Olympian Brooke Raboutou Becomes First Woman to Scale a 9b+ Route

Brooke Raboutou stunned the world with her recent ascent of a route known as Excalibur in Italy, a record-breaking 9b+. Until now, this grade has remained untouched by a woman. Roboutou, an elite and prodigy climber, threw caution to the wind and attempted the daunting route. She succeeded dramatically.

But don't be fooled; it wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision—a 9b+ never is. The 23-year-old climber dedicated endless time and training to prepare for such a difficult feat. This route challenged her, but exuded vast technical skills to overcome the prearious route to make history on April 5th. She expressed her appreciation for the mystic route and the lessons she learned from the experience - an incredible journey.

"Thank you for the lessons. From the start, I was drawn to you—something about your unrelenting intensity. Our relationship swayed over time. Some days felt like effortless harmony; on others, we fought, our voices raised. Still, the way you pushed me was like none before. You forced me to confront my fears, detach from expectation, and feed every flicker of belief I could find. You taught me to argue with doubt until it began to doubt itself. You asked for everything, but gave me even more in return."

Brooke Raboutou Stuns the Climbing World - Climbs Excalibur in Italy