13-year-old girl breaks Spanish climbing record

ASHIMA SHIRAISHI last week conquered a tough climb in Spain and may have shattered the record as youngest female to climb the Catalonian route ‘Open Your Mind Direct’ in only 10 minutes.

The 13-year-old girl from New York is believed to have completed the most technically difficult rock climb ever by a female. It’s also believed to be the hardest piece of rock face ever mastered by anyone of her age.

The experienced climber, who got started in her sport at seven years of age by scaling boulders in Manhattan’s Central Park, spent four days studying the route she would take before finally making her record-breaking ascent of the notoriously tough climb in Santa Linya, Catalonia.

Ten minutes later she had become a double world record holder and an inspiration to female climbers everywhere.

She told the Guardian: “I’m happy, my hands are wrecked.”

“It just shows the way girls can excel in climbing,” she continued, “they are really catching up and it does such a lot to inspire women and girls. It’s not just the guys who are pushing the limits now.”