Isabelle Faus Sends Amandla (V14)
Isabelle Faus, 22, sends Amandla (8B+/V14) in Rocklands, South Africa. Not only does she claim the first female ascent of the Fred Nicole crimp-classic, she's also the fifth female in history to boulder V14.
Unlock this article and more benefits with 50% off.
Already have an Outside Account? Sign in
40% Off Outside+.
$4.99/month $2.99/month*
Get the one subscription to fuel all your adventures.
- Map your next adventure with our premium GPS apps: Gaia GPS Premium and Trailforks Pro.
- Read unlimited digital content from 15+ brands, including Outside Magazine, Triathlete, Ski, Trail Runner, and VeloNews.
- Watch 600+ hours of endurance challenges, cycling and skiing action, and travel documentaries.
- Learn from the pros with expert-led online courses.
*Outside memberships are billed annually. Print subscriptions available to U.S. residents only. You may cancel your membership at anytime, but no refunds will be issued for payments already made. Upon cancellation, you will have access to your membership through the end of your paid year. More Details
Isabelle Faus, 22, sent Amandla (8B+/V14) in Rocklands, South Africa today. Not only did she claim the first female ascent of the Fred Nicole crimp-classic, she also became the fifth female in history to boulder V14.
Faus, from Boulder, Colorado, has previously climbed two V13’s. On Christmas Eve, 2014, she sent the Daniel Wood’s test-piece Epochalypse at Flagstaff Mountain—a six-move extension into Thrice (V12), which she had climbed earlier that year. In June this year, she ticked her second V13 with Nuthin but Sunshine in Rocky Mountain National Park—a dynamic and crimpy problem put up by Dave Graham.
Amandla, established by Fred Nicole in 2005, is a Rocklands testpiece. Earlier reports have mentioned that a crimp broke on the problem (making a larger hold) following Nicole’s first ascent, but Faus informs us that a hold never broke and the difficutly remaisn the same. With this ascent, she joins the ranks as one of the strongest boulderers in the world—and the fifth female to send V14.
In 2012, Tomoko Ogawa became the first woman to climb V14 when she sent Dai Koyamada’s Catharsis in Shiobara, Japan. In 2014, Ashima Shiraishi, at age 13, became the second by crushing Fred Nicole’s Golden Shadow in Rocklands. Shauna Coxsey followed that year with her ascent of New Base Line in Magic Wood, and Alex Puccio, with Jade in RMNP, Colorado.
A photo posted by Chad Greedy (@tchadx) on
Phillip Schaal on Amandla (V14), Rocklands:
Amandla 8B+ from Moon Climbing on Vimeo.
Related Articles
Ashima Shiraishi, 13, Becomes Second Female to Climb V14
Q&A: Shauna Coxsey Third Woman to Climb V14