Nina Williams (climber)

Last updated
Nina Williams
Personal information
Born (1990-08-21) August 21, 1990 (age 33)
Killingly, Connecticut, U.S.
OccupationProfessional rock climber
Height5 ft 3 in (160 cm)
Weight120 lb (54 kg)
Website nina-williams.com
Climbing career
Type of climberBouldering
Highest grade
Updated on May 12, 2023.

Nina Williams (born August 21, 1990) is an American professional rock climber based in Boulder, Colorado, best known for her highball bouldering.

Contents

Early life

Williams was born in Killingly, Connecticut [ citation needed ] and grew up in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. She started climbing in New Hampshire in 2002, after trying ballet, soccer and horseback riding. [1]

In 2017, Williams wrote a personal essay for Rock & Ice magazine about being exposed as a cheater as a young teenager, after falsifying her results in a USA Climbing regional qualifier competition. [2] As a result of her actions, she was banned from competition for the season. In a 2016 interview with Chris Weidner, Williams said that the intense pressure she put on herself to win and a lack of confidence led her to cheat. [1] Returning to competition climbing required Williams to reshape her mental approach, writing that rather than seeking external approval, she would "climb because I love it". [2]

Climbing career

Bouldering

In 2015, she completed her first V13  (8B) in Rocklands, South Africa by completing the first female ascent of Ray of Light. [3]

Williams is noted for her Highball bouldering, in which the climber attempts a very tall boulder problem without rope protection, combining the physicality of bouldering with the mental discipline of free soloing. In 2017, Williams completed the first female ascent of Ambrosia in the Buttermilks, and Climbing magazine called it, "one of the hardest free solos ever done by a woman". [4] Williams has also completed two other difficult routes on the same boulder, Evilution Direct (V11) and Footprints (V9) [5] to complete the "Grandpa Peabody Trifecta", the first woman ever to do so. [6]

In February 2018, she made the fourth ascent, and first female ascent, of Window Shopper V12  (8A+), in Boulder, Colorado. [7] In March 2019, she made the seventh ascent, and first female ascent, of Too Big to Flail V10  (7C+) a 50 ft highball in the Buttermilks. [8]

Williams was featured in the short film, The High Road (2019), which was selected for the Banff Mountain Film Festival, and shown during the REELROCK 14 film tour. The film focused on Williams' method of practicing on a rope in preparation for her highball bouldering, culminating with her ascent of Too Big to Flail V10  (7C+), a 50 ft (15 m) highball in the Buttermilks. [9]

Rock climbing

In 2016, she sent Final Frontier, a 5.13b multi-pitch trad route in Yosemite, along with Father Time (5.13b) in 2018. [10]

Notable ascents

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bouldering</span> Form of rock climbing

Bouldering is a form of free climbing that is performed on small rock formations or artificial rock walls without the use of ropes or harnesses. While bouldering can be done without any equipment, most climbers use climbing shoes to help secure footholds, chalk to keep their hands dry and to provide a firmer grip, and bouldering mats to prevent injuries from falls. Unlike free solo climbing, which is also performed without ropes, bouldering problems are usually less than six metres (20 ft) tall. Traverses, which are a form of boulder problem, require the climber to climb horizontally from one end to another. Artificial climbing walls allow boulderers to climb indoors in areas without natural boulders. In addition, bouldering competitions take place in both indoor and outdoor settings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solo climbing</span> Style of climbing performed alone

Solo climbing, or soloing, is a style of climbing in which the climber climbs a route alone, without the assistance of a belayer. By its very nature, it presents a higher degree of risk to the climber, and in some cases, is considered extremely high risk. Note that the use of the term "solo climbing" is generally separate from the action of bouldering, which is itself a form of solo climbing, but with less serious consequences in the case of a fall. The most dangerous form of solo climbing is free solo climbing, which means both climbing alone and without any form of climbing protection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Moffatt</span> British rock climber

Jerry Moffatt, is a British rock climber and climbing author who is widely considered as being the best British rock climber from the early-1980s to the early-1990s, and was arguably the best rock climber in the world in the mid-1980s, and an important climber in the history of the sport.

Lisa Rands is an American rock climber. She is known for her bouldering for which in 2002, she became the first American female to win IFSC World Cup bouldering competitions, and topped the IFSC world boulder rankings in 2002. Rands was the first American female to climb boulders of grade V11 (8A), and V12 (8A+), and was the second-ever female in history to climb a 7C+/8A boulder. As well as making first female ascents (FFAs) of boulders such as The Mandala V12 (8A+), Rands was the first female in history to do an E8-graded traditional climbing route, The End of the Affair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Mandala</span> Bouldering route in California

The Mandala is a 6-metre (20 ft) high granite bouldering route in the Buttermilks, a popular bouldering area near Bishop, California. Considered a "next generation" problem in the 1970s, the route was first solved by American climber Chris Sharma in February 2000. It is one of the most widely known boulder problems in the world and is graded at V12 (8A+), and the sit start variation is graded at V14 (8B+).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of rock climbing</span> Key chronological milestones

In the history of rock climbing, the three main sub-disciplines—bouldering, single-pitch climbing, and big wall climbing—can trace their origins to late 19th-century Europe. Bouldering started in Fontainebleau, and was advanced by Pierre Allain in the 1930s, and John Gill in the 1950s. Big wall climbing started in the Dolomites, and was spread across the Alps in the 1930s by climbers such as Emilio Comici and Riccardo Cassin, and in the 1950s by Walter Bonatti, before reaching Yosemite where it was led in the 1950s to 1970s by climbers such as Royal Robbins. Single-pitch climbing started pre-1900 in both the Lake District and in Saxony, and by the late-1970s had spread widely with climbers such as Ron Fawcett (Britain), Bernd Arnold (Germany), Patrick Berhault (France), Ron Kauk and John Bachar (USA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Buttermilks</span> Bouldering area, California

The Buttermilks, or Buttermilk Country, is a well known bouldering destination near Bishop, California. It comprises the western edge of the Owens Valley, in the eastern foothills of the Sierra Nevada.

Paul David Robinson is an American professional rock climber who specializes in bouldering. He has established and repeated several bouldering problems at the V15 difficulty rating, in such areas as Hueco Tanks, the Buttermilks, and Magic Wood. In 2007, Robinson became the second climber in history to successfully climb a V13 boulder problem in one attempt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Honnold</span> American rock climber (born 1985)

Alexander Honnold is an American rock climber best known for his free solo ascents of big walls. Honnold rose to worldwide fame in June 2017 when he became the first person to free solo a route on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, a climb described in the New York Times as "one of the great athletic feats of any kind, ever." Honnold also holds the record for the fastest ascent of the "Yosemite Triple Crown", an 18-hour, 50-minute link-up of Mount Watkins, The Nose, and the Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome. In 2015, he won a Piolet d'Or in alpine climbing with Tommy Caldwell for their completion of the enchainment of the Cerro Chaltén Group in Patagonia over 5 days.

Jason Kehl is a professional American rock climber known for his highball bouldering ascents, inspired artistic endeavors, and for his work shaping holds. In 2006, he was awarded the prestigious Everest Award for climbing, and is the first person to ever boulder a 5.14d grade route; The Fly (climb), Rumney, NH.

Darlene Thomasina Pidgeon is a Canadian rock climber known for being one of the world's strongest female boulderers in the early 2000s and 2010s, was for a time the strongest female Canadian boulderer, and was the first Canadian female to climb the grades of V10, V11, and V12. She is often featured in Gripped Magazine and contributes to The Collective. She has also been featured in several international magazines and websites and her image has been used in advertising, magazine galleries, and magazine covers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Puccio</span> American rock climber

Alex Puccio is a professional climber specializing in bouldering. She competes in climbing competitions and split her time between climbing outdoor and indoor. She finished third overall in the 2011 and 2013 World Cup bouldering competition, second overall in the 2014 Climbing World Championship bouldering competition, and has won the American Bouldering Series eleven times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashima Shiraishi</span> American rock climber (born 2001)

Ashima Shiraishi is an American rock climber. Shiraishi started climbing at the age of six at Rat Rock in Central Park, joining her father. Only a few years later, she quickly established herself as one of the top boulderers and sport climbers in the world. Her numerous accolades include first-place finishes in international competitions, and multiple first female and youngest ascents. Shiraishi is featured in several short documentary-style films, and is the subject of the documentary short "Return to the Red" (2012).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midnight Lightning (climb)</span> Bouldering route in Yosemite, US

Midnight Lightning is a 7.62-metre (25.0 ft) high granite bouldering route on the Columbia Boulder in Camp 4 of Yosemite National Park. When first solved in May 1978 by American rock climber Ron Kauk, it was graded at V8 (7B/7B+), which was the world's second-ever boulder route at that grade, and the first in North America. Even today, the route is still considered a "hard" V8 grade. Midnight Lightning is the most notable bouldering route in climbing along with Dreamtime, and its ascent is considered an important moment in the history and the development of bouldering as a sport in its own right.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brooke Raboutou</span> American rock climber

Brooke Raboutou is an American professional rock climber who specializes in competition climbing where she competes as part of the US National Team. She competed at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games and represents the United States at IFSC Climbing World Cups.

Angela Payne is an American rock climber specializing in bouldering, who won a clean sweep of the 2003-2004 US American Bouldering Series, and who in 2010, became the first-ever female in history to climb an 8B (V13) boulder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Johnson (climber)</span> American rock climber (born 1989)

Alexandra Johnson is an American rock climber who specializes in bouldering and who has made numerous first female ascents of notable boulders, including Clear Blue Skies V12 (8A+) in Colorado, and Book of Nightmares V12 (8A+) and Lethal Design V12 (8A+) in Red Rocks. Her highest rated boulder send, as of 2022, was The Swarm at grade V14 (8B+) in Bishop. In competition bouldering, she won the overall American Bouldering Series in 2009, and has twice won individual stages in the annual IFSC Climbing World Cup series in bouldering.

Hazel Findlay is a British traditional climber, sport climber and big wall climber. She was the first female British climber to climb a route graded E9, and a route graded 8c (5.14b). She did the third ascent of the Yosemite traditional route Magic Line 5.14c (8c+). She has free climbed El Capitán four times on four different routes and made many first female ascents on other routes. Climbing magazine gave her their Golden Piton Award (Alpine) for traditional climbing in 2013.

Katie Lamb is an American rock climber who specializes in bouldering, and who in 2023 became the first-ever woman in history to climb an 8C+ (V16) graded boulder.

References

  1. 1 2 "Chris Weidner: Being bold and baring it all, Nina Williams faces her dark side" . Retrieved 2017-12-15.
  2. 1 2 "The Cheater - Learning to Climb for Myself, the Hard Way - Rock and Ice". Rock and Ice. Retrieved 2017-12-15.
  3. ↑ "Nina Williams Climbs Her First V13 - Gripped Magazine". Gripped Magazine. 2015-07-16. Retrieved 2017-12-15.
  4. 1 2 "Nina Williams Makes First Female Ascent of Ambrosia (V11) Highball". Climbing Magazine. Retrieved 2017-12-15.
  5. ↑ "Nina Williams repeats Ambrosia, ~8A highball/solo" . Retrieved 2017-12-15.
  6. ↑ "Nina Williams Sends Bishop Highball Ambrosia (V11, FFA)". Climbing Magazine. Retrieved 2018-02-28.
  7. 1 2 "VIDEO: Nina Williams Climbs Window Shopper (V12), Flagstaff, CO". Rock and Ice. Retrieved 2018-02-28.
  8. 1 2 "Nina Williams first woman to climb Too Big to Flail highball at Bishop". Planet Mountain.
  9. ↑ "Chris Weidner: Nina Williams risks it all in new REEL ROCK film: 'The High Road'". Boulder Daily Camera. 2019-10-01. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
  10. 1 2 "Nina Williams Sends Final Frontier in Yosemite - Gripped Magazine". Gripped Magazine. 2016-10-07. Retrieved 2017-12-15.
  11. ↑ "Nina Williams - Speed of Life (V10) - Rock and Ice". Rock and Ice. Retrieved 2017-12-21.
  12. ↑ "Nina Williams' Way - REI Co-op Journal". REI Co-op Journal. 2017-03-09. Retrieved 2017-12-21.
  13. ↑ "Nina Williams climbs Ray of light, 8B" . Retrieved 2017-12-21.
  14. ↑ "Video: Nina Williams Sends Bishop Highball Evilution Direct (V11, FFA)". Climbing Magazine. Retrieved 2017-12-21.
  15. ↑ "Nina Williams Sends 20-Pitch 5.13b in Yosemite". Gripped Magazine. 2018-11-19. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
  16. ↑ "Nina Williams Climbing China Beach 5.14b". Gripped. September 6, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.