Brette Harrington

Brette Harrington (born 1992) is an American professional rock climber and alpinist based in Lake Tahoe, California and British Columbia, Canada. She was featured in the 2021 film The Alpinist alongside her late partner, Marc-André Leclerc. She is best known for the first free solo of the 760 meter (2,500-foot) Chiaro di Luna (5.11a) in Patagonia, for her development of new alpine climbing routes, and as the star of Brette, a Reel Rock Film Tour short film. Early life Harrington, the daughter of two skiers, grew up in Lake Tahoe. At two years old, she began learning to ski and competed in slalom skiing from the age of five. As a teenager, she attended the Holderness School, a boarding school adjacent to the White Mountains of New Hampshire. While training in slopestyle skiing in high school, Harrington grew curious about rock climbing and joined the school's club. Harrington's rock climbing activities were centered on moderate outdoor climbing routes at New Hampshire locales like Rumney, Cathedral Ledges, and White Horse. The club did not compete in climbing competitions. Harrington notes that club members found climbing "intrinsically special," engaging in its challenge for personal reasons. Harrington moved to Vancouver, Canada to attend the University of British Columbia. Initially, she continued slopestyle skiing; however, serious injuries, including a broken neck at the age of 20, sidelined her. As a result, Harrington began to focus more on backcountry ski touring and climbing around Squamish, British Columbia.