As the first woman to onsight 5.13d (Omaha Beach, Red River Gorge, Kentucky) and flash 5.14a (Hydrophobia, Mont Sant, Spain) Katie Brown has been an influential and groundbreaking climber. She began climbing at age 13 and quickly dominated competition at the national and international level. Now in her young 20s, she is a freelance writer and continues to travel the world as a professional climber.

• The following is a list of climbers profiled within Vertical World. Foreword by Pete Takeda, Senior Contributing Editor to Rock & Ice Beth Rodden, 25, from Davis, CA: First American woman to establish a 5.14b (The Optimist, Smith Rock, OR). Chris Sharma, 24, from Santa Cruz, CA: first person to climb 5.15a (Realization, Ceuse France). Dave Graham, 24, Portland, Maine: has climbed more 5.14s than anyone else in the world, with 100+ routes under his belt. Dean Potter, 32, Yosemite, CA: first person to free climb both El Cap and Half Dome in a day. Dean also free-soloed the Supercanaleta on Fitz Roy in 6.5 hours and soloed the Compressor route on Cerro Torre in 11 hours. Jason Kehl, 27, from Maryland: unrepeated ascent of Evilution (V11) which stands 55 ft. tall, first ascent of After Midnight (V10/11, 25 ft. high) and The Fly (V13, 25 ft. high). Josh Wharton, 27, Rifle, CO: Bold ascent of The Flame in northeastern Pakistan under great odds and first ascent of the world's longest route called The Great Trango Tower in Pakistan. Lisa Rands, 28, from Bishop, CA: first American woman to climb V11 (Plain High Drifter, Buttermilks, CA). First woman to lead E8 6C (The End of the Affair, Curbar Edge, England).Steph Davis, 31, Moab, UT: Second woman, behind Lynn Hill to free climb a route on El Cap in a day (The Freerider, 5.12d/13a). Steph was also the first woman to have climbed all seven of the major peaks in Patagonia¿s Fitz Roy Range.Tommy Caldwell, 26, from Estes Park, CO: established the world's most difficult big wall free climb (The Dihedral Wall, 5.14a, El Cap, Yosemite, CA). Katie Brown, 24, from Boulder, CO: First woman to onsight both 5.13d and 5.14a (Omaha Beach, Red River Gorge, KY and Hydrophobia, Mont Sant, Spain).