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"Best" is subjective, but for the number of hard routes she has climbed Josune Bereziartu can reasonably be described as the most accomplished female sport climber on the planet. The 28-year-old from Ordizia, in the Basque region of northern Spain, is the only woman to have climbed 5.14b, having redpointed three - Honky Tonky, White Zombie, and Ras - at her local crags. A climber of eight years, she has also redpointed seven 5.14a's and on-sighted 11 5.13b's, stats that were boosted on a trip to America in 1998 when she did Closing Down (5.14a) at Mount Charleston and aced Vision Thing (5.13b) at Rifle. Last year in competitions - which she calls a weakness - she won the Bouldering World Cup event in Benasque, Spain, and made the finals of two regular World Cups.
Also in 1999 Josune married her longtime climbing partner Ricardo Otegi; the two spent their honeymoon sightseeing in London, England. She works two mornings and five afternoons a week selling insurance and investments for the Spanish bank Mapre. She owns her own home, and in her spare time designs, makes, and sells her own resin holds. Her climbing trips take place during five or six weeks of annual vacation.
I learn most of this during a telephone interview with Josune in January. How does she fit everything in? Though struggling to communicate in English, Josune provides an answer by throwing herself into the conversation like a matador in the bullring. Tongue-tied for a moment, she says, "I look de word," and starts thumbing through her dictionary. Lost for a phrase, she simply makes a sound, like Mmmm to express complete satisfaction. Rarely has someone laughed so much in an interview. Her energy is best summed up by using her own favorite word: WOW!
You've achieved more in sport climbing than any other woman. Is that because you're more talented or more motivated? Maybe it's because I like much more outside climbing, to climb on rock. I started climbing after I saw a documentary on TV. I saw two girls climbing in Verdon in France. And I saw the wall of Verdon - you know, a way perfect wall - and I say [to myself], "Oh, I must try this sport"...