Silvia Vidal is One of the World’s Boldest Big Wall Soloists

Catalan climber Silvia Vidal has received a special mention at the recent Piolets d’Or 2021 in Briançon, France, for her “outstanding contribution to solo big wall climbing over the last two decades.”

There are no other climbers who’ve spent more time along on remote big walls in the past 20 years than Vidal. In 2017, she climbed a new route up the west face of Xanadu in Alaska. She was alone for 53 days, 36 of which were spent transporting the approximately 150 kg of food and gear before spending 17 days alone on the wall. The route climbs 530 metres of steep rock up to A4+.

Vidal’s new routes, climbed in capsule style, can be found in places such as Alaska, Canada, Chile, India, Mali, Pakistan and Peru. The Piolets d’Or jury said, “Her most notable ascents have been achieved mainly in total autonomy: entirely alone, no radio, no mobile, no GPS, no weather forecasts, no communication. Drilling tends to be minimal, and always by hand.”

Significant solo ascents include: Life is Lilac (870 m, 6a A4+), Shipton Spire, Pakistan (21 days alone on the face, 2007); Naufragi (1,050 m, 6a+ A4+), Raldang, India (25 days alone on the face, 2010); Espiadimonis (1,500 m, 6b A4), Serrinia Avalancha, Chile (two weeks fixing the first 350 m, then 32 days on the face, a total of nearly two months alone in this wild region, 2012); Un Pas Més (530 m, 6a A4+), Xanadu, Alaska (36 days of ferrying equipment – 540 km of walking – both up to and down from the face, and 17 days alone on the wall, 2017), and most recently Sincronia Magica (1,180 m, 6a+ A3+), El Chileno Grande, Chile (16 days were spent load carrying, in and out, and after fixing the initial 180 m, 33 days were spent alone on the wall, 2020).

In 2013, Vidal visited Canada and presented at the Banff Mountain Festival. We reported, “Silvia Vidal presented Alone on Big Walls. It was easily the rawest, most exciting show of the week, She left the audience of hundreds speechless. The Catalan big-wall pioneer shocked and awed outdoor enthusiasts from all over the world with her humbled presentation about spending nearly 40-days alone on a big wall in Chile.”

Piolet d’Or 2021, Silvia Vidal