Shauna Coxsey claims first female ascent of ‘The Olympiad’ 8b/5.13d
Shauna Coxsey has claimed the first female ascent of the UK’s hardest deep water solo, ‘The Olympiad’ at Skrinkle Haven in Pembrokeshire.
‘The Olympiad’ graded 8b/5.13d was established by Neil Gresham in 2012. Coxsey became the route's sixth ascensionist following repeats by BMC Ambassador Steve McClure, Edmund Morris, Josh Ibbertson and Cailean Harker. Steve McClure, who secured the second ascent of the route, was the only climber to adopt a traditional approach on gear and proposed a grade of E10 6c.
Coxsey’s successful completion of the route on her second attempt makes it the quickest ascent of the line, with Josh Ibbertson previously being the fastest ascensionist, taking three sessions with a ground-up approach. Shauna inspected the route on a rope before attempting the climb. The ascent was also Shauna’s first real DWS project after doing some easy climbs above Lake Garda in 2017 after attending Arco RockMaster.
Commenting on the ascent, Shauna said:
"Olympiad is one of the most captivating climbs I’ve ever seen. 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. Working the route took a massive setup but was necessary as I needed some time to find my own sequence. Trying the route above water was wild! With the tide, temps, wind, and humidity, it feels almost impossible to get perfect conditions.
"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. It was an experience that will stay with me forever and one of my favourite climbing moments to date. I am also still very shocked that I decided to jump off the top after sending! I can't wait to share the film with everyone"
First ascensionist Neil Gresham, said:
"Shauna Coxsey never ceases to amaze me. Everyone knows of her competition successes, yet she seems to be able to switch to other climbing styles at the drop of a hat. Olympiad was Shauna’s first DWS, yet it’s Britain’s hardest; no other woman had attempted it before, and she did it quickly. 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. It looked effortless, yet clearly it wasn’t! All the more impressive when juggled with the challenges of managing a young family. I don’t know how she does it. Bravo, Shauna for another fantastic ascent."
The ascent marks a change of scenery for Coxsey, who, since retiring from competition climbing, has focused mainly on outdoor bouldering but has explored other disciplines, such as a big-wall first ascent in Nigeria in 2025, and now is turning her hand to Deep Water Solo.
Looking ahead, Coxsey looks to return to her project on Giuliano Cameroni’s Hazel Grace Sit (8C/V15) in Gotthard Pass, Switzerland.
Header image: Jessica Glassberg / Red Bull Content Pool
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