Nina Williams

Nina Williams, born on August 21, 1990, in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, is an acclaimed American rock climber renowned for her expertise in highball bouldering. Currently residing in Boulder, Colorado, she has made significant strides in the climbing community.

Nina's climbing journey began in 2002 in New Hampshire, following a diverse background in ballet, football, and horseback riding. A pivotal moment in her career came in 2017 when she penned a personal essay for Rock and Ice magazine, revealing a challenging episode from her youth. During a regional USA Climbing competition, she resorted to cheating, resulting in a season-long ban. This experience prompted her to reassess her motivations, leading her to climb for the sheer joy of the sport rather than for external validation.

In 2015, Nina achieved her first boulder rated 8B (V13) with the first female ascent of Ray of Light in Rocklands, South Africa. Her highball bouldering feats are particularly notable; in 2017, she completed the first female ascent of Ambrosia at Buttermilks, which was hailed by Climbing Magazine as "the hardest free solo ever by a woman." Alongside this, she conquered the Evilution Direct (8A) and Footprints (7C+), becoming the first woman to complete the "Grandpa Peabody Trifecta."

Her impressive feats continued with the fourth ascent of Window Shopper (8A+, V12) in February 2018 and the seventh ascent of Too Big to Flail (7C+, V10) in March 2019. Nina's journey has been captured in the short film The High Road (2019), showcased at the Banff Mountain Film Festival and the Reelrock 14 tour, emphasizing her ascent of Too Big to Flail. Her climbing portfolio also includes notable routes like Final Frontier (5.13b) and Father Time (5.13b