Josune Bereziartu

Climbing career

In 1998, Bereziartu came to international attention with her repeat of Honky Tonky at Oñati, which made her the first-ever female in history to climb an route.

Bereziartu has also followed the path of earlier female sport climbers like Lynn Hill and Catherine Destivelle, freeing old aid climbing routes into major new multi-pitch traditional climbing routes in the mountains, such as Yeah Man (8b+, 300m, 9 pitches, with Rikar Otegui) in 2002, and El Pilar del Cantabrico (8a+, 500m, 13 pitches, with ) in 2004, and Super Weissmuller (8a+, 300m, 8 pitches, with Rikar Otegui) in 2007.

Bereziartu participated in few climbing competitions which reduced her sponsorship profile, preferring instead the feel of real rock, and the challenge of bringing female sport climbing to the highest grades. National Geographic noted that at the height of her career in the early to mid-2000s, "She was also climbing two or three grades harder than any other woman". A 2017 Climbing magazine review of the history of women's climbing noted that "In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Basque Josune Bereziartu became the world’s best female sport climber", and that she had "dramatically narrowed the gap between men and women". In 2021, PlanetMountain, ranked Bereziartu as one of the most important female climbers in history, saying: "In short, from 1998 to 2005 Bereziartu's hegemony on rock was absolute. With these redpoints, and with her first female 8b+ onsight completed in 2006, Bereziartu reduced the gender gap on multiple occasions, inspiring thousands of other climbers. In addition to these physical achievements, it is worth dwelling on how they were carried achieved: always with absolute modesty, always with a smile". world's first-ever female ascent of a 9a/9a+ route. – Saint Loup (SUI) – October 29, 2002; world's first-ever female ascent of a 9a route. Na Nai – Baltzola (ESP) – June 18, 2003; world's third-ever female ascent of an 8c+ route. Noia – Andonno (ITA) – October 18, 2001, world's second-ever female ascent of an 8c+ route. world's first-ever female onsight of an 8b+ route. world's first-ever female ascent of 8C boulder traverse. world's first-ever female ascent of an 8B+ boulder traverse. Berezi – Larraona (ESP) – 2000. Only the second-ever female ascent of an 8A boulder problem after ascended Duel in 1998.

Multi-pitch routes El Castillo de los Sacristanes , 400-metres, 10 pitches – Ordesa Park (ESP) – 2009 – First free ascent with Rikar Otegui. Zaratustra , 400-metres, 10 pitches – Ordesa Park (ESP) – 2008 – Fully free ascent with Rikar Otegui. El Ojo Critico – , 400-metres, 10 pitches – Ordesa Park (ESP) – July 6, 2007 – First free ascent with Rikar Otegui. Super Weissmuller , 300-metres, 8 pitches – Petit Pic De Ansabere (FRA) – June 2007 – First free ascent with Rikar Otegui. Divina Comedia A2, 275-metres, 11 pitches – Ordesa Park (ESP) – July 2006 – First free ascent with Rikar Otegui. Yeah man , 300-metres, 9 pitches – Grand Pfad (SUI) – July 1, 2004 – First free ascent with Rikar Otegui. El Pilar del Cantabrico , 500-metres, 13 pitches – Naranjo de Bulnes (ESP) - July 2002 - First free ascent with .

Mixed ice routes Firenze (ED+ M7 R), 450m, 7 pitches – Peña Telera (North Face) (ESP) – March 2008 – First free ascent with Rikar Otegui.

Awards Arco Rock Legends, Salewa Rock Award, 2006. National Geographic, Adventurers of the Year, 2005. Climbing Magazine, (Sport Climbing), March 2003.

Filmography Documentary on Bereziartu: Documentary on climbing in Naranjo de Bulnes: