Heidi Wirtz

Heidi Wirtz’s motivation for traditional climbing is legendary in the climbing community. From Yosemite Valley to Colorado, she is known as “Heidi Almighty,” a nickname earned with scores of ticks on such classics adventure routes as “Air Voyage” V 5.12a and “Lost Cities” IV 5.12 in the Black Canyon as well as single pitch climbs such as “The Evictor” 5.12+ S in Eldorado Canyon, and “The Wasp” 5.13- in Rocky Mountain National Park. She also holds, with Vera Shulte-Pelkum, the women’s speed records on Both El Captains’ Nose route as well as the Regular Route on Half Dome in Yosemite Valley.

Heidi's love for adventure and exploration has been the driving force behind many of her climbing accomplishments. She enjoys all types of climbing, finding herself high on giant rock walls and frozen waterfalls throughout the world. Wirtz has been climbing throughout North and South America, North Africa, the Middle East and Asia for the past fifteen years and does not plan to ease up on her globe trotting any time soon. While continually raising the bar for her personal performance and for women’s climbing in general, Heidi has also devoted much of her time to working with the communities that she visits throughout the world and envisions a broader view for her role in the sport in the years ahead, hoping to do more work with people in need around the world and create opportunities to “give back, help and inspire.

Heidi currently works with The North Face, Petzl and La Sportiva as a professional climber, as well as with the RD&D departments within these companies. Wirtz is also the co-founder of Girls Education International.

First Ascents

  • “Bad Hair Day” IV 5.12a in the Bugaboos with Lizzy Scully
  • “Qui Lombo” IV 5.11+ A1 on San Rafael in Patagonia with Zack Smith
  • “Pufigu” IV 5.12b in the Sayan Mountains of Siberia with Roxanna Brock
  • “La Bas” IV 7b in Taghia Valley located in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco with Conrad Anchor, Kevin Thaw, Renan Ozturk and Kris Erikson
  • “Dar al salam” IV 13a in Wadi Rum, Jordan with Chris Kalous, Ben Firth and Aaron Black
  • “Sharp at Both Ends” III 5.11++ on Chasm View Wall in Rocky Mountain National Park with Topher Donahue