Lynn Hill

Lynn Hill is an American rock climber known for the first free ascent of The Nose on El Capitan in 1993 and its first free ascent in a day in 1994.

The Nose: A major climbing route on El Capitan in Yosemite Valley, following the granite formation’s prominent prow. Hill made the route’s first free ascent in 1993 and repeated it in a day in 1994.
Aid climbing: A climbing method that uses equipment as footholds or handholds to gain upward progress. Hill’s free ascent rejected aid for upward movement, though protection remained essential.
Alex Lowe: An American alpinist and rock climber known for difficult ascents and his speed in the mountains. Lowe joined Hill for the first free ascent of The Nose in a day.
Free ascent of The Nose: The first ascent of The Nose on El Capitan using free-climbing techniques throughout the route. Hill and Brooke Sandahl completed it in 1993, establishing a new standard for big-wall free climbing.
El Capitan: A 900-metre granite monolith in Yosemite Valley, renowned for its big-wall climbing routes. Its immense walls and established routes provided the setting for Hill’s defining ascents.
Big-wall climbing: Climbing long, steep rock faces that typically require multiple pitches and extended time on the wall. The Nose’s length made Hill’s ascent a sustained logistical and physical undertaking.
John Long: An American rock climber and writer associated with the development of modern climbing in the United States. Long belonged to the Yosemite climbing world that shaped Hill’s generation.
Climbing grades: Numerical and descriptive systems used to communicate the difficulty of climbing routes. The Nose’s free-climbing cruxes became reference points for judging extreme route difficulty.
Free climbing: Climbing in which a person uses hands and feet for upward progress, while ropes and gear serve protection. Hill climbed The Nose without using equipment to advance upward.
Rock climbing: A sport and activity in which people ascend natural rock formations or artificial climbing walls. Hill’s career developed within the wider practice of climbing rock routes.

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Catherine DestivelleRelated: Hill and Destivelle became prominent in the same era through different forms of elite climbing.