Who Is Steph Davis? Free-Solo Climber, Wingsuit Flyer, and Author

Steph Davis is an American professional rock climber, BASE jumper, wingsuit pilot, author, and speaker. She is known for landmark ascents on El Capitan, Longs Peak, Torre Egger, and the major peaks of Patagonia’s Fitz Roy range.

Steph Davis became the first woman to free climb the Salathé Wall on El Capitan and the first woman to free solo the Diamond on Longs Peak. She was also the second woman to free climb El Capitan in one day and is recognized as the first woman to free solo a route graded 5.11.

Her career later expanded from climbing into skydiving, BASE jumping, and wingsuit flying. Davis has documented her experiences in the memoirs High Infatuation and Learning to Fly.

Profile Summary

Early Life and Background

Stephanie Davis was born on November 4, 1973, in Illinois. She spent parts of her childhood in New Jersey and later lived in Columbia, Maryland.

Music was one of Davis’s earliest serious interests. She showed considerable ability as a pianist and received intensive classical training. For a time, music appeared likely to become her professional direction.

Steph Davis attended the University of Maryland, where she studied English. She later completed a master’s degree at Colorado State University.

She briefly attended law school at the University of Colorado but found herself increasingly committed to climbing. She ultimately left the program and chose to pursue the sport full-time.

Rock climbing became part of Davis’s life while she was a university student. What began as an outdoor interest developed into a defining pursuit that combined physical movement, self-reliance, travel, and problem-solving.

Career and Professional Journey

Building a Life Around Climbing

During the early years of her career, Davis lived with few material resources. She traveled between climbing areas in a car and supported herself through guiding, waiting tables, and other temporary work.

This lifestyle allowed her to concentrate on climbing but offered little financial security. She spent extended periods in destinations such as Yosemite, Colorado, Utah, and Patagonia.

Steph Davis began working as a professional athlete during the 1990s. In 1998, Patagonia selected her as its first female climbing ambassador, providing support for her expeditions and public work.

She subsequently developed a career supported by climbing, sponsorships, writing, speaking, and instruction. Her approach included traditional climbing, big walls, alpine expeditions, free climbing, and free soloing.

International Expeditions

Steph Davis participated in climbing expeditions across Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Baffin Island, Argentina, Italy, and other mountain regions.

In 1998, she joined Kennan Harvey and Seth Shaw on Inshallah, a major route on Shipton Spire in Pakistan’s Karakoram range. The ascent combined difficult free climbing with aid climbing in a remote, high-altitude setting.

Steph Davis returned to the Karakoram in 2000. She joined Jimmy Chin, Brady Robinson, and Dave Anderson for a first ascent of Tahir Tower by a route named All Quiet on the Eastern Front.

These projects established her as an expedition climber capable of working on technical objectives far beyond established American climbing areas.

Fitz Roy Range

Patagonia became central to Davis’s climbing record. She was the first American woman to summit Fitz Roy and the first woman to climb all seven major peaks of the Fitz Roy range.

Completing the range required multiple expeditions rather than a single continuous climb. The peaks are known for unstable weather, technical terrain, strong winds, and limited opportunities for safe ascents.

Her record in Patagonia demonstrated a combination of technical climbing ability, long-term planning, and adaptability in severe mountain conditions.

Torre Egger

Steph Davis and her then-partner Dean Potter climbed Torre Egger in Patagonia by the Titanic route in 2005. Their ascent took approximately 23 hours.

Steph Davis became the first woman known to reach the summit of Torre Egger. The climb was also reported as the mountain’s first one-day ascent.

Torre Egger is considered one of the most difficult summits in the region because of its steep terrain, technical climbing, ice formations, and unpredictable weather. The ascent remains one of Davis’s most significant alpine achievements.

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Freerider on El Capitan

In 2004, Davis free climbed Freerider on Yosemite’s El Capitan. The route extends for approximately 3,000 vertical feet and is one of the best-known free-climbing lines on the formation.

Free climbing means that the climber uses hands and feet to make upward progress. Ropes and equipment provide protection in the event of a fall but are not used to gain height.

Davis spent considerable time learning and practicing the route before her successful ascent. She became the first woman to free climb Freerider.

She later completed a one-day free ascent of El Capitan, becoming the second woman to achieve that broader distinction after Lynn Hill. The one-day effort required Davis to climb the entire route without an overnight stop.

Salathé Wall

In 2005, Steph Davis became the first woman to free climb the Salathé Wall on El Capitan. The route is approximately 3,200 feet long and includes sustained sections of highly technical climbing.

Steph Davis prepared by studying and practicing the route. Her final ascent took longer than expected because of weather, other climbers, and logistical difficulties.

The achievement was important within big-wall climbing because the Salathé Wall had historically served as a benchmark for elite free climbers. Davis completed the route using ropes for safety but without relying on mechanical assistance for upward movement.

Free-Solo Climbing

Steph Davis also became known for free soloing, a form of climbing performed without ropes or protective equipment. A mistake or fall on a high route can have fatal consequences.

She has explained that her interest in free soloing is connected to focus, control, familiarity, and movement rather than a desire to seek danger. She typically spent extensive time preparing and repeating routes before attempting them without a rope.

Steph Davis became the first woman recognized for free soloing at the 5.11 difficulty grade. Her unroped ascents included routes in Utah’s Indian Creek and Moab-area desert, such as Coyne Crack and Scarface.

The 5.11 designation covers technically demanding rock climbing. Ratings alone do not fully represent exposure, route length, rock quality, weather, or the consequences of a mistake.

The Diamond on Longs Peak

In 2007, Davis free soloed Pervertical Sanctuary on the Diamond, the steep east face of Longs Peak in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park.

The route is graded approximately 5.11a and rises through alpine granite at high elevation. Davis became the first woman to free solo the Diamond and the second person known to solo Pervertical Sanctuary.

She had climbed extensively on the wall before making the ascent. Her preparation included progressively more difficult solo routes and repeated exposure to the Diamond’s terrain.

Davis later repeated free-solo climbs on the formation. These ascents remain among the most technically and psychologically demanding accomplishments of her career.

Castleton Tower

In 2008, Davis free soloed the North Face of Castleton Tower near Moab, Utah. The route is generally rated 5.11b.

After reaching the summit, she descended by BASE jumping. The project combined two disciplines that would increasingly define her career: unroped climbing and fixed-object parachuting.

The ascent and jump required suitable conditions for both activities. Davis prepared by climbing the route with protection before attempting the combination.

BASE Jumping and Wingsuit Flying

Transition to Human Flight

Steph Davis began skydiving after the end of her marriage to Dean Potter. She progressed from aircraft-based parachuting to BASE jumping from fixed objects.

BASE is an acronym referring to four categories of launch points: buildings, antennas, spans, and earth formations. Unlike conventional skydiving, BASE jumping usually takes place from lower elevations and offers less time to respond to problems.

Davis later trained in wingsuit flying, which uses a specially designed suit to increase horizontal movement during freefall. She combined wingsuit flight with BASE jumping from cliffs and mountain exits.

Her climbing experience provided access to remote launch points, while aerial training offered an alternative method of descent. She became one of the relatively few athletes to build a professional career across both technical climbing and wingsuit BASE jumping.

Risk and Preparation

Steph Davis has written and spoken extensively about fear, judgment, grief, and decision-making. She does not describe risk as something that can be eliminated.

BASE jumping and wingsuit flying remain activities with significant danger even for experienced participants. Weather, equipment, terrain, judgment, and small errors can all have severe consequences.

Her public work generally presents preparation and self-awareness as essential, but it does not make these sports safe or suitable for untrained participation.

Writing Career

High Infatuation

Steph Davis published High Infatuation: A Climber’s Guide to Love and Gravity in 2007. The book combines memoir, climbing narratives, travel, relationships, and reflections on an unconventional life.

Rather than functioning as a technical climbing manual, it examines the motivations and personal costs associated with committing fully to an adventure-based career.

The book also addresses Davis’s development within a climbing culture historically dominated by men. It presents professional success alongside uncertainty, financial instability, and changing relationships.

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Learning to Fly

Her second book, Learning to Fly: An Uncommon Memoir of Human Flight, Unexpected Love, and One Amazing Dog, was published in 2013.

The memoir follows Davis’s transition into skydiving, BASE jumping, and wingsuit flight. It also explores emotional recovery after divorce, her relationship with Mario Richard, and the companionship of her dog, Fletcher.

The book is about personal change as much as aerial sport. Davis uses flight as a framework for discussing trust, independence, love, and the willingness to begin again.

Essays and Public Speaking

Davis has also written about veganism, animal welfare, simple living, climbing, grief, and risk. Her High Infatuation platform has served as a long-running outlet for essays and reflections.

She works as a speaker and educator, discussing subjects such as decision-making, resilience, fear, and unconventional career choices.

Personal Life

Davis was previously married to climber and BASE jumper Dean Potter. The two completed several major climbing projects together, including the Torre Egger ascent. Their marriage ended during the 2000s.

Potter died in a wingsuit BASE accident in Yosemite National Park in May 2015. He and Graham Hunt were attempting a flight from Taft Point when both were killed.

Davis later married Canadian BASE jumper Mario Richard in 2011. They shared climbing, jumping, and aerial projects.

Richard died in a wingsuit accident in Italy’s Dolomites in August 2013. Davis subsequently wrote and spoke about grief, survival, and continuing her involvement in aviation after his death.

She later married Ian Mitchard, a pilot, skydiving instructor, and BASE jumper. Davis continues to live in Moab, Utah, a major destination for desert climbing and fixed-object parachuting.

She is also known for following a vegan lifestyle and advocating for animal welfare. These interests appear regularly in her writing and public work.

Major Achievements and Recognition

Davis’s career includes several milestones that expanded the documented achievements of women in professional climbing.

Her principal records include:

• First woman to free climb Freerider on El Capitan
• Second woman to free climb El Capitan in one day
• First woman to free climb the Salathé Wall
• First woman to free solo a route graded 5.11
• First woman to free solo the Diamond on Longs Peak
• First woman to summit Torre Egger
• First woman to climb all seven major peaks of the Fitz Roy range
• First American woman to summit Fitz Roy

Davis and Dean Potter received a Golden Piton Award for their free ascent of Epitaph, a difficult crack climb near Moab.

In 2024, the American Alpine Club presented Davis with its Pinnacle Award for lifetime achievement. The award recognized her contributions to free climbing, free soloing, big-wall climbing, and aerial sports.

Her influence also extends to writing and public representation. Her career helped expand the visibility of women pursuing major alpine, big-wall, and free-solo objectives.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Steph Davis built an influential career by combining elite rock climbing with writing and human flight. Her accomplishments include first female ascents on the Salathé Wall, the Diamond, Torre Egger, and the major peaks of the Fitz Roy range.

Her transition into BASE jumping and wingsuit flying expanded her professional work beyond climbing. Through High Infatuation and Learning to Fly, she also provided a detailed account of the choices, losses, and personal changes behind those achievements.

The American Alpine Club’s 2024 Pinnacle Award recognized Davis’s long-term contribution to climbing. Her career remains notable not only for its records but also for its influence on the visibility of women in big-wall climbing, free soloing, alpine expeditions, and aerial sports.