By necessity, big wall first ascents are immensely complex. A single route can involve dozens of people, from ground crew to logistics experts to the climbers themselves. Silvia Vidal is the exception to the rule.
It didn’t take Silvia Vidal long to commit to her path of solo climbing. Whether or not she knew it at the time, the profound depth of her self-reliance would come to set her apart as a climber.
At the start of what would be a lifelong adventure, aid climbing grabbed her attention in the mid-’90s. She quickly sought out mentors and learned the ropes.
Aid climbing can be daunting. It demands tons of gear, more logistics, and sometimes even more problem-solving. Almost immediately, the young Vidal decided she belonged on the wall alone.
“I learned how it was to sleep in the portaledge and use the hammer,” Vidal said. “Then, very soon, I felt the desire of going solo.”
Within weeks, she was in Yosemite. After a trial run on El Capitan, she decided to attempt Zodiac (VI, C3) without a partner. And, in her words, “without a clue.”
Thus began the legend of Silvia Vidal. Since then, she’s developed her singular alone-on-the-wall aid climbing style into a crystallized ethic. Weather forecasts, cellphones, and ground contact are all compromises to her. When she launches into a first ascent, she trusts only her skill and intuition for success.
![aid climbing Silvia Vidal El Cap aid climbing](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2021/12/vidalelcapd.jpg)
Over nearly 3 decades of climbing, this approach has served Vidal well.
Her gritty first ascents span the globe, often requiring weeks or months on the wall. She spent 33 days carving one recent route, “Sincronia Màgica,” (3,900 feet, A3+, 5.10c) into Patagonia’s Cerro Chileno Grande.
In Alaska’s Arrigetch Peaks, she spent 36 days ferrying over 330 pounds of gear to the base of what would become “Un Pas Més.” By comparison, the route went up quickly: Vidal only lived in her portaledge for 17 days.
![big wall climbing sincronia magica silvia vidal solo aid climbing](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2021/12/sincroniamagica.jpg)
Solo Aid Climbing as a Way of Life for Silvia Vidal
![big wall climbing silvia vidal waterfall](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2021/12/vidalwaterfalld.jpg)
A ‘Personal Requirement’
![climber hands silvia vidal big wall solo aid climbing](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2021/12/vidalshreddedhandsd.jpg)