Climbing Free: My Life in the Vertical World - Softcover

Hill, Lynn

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0007145691 ISBN 13: 9780007145690

Publisher: HarperCollins Entertainment, 2003

Synopsis

Shortlisted for the Boardman Tasker Prize for outstanding contribution to mountain literature, this is the world’s foremost female rock climber’s inspiring story of her rise to the very top of her sport.

Lynn Hill has never let being a woman keep her from the hardest routes and toughest competitions in free climbing, making up in focus, determination and grace what she lacked in brawn and testosterone. In her autobiography she draws readers into the breathtaking excitement of the sport, conveying the true rewards of rock climbing – the physical, mental and spiritual satisfaction this sport can provide.

Lynn’s career has developed and grown alongside the popularity of rock-climbing as a sport. She learned to climb in the 70s when the sport was practically unknown and her extraordinary talent became widely recognised as the sport became more popular. She stunned 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 outstanding achievement, 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 boundaries of her sport , and as a rock-climber and role model she has yet to be outclassed.

The chronicle of a unique and fascinating life, this book combines extreme adventure, inspiration and spirituality with plenty of thrills, adventure, danger and excitement. Her skill, determination, perseverence, confidence and legendary status shine through on every page of this fascinating story.

About this title

Review:

The inspiring autobiography of Lynn Hill, a Californian girl who has been hailed as the world's foremost female rock climber - and indeed as one of the greatest climbers of either sex that the sport has ever known. She captures the thrills of the climb and demonstrates the physical and mental courage needed to make a safe path up a cliff so that the climber can enjoy the gymnastic play between the human body and steep stone. All armchair adventurers will enjoy reading about her extraordinary exploits which include becoming the first person to free-climb Yosemite's famous 3,000-feet Nose. Even those of us who only tackle steep hills behind a wheel will appreciate the spiritual satisfaction gained by those who risk life and limb in search of raw excitement.

Synopsis:

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.

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins Entertainment
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0007145691
• ISBN 13: 9780007145690
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 304