Lynn Hill | Climbing History (2025)

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Quick Info ˅

From:	USA 🇺🇸
Date of birth:	3rd January 1961
Age:	64 years old
Gender:	Female
Height:	157 cm
Weight:	50 kg
Hardest Boulder (Worked):	7B
Hardest Sport (Worked):	8b+
Hardest Sport (Onsight):	8a
Hardest Trad (Worked):	E8

John Long:

I have been all over the world and have had the fortune of doing things with many special people, some famous, some anonymous. But the biggest little hero I’ve ever known is Lynn Hill. The rest of us are just holding her rope. [2]

Hill has experienced only one major accident in her climbing career. On May 9, 1989, she fell during a climb in Buoux, after forgetting to tie in, she fell 85 ft (25 m) into a tree, and was knocked unconscious, dislocated her left elbow and broke a bone in her foot. She had been training hard for the World Cup and had to stop competing for a few months to recover; she was devastated to miss the first World Cup in the sport. However, only six weeks after her fall, she was back climbing.

References

[1] Half Dome, 1977

[2] https://www.climbandmore.com/climbers/lynn-hill/

[3] Portrait by Dean Fidelman, 1997 https://www.instagram.com/p/Cr3uphIJ2Gy/

[4] Interview with Natalie Berry for UKClimbing.com March 2017 https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/lynn_hill_-_climbing_free-9151

[5] Interview with Hannah Morris, 2024 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IE9_oAPRTsE

[6] https://open.spotify.com/episode/3pPhmAHHd46EAjdQkfb09Z?

Contributors

remus

17 contributions since 29th December 2020.

LeodF

1 contribution since 13th December 2023.

Quick Info

From:	USA 🇺🇸
Date of birth:	3rd January 1961
Age:	64 years old
Gender:	Female
Height:	157 cm
Weight:	50 kg
Hardest Boulder (Worked):	7B
Hardest Sport (Worked):	8b+
Hardest Sport (Onsight):	8a
Hardest Trad (Worked):	E8

John Long:

I have been all over the world and have had the fortune of doing things with many special people, some famous, some anonymous. But the biggest little hero I’ve ever known is Lynn Hill. The rest of us are just holding her rope. [2]

References

[1] Half Dome, 1977

[2] https://www.climbandmore.com/climbers/lynn-hill/

[3] Portrait by Dean Fidelman, 1997 https://www.instagram.com/p/Cr3uphIJ2Gy/

[4] Interview with Natalie Berry for UKClimbing.com March 2017 https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/lynn_hill_-_climbing_free-9151

[5] Interview with Hannah Morris, 2024 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IE9_oAPRTsE

[6] https://open.spotify.com/episode/3pPhmAHHd46EAjdQkfb09Z?

[7] https://open.spotify.com/episode/2xtdsDPQpUgz0nVde4a7Fs?

Contributors

remus

17 contributions since 29th December 2020.

LeodF

1 contribution since 13th December 2023.

Podcasts

Library

Features in First Ascent (1982) Film
Features in Valley Uprising (2014) Film

Pics + Vids

No pics or vids yet.

Ascents

12 recorded ascents.

This timeline is missing some ascents where the date of the ascent is unknown.

Climb	Grade	Style	Ascent Date
Masse Critique	8b+	Lead \| worked	1990
Masse Critique	Jean-Baptiste Tribout infamously said "no woman would ever climb a 8b+", in response Lynn flew to France and repeated Tribout's route, and in fewer tries than it took him! [1] When people say 'it can’t be done', it makes the task all the more interesting. With this ascent Lynn became the first woman to climb 8b+. References [1] https://www.instagram.com/p/CXLYhYUoz7d/ [2] https://www.instagram.com/p/Cbq2wlUrq9c/ [3] 1https://open.spotify.com/episode/0bDCW9JesYEdEdlzwEi8AM?TheS9A
The Nose	8b+	Lead \| worked	Sep 1993
The Nose	First ascent. A breakthrough free ascent of this iconic aid route. Lynn later went on to make the first in a day free ascent. The magnificent beauty and historic significance of the line, as well as my own efforts to free it, then later freeing it in a day, made this ascent the most meaningful achievement of my entire climbing career. Initially Lynn suggested a grade of 13b or 8a! References [1] https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/884132364986273 [2] https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/882411198491723 [3] https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/871458132920363 [4] https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/455131411219706 [5] https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/336804179719097 [6] https://www.instagram.com/p/CW4rlZGr7RN/ [7] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS63AdRSnl8
The Nose	8b+	Lead \| worked	Between 19th Sep 1994 and 20th Sep 1994
The Nose	Lynn started climbing at 10pm on the 19th September and finished climbing around 9pm on the 20th September, making it the first sub-24hr free ascent.
To Bolt or Not to Be	8b+	Lead \| worked	1998
To Bolt or Not to Be	First female ascent.
Scarface	8b+	Lead \| worked	1999
Scarface	First female ascent.
Chouca	8a+	Lead \| worked
Simon	8a	Lead \| onsight	1992
Simon	With this ascent Lynn became the first woman to onsight 8a. [1] References [1] https://www.climbandmore.com/climbers/lynn-hill/
Mingus	8a	Lead \| onsight	1994
Mingus	First ascent. First free ascent.
Serpentine	8a	Lead \| worked
Serpentine	References [1] https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/3450629271669890

Climb	Grade	Style	Ascent Date	Suggested Grade
Midnight Lightning	7B	Boulder \| worked	1998
Midnight Lightning	First female ascent. Lynn worked the mantel on a rope first.

Climb	Grade	Style	Ascent Date	Suggested Grade
The Great Arch	E8	Alternate Leads \| worked	1997	E7
The Great Arch	First ascent. 1 point of aid. References [1] Climber August 1997, page 6
Insomnia	E4	Lead	1979
Insomnia	The somewhat dated report in Mountain reads Long free-soloed the route and the attractive Miss Hill became the first female to lead it. She did a simply splendid job with no falls. [1] References [1] Mountain 70 (1979), page 20

Climb	Grade	Style	Ascent Date	Suggested Grade