Catherine Destivelle is Europe’s most adventurous and exciting female rock climber and mountaineer. Her daring accomplishments as a solo climber in scaling the most difficult and dangerous peaks without the use of safety ropes, support or back-up, are legendary. From 1985-88 she was considered the world’s best woman climber. In... Read more
Catherine Destivelle is Europe’s most adventurous and exciting female rock climber and mountaineer. Her daring accomplishments as a solo climber in scaling the most difficult and dangerous peaks without the use of safety ropes, support or back-up, are legendary. From 1985-88 she was considered the world’s best woman climber. In 1990 she made a series of incredible climbs, including solo winter ascents of the three most legendary Alpine walls – the Eiger, the Grandes Jorasses and the Matterhorn – making her the most outstanding female climber of all time.
In 1985, Destivelle began her professional climbing career, starring in rock climbing films and winning multiple international climbing competitions. These included Sportroccia in 1985, (later known as the Rock Master annual competition), the Arco in 1986, and Bardonecchia climbing championships in 1986, 1987 and 1988.
In 1988, Destivelle climbed the still-new 13c route called Chouca at Buoux, France, a radically steep line of one-finger and two-finger pockets that had become the symbol of the sport-climbing revolution. It was then the hardest route in the world ever climbed by a woman.
After competing in the second Snowbird Cup in 1989, she retired from competitions to focus on mountaineering. In 1990 she free-climbed the Nameless Tower in Pakistan and solo climbed the Bonatti Pillar on Les Drus. In 1991, she opened up a new route up the famous west face of the Drus, during a remarkable 11 day solo-climb. In 1992, it took her 17 hours to solo the north face of the Eiger in the Bernese Oberland, a mythical rock-face, regarded as the most fatal in the Alps. During the same year, she attempted the huge Latok in Pakistan.
In 1993, she achieved the winter solo of the North Face of the Grandes Jorasses, and attempted the West Pillar of the Makalu in Nepal. She soloed in winter the Bonatti route on the North Face of the Matterhorn in 1994, and in 1995 she climbed the South West Face of Shishapangma in Tibet, and attempted the South Face of Annapurna. Destivelle climbed the Direct North Face of Cima Grande di Lavaredo in the Italian Dolomites in 1999, and was again the first woman for this solo ascent which took her 2 days.
She began to cut back on solo climbs in the late 1990s and developed an active career as a lecturer and writer. Destivelle is an extremely accomplished speaker, and gives inspirational presentations where she challenges and inspires her audience to re-focus their goals to achieve success by sharing her visions and startling achievements. She powerfully illustrates with slides, video footage and films the necessary vision, belief and self-determination needed to reach her full potential.
Destivelle has been the subject of several documentaries, including French director Rémy Tezier’s, ‘Beyond the Summits’, which won the award for best feature-length mountain film at the 2009 Banff Mountain Film Festival.
You can book Catherine Destivelle through London Speaker Bureau by submitting the enquiry form on this page or calling our team. One of our consultants will respond promptly with Catherine's current availability, speaking fees and any specific requirements for your event.
Catherine Destivelle's speaking fees depend on the event format (in-person or virtual), the location, the length of the engagement and the level of customisation required. Please contact London Speaker Bureau for an up-to-date fee quote for Catherine tailored to your event.
Catherine Destivelle speaks on Inspirational Women, Leadership & Motivation, Motivation, Performance. Talks can be shaped around your audience, industry and strategic objectives - share your event brief with London Speaker Bureau and we will work with Catherine to align the content with your delegates and goals.
London Speaker Bureau can book Catherine Destivelle for events worldwide, subject to Catherine's schedule. Please send us your event date, location and format and we will confirm availability and handle travel and logistics on your behalf.
Virtual and hybrid keynotes are now a standard part of the speaking industry. Please contact London Speaker Bureau to confirm whether Catherine Destivelle is available to deliver a virtual session for your event and on which platform (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, a bespoke studio or your own).
Most keynote speeches run between 45 and 60 minutes, often followed by a 15-30 minute Q&A. Other formats - shorter conference slots, panel appearances or longer workshop sessions - may also be possible. Share your agenda with London Speaker Bureau and we will confirm what Catherine can accommodate.
London Speaker Bureau will brief Catherine Destivelle on your audience profile, sector and objectives so the keynote can be shaped around your event. The level of customisation possible depends on the speaker and the lead time - contact us with your brief and we will confirm what Catherine can offer.
Catherine Destivelle delivers keynotes in French. If you require simultaneous interpretation or a multilingual format, please mention this in your enquiry and London Speaker Bureau will arrange it for you.
Catherine Destivelle's areas of expertise include Inspirational Women, Leadership & Motivation, Motivation, Performance. To get a clear sense of Catherine's style, credentials and how they engage an audience, please review the biography, popular talks and any videos or testimonials shown on this page, or request a detailed speaker brief from London Speaker Bureau.
Catherine Destivelle can be booked through London Speaker Bureau for corporate conferences, leadership events, internal team meetings, association gatherings and private client engagements where expertise in Inspirational Women, Leadership & Motivation, Motivation, Performance is relevant. Details of Catherine's background and previous engagements are included in the biography above; contact us if you would like a more detailed list of past clients or case studies.
Beyond keynote speeches, many of the speakers on our roster also take part in workshops, executive masterclasses, panel discussions and fireside chats. Contact London Speaker Bureau with your preferred format and we will confirm what Catherine Destivelle is able to offer alongside or instead of a keynote.
We generally recommend enquiring at least three to twelve months in advance to secure your preferred date with Catherine Destivelle, particularly during peak conference seasons. Where possible we also accommodate shorter lead times - please contact London Speaker Bureau to check Catherine's current availability for your dates.