John Gill (climber)

John Gill (1937 - ) is an American mathematician who has achieved recognition for his rock-climbing. He is considered "the Father of Modern Bouldering" by many climbers. Sherman, John (1994). "Stone Crusade: A Historical Guide to Bouldering in America", American Alpine Club Press.]

Early Life, Education, and Professional Career

As a child, Gill lived in several Southern cities, including Atlanta, Georgia, where he graduated from Bass High School [http://johnhaas.us/bhs/] in 1954 and attended Georgia Tech 1954-1956. He graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in mathematics in 1958, and entered the USAF as a second lieutenant. He attended a special graduate meteorology program at the University of Chicago 1958-1959, then was assigned to Glasgow AFB, Montana, until 1962. After obtaining an MA in mathematics from the University of Alabama in 1964, Gill became an instructor at Murray State University 1964-1967. In 1967 he enrolled as a graduate student at Colorado State University, and received his PhD in classical complex analysis in 1971. In 2000, Gill retired as professor of mathematics from the University of Southern Colorado. Ament, Pat (1998). "John Gill:Master of Rock. Climbing Classics #2", Stackpole Books] During his academic career he published a number of research papers in the analytic theory of continued fractions and related topics, and started a minor mathematical journal entitled "Communications in the Analytic Theory of Continued Fractions" [http://www128.pair.com/r3d4k7/Career.html]

John Gill and Bouldering: Introduction of Chalk and Controlled Dynamics

John Gill began mountain and rock climbing in 1953 as a traditional climber. By the mid 1950s he had begun to specialize on very short, acrobatic routes on outcrops and boulders, establishing problems in the 1950s and early 1960s considerably harder than those existing at the time. Being a gymnast and thinking of climbing as an extension of gymnastics, in the mid 1950s he introduced the use of gymnastic chalk into American rock climbing (the use of chalk then spread throughout the climbing world). At the same time he introduced "controlled dynamics" (see dyno), recommending it as a technique of choice, as well as one of necessity. Although certainly not the first serious boulderer — his notable predecessors include Oscar Eckenstein (1859-1921) and Pierre Allain (1904-2000) — he was probably the first climber in the history of rock climbing to make bouldering his primary specialty and to advocate acceptance of bouldering as a legitimate sport in its own right, to be pursued wherever the terrain is suitable. His focus on bouldering and the high difficulty levels he established inspired a number of traditional climbers to take a more serious view of the sport, which, for the most part had been seen merely as training for longer roped climbs.

Early Climbs at High Grades of Difficulty

In the Tetons, in 1958, John Gill climbed a short route on "Baxter's Pinnacle" that lies in the 5.10 realm, before that grade was formally recognized — one of the first to be done in America>Ament, Pat (2002). "Wizards of Rock: A History of Free Climbing in America", Wilderness Press] . By the end of the 1950s, Gill had reached what would now be considered V9 or V10 levels on a few eliminate boulder problems, but claims he probably never progressed beyond that. Two of his problems in the Tetons — a V8 in 1957 and a V9 in 1959 — set new standards of bouldering difficulty, and his 1961 route on the "Thimble" (Needles of South Dakota) — an unrehearsed and unroped 30-foot V4 or V5 highball or 5.12a free-solo climb — is considered one of the great classics of modern climbing, and — if considered a climb — may well be the first at the 5.12 grade ["Climbing Magazine", Millennium Special, March (2000)] . Gill climbed the route without the benefit of modern climbing shoes, significantly increasing the difficulty of the climb.

Gill's Grading System for Bouldering

John Gill introduced, in the 1950s, a very early - if not the first - grading system specifically designed for bouldering and not restricted to a particular area . The system, (B1, B2, B3), had two subjective levels of difficulty, and one objective level, and was predicated on prevailing and future standards attained in traditional rock climbing. The introduction of sport climbing some twenty years later and more intense competition weakened the philosophical underpinnings of the three-tiered structure, although climbers such as Jim Holloway adopted "personal" three-level systems similar to Gill's. Today, Gill's B-system is rarely used, abandoned in favor of open-ended scales of difficulty.

Gymnastics and Strength Exercises

As an amateur gymnast in the 1950s, and despite his large size (6'2" and 180 pounds), Gill specialized in the competitive rope climb and the still rings, achieving a time of 3.4 seconds for the 20' rope climb (from seated position on the floor, arms only) and accomplishing a number of difficult stunts on the rings, including inverted and olympic crosses, giant swings, and slow pulls from hang to handstand. He also engaged in what are now called bodyweight exercises similar to gymnastics, achieving seven one-arm pullups with the right arm and five with the left, several one-finger one-arm pullups, one-arm pullups carrying twenty pounds, one-arm pullups on a one-half inch ledge, and one-arm front levers. [http://www.johngill.net] .

Bibliography

* Gill, John (1969). [http://www.americanalpineclub.org/AAJO/pdfs/1969/gill_boulderi1969_355-357.pdf "The Art of Bouldering"] , American Alpine Journal.
* Krakauer, Jon (1990). "Eiger Dreams" Chap. 2 - "Gill". Lyons & Burford Press.
* Horst, Eric (2003). "Training for Climbing". Falcon Guide. Globe Pequot Press.
* Editors (2005). "Faces: John Gill by Giulio Malfer". Alpinist Magazine #12, Alpinist LLC, Jackson, Wyoming.

References

External links

* [http://www.johngill.net John Gill's personal website]
* [http://www.climbandmore.com/climbing,242,0,1,training.html John Gill on Training]
* [http://www.palatinum.info/articles/Gill_interview.shtm] on palatinum.info
* [http://www.theshortspan.com/features/johngill.htm Interview] on theshortspan.com
* [http://www.alpinist.com/doc/ALP12/faces-gill Alpinist Magazine] Issue: 12 - Faces
* [http://www.climbing.lu/index.php?page=gill Interview] on Climbing.lu