Ashima Shiraishi

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

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

At the age of 13, she became the second-ever female and the youngest person to climb a very difficult route. In 2016, she climbed a very 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 just 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 quickly became very good at climbing, achieving difficult moves at a young age. Ashima also climbed tall routes and won many youth competitions over the years. She even 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 notable achievements include completing routes like Horizon in Japan in 2015 and Sleepy Rave in Australia in 2016, both rated at the very hard level of 8C (V15). She has also tackled other challenging routes such as Jade in the Rocky Mountains in 2021 and Phenomena in Japan in 2015, rated at 8B+ (V14).

Redpointed routes

In addition to bouldering, Ashima has also successfully climbed several long routes. One of her major accomplishments was climbing Ciudad de Dios in Spain on March 23, 2015, which was the first time a woman had climbed this route. She also climbed Open Your Mind Direct R1 in Spain on March 17, 2015, again being the first woman to do so. Other notable climbs include Southern Smoke and Lucifer, both in the Red River Gorge in the United States in 2012, as well as several routes in Spain in 2014.