«Nasim Eshqi, born in 1982 in Teheran, is an Iranian rock climber. Her athlete’s career began as a kick boxer and she has been holding the national title for 10 years in a row. The transition from martial art to climbing happened fortuitously when she was recruited by her university of Teheran for an expedition on Damavand (5604 m). She discovered the mountain world and a new passion.

Harnessing her remarkable willpower, courage and strength, Nasim Eshqi surpasses her own limitations on rock as well as those set by the environment. She gained recognition on the international climbing scene and is a source of inspiration for young athletes worldwide.

To her best performances belong some of the hardest routes in Iran like «Mr Nobody» (8b+), «Pink Panther» (8b), «Iran-Swiss» (8a+) or the multi-pitch route «A girl for all seasons» (7b). She opened the last one and many other difficult lines in numerous countries. Polyvalent, she has a liking for traditional climbing and for sharing her knowledge with next generation climbers.»

Albert Mountain Award 2018