Alex Johnson Climber Profile
Contents
Bio
Alexandra Johnson, or AJ or Alex for short, is an American pro climber who has been rock climbing professionally for almost 20 years. She made the US National Team by age fifteen, and is a competition climber and avid boulderer who started climbing in 1997. At age thirteen, she won her first US Open National Championship (2003), and at age fourteen she became Open Pan American Champion (2004).
She’s made numerous first female ascents and was the first American to win a Bouldering World Cup on US soil (2008). Two years later she won another World Cup in Switzerland, becoming the first American to win two Bouldering World Cups.
In 2016, Alex Johnson stepped back from competition to focus on outdoor climbing, building an impressive tick list filled with iconic first female ascents. In 2019, she competed again, winning a silver medal at the US Nationals, but she fell just short of qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Table Of Contents
- Bio- Stats- Notable Climbs - The Swarm (V14)- - VantaBlack (V13)- - Luminance (V9 Highball)- - First Female Ascent Diaphanous Sea (V12)
Stats
Ape Index: +4″ DOB: 4/3/1989 Started Climbing: 1997 Highest Grade: V13/14 (The Swarm)
Alex came out as LGBTQ+ in 2018, and advocates for equality in all facets of life. She’s done several collaborations with her favorite brands to create Pride themed products, and all the profits were donated to Athlete Ally and other LGBTQ+ organizations. She’s an athlete ambassador for The Access Fund, which is an organization that’s dedicated to the preservation of climbing areas across the country. She’s been quoted in the past talking about how important good character is in the small climbing community, saying “…Being positive and active in the community, because whether or not we realize it in our small sport, we ARE role models.”
She continues to climb and coach. In 2021, she won a silver medal in the North American Cup and a year later she won a bronze medal. She had ACL surgery in 2023 and returned to international competition in 2026. Outside of competition climbing, 2022 was one of her strongest outdoor years, with five V12s and three V13s, and continues to be an inspiration for female climbers as a coach and climber. Here’s a list of her competition career highlights:
You can follow Alex on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
Notable Climbs
Alex has many first ascents and first female ascents, and you can find a complete list here. The list includes The Swarm, six V13s, more than a dozen V12s, and many more. She has six first ascents: Critically Acclaimed (V10), The Swoop (V10), Saturn Returns (V9), Sowbelly (V8), The Middle Path (V7), and Lucky Charms (V6). She also has several significant first female ascents like Diesel Power (V10), Luminance (V9), Clear Blue Skies in Colorado(V12), Dark Horse (V10), and more. Otherwise, these are some of the stand-out problems she’s conquered over the years.
The Swarm (V13/14)
Alex first started trying this boulder back in 2011 at age 21. She returned in late 2013 to 2014 to work the climb for three months. For some of the time, she was accompanied by her brothers or a friend, but most days she was alone and left Bishop in mid-March feeling lonely and let down. She returned and left empty-handed again in 2015 and 2016. After five years away, she came back again in March 2021 and finally sent it, a decade after her first attempt.
Alex was quoted saying “I’ve changed so much as a climber and a person in the last decade, but my desire to climb this boulder remained constant. This climb broke me, changed me, and initiated growth inside me that I never knew could happen” (Climbing). You can watch a video about her attempts here.
VantaBlack (V13)
Vantablack is a V13 boulder problem located in Red Rock, Nevada, outside of Las Vegas. Alex Johnson claimed the first female ascent, making it her second V13 since she did Hungry Hungry Hippos back in 2015. Vantablack is a cruxy V13 that Alex sent after two sessions, and it’s one of six V13s on her list.
Luminance (V9 Highball)
Back in 2012, Alex Johnson flashed a highball by the name of Luminance, now usually graded V9. Located in the Buttermilks of Bishop, California, the problem was originally given a harder grade because of the scare factor of the final lunge, but it has since been downgraded. While this wasn’t a first ascent in any way, it shows Alex’s strength to be able to flash a V9.
First Female Ascent Diaphanous Sea (V12)
Alex claimed the first female ascent of Diaphanous Sea (V12) back in 2010. The famous boulder is located in Hueco Tanks, Texas, and she sent it after only two days of effort. While she was visiting, she also sent Dirty Martini On The Rocks (V12/10), New Religion (V7), See Spot Run, and Mettle Detector (both V6).
Resources
- AlexJohnsonClimbing.com
- 8a.nu
- Cover photo from Alex’s Facebook page
Sources
- Bio, Alex Johnson
- Outdoor, Alex Johnson
- The Story Behind the Siege: Alex Johnson's Decade-Long Battle With the Swarm, Climbing