Climbing Free

Here, one of the world's foremost female rock climbers tells her story. Lynn Hill has never let being a woman keep her from the hardest routes and toughest competitions in free climbing - what she lacked in brawn and testosterone she made up for with focus, determination and grace. In this biography she draws readers into the excitement of the sport, conveying the true rewards of rock climbing - the physical, mental and spiritual satisfaction it can provide. Lynn's career has developed alongside the growth of rock-climbing as a sport. She learned to climb in the 1970s when the sport was practically unknown and her talent became widely recognised as the sport became more popular. She surpised the international climbing community when she became the first person to free-climb Yosemite's famous 3,000ft Nose, and topped this feat the following year by repeating the route in 23 hours, half the time in pitch darkness, something it took 6,264 hours for the next male climber to accomplish. This achievement, as well as her strong belief, has ensured that both sexes now compete on routes of equal difficulty in competitions.
A woman in a man's world, Lynn Hill has re-written the course of her sport and this book acts as a chronicle of her unusual and inspirational life.