JILL SOMPEL

• Burning Down the House 8c Jailhouse, California
• Magnetar 8b Rifle, Colorado
• Eterna Juventud 8a+, Chulilla, Spain
• Jailbait 8a+ Jailhouse, California
• In the Night, Every Cat is Black 8a DWS Mallorca, Spain
• Dark Age V11 Hueco Tanks, Texas
• Dragon Lady V4 LRC, Tennessee

Jill has always had an affinity for moving her body, competing as a gymnast until the age of 14. She was introduced to climbing during her first year of college and initially thought of it as a great way to get a fun workout, hang with friends, and spend time in nature.

Ever since those first couple times climbing outside, Jill decided to adapt her life to prioritize climbing over working. She obtained her nursing degree in Chattanooga, TN and began working as an RN in the Emergency Department. After spending several years working as a travel nurse, she now works per diem (as needed) in an attempt to live a semi-retired life and climb outside as much as possible.

"We don't realize how lucky we are as climbers to be exposed to the 'flow state' as often as we are. Athletes in other sports strive for this. We can typically just pull on the wall and BOOM, flow ensues."

Besides climbing, Jill enjoys yoga, lifting weights, reading, meditation, exploring her consciousness, and music in her free time. She plans her climbing trips around where her community will be. She can be found where the conditions are good, typically in her beloved camper ‘Doug.’ If you ever need a partner for a trip, she’s your girl!

‘‘I am extremely grateful I found this community and sport. I love going to places all over the world and meeting like-minded, intelligent, extremely talented individuals with morals similar to my own. I love how we all just want to live out of a van, have no material possessions, work as little as possible, and sleep under the stars, all in order to maximize our time outdoors and spend quality time with each other. That's what's important in life. All the other stuff is just fluff."