Steph Davis

Steph Davis is an American rock climber from the generation that blurred the lines between trad big-wall, alpine objectives and ropeless solos; her verified record includes free solos to 5.11a (6b+), the first female free solo of The Diamond on Longs Peak, first female free ascent of the Salathé Wall on El Capitan, first woman to summit Torre Egger, and other major alpine firsts. These facts position her as both a technical climber and an alpine mountaineer, steeped in a period when pushing stylistic boundaries was central to the sport.

The single film in this catalog, Masters of Stone 5, places Davis inside an era and a roster of American soloists. Shot in 2000, the piece shows her free soloing alongside contemporaries such as Dean Potter and Dan Osman and reads as a period record: it captures how soloing, highlining and bold trad moves were being practiced together at that moment. For viewers the film is useful for seeing Davis’s movement and composure unvarnished by modern production, and for understanding the interplay between ropeless ascents and the broader Valley culture around them.

Watching this film gives a sense of context more than a catalog of routes: you’ll see the practical look and pace of soloing in that era, the peer network she worked within (including Potter, whom she was later connected with personally), and the aesthetic choices—how a generation of climbers negotiated exposure, commitment and technique when those practices were still defining themselves.