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Photo: Supplied / Christina Lustenberger
Brette Harrington is an expert skier who really can who can do it all, including slalom, slopestyle and backcountry skiing. But it's climbing where Brette really distinguishes herself; whether it's bouldering, high-grade rock climbing or ice climbing.
She's considered one of the world's leading rock climbers, and has pioneered first ascents in the US, Canada and Patagonia. In 2015, Brette became the first person, male or female, to free-solo climb Chiaro di Luna in Patagonia without any equipment or protection, a feat ranked as one of the ten most legendary free solos in history.
All the more extraordinary is she has continued to climb following the tragic death of her partner and fellow mountaineer Marc-André Leclerc, who died in an avalanche in 2018. She says she has found solace in the mountains, and knows he would have wanted her to keep climbing.
Originally from Lake Tahoe in the US, Brette now lives in British Columbia in Canada, but speaks to Kathryn from Queenstown, where she is a keynote speaker at the Mountain Film and Book Festival.