Laurence Gouault / Siri Shiva K is a Kundalini Yoga Teacher (Certified FFKY & KRI level 1, Certified Kundalini Perinatal Yoga &Yoga Doula, Child Play Yoga) and Professional Climber, climbing and sport coach and Photographer
She is now based in the French Pyrénées after living for 20 years in Chamonix where she has honed her skills at rock, ice, alpine climbing, skiing and snowboarding. Because of her great skills in the rest of climbing activities she was considered as one of the best female all-rounder with countless climbs worldwide from the 90's till 2005 when she decided to slow down and stay alive, including many first ascent. While in the French Pyrénées She discovered caving an other facet of climbing, and some great exploring to do.
She has been on 12 expeditions in the Himalaya , first ascent and first snowboard descents from 7400m. She is the only woman which has snowboarded so much and so high in the Himalaya , and she carries her snowboard. She has done stunt work for Hollywood
She has been a product and marketing consultant for a few company in the outdoor industry.
She now teaches Kundalini Yoga, and she is keen to help others with Yoga as much Yoga has helped her. With her experience as a top athlete she has developed a specific program for climbers and sports people to help them progress and coaches regularly athletes from all over the world, (including yoga, breathing and meditation).
Last year she took a course of Kundalini Yoga for
She now teaches Yoga&breathing&meditation at Air France.
Last year she took a course of Kundalini Yoga for
She now teaches Yoga&breathing&meditation at Air France.
27 Years of climbing experience
51 years old
Sponsors : PATAGONIA,GRIVEL , SCARPA
PHOTOGRAPHER
Laurence Gouault photoghrapy is not what she is proud of, her climbing and travelling are what make her happy. All of these things go together however to bring something back for the rest of us. Photos are just images and images of wonderful and beautiful things hopefully inspire or please us. Her climbing has to take second place to work but from the 90's she was one of the world's best woman ice climber, better indeed than nearly all of the men. Climbing for Laurence is not a competition or an act of conquering, it is more a struggle to get what is best from oneself and have fun. She says, “Climbing is like dancing sometimes you dance well and sometimes you have joy in being alive and moving to internal rhythms". In rock climbing she is always trying to improve, she has red-pointed a couple of 8a+ and a 8b+ the last few years. Some places she has a special feeling for are the desert of America, and the Himalaya, "less people more room to breath”; “snowboarding in the Himalaya is like being an a magic carpet, it gives the real dimension of the Himalaya". Her professional climbing life was shared between testing clothes for the famous company Patagonia and being a photographer. Her work is seen in magazines all around the world. Her private life is about rock and sunshine , ice and powder snow, Kundalini Yoga and good friends and family. The following is a selection of Laurence’s work and, of her climbing.
Her work has been published worldwide but particularly in the following magazines and publishers:
Rock&Ice, Climbing - USA , Gripped Canada
Montagnes Alpinisme&Randonnée,Vertical, Grimper – France
Alp,La Revista de la Montana , Montagne, Pareti - Italy
Desnivel, Escualar - Spain
Klettern, Rotpunk, Mountain Sports - Germany
On The Edge, Climber, High, Climb -UK
ROCK and SNOW, Japon;
Millennuim - Worldwide Publication
Extreme Climbs - Struik New Holland Publishers
Her photos have been used by the following companies for advertisements : Patagonia, Lowe Alpine ,Grivel, La Sportiva , Roca , Cousin; DMM, MacPac, Cébé.
CLIMBING CV
ICE CLIMBING
Laurence has been called the top female ice climber in the world by many authorities, but she was certainly one of the top five. She was the first women to break the 7th degree of difficulty and this earned her a great deal of press coverage.
- Fisrt in the women at the International Ice Climbing contest , Courchevel 1993 and 1994
- ESPN Silver medal Women Difficulty and Speed USA
- First women ascent of the "Fang" grade 6, Vail 1996
- Little Fang »M6+, « Seventh Tentacle » M7Vail 1997
- Les compères » 7+ Italy
- Ressurection M8, Vail 1999
- 009 M8+ Italy 2001
- Fatman&Robin M9 Vail USA 2001
ALPINISM.
As Laurence has lived in Chamonix ("the alpine capital") for 20 years, it is inevitable that she is one of the most experienced women alpinists.
- 80 routes in the Alps up to ABO+ included in winter "Modica-Nory", Fil à Plomb, ..
- First ascent of "Trace du serpent" TD+, Chamonix 1990
- First ascent with Stevie Haston of "Pinocchio"ED+and "Scotch on the Rocks" M8, Chamonix 1994 and 1995
-« Crazy Horse » first ascent, M8+ Telluride USA
HIMALAYAN CLIMBING
Many expeditions to the greater ranges of the world, she has a reputation to be very strong.
- Makalu, attempt Nepal
- "Diamond couloir" grade 6, Mount Kenya, Kenya
- New route on the west face of Mount Kenya, grade 6 Kenya
- Bhagirathi II, India
- Ama Dablan attempt northeast and northwest face, Nepal USA
- Alpine ascent of the west ridge of Shivling in 8 hours, India
- Island peak in 2 hours 1/4, Nepal
- Diran, Nanga Parbat , Pakistan
- Everest attempt without oxygen on the Tibet Tibet
- Cho Oyu up to 7400m, caught in bad weather, snowboarded from 7400m 2001
- Janak Expedition 3 first ascents and snowboard descents of peaks of 6400m
ROCK CLIMBING.
In the discipline of rock climbing she is below the top performers but is still in the top few percent. She has experience in every kind of climbing from rock climbing Desert towers in USA Himalaya . At 48 years old she is actually pushing her level and hope to improve and to red-point some more beautiful lines in the Grotte de Sarbat in Arège France. In september 2012 she has redpointed her first 8b, an impressive roof in the Grotte de Sabart.
- climbing in the States (Yosemites-Astroman,Free blast..., Utah- Fine jade, Dream speaker,Titan,Moses Ancient Art, Cattletown Tower
SNOWBOARD
Snowboarding big mountains is one of Laurence’s big interests. As far as we know she is the only woman to have snowboarded high Himalayan's peaks. She is also a very good skier.
- Fisrt snowboard descent of Snow Dome 5000m, Pakistan
- Descent of a 7000m around Everest in Tibet
- Cho Oyu Descent from 7400m Tibet 2001
- Kangchenjunga region 3 first ascents and first descents of 6400m to 7000m, Nepal 2002
FILM
-1991 Filmed by DAVID BREASHEARS in NEPAL
-1998 Filmed by the BBC 2 as a top ice climber repeating the hardest routes in the
-2001 Climbing Stunt woman for the film "Killing me softly" Monticello Film Production
-Jury for the Banff
-EXPLOS FESTIVAL, France 2008
Coaching and Yoga for climbers and athletes and companies
- Explos Film Festival 2013, France Yoga for Climbers
- Explos Film Festival 2014, France Yoga for climbers
- Adventure Outdoor Festival 2014, Dolomites Italy Yoga fro climbers and coaching day climbing&yoga
- Air France Toulouse Yoga&pranaynayama&meditation to deal with stress, control the mind, and focus.
-EXPLOS FESTIVAL, France 2008
Coaching and Yoga for climbers and athletes and companies
- Explos Film Festival 2013, France Yoga for Climbers
- Explos Film Festival 2014, France Yoga for climbers
- Adventure Outdoor Festival 2014, Dolomites Italy Yoga fro climbers and coaching day climbing&yoga
- Air France Toulouse Yoga&pranaynayama&meditation to deal with stress, control the mind, and focus.
Others Sports : Running, caving, cycling, VTT, swimming, skiing, yoga and gardening.
