Lynn Hill, b. 1961, USA

1989

Running Man 5.13d, Shawangunks, first free ascent, perhaps the hardest route by a woman at the time

Rock Master, Arco, Italy, winner

Dislocates elbow in seventy-foot ground fall, Buoux, France

Basically I didn’t tie a knot. I put the rope through my harness, but I didn’t finish tying my knot. After putting my shoes on, the rope was still in my harness, but since I had a jacket on which covered my harness, I didn’t notice that my knot was not tied. When I got to the top of the Styx-Wall, I leaned back to abseil back to the ground and just kept falling. I don’t remember exactly, but apparently when I fell backwards I used my arms to steady myself as I was failing. I landed on a tree branch, which slowed me down before I hit the ground.

1988

The Greatest Show on Earth 5.12d, New River Gorge, West Virginia, first free ascent

Rock Master, Arco, Italy, winner

1987

Supremacy Crack 5.11d, Eldorado Canyon, used only two points of protection to onsight the overhanging hand-crack

Rock Master, Arco, Italy, winner

1987

Tweazle Roof 5.12d, Shawangunks, first free ascent after hangdogging from pitons placed on rappel by another party

Girls Just Want to Have Fun 5.12 X, Shawangunks, first free ascent

1985

Organic Iron 5.12c, Shawangunks, first free ascent, with Russ Raffa.

Tourist Treat 5.12c, Cathedral Ledge, New Hampshire, first free ascent, with Russ Raffa.

1984

Tourist Treat 5.12d, Cathedral Ledge, New Hampshire, first free ascent, she led it onsight, with but one fall, perhaps the most difficult first ascent in the north country at the time.

Organic Iron 5.12+ R, Shawangunks, first ascent

Yellow Crack Direct 5.12c R-X, Shawangunks, first free ascent.

It was one of the most incredible on-sight leads I’ve ever seen. It was everything working together: boldness, lack of fear, athletic ability, ability to succeed.

Russ Raffa

1983

Vandals 5.13, Shawangunks, one of the four Gunks top climbers to master region’s first 5.13

1982

Blue Nubian 5.11, Joshua Tree, first free ascent.

1981

Levitation 29 IV 5.11a, Red Rocks, Nevada, first free ascent, with Long and Jorge and Joanne Urioste

The most beautiful free climb we did that year was a ten-pitch face route called Levitation 29. John and I made the first free ascent of this route, accompanied by the two climbers who had made the first ascent using aid, Jorge and Joanne Urioste. The mysterious-sounding name Levitation 29 had to do with the climb having been made on Joanne’s twenty-ninth birthday, and the idea that levitation would be hopeful to rise up this sheer 800-fot wall.

Hidden Arch 5.12a, Joshua Tree, California, first free ascent

1980

Coatamundi Whiteout II 5.12, Granite Mountain, Arizona, first free ascent, with Long and Keith Cunning.