Beverly Johnson

In 1969, Beverly Johnson left school in the last semester of her geology studies for a more hands-on education in California granite, culminating with her historic first female solo of El Capitan in 1978. Johnson spent ten days on Yosemite’s iconic three-thousand-foot monolith, just one highlight in her extraordinary life as a climber, skier, fire-crew boss, and award-winning cinematographer, among many other things.

Johnson set up residence in Yosemite’s Camp 4, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Yvon Chouinard and Royal Robbins in the twilight of rock climbing’s golden age. As her skills progressed she became a leading light in the sport’s next great generation, an era of free-climbing progression that kicked off in earnest in 1971.

In one memorable stretch in the autumn of 1973, she made the first all-female ascent of Triple Direct on El Capitan with Sibylle Hechtel, climbed the Nose with Dan Asay, and wrapped up the season with the first ascent of the Grape Race with Charlie Porter. In little