Silvia Vidal facts for kids

Sílvia Vidal, born on December 17, 1970, is an amazing professional climber from Barcelona, Spain. She is famous for her incredible solo climbs on huge rock walls in far-off places. These include mountains in Pakistan, India, Patagonia, and Alaska.

Early Life and First Climbs

Sílvia Vidal was born in Barcelona. When she was 24, she was a university student studying physical education. She was also an athlete who loved running.

One day, she tried a multi-sport event that included climbing. She found climbing "something different" and really enjoyed touching the rock. Her first climbing experiences were on big rock walls with her friends. She quickly became very good at it.

Amazing Climbing Adventures

Sílvia Vidal became a skilled climber very quickly. Just two years after she started, she won an award from the Spanish Mountain Federation. This was for her climb called Principado de Asturias in Northern Spain.

Climbing Big Walls in Asia

By the mid-1990s, Sílvia had climbed in famous places like Montserrat in Spain and Yosemite Valley in California.

In 1999, Sílvia and her partners, Pep Masip and Miguel Puigdomenech, made a first ascent. They climbed a 5800-meter (about 19,000 feet) tower called Amin Brakk in Pakistan. They spent 32 days straight on the wall! This climb was seen as a huge test of their strength and patience.

In 2004, Sílvia and her partner Eloi Callado created a new route. It was 890 meters (about 2,900 feet) long on Neverseen Tower in the Indian Himalaya.

Solo Expeditions

Sílvia Vidal is especially known for her solo climbs. This means she climbs by herself, without any partners.

In 2007, Sílvia went back to Pakistan alone. She climbed a huge 2,900-foot route on Shipton Spire. She spent 21 days by herself on that wall.

In 2012, she went on another solo trip to Patagonia, Chile. She climbed a 1500-meter (about 4,900 feet) route. Sílvia spent 32 days alone on the wall. The weather was very wet, and she felt like she was "in a swimming pool" because of all the rain.

In 2017, Sílvia climbed Un pas més in the Arrigetch Peaks of Alaska. This was another challenging solo climb.

In 2021, Sílvia Vidal received a special award. It was for her amazing contributions to solo big wall climbing.

Her Unique Climbing Style

Sílvia Vidal is famous for climbing hard routes alone in very remote places. She likes to do all the planning and carrying of gear herself. She says planning these trips needs a lot of work. She has to learn as much as possible about places where no one has climbed before.

Being Truly Alone

When Sílvia goes on solo trips, she does not bring a phone, radio, or internet. She wants to be completely alone. Sometimes, she even explores without maps or GPS, using her "intuition" to find her way.

She believes in a very personal way of exploring. For example, in Alaska in 2017, she spent 53 days alone. A huge part of that time, 36 days, was spent just carrying her 150 kilograms (about 330 pounds) of food and gear. The actual climbing was a smaller part of her trip.

Sílvia says that for her, it's not just about how high or how hard a climb is. It's also about how it was done. Going alone in her style means she is truly by herself.

Equal for All Climbers

Sílvia believes that male and female climbers should be judged equally. She thinks both men and women can achieve amazing things in climbing. She once wrote that if someone congratulates her as the "first woman" to do something, it makes her achievement seem less important. She wants her climbs to be recognized for their difficulty, not just because she is a woman.

Life Outside Climbing

Sílvia Vidal has had sponsors for her climbing trips. But sometimes, she had to pay for her own expeditions. In the past, she even worked installing electrical cables in windmills to earn money.

Her climbing trips are very tough on her body. She often needs up to six months to recover after an expedition. When she is not climbing, she gives talks about her adventures and inspires others.

See also

In Spanish: Silvia Vidal para niños

• Catherine Destivelle
• Josune Bereziartu