves and adrenaline, just trying to breathe and hold on. When I clipped the anchor, I screamed and burst into tears. It wasn’t the top, but it was the end of the hardest pitches – the moment I realised the summit was actually possible.”
- She shared that encouragement from fellow climbers Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell lifted her spirits: “Super epic [that] we are still here!”
Why it Matters
DiGiulian’s ascent represents a benchmark in modern big-wall free climbing. Platinum Wall is among El Capitan’s longest and most technically complex routes, offering minimal crack systems and requiring precise footwork across extensive face climbing. Completing the line in wet, volatile conditions underscores a combination of resilience, elite technical mastery, and sustained preparation—signalling one of the most significant achievements in contemporary climbing.
About the Athlete
Sasha DiGiulian is a Red Bull athlete and American climber known for elite sport, big-wall, and expedition climbing. She became the first woman to climb 5.14d with Pure Imagination (2011) and has completed more than 50 routes rated 5.14. Her achievements include the first female ascent of the big-wall 5.14b route Rayu in Spain and the first free ascent of Yosemite’s 15-pitch 5.13 Misty Wall. She is also the founder of Send Bars in Boulder, Colorado.
Learn More
- Read more about Sasha DiGiulian’s Platinum Wall ascent
- Listen to Sasha DiGiulian as she shares what continually pushing progression looks like
- Watch Sasha DiGiulian’s remarkable story of grit, ambition, and boundary-breaking achievement
