Ashima Shiraishi

Ashima Shiraishi (白石阿島, Shiraishi Ashima, born April 3, 2001) is an American rock climber. She started climbing when she was six years old at Rat Rock in Central Park with her father. Within a few years, she became one of the best boulderers and sport climbers in the world.

Shiraishi has won many international competitions. She has made several important climbs, including being the first woman and the youngest person to complete some very hard routes. She has been in several short documentaries, including one called "Return to the Red" from 2012.

At age 13, she became the second-ever female and the youngest person to climb a very hard route. In 2016, she climbed a tough boulder problem in Japan and became the first-ever female to complete a V15 (8C) boulder.

Biography

Ashima Shiraishi was born in New York City on April 3, 2001. She grew up in Chelsea, Manhattan and started climbing rocks when she was six years old at Rat Rock in Central Park. She later climbed at Brooklyn Boulders in Gowanus, Brooklyn.

By the time she was seven, Ashima began climbing in competitions with a coach. She became very good at climbing and won many youth competitions. She also wrote a children’s book with her own drawings when she was older.

Rankings

World Cup

Climbing World Championships

Youth

USA Open Championships

Notable ascents

Boulder problems

Ashima Shiraishi has climbed many difficult routes around the world. Some of her achievements include finishing routes like Horizon in Japan in 2015 and Sleepy Rave in Australia in 2016. She has also climbed other hard routes such as Jade in the Rocky Mountains in 2021 and Phenomena in Japan in 2015.

Redpointed routes

Ashima has also climbed several long routes. One of her big achievements was climbing Ciudad de Dios in Spain in 2015, being the first woman to do this. She also climbed Open Your Mind Direct R1 in Spain in 2015, again being the first woman. Other climbs include Southern Smoke and Lucifer, both in the Red River Gorge in the United States in 2012, and several routes in Spain in 2014.