Catherine Destivelle

Who is Catherine Destivelle?

Catherine Monique Suzanne Destivelle is an Algerian-born French rock climber and mountaineer. In 1992 she became the first woman to complete a solo ascent of the Eiger's north face. She completed the climb in winter in 17 hours. Her other notable climbs include the Bonatti Route on the north face of the Matterhorn and the southwest pillar of the Aiguille du Dru. Destivelle has been the subject of several documentaries, including French director Rémy Tezier's, Beyond the Summits, which won the award for best feature-length mountain film at the 2009 Banff Mountain Film Festival.