Lynn Hill

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lynn Hill (born 1961) is a United States climber, known as a top sport climber of the 1980s and famous for making the first free ascent of the Nose Route on Yosemite's El Capitan.

Originally from Detroit, Michigan, she grew up in southern California. Hill started climbing as a 14 year old on a climbing trip with her sister and her sister's fiancé. During the early 1980s she became part of the climbing community centered around Camp 4 in Yosemite Valley. She participated in various television productions, such as being a candidate in the TV show Survival of the Fittest.

In 1979, Lynn Hill completed one of many impressive landmarks in her career by becoming the first woman to establish a 5.12+/5.13, Ophir Broke in Ophir, Colorado. In 1984 at the Gunks she performed one of her most impressive leads, the onsight first ascent of Yellow Crack 5.12R/X. From 1986 to 1992 Lynn Hill was one of the world's top sport climbers, winning over 30 international titles, including five victories at the Arco Rock Master. In 1991, she set another landmark by becoming the first woman to redpoint a consensus 5.14, Masse Critique in Cimai, France.

After ending her career as a professional competitive climber, Hill went back to traditional rock climbing. In 1993, together with her partner Brooke Sandahl, she became the first person, male or female, to free climb The Nose, a famous route on El Capitan in Yosemite Valley. In 1994 she upped the ante, by becoming the first to free climb the entire route in a single 24 hour period. Lynn Hill's original climbing grade for the "Free Nose" was 5.13b. The Free Nose and the Free Nose in a day remained unrepeated over 10 years after Hill's first ascents - despite numerous attempts by some of the best big wall climbers in the world. This has prompted some to suggest a grade of at least 5.14a may be more accurate, and cements the Free Nose ascents as two of the most impressive achievements in climbing history. Then, on Oct 14, 2005, the team of Caldwell and Rodden also freed the Nose, and on Oct 16, 2005, Caldwell freed it in less than 12 hours.

Lynn Hill's impressive list of achievements span decades, age groups, climbing styles and gender, establishing Hill as one of history's foremost free climbers.

In 1988 Lynn married fellow Gunks climber Russ Raffa in a ceremony that featured the bride and groom dangling from the top of the cliffs in full wedding finery. Their marriage ended in 1991

On April 14th 2003, Lynn and partner Brad Lynch gave birth to a son, Owen.

Hill is currently a sponsored athlete for the Patagonia gear and clothing company.

In 2005 Lynn started offering climbing camps in 5 locations in the United States, with plans for more in 2006.