Liv Sansoz

Liv Sansoz
Personal information
NationalityFrench
Born (1977-02-12) February 12, 1977 (age 47)
Bourg-Saint-Maurice
OccupationProfessional rock climber
Height162 cm (5 ft 4 in)
Weight45 kg (99 lb)
Websitelivsansoz.net
Climbing career
Type of climber
Highest grade
Known forThree times World Cup winner and twice World Champion in Lead climbing
Retired2003
Updated on April 30, 2019

Liv Sansoz (born 12 February 1977) is a French professional rock climber, ice climber, and base jumper. She is known for being three times World Cup winner and twice World Champion in Lead climbing. She had a year off after a fall but returned and climbed every Alp over 4,000 metres.

Climbing career

Sansoz was born in Bourg-Saint-Maurice in 1977 and grew up in the alps where she discovered climbing. Her parents built her a climbing wall and by 16 she was in the French National team.[1]

She has twice been the world champion and she has won the World Cup three times. She lost her confidence for a year after she cracked a vertebra in her neck after a 10-metre fall. This ended her competitive career but she regained her confidence to climb.[2]

In 2017 she set out to climb every Alpine summit over 4,000 metres in a year.[3] By July she was suffering from sleep deprivation but she had climbed 48 peaks combining the descent with skiing and paragliding when it was possible. Sometimes she was waking at three in the morning and then climbing for over 12 hours in a day.[4]

Rankings

See also: Best IFSC results

Climbing World Cup[5]

Discipline 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Lead 6 4 3 1 2 1 2 1 - - 36

Climbing World Championships[6]

Discipline 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003
Lead 3 1 1 - 26

Number of medals in the Climbing World Cup

Lead[6]

Season Gold Silver Bronze Total
1993 1 1
1994 1 1
1995 1 2 3
1996 2 1 3
1997 2 2 4
1998 2 1 3
1999 2 1 3
2000 3 1 1 5
Total 11 7 5 23

Notable climbs

Redpointed

8c+ (5.14c):

  • Hasta La Vista - Mount Charleston (USA) - 1 August 2000 - Second female ascent of an 8c+ route[7]

8b+ (5.14a):

  • Route of all evil - Virgin River Gorge (USA) - 8 April 2001[8]
  • Soul of train - Mount Charleston (USA) - 20 August 2000

8b (5.13d):

  • White Wedding - Smith Rock (USA) - 6 May 2008[9]
  • Fox et Mathews - Orgon (FRA) - 9 April 1999
  • Rio de janvier - Calanques (FRA) - 1 March 1998
  • Sortilège - Cimaï (FRA) - 1 May 1996

Onsighted

7c (5.12d):

Big wall

References

  1. ^ "Beth Rodden - Liv Sansoz interview". metoliusclimbing.com. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  2. ^ "FT Masterclass: climbing with Liv Sansoz". Financial Times. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  3. ^ "FRI NIGHT VID: Liv Sansoz - Along the Way". Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  4. ^ "Liv Sansoz to the conquest of the Alps". niviuk.com. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  5. ^ IFSC, ed. (20 July 2017). "World Cup Rankings". Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  6. ^ a b IFSC, ed. (20 July 2017). "Sansoz's profile and rankings". Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  7. ^ Björn Pohl (29 August 2000). "'Hasta la vista' per Liv, 8c/c+ a Mt. Charleston". planetmountain.com. Retrieved 22 December 2011.
  8. ^ "Sansoz, Legrand and Hirayama in America". planetmountain.com. 14 April 2001. Retrieved 22 December 2011.
  9. ^ "White Wedding". petzlteam.com. 6 May 2008. Retrieved 22 December 2011.
  10. ^ (in French) "Super Cirill - Ticino - Switzerland". petzlteam.com. 16 June 2010. Retrieved 22 December 2011.
  11. ^ (in French) "The Nose". petzlteam.com. 30 October 2008. Retrieved 22 December 2011.