Tomoko Ogawa Becomes First Woman to Climb V14
In October 2012, history was made. Tomoko Ogawa became the first woman to send a V14 (Font 8B+) when she climbed Catharsis at Shiobara, Japan. After three years of battling this problem, she finally made the ascent.
Japanese bouldering legend Dai Koyamada established Catharsis in 2005. In Planetmountain's interview with Ogawa, she said she spent about 30 to 40 days on the problem over those three years, with a few hundred attempts in total.
Before her ascent, the hardest problems climbed by women were all considered to be around 8B, which standard grade charts list as V13. Ogawa was 34 at the time and had previously topped out at 8A+ (V12).
It is easy to see in the video that she has spent time on this problem with how calculated and precise her movements are and her celebration is a clear reflection of the struggle.
Sources
- Tomoko Ogawa and the Catharsis 8B+ interview, Planetmountain
- International Climbing Grade Comparison Chart, Mountain Project