Nina Williams (climber)

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

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

Early life

Williams was born in Killingly, Connecticut 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

References
  1. "Chris Weidner: Being bold and baring it all, Nina Williams faces her dark side". Retrieved 2017-12-15.
  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. "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. "VIDEO: Nina Williams Climbs Window Shopper (V12), Flagstaff, CO". Rock and Ice. Retrieved 2018-02-28.
  8. "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. "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.
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