John Gill (climber) - Bouldering: Chalk, Controlled Dynamics, Gymnastic Style

Bouldering: Chalk, Controlled Dynamics, Gymnastic Style

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.

Gill's climbing style showed the influence of formal gymnastics. He emphasized form and grace of motion over simple efficiency, the cornerstone of contemporary climbing. His performances, as recorded on film taken when he was forty (Disciples of Gill, 2009), demonstrate straight lines and minimal contact with the rock. He preferred an application of strength and sometimes avoided efficient moves like the heel hook, which he considered unaesthetic. Gill's approach to bouldering - artistic style being on a par with difficulty - was rarely followed by climbers of his generation and is considered unusual today, difficulty remaining paramount. He also practised bouldering as a form of moving meditation.

Although certainly not the first serious boulderer — his notable predecessors include Oscar Eckenstein (1859–1921) and Pierre Allain (1904–2000) — Gill 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.

". . . his introduction of chalk and dynamic movement marked the beginning of modern climbing in America."