Lynn Hill: Refusing to Be Alone on The Pedestal of Her Fame

Lynn Hill is everyone’s climbing hero. And if you were to meet her out at the crag, you’d learn she’s also just simply a fun, kind, and good person to be around. This year, she’s being awarded the AAC President’s Gold Medal, in recognition of her lifelong commitment to climbing and her astonishing career, as well as her mentorship and community role that she has continued to uphold. In this episode, we discuss a whole slew of things, past and present. We cover why she started to learn French, Italian, & Spanish in order to read about the competitions in the European magazines in the 80s, how she has no interest in being alone on the pedestal of her fame, and how her life maps onto the common climber lifecycle. We discuss the behind-the-scenes stories from her ascent of Queen Line, a three pitch 5.13c/d in Colorado’s Flatirons, which she developed with Sasha DiGiulian; and how she’s adopted and adapted her no-complaints attitude across her climbing life. Finally, Lynn shares some climbing career advice—you won’t want to miss it!! Discover all this and more in this episode with one of climbing’s most beloved living legends. *** Don’t forget to grab your tickets to the AAC’s Gala this year! Hear from Lynn Hill and the other awardees at the Gala event in October. You can learn more at americanalpineclub.org/gala