Lynn Hill is a living legend. She is best known for being the first person to free El Capitan via The Nose in 1993. We talked about what it is like to be Lynn Hill in the modern climbing world, her upbringing, what sets her apart, the story of freeing The Nose, tips for shorter climbers, her mindset and affirmations, self-belief, how she makes a living these days, upcoming video projects, and much more.
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Show Notes:
thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/lynn-hill
Nuggets:
(00:00:00) – Intro
(00:06:27) – Lynn’s technique video
(00:12:58) – How Lynn thinks about climbing technique
(00:16:47) – The documentary Lynn is working on, and Lynn’s thoughts on Free Solo
(00:18:53) – Having the vision to free climb The Nose
(00:21:01) – What it feels like to be Lynn Hill, and why she likes her gates facing out
(00:28:07) – Being famous before the internet
(00:29:48) – Harrison Ford, and how to act toward famous people
(00:33:33) – Being the first woman to climb 12d (7c), traveling to Europe in 1986, and learning French
(00:38:01) – Finishing college, getting “kidnapped by climbing”, and her first sponsorship
(00:42:33) – Being connected to the people who are pushing the sport forward, and Lynn's project with Sasha DiGiulian
(00:50:24) – Who excites Lynn the most in climbing right now
(00:56:22) – Why Lynn decided to try to free The Nose
(01:00:33) – The reality of aging, and appreciating the journey
(01:06:11) – Why The Nose was such a special experience
(01:08:53) – Lynn’s visualization process, climbing her first 5.14 in France, and yawning before redpoint attempts
(01:11:14) – Breathing and screaming
(01:14:12) – Lynn’s process of freeing The Nose
(01:23:41) – Projecting the Changing Corners pitch
(01:28:11) – Going for it, and Brooke Sandahl’s role in The Nose going free
(01:32:07) – Why Lynn decided to free The Nose in a day, and how she trained for it
(01:35:56) – Her mindset for efficiency on The Nose, and sending during the full moon
(01:40:01) – “It’s actually pretty strenuous…” and the Lynn Hill traverse
(01:41:59) – Lynn’s height and ape index (5’1 1/4”, 0 ape index)
(01:43:29) – Advice for shorter climbers
(01:45:53) – First Ascent (Naked Edge film by Bob Carmichael), and the training Lynn was doing in the early 80s
(01:53:14) – Lynn’s family upbringing, her temperament, and what sets her apart
(01:55:58) – The “what if” game, and taking an unconventional path
(01:59:07) – Lynn’s current sponsorships, and how she makes a living these days
(02:03:09) – There are a lot of ways to make it as a pro climber
(02:07:56) – Patron Question from Nick: What parts of climbing culture would you like to see maintained? What would you be happy to see disappear?
(02:13:33) – Patron Question from Bradley: What do Lynn’s passions look like today?
(02:15:23) – Patron Question from Jessica: Onsighting the FA of Mingus in 1994 in the Verdon
(02:21:59) – Patron Question from Matt: What was it like climbing on The Nose with Nina Caprez? Are you mentoring any other women?
(02:29:07) – Building ab strength after having a baby, and Lynn’s replica of the Changing Corners intro move
(02:32:20) – Other women Lynn has mentored
(02:33:51) – Patron Question from Craig: Who have you climbed with that had amazing footwork?
(02:36:12) – Patron Question from Christoph: Can Lynn speak about the mental side of pushing boundaries?
(02:41:32) – Patron Question from Emily: How did Lynn learn to be independent from the limiting gendered cues coming from society at the time in order to realize her true potential?
(02:44:33) – Lynn’s positive affirmations, challenging societal norms as a teenager, and seeing injustice in the world
(02:51:12) – Patron Question from Mark: Have women reached parody in climbing? If not, what can be done?
(02:58:45) – What Lynn is most excited about right now, her Italian name, and the value of learning other languages
(03:02:26) – Feeling excited about her new route on The Maiden, and ideas for her next trip to France
(03:05:32) – More about the documentary Lynn is working on
(03:09:04) – Where to buy “It goes boys” shirts, and signed photos from Lynn!
(03:11:01) – Lynn’s plans for Hueco
SEND ALERT: Will Bosi — ‘Return of the Sleepwalker’ V17, and What He Plans to Try Next!
EP 207: Paul Houghoughi (The Climbing Physio) — How to Rehab Finger Injuries, Build Bulletproof Wrists & Elbows, and Never Get Injured Again
EP 206: Building a Perfect Replica of ‘The Big Island’ V15, Training on Your Projects, and the Ideal Circuit — Charlie Schreiber Returns
SEND ALERT: Kai Lightner — ‘Life of Villains’ 9a, Not Rushing the Process, and Building Jamaica’s First Climbing Wall
EP 205: Adrian Vanoni — Finger Crack Wizardry, Blue Collar Sending, and Lucid Dreams About Beta
EP 204: Anak Verhoeven — How to Build 9a Endurance, Why Motivation Trumps Fancy Facilities, and Being Public About Her Faith
EP 203: Jakob Schubert — World Champion to 9c and 9A, Adam Ondra’s Risky and Efficient Style, and Failing on ‘Sleepwalker’
SEND ALERT: Jon Cardwell — Establishing ‘Wind Up Bird’ 5.15b, and Uphill Athlete Training
EP 202: Tyler Nelson Returns — How to Get Stronger Fingers, Habits to Prevent Injuries, and Why Climbers Shouldn’t Train Like Gymnasts
EP 201: James Pearson — The Full Redemption Story, Proposing the Mythical Grade of E12, and Climbing Harder After Kids
EP 200: Brooke Raboutou — An Olympian’s Mindset, Dancing on the Wall, and Competing Against Your Friends
EP 199: Will Anglin & Matt Jones — A Masterclass in How to Progress Your Climbing
EP 198: Travis Tameirao — The Day His Life Changed Forever, Climbing V10+ With an Artificial Knee, and Taking the Wheel
EP 197: Melina Costanza Returns — Harnessing the Power of Nerves, Praising Your Effort, and Choosing Good Over Perfect
EP 196: Pete Whittaker — Chasing the Hardest Cracks in the World, Embracing the Suck, and Futuristic Desert Projects
EP 195: Matt Segal Returns — The Recipe for a Peak Year, Cooking Tips, and High Summits and Higher Grades
EP 194: Will Anglin — Why We Should Treat Climbing Like Baseball, and the #1 Thing All Climbers Should Do
EP 193: Mat Wright — Risking It All to Send, The Power of Specific Goals, and Relaxing Hard to Climb Harder
EP 192: Alex Biale — Bootlegging Wine, Training With Ollie Torr, and the Keys to a Balanced Life
EP 191: Jesse Firestone Returns — Finding Silver Linings, How to Move Like Adam Ondra, and Key Benefits of Visualization
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