Lynn Hill on Dynoing

Lynn Hill is a climber who needs no introduction. However, at 5’1″ and a half, Lynn has consistently had to come up with creative beta to allow her to move past long reaches that taller climbers can simply span.

Today we have an article from Rock and Ice in which Lynn Hill shares her experience on the classic 1980s test-piece Buoux route, Chouca 5.13c and how the long crux pocket-to-pocket move forced her to examine and learn the subtitles of dynamic movement.

“Ever since I began to climb, I’ve had to figure out my own methods and sequences. Most of my climbing partners have been men much taller than I am, who could reach past long blank sections of rock that I could not. At 5’1 and a half (I count every bit) inches, I have learned to compensate by looking for high footholds or small intermediate handholds that most people don’t even see. But sometimes the only way past has been a dyno.” – Lynn Hill

Ultimately, Lynn ended up redpointing the route using different beta that allowed her to skip the low percentage dyno. However, despite not actually dynoing on the send, Lynn asserts that her experience working this particular dyno taught her and gave her some insights into dynamic movement which she has taken with her throughout the rest of her career.

Lynn Hill’s Dynoing Tips:

To help any shorter climbers or those who struggle with dissecting the intricacies of dynamic movement, Lynn then shares her tips for dynos by breaking down these complex movements into their component parts.

• Focus on your foot placement
• Visualize the timing of when to initiate the push-pull snapping motion
• The timing of when you make a “snapping” motion with your arms will determine your trajectory
• Catch the target hold at the apex of your movement
• Hold on!

As Lynn’s experience on Chouca illustrates, there are often creative solutions other than simply jumping. However, being comfortable with dynoing will give you one more tools in your arsenal. And may just allow you to move past a seemingly blank section of rock that would otherwise be impossible to climb.

Click through below to read more about Lynn’s experience on Chouca and her very clearly explained thoughts on dynoing. Whether you are a dyno master or try to do everything statically, this article is not to be missed.

Full article Lynn Hill on Dynoing