依性別刻板印象，女生運動細胞通常沒有男生來得好。不過，今年34歲的攀岩運動員艾米麗•哈靈頓（Emily Harrington）可能就要顛覆你的想像了。
上週，艾米麗成功征服美國加州優勝美地國家公園（Yosemite National Park）的「酋長岩」，成為史上第一挑戰艱難路線並成功自由攀爬酋長岩的女性。
▲史上第一名女子成功自由攀爬「酋長岩」。（圖／翻攝自Instagram／emilyaharrington）
酋長岩整面牆約3000英尺（約914公尺），是許多攀岩者的愛好聖地。酋長岩有許多攀爬路線，但勇於挑戰金門路線（Golden Gate route）的勇者少之又少。上週三晚間（11月4日），艾米麗是繼三名男子，第四位成功挑戰此路線的人，共花了21小時13分51秒成功登頂。
艾米麗完成目標後在Instagram感性的說：「我第一次設下這目標時，根本不敢相信某一天我能真的成功自由攀爬酋長岩」、「具有挑戰性的夢想能讓我們試著超越自我。」
Golden Gate Free In A Day @jonglassberg / @jess_talley / @louderthan11 I never believed I could actually free climb El Cap in a day when I first set the goal for myself. It didn’t seem like a realistic objective for me. I didn’t have the skills, fitness, or risk profile to move so quickly over such a large piece of stone. But I chose it exactly for that reason. Impossible dreams challenge us to rise above who we are now to see if we can become better versions of ourselves. On Nov 4 I started climbing with @alexhonnold at 1:34am, caught between my own internal drama of achieving a life goal and the more prevalent one of the elections - both unfolding in parallel ways in my brain. I knew I was in for a big day - but that’s exactly why I was there. I wanted to find my limit and exist in it and fight beyond it. A nasty slip on the 13a Golden Desert pitch almost took my resolve - a deep gash on my forehead left me bloody and defeated. I pulled on again, part of me not really wanting to stay on the wall, the other part gathering courage and flow. I kept thinking “why am I still hanging on?” The next pitch was the A5 traverse, where I failed last year. This time it was not my limit. I fought hard but with flawless movements in the dark. I cried at the belay - it could happen this time....The final 5 pitches felt scary in my current state but I pulled over the final lip at 10:30pm in disbelief. There’s a lot more to say but mostly I wanted to express my gratitude for the love and support from friends, family, and strangers. I feel the love so intensely right now. Thank you all Massive thanks to @alexhonnold for climbing with me over these years, you’ve inspired me to think bigger and believe in myself in ways you cannot imagine. To @jonglassberg for your friendship, creativity, and ability to capture a story while at the same time keeping it light and always fun. And finally to my best friend, partner, lover, fave human of all time @adrianballinger - your support and love for me through the darkness and the light has never wavered. I love you endlessly More to come!!! @thenorthface / @kodiakcakes / @petzl_official / @lasportivana
ᴇᴍɪʟʏ ʜᴀʀʀɪɴɢᴛᴏɴ（@emilyaharrington）分享的貼文 於 張貼
其實，艾米麗圓夢之路並不順利。去年，她就曾經挑戰過此路線，卻不慎滑倒，繩子割傷脖子，送院治療。但艾米麗仍然不氣餒，決定今年再次挑戰！
這次，她與她的未婚夫、聖母峰嚮導阿德里安•巴林格（Adrian Ballinger）、奧斯卡最佳紀錄片《赤手登峰》主角亞歷克斯•霍諾德（Alex Honnold）攜手攀爬酋長巖。艾米麗大讚，未婚夫在情感上給予她支持；另兩位攀岩好手則讓她更有安全感。
這此次過程中，艾米麗甚至不小心撞到頭，但確認傷勢不嚴重後，她選擇繼續爬行。
在艾米麗之前，也曾有三名女性挑戰攀爬酋長岩，但是她們攀爬的並非金門路線，分別為林恩•希爾（Lynn Hill）、斯蒂芬•戴維斯（Steph Davis）、瑪雅•史密斯•戈巴特（Mayan Smith-Gobat）。林恩還是第一位自由攀爬酋長巖之人。
艾米麗小時候曾與林恩一同攀岩。她說，「攀岩一直都是男性主導的運動，但自由攀爬酋長巖卻是女性作為先鋒，這對一個熱衷於攀岩的小女孩而言很重要！這讓我知道女人是能攀岩的，且女人攀岩能像男人一樣卓越。」
▲艾米麗小時候曾與林恩一同攀岩。（圖／翻攝自Instagram／emilyaharrington）
注 「自由攀爬」：自由攀爬指的是攀岩者會攜帶繩索以防墜落，但攀爬過程中，他們只會利用手和腳攀爬岩石，不用繩子或釘子輔助。
Via Insider
