She was first introduced to climbing while studying for her geology degree. In her early climbing years she aspired to every kind of climbing from bouldering to big walls, and even aid lines. The first American to rank 1st in an international bouldering World Cup, she has won many competitions indoors and out, and also excelled in outdoor bouldering. Lisa is the first American woman to climb the elite level bouldering grades V11 and V12. Rands is known for having climbed Midnight Lightning and Plain High Drifter between 2000 and 2002, and was the first woman to succeed on the problem The Mandala in January 2008. Her ground-up ascent of the extreme highball This Side of Paradise in 2007 was captured for the video The Sharp End. Rands has also had successes in traditional climbing, being the first woman to achieve the grade of E8, with ascents of The End of the Affair at Curbar Edge in October 2004, and Gaia at Black Rocks in April 2006, both in England's Peak District; these routes are notorious as being both extremely hard and extremely dangerous, with a fall carrying the most disastrous consequences for the climber. She also made a fast all-free ascent of Saint Exupery Spire in Patagonia and has sport climbed 5.13d/5.14a in China. She lived in Bishop, California for many years with her husband, Wills, who is her coach. They now live in Chattanooga, TN where she continues to coach and climb outdoors.
Competition
Lisa Rands became the first American woman to win a Bouldering World Cup in June 2002 when she placed first at Lecco, Italy. She climbed a near perfect Final to beat Corine Theroux, second and Sandrine Levet, third. In 2004 Rands won all three legs of the Triple Crown outdoor bouldering competition, which is a rigorous outdoor bouldering competition on the Southeast. She returned ten years later in 2014 to win all three legs again, plus the added competition at Rumbling Bald, NC.
Notable Ascents
V12
* The Mandala – Bishop – January 18, 2008 – First Female Ascent of the iconic and difficult boulder problemfirst climbed by Chris Sharma in 2000. At the time it was one of the most difficult female ascents in the world.
