While the world’s best boulderers push standards close to the ground, Nina Williams’ sights are set higher. She is among the only women who climb elite-level problems that are 30, 40, even 50 feet tall -- with no rope.
In rural Utah, a valley of world-class bouldering is nestled among a conservative community of Mormons, cowboys and coal miners. When a ragged band of punk rock climbers shows up, the two cultures inevitably clash.
For decades, an elite handful of climbers have competed for the coveted speed record on the 3,000-foot Nose of El Capitan, risking big falls to shave mere seconds off the fastest time.
