Steph Davis has never been good at stalling important decisions. Her way of life resembles her climbing style: uncompromising if possible, but always willing to take a step back when necessary. In her early twenties she quit law school. It was the start for a life on the road, a life devoted to climbing and basejumping that would suit her so much better than the ordinary life her parents might have dreamed of.
Success proved her right: Steph Davis is the first woman to summit all pinnacles of the Fitz Roy Massif in Patagonia, the first woman to free climb the Salathé Wall on El Calpitan in Yosemite Valley and the first woman to free solo a route graded 5.11 – without a rope, without protection. By now she has moved from her house on four wheels into a house with four walls. It’s situated in Moab, in the middle of the Utah desert, not far away from the imposing sandstone walls with its endless climbing and basejumping possibilities.
Steph Davis is fully aware of the fact that she is living a life on the edge. Four years ago she lost her husband Mario Richard on a joint wingsuit jump in the Dolomites. Also her first husband Dean Potter died on a wingsuit jump in 2015. And despite her losses, Steph won’t let go of her dream of flying – and she shares this passion with her partner Ian.