Isabelle Patissier

Isabelle Patissier (born March 1, 1967) is a French world champion rock climber and more recently a rally driver. She is known for winning two Lead Climbing World Cups (1990, 1991) and for being the first-ever woman in history to climb an 8b (5.13d) route

Isabelle Patissier

Patissier rally driving in Morocco in 2011
Personal information
Nationality	French
Born	(1967-03-01) March 1, 1967 (age 58) Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon
Height	1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight	49 kg (108 lb)
Climbing career
Type of climber	Sport climbing
Highest grade	Redpoint: 8b (5.13d)
Known for	First woman to climb 8b (5.13d)
Medal record Women's competition climbing Representing  France World Cup Winner 1990 Lead Winner 1991 Lead World Championships 1991 Frankfurt Lead 1993 Innsbruck Lead European Championships 1992 Frankfurt Lead Sport Roccia 1986 Lead 1988 Lead Rock Master Winner 1991 Lead
Updated on 29 March 2013

Climbing career

Patissier started climbing at age 5 or 6 with her parents. At 14 she practised mountaineering in Chamonix and also slalom and downhill skiing. In 1986 at the age of 19, she won the first French official climbing competition, taking place in the sportshall in Vaulx-en-Velin only steps from her highschool, climbing barefoot. After this she devoted herself full-time to climbing and in 1988 became both the first woman to climb an 8b (Sortilèges at Cimaï)^[1] and French champion. She subsequently won this title a further 3 times.

Personal life

Between 1993 and 1996 she was married to Nicolas Hulot a TV presenter and writer. In 1995 she retired from climbing. In 2000, she made her motorsport debut in the Rallye Aicha des Gazelles and in 2002 competed in her first Paris-Dakar rally.^[2] She later married her copilot/mechanic Thierry Delli-Zotti.

Notable climbs

Patissier climbing in the Calanques area

8b (5.13d)

• Les sucettes à l'anis - Cimaï (FRA) - 1989
• Sortilèges - Cimaï (FRA) - 1988 - First-ever woman in history to redpoint an 8b (5.13d)^[3]

8a (5.13b)

• Échographie - Gorges du Verdon (FRA) - 1988

7c (5.12d)

• Katapult - Frankenjura (GER) - 1985

Rankings

Lead Climbing World Cups

1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994
?	1	1	2	7	2

Lead Climbing World Championships

1991	1993
2	3

Lead Climbing European Championships

1992
2

Lead Climbing Rock Master

1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992
3	2	2	2	1	2

Number of medals in Lead climbing World Cups

Seasons	1st	2nd	3rd	Total
1989
1990	2	2	1	5
1991	3	1		4
1992	1	3	2	6
1993	1		1	2
1994		2	1	3
Total	7	8	5	20

Rally results

• 2000 - 3Com Star Challenge - 2nd
• 2000 - Trophy des Gazelles - 3rd
• 2004 - 1st woman world champion (Production category), with Team Nissan Dessoude
• 2004 - Oman Desert Express - Winner
• 2004 - Rally of Tunisia - 9th
• 2006 - Rally of Tunisia - 7th
• 2007 - Rally of Tunisia - 4th
• Dakar Rally - competed 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 (3rd in 2WD, 16th in overall ranking) and 2012^[2]

See also

• History of rock climbing
• List of first ascents (sport climbing)