Shauna Coxsey Makes First Female Ascent of The Olympiad

British climber Shauna Coxsey has completed the first female ascent of The Olympiad (8b/5.13d), the UK’s hardest deep-water solo, on just her second attempt.

Shauna Coxsey has climbed ‘The Olympiad’ at Skrinkle Haven in Pembrokeshire, Wales, becoming the first woman to complete the 12-metre deep-water solo line above the Celtic Sea.

The Sheffield-born climber sent the 45° overhanging route on only her second attempt, making it the fastest ascent of the line to date.

Established by Neil Gresham (GBR) in 2012, ‘The Olympiad’ has now seen six successful ascents and is graded 8b/5.13d. Here is all you need to know:

‘The Olympiad’ is a 12-metre deep-water solo route at Skrinkle Haven in Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK. The line follows a 45° overhanging wall above the Celtic Sea, requiring climbers to link difficult moves with open water below.

Coxsey became the first woman to complete the route.

Graded 8b/5.13d, ‘The Olympiad’ is described as the UK’s hardest deep-water solo climb. Neil Gresham (GBR) established the route in 2012, and Coxsey’s ascent is the sixth successful completion.

Previous ascents came from Steve McClure (GBR), Edmund Morris (GBR), Josh Ibbertson (GBR) and Cailean Harker (GBR).

Coxsey sent the climb on only her second attempt, making it the quickest ascent of the route so far. Josh Ibbertson (GBR) had previously completed the fastest ascent, taking three sessions using a ground-up approach.

Coxsey inspected the route on a rope before attempting her successful ascent.

The route was Coxsey’s first serious deep-water solo project. She had previously climbed some easier routes above Lake Garda, Italy, in 2017 after attending Arco RockMaster, but ‘The Olympiad’ represented a major step into the discipline.

It required her to adapt to a longer, exposed line with difficult movement and demanding conditions.

“Olympiad is one of the most captivating climbs I’ve ever seen,” says Coxsey.

“I wanted to climb it from the moment I first saw it, but I was braced for a battle. The moves are hard, and it’s a lot longer than I’m used to, plus the logistics are crazy.”

Conditions were a major part of the challenge. Coxsey had to manage the tide, temperature, wind and humidity, while working out her own sequence on a route where a fall means dropping into the sea.

“Trying the route above water was wild,” she says. “With the tide, temps, wind, and humidity, it feels almost impossible to get perfect conditions.”

Coxsey did not expect to send the line so quickly.

“Sending this route on my second try from the start was not at all what I expected, and I still can’t quite believe it,” she says.

“It was an experience that will stay with me forever and one of my favourite climbing moments to date.”

First ascensionist Neil Gresham highlighted Coxsey’s ability to move between disciplines. “Olympiad was Shauna’s first DWS, yet it’s Britain’s hardest; no other woman had attempted it before, and she did it quickly,” says Gresham.

“The stakes were high as we only had good conditions on one day, yet she stayed calm and delivered the goods with a light touch.”

The ascent continues Coxsey’s exploration of climbing beyond competition.

Since stepping away from competition climbing, she has focused mainly on outdoor bouldering while also taking on a big-wall first ascent in Nigeria in 2025.

Her next objective is a return to Giuliano Cameroni’s ‘Hazel Grace Sit’ (8C/V15) at Gotthard Pass, Switzerland.

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