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Climbing Media Reviewed
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Climbing Free
My Life in the Vertical World. Lynn Hill Autobiography.

Format Book Category Narratives
Title Climbing Free  Pages 288 
Author Lynn Hill  RRP $30.00 AUD 
Publisher W.W. Norton & Company  Reviews
Edition (May 2002)  Ave Rating **** (3.50 of 5)

Reviews  

User Comments
vermonster
7/31/2002
****
Good book about the early days of rock climbing in California with many stories of the pioneers Hill has had associations with. Easy to read and understand. Admittedly, it's doesn't go into the mental processes of climbing and how to over come fear for example... sounds like that'll be a seperate book. 
melekzek
7/31/2002
*****
Beautiful book, well done Lynn... 

Mike
1/30/2004
****
Just finished reading this one and was very impressed and entertained. From free climbing the Nose of El Cap in a day, to winning the climbing World Cup, to climbing a hot air balloon, to winning endless gym comps, to taking a ground fall sans rope in a lower off accident... I could go on, it's all there, the myriad and often both humorous and captivating details of her rise to fame and climbing achievements. In particular I loved the great descriptions of the more wacky climbing friends she's hung out with as well as really enjoying the page turning reports of ascents that have highlighted her career. She also brings a fair amount of personal reflection into the book, with an open discussion of relationships and how climbing may have effected them, as well as discussing feelings with respect to friends who have passed away in the mountains.

All up this book is recommended reading for anyone need climbing inspiration (particularly women) and/or anyone who has wondered what her life may have been like or just wants to read some great tales from the sharp end. 

shmalec
3/28/2005
****
This is a personal story about a life in climbing. It brings life to the characters that influenced Lynn Hill's climbing life and the kind of climbing lifestyle that existed in the US in the early days. She shows that you don't need to be tall or male to be at the cutting edge. A good read. 
dmnz
1/4/2011
****
Offers an insight into hard rock climbing and some of the characters 

IdratherbeclimbingM9
2/11/2012
****
I read this a fair while back and have misplaced the book since, so am reviewing it from old-memory so to speak.

I enjoyed the insights that Lynn gave to the events that I had heard or read about in climbing magazines over the years. It was good to finally get a first hand perspective on some of those, and they were not always what they initially seemed! In fact I was a bit surprised by some, including the potential 'bitchyness' between competitors at climbing events.

It was not a free-flowing-read due being somewhat disjointed re subject at hand at times, but as I only read it in short segments due to other commitments this was not a hassle to me, and came across more as musings/reflections on different periods of her life.

I particularly enjoyed her insight and tenacity for her free climbing of the Nose of El Capitan, backed up by excellent photographs of what she described.

 


Further Reading:
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