Allison Vest

“I came home from preschool with my hands bleeding after not using the jungle gym correctly—climbing on the outsides and dangling from the wrong bars—so my dad found the nearest climbing gym in an attempt to channel my energy.”

Allison quickly turned her jungle gym antics into a successful climbing career when she began entering competitions at age nine. Competitive in nature, Allison won the Canadian National Championship title three times.

“I'm very happy to try the one move for four hours over and over and over and over again until I get it right.”

With her 6’2” wingspan and impressive strength, Allison is meant to climb. In 2018, she shifted her focus to outdoor boulders, sending her first V10, V11 and V12 grades in a single weekend. Six months later she became the first Canadian woman to climb V13. The same year she announced she was taking a break from competitive gym climbing she became the first Canadian woman to climb a V14 boulder. Now Allison has set her sights on breaking more records.

“I realized that I have this opportunity to be impactful and that it would be a waste if I didn't take advantage of the voice that I have and try to make a difference”

Amid her fame, Allison began posting ideas about positive body image on her social media pages. The vulnerable act was well received by many in the community and created a shift in Allison’s perspective on what it means to be yourself in the climbing world. She would continue to balance her hard sends with published poetry and comedic reels.

Career Highlights:

• Three-time Canadian National Climbing Champion (2018, 2019, 2020)
• First Canadian Female to climb V13, The Terminator, Squamish (2019)
• First Canadian Female to climb V14, Show Your Scars, Ogden, UT (2022)
• First Female Ascent, Throwin’ the Houlihan, 5.14, Wild Iris, WY (2021)
• First Female Ascents of Blackout V13, Masterpiece V13, Army of the Dead V13, Booka Booka Booka V13 (2021)