For much of its history, the world of climbing and mountaineering has been very much male dominated. That's not to say there hasn't been incredible women climbers fighting for recognition since the sport's conception, but it does mean that their accounts and voices are far more difficult to find. As a woman myself, I find I relate far more to the life stories of women (and the attitudes they faced), and find them far more inspiring than the the multitude of men's stories (though that's not to say that those accounts aren't incredible and impressive in their own right). When it comes to alpinism and high altitude mountaineering, I've also found the books written by women to be far more honest and realistic about their experiences than those written by men, a prime example being Honouring High Places, the autobiography of Junko Tabei, the first woman to summit Everest, compared to that of Edmund Hillary, whose autobiography View From The Summit left me with few impressions beyond what a pompous, overblown windbag he was. Anyway. In an effort to educate myself more on the history of women climbers, I've got several biographies and autobiographies on my wishlist, starting with the American Legend, Lynn Hill.
Before reading this book, I was very much aware of Lynn Hill, as anyone in climbing is. I knew she was good, but I had no idea how amazing she actually is - as the back of the book says, Lynn was not just one of the best female climbers of her time, but one of the greatest climbers of all time, full stop. Not only was she the first woman to climb an 8b+ sport route, Masse Critique in France in 1990 - a grade that at the time was not only at the upper limits of of sport climbing difficulty, but also thought by many to be beyond the capabilities of any woman, but she was also the first person to free climb the The Nose, the hardest line on the most famous wall in Yosemite - El Capitan. Before Hill's historic ascent, this climb was thought too difficult to free climb (i.e. without pulling onto protection such as pegs fixed into the rock), but not only did Hill manage to climb it free, she climbed the 883m route in under 24 hours, leaving the climbing community in awe.
Above: Lynn Hill, on The Nose, El Capitan.
This is a great insight into the motives and drive of an incredible climber. Personal life, climbing achievements and philosophies intertwine to produce an interesting and exciting story. As well as her own life, Hill also peppers in anecdotes about her friends and climbing partners, some funny, some tragic, like the death of her brother-in-law on South American summit Aconcagua. One of the main backdrops is the dirtbag climbing scene of Yosemite in the 70s, though anyone who's seen the film Valley Uprising will probably be familiar with a lot of these tales already. In places, I would have liked more of a focus on Hill herself and her climbing - there was quite a long time that seemed glossed over - like the early 90s to 2002, when the book was written. Nevertheless, I have been introduced to climbers I might not have otherwise heard of, that I will now be seeking out more info about - like French climber and great friend of Hill, Hugues Beauzile.
Sometimes the difficult thing about reading climbing books is trying to picture the climbs. I found this book harder to connect with than other climbing books I've read, as I was unfamiliar with most of the climbs described, and indeed, the rock itself. Compare this to say, the Gwen Moffat autobiography Space Below My Feet which was easy to connect with given that most of it was set in Wales, and showcased mountains and routes that I have actually climbed myself. I have never climbed on granite, nor done big wall routes, where climbers spend several days on cliffs so huge they have to sleep on rock ledges or rigged portaledges, constantly in harnesses and clipped into the ropes to avoid nocturnal tossing and turning that could end in disaster. So, although I enjoyed reading about them it was harder to really relate. This dissipated though once the focus shifted to Europe. I've climbed several times on French limestone, and so could picture the routes, types of holds, and the feelings on the rock much better.
I really enjoyed this book, but I would say it's predominantly a book for climbers. There are some climbing books that I would recommend to everyone, regardless of your familiarity with the sport, indoors or outdoors. This one is definitely a bit more niche - although Hill (and her ghostwriter) do well to explain the terminology, and present an engaging account of her routes, expeditions and career as a record breaking competition climbing.
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