24 Facts About Catherine Destivelle

From 1992 to 1994, Catherine Destivelle became the first female to complete the winter alpine free solo of the "north face trilogy" of the Eiger, the Grandes Jorasses, and the Matterhorn.

Catherine Destivelle made Himalayan and high-altitude ascents such as Nameless Tower in 1990, the southwest face of Shishapangma in 1995, and the south face of Peak 4111, in Antarctica, in 1996.

Catherine Destivelle is the subject of several documentaries, including Remy Tezier's, Beyond the Summits, which won the best feature-length film award at the 2009 Banff Film Festival.

Catherine Destivelle was born in Oran, in French Algeria, to French parents, Serge and Annie Destivelle.

At the age of 12, Catherine Destivelle became a member of the Club alpin francais, and started bouldering in Fontainebleau, multi-pitch big wall climbing in Burgundy, and alpine climbing in the Massif des Ecrins.

From 1980 to 1985, Catherine Destivelle focused on studying physiotherapy at the Ecole de kinesitherapie de Paris, and then working full-time as a physiotherapist.

Catherine Destivelle initially rejected competition climbing, co-signing the 1985 Manifeste des 19, but then changed her mind and won at Sportroccia in 1985, the first international climbing competition, which later became the Rock Master annual competition.

Catherine Destivelle beat her fellow French rival Isabelle Patissier to win her third Sportroccia title.

In 1989, Catherine Destivelle won the first international climbing competition held in the US, organized by Jeff Lowe at Snowbird, Utah.

In 1990, Catherine Destivelle finished third at the annual Snowbird international competition and decided to retire from competition climbing to focus on mountaineering and alpine climbing.

In 1991, Catherine Destivelle completed one of her most notable alpine climbing feats by opening up a new route on the west face of the Petit Dru, named the Voie Catherine Destivelle.

Catherine Destivelle turned her attention to completing the free solo climb, in winter, of the three greatest north faces in the Alpes.

Catherine Destivelle started in 1992, making the first female solo ascent of the 1938 Heckmair Route on the north face of the Eiger in 17-hours.

In 1990, Catherine Destivelle went on an expedition with Jeff Lowe and David Breashears to try a new route on Nameless Tower in the Karakoram poor conditions forced them to change plans and they instead made the second free ascent of Yugoslav Route.

In 1992, Catherine Destivelle went on another expedition with Jeff Lowe to climb the north ridge on the north face of Latok I, in the Karakoram, but was forced back due to severe storms.

Lowe tried an alternative solo route while Catherine Destivelle and Decamp tried the West Pillar both groups were unsuccessful due to severe snowfall.

In January 1996, after the pair successfully completed a new route on the south face of Peak 4111 in Antarctica, Catherine Destivelle fell 20-metres through a cornice while momentarily unroped on the summit, and suffered a severe compound leg fracture.

Catherine Destivelle thought she would die given their remote position a 15-hour self-rescue brought her to safety.

Catherine Destivelle said of her Eiger free solo: "I didn't want people to say it was the first female ascent, I wanted to be the first person to climb the Eiger onsight and solo in winter".

Catherine Destivelle is widely considered one of the greatest all-around female climbers in the history of the sport.

Catherine Destivelle was one of the few rock climbers who practiced free soloing at extreme grades.

Catherine Destivelle was the first woman to complete the following solo alpine climbing and big wall climbing ascents:.

Catherine Destivelle went on innovative and challenging Himalayan and high-altitude mountaineering projects.

Catherine Destivelle has been the subject of several films and documentaries:.