Emily Harrington

Emily Harrington is an American professional rock climber and mountaineer. Since her early years, she has been a leading figure in the climbing community. Her achievements include five US National Sport Climbing Championships and two North American Championships. Not limiting herself to competitions, Harrington has left her mark in outdoor climbing and mountaineering with numerous first female free ascents of 5.14 (8c/+) routes and the summits of Mount Everest and Cho Oyu.

In 2020, Harrington achieved a significant milestone: she became the fourth woman to free climb the 3,000-ft granite wall of El Capitan in under 24 hours via the 'Golden Gate' route. This accomplishment was not without risks, as Harrington slipped and fell during the El Capitan climb, resulting in a gash on her forehead. Not deterred by this incident, she later achieved the first individual free climb of The American Way route on Pik Slesova in Kyrgyzstan.

Over the years, Harrington's climbing ventures have been documented in various media. She has been featured on HBO's show "Edge of the Earth" and in the documentary "Exploring the Birthplace of Sport Climbing in Europe's Grandest Canyon." Her climbing feats have been highlighted in National Geographic's Adventure blog, Women's Adventure Magazine, Rock & Ice Magazine, Urban Climber, The North Face, The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, and Outside Magazine. Aside from her climbing career, Harrington is a speaker for The North Face Speaker Series and enjoys sponsorships from The North Face, La Sportiva, and Petzl.

Harrington is married to Adrian Ballinger, and they currently reside in Olympic Valley, California. She spends her time training, climbing, and skiing and partaking in unique adventures like volcano climbing, kitesurfing, and skiing with her partner and their dog, Cat.