A Conversation With Babsi Zangerl
“But this time, it was different. I went in with very low expectations—I didn’t know what to expect. It was more like, just give it a try and see how far we can get.”
Gonzo
Photo: Miya Tsudome for Highpoint Productions social @highpoint.productions
COVERGROUND December 9 2024
Barbara "Babsi" Zangerl didn’t just stumble into climbing at 14—she found a passion that would soon make her a force to be reckoned with. By the time she was 19, she became the first woman to boulder 8B (V13), a groundbreaking milestone that instantly put her on the map. In 2009, a back injury forced her to take a step back from bouldering, but it didn’t slow her down for long. Instead, she shifted her focus to roped climbing and never looked back. Along the way, Babsi also became a radiologist, though she’s since scaled back on the day job to pour her energy into climbing full-time. Since then, she’s ticked off some of the world’s most stunning and demanding alpine, trad, and sport routes, earning her place as one of the most versatile and inspiring climbers out there.
I had the privilege of sitting down with Babsi to talk about her incredible recent achievement: becoming the first person to flash the iconic granite monolith El Capitan via the Free Rider route a Huber Brothers variation of the Salathé Wall. This monumental ascent took 3½ days and completely redefined the boundaries of big wall free climbing. We also dove into her training regimen, her overall approach to climbing, and future projects. Her passion for the sport and her love of climbing were undeniable. On top of that she shares these adventures with her partner on and off the wall Jacopo Larcher making every adventure even more memorable.
Our conversation with Babsi:
How does flashing Free Rider stack up against some of your other achievements?
“Yeah, it’s really hard to compare, because most of the other times I had lots of time to try it, yeah. So, first of all, I had the chance to figure out most of the pitches, and then I did a ground-up push. But this time, it was different. I went in with very low expectations—I didn’t know what to expect. It was more like, just give it a try and see how far we can get. So, it was very different from anything I’ve done before. I’ve never really tried to flash a big wall.”
So, going into it, did you have any expectations of flashing the route, or were you just focused on giving it your best shot?
"Not really. I think, you know, I had the feeling that when I get to know everything about the whole climb, it puts more pressure on us. So, first, we focused on trying Magic Line, and Free Rider came after that. And of course, we started to train in the valley after Magic Line. We did some off-width climbing and a lot of single pitches in a day to be better prepared for the whole thing. But I was always scared about climbing the Free Blast. You can fall there because it’s like, you have, like, bad feet and not many handholds. The slabs can already be, like, very tricky. And there’s always the chance to fall there."
Of all the climbing styles—trad, sport, or bouldering—which do you feel has contributed the most to your overall development as a climber?
"I think what helped the most was spending lots of time in the valley and climbing different kinds of cracks—that made the biggest difference. It’s really hard to be fully prepared for that. I don’t think you can train for it in the gym or anything like that, definitely not. Crack climbing in the valley is so different compared to what we have in Europe. We only have a few places, like Cadarese or Valle dell’Orco in Italy. But there’s not a lot of trad climbing around Europe, so we really needed to go to the valley or Indian Creek to prepare."
Photo: Jacopo Larcher
What specific training did you focus on in preparation for the climb, particularly for the Monster Offwidth pitch?
"First, we tried to climb the Generator Crack. It’s hardcore. Like, we did it, like, two times in a row on top rope, and then I wanted to lead it, but I couldn’t. I had a fall. So then we went to Twilight Zone, and that one went well, but it was, like, super exhausting—it was a big fight. Afterward, I just tried it once more, sent it, and then I was destroyed for two days. Even walking the next day was tough. I’m just not so used to that style. We never really climbed off-widths a lot, and we always avoided Free Rider and also Golden Gate because we were afraid of the Monster. But that wasn’t the reason we saved the route for the flash. It was more because we didn’t want to climb the Monster, or we didn’t think we could. Yeah. And then we also tried Ahab.”
What does a typical rest day look like for you? How do you spend your time—are you stretching or doing any specific activities to recover?
"I’m really bad at stretching—I’m not very flexible. I think it’s so boring, but I definitely should stretch more. I’m super stiff. So yeah, I didn’t stretch much. In the valley, on rest days, we went grocery shopping, organized everything we needed to stay on the wall, and double-checked all the gear for the climb. Oh, and we checked the weather, like, 100 times a day. And, of course, we ate a lot."
Do you have any specific routes or projects that you're thinking about tackling in the future, anything that comes to mind off the top of your head?
"At the moment, I don’t really have an idea, but I think we will go back to the valley next fall. I would be really interested in trying the New Dawn, like the new route of Tommy and Alex. That would be cool, it looks amazing.”
Are there any places you haven’t had the chance to climb yet but are eager to explore?
"Yeah, I’ve never been to Madagascar. I want to go, but Jacopo doesn’t want to—he says it’s way too warm. I’ve also never been to Australia or Norway. That would be cool. There are still so many places to visit, or maybe go back to Pakistan. It would also be cool to do another expedition.”
Babsi on Magic Line // Photo: Jacopo Larcher
What's your personal favorite style of climbing?
"Like, if I could choose one style, it would be big wall climbing. But I would always be destroyed, you know? After a while of big wall climbing, I just hate hauling. But I’m always happy to go back to sport climbing. Yeah, it’s really simple, and you don’t have to carry around all that sh**. I think the greatest adventure is big wall climbing. For me, I always really enjoy sport climbing. And you know, I don’t do so much bouldering anymore. It was mostly bouldering back in the day, but now I do a lot of bouldering in the gym, not so much outdoors."
Was there a specific moment or experience when you realized climbing was more than just a hobby for you—that it was something you were truly passionate about?
"From the very first day, I really loved the sport. It was so cool to go to different climbing areas, get away from home on the weekends, and visit new places. I always really liked it, but in the beginning, I was only into bouldering. I wasn’t interested in rope climbing at all. I would join my friends for rope climbing on a rest day, but I never spent a full day on a rope. When I was rested, I was only focused on bouldering. Then I had an injury, and because of that, I started rope climbing as a kind of therapy. I ended up really enjoying it, and now I actually like rope climbing more. It’s changed a lot for me."
What did the recovery process look like for your back?
"I had a herniated disc and it took a while. I always tried to go back to bouldering for about five years, but I had many inflammations, and it never really got better—almost got worse while I went bouldering. But when I stopped completely with bouldering for a while, then I had no more pain, and I could enjoy rope climbing. With rope climbing, I didn’t have the problem with falling on the ground."
What’s your go-to wall food when you’re spending multiple days on difficult climbs? Anything you rely on to keep your energy up?
"It's a hard question with the dry food. Yeah, I could eat it for a couple of days, but then I don’t enjoy it. Last time on Free Rider, I only ate mashed potatoes with cheese every single day. I had the feeling it’s better and easier to digest compared to beans.”
What was the first thing you and Jacopo ate right when you got down from El Cap?
“Always beer and chips. Beer and Chips. After a big wall its really hard to eat bars.”
Which part of your body do you feel takes the most strain after several days of intense climbing?
"It’s not really the muscles so much, but it’s like I would feel it when I go for a walk. I feel exhausted. I have to describe it—it’s like you feel like you have less energy for the day. And my fingers are painful; it always hurts so bad under the nails. Also, my toes and feet hurt a lot.”
Does your nutrition and diet go through changes when prepping for projects like this and do you follow a specific nutrition plan?
"Not really. I eat everything, but not so much meat. I don’t like meat that much. Sometimes I eat it, but not too often. I really like fish, but I don’t have a special diet. I eat everything and try to eat healthy. I really love sugar as well, so yeah, sweet stuff—it’s hard to be strict with myself when it comes to food."
How did you and Jacopo help each other get over the hump on certain mental challenges during free rider?
"At the beginning, there were very low expectations. I think it’s easier for the mind that way. Of course, we really didn’t know how far we could get, and the pressure was kind of high on the first pitches of the Free Blast because we really didn’t want to fall. Higher up, we got a little more relaxed until the Monster, and then after the boulder problem, I felt more pressure. Definitely more pressure. For me, it was always kind of easy to stay very focused on climbing. It’s not very hard for me to just focus on one thing and not think about everything else going on. But after climbing—being on the portaledge and having another night on the wall—I really wanted to avoid the pressure.
After the boulder problem, I felt like we needed to keep going until it got dark, to also climb the Enduro Corner on the same day, because I really didn’t want to sleep in between. I felt that if I had a bad night in between, it would be way harder in the morning, and I’d feel even more pressure to climb the Enduro Corner. So pushing through that helped a lot. I remember the last night, I couldn’t sleep well because I knew there was another off-width. The pitches up there aren’t hard grades, but we know that even the easier pitches on El Cap are always challenging. I had this feeling that I could fall, even on the very last pitches."
When was the first time you went to the valley?
"Back in 2010, I couldn’t climb a single crack—it was my first crack climbing experience. The first route we tried in the valley was the Generator Crack, and we worked on it for three hours. We got totally destroyed."
At 36, Babsi is one of the most talented and versatile climbers in the world. From bouldering and sport climbing to trad routes, multi-pitch climbs, and big wall adventures, she has achieved so much and continues to push the limits of climbing in every way.
-Five free climbs on El Cap. (FFA El Nino 2015, FFA Zodiac 2016, second free ascent Magic Mushroom 2017, Pre-Muir wall 2019, The Nose 2019)
First ascent of Gondo Crack (5.14b/8c R trad), Cippo, Switzerland
Endless Story (5.14a/8b+), Rätikon, Switzerland
Bellavista (5.14a/8b+), Tre Cime, Dolomites, Italy
Zeit zum Atmen (5.14a/8b+), Arlberg/Austria
First female ascent of the Alpine Trilogy (Silbergeier, Kaisers neue Kleider, End of Silence, all 5.14a/8b+), Alps
First female ascent of Pura Vida (V13) Magic Wood, Switzerland
Sport climbs up to 5.14d
A big thank you to Babsi for sharing her experiences and taking the time to chat with us. It’s been so inspiring to hear about her journey, and we’re excited to see all the incredible things she’ll accomplish in the future.