|
letty
Apr 15, 2004, 4:57 PM
Post #1 of 34
(3951 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 27, 2003
Posts: 40
|
I have seen a couple of guys that treat me a little bit different when I climb. Meaning not an equal treatment because I’m a girl. When I made a difficult crag I heard - oooohh she made it just because bla bla bla bla.
Have you experienced this?
|
|
|
|
|
rckclimbergurl
Apr 15, 2004, 6:32 PM
Post #2 of 34
(3951 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 4, 2002
Posts: 748
|
A little bit, but not too often. It's always nice to show 'em up when they think that you can't do something.:wink:
|
|
|
|
|
moabbeth
Apr 15, 2004, 11:15 PM
Post #3 of 34
(3951 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 22, 2002
Posts: 1786
|
In reply to: I have seen a couple of guys that treat me a little bit different when I climb. Meaning not an equal treatment because I’m a girl. When I made a difficult crag I heard - oooohh she made it just because bla bla bla bla. ?
I think you mean a difficult move or climb. A crag is "where" you climb.
At any rate, they might mean you made it successfully BECAUSE you are a girl. Girls usually have smaller hands and fingers which allow them to pull moves that guys in their big mitts can't. It's not a put down but more of a statement. Hell, in Indian Creek, there are 5.12's there that for a girl with small hands/fingers will be easy as a 5.9....for everyone else, it's a 5.12 climb. And if you can pull moves they can't, it's a good excuse for stroking their their manhood to say "well she can do it cause she's a GIRL, she's got small hands" etc. Just smile, flash your slim fingers their way and say what Lynn Hill said upon topping out after freeing The Nose - "it goes boys!" :wink:
|
|
|
|
|
adventureman
Apr 16, 2004, 4:31 PM
Post #4 of 34
(3951 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 22, 2003
Posts: 173
|
My climbing partner is a woman, and I would *never* say anything like that about her. She climbs harder than I do, and she has more experience. That's why she can easily send something that I still have trouble with. She's more than my equal, she's better than me, and her gender doesn't matter. :D
Additionally, my wife (just getting started in climbing), doesn't climb as well as I do (not that I'm great or anything) but when she completes a route, I only have praise and good things to say.
Negative comments based on gender are stupid. Anyone who thinks otherwise should grow up. :roll:
|
|
|
|
|
missedyno
Apr 16, 2004, 5:07 PM
Post #5 of 34
(3951 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Nov 21, 2001
Posts: 4465
|
I try to not be toooo oversensitive about gender differences. I mean, every time someone does well on a climb people say "it's because you're taller than me" "your fingers are smaller" etc etc.
If they say "you sent that only because you're a girl" ask them to qualify the statement.
|
|
|
|
|
nikegirl
Apr 19, 2004, 6:46 PM
Post #6 of 34
(3951 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 2, 2001
Posts: 5662
|
In reply to: If they say "you sent that only because you're a girl" ask them to qualify the statement.
Brilliant!!
~T
|
|
|
|
|
sueclimbs
Apr 19, 2004, 8:34 PM
Post #7 of 34
(3951 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 16, 2004
Posts: 27
|
crazylikafawkes has it right!
why does it matter if you're a girl? is it a surprise that we can climb well, if not better???
stupid boys! :x
|
|
|
|
|
litleclimberchick
Apr 20, 2004, 9:19 PM
Post #8 of 34
(3951 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 13, 2003
Posts: 1254
|
In reply to: A little bit, but not too often. It's always nice to show 'em up when they think that you can't do something.:wink:
it sure is
:twisted:
|
|
|
|
|
yaki
Apr 25, 2004, 6:45 PM
Post #9 of 34
(3951 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Feb 11, 2004
Posts: 38
|
*laugh* I find it to be the complete opposite
the guys seem to be more supportive and more willingly to help me improve than with the men
mind you.. all the guys I climb with I know quite well now
and I'm a social butterfly
I find that all the climbers I've en countered.. of both sexes have been extremely supportive.. helpful.. and motivational..
(despite the huge egos on some occasions)
|
|
|
|
|
maika
Apr 26, 2004, 3:17 AM
Post #10 of 34
(3951 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 20, 2003
Posts: 70
|
I've had the same situations as Yaki--my guy friends rock! They're uber-supportive, and would rather help me than help one of their other buddies...Even guys that I don't know that well--guys or girls, they all seem to be nice...and the ones who aren't, well...who cares about them? :wink:
|
|
|
|
|
maww
Apr 28, 2004, 6:07 PM
Post #11 of 34
(3951 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 4, 2004
Posts: 3253
|
I've had similar positive situations - all the guys in my gym are super supportive and offer beta frequently. I have also noticed guys dig chicks who climb! :wink: Seriously though, if they guy you flack for it - tell 'em off. We can do damn near anything boys can do .. and sometimes, we can do it better!
|
|
|
|
|
climbhigh2005
Apr 29, 2004, 1:56 AM
Post #12 of 34
(3951 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jun 14, 2003
Posts: 1500
|
Some guys treat as a little different ( they normally dont flirt with other guys.. LOL, but when your the only girl of course they wanna flirt)... and some treat me like one of the guys.. either way I dont care... :lol:
|
|
|
|
|
shorty
Apr 30, 2004, 12:33 AM
Post #13 of 34
(3951 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 28, 2003
Posts: 1266
|
One of my partners is a gal who climbs maybe 3 letter grades harder than I do. It would be pretty ignorant of me to say "nice climbing, for a girl" when she floats something I have to dog up. I don't think we've ever gone through the gender bias idiocy, but occasionally a move is easier for me due to a height advantage.
Her husband climbs maybe 5 or 6 letter grades harder than she does, so it can be a challenge if both of them wish to push their limits on a given day. That's where I come in -- belay slave to the real climbers. Maybe I should come up with a line for me when my sorry backside makes it up a pitch, say, "nice climbing for a skier".
IMO getting up a route boils down to things like technique, experience, fitness, confidence in you and your partner, and maybe less certain things like phase of the moon and whether or not it's a high-gravity day.
If you don't like how your partners are responding to your climbing successes, maybe it's time for different partners. Life is too short to climb with people who aren't having (and promoting) fun.
|
|
|
|
|
madyak
Apr 30, 2004, 4:25 AM
Post #14 of 34
(3951 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 7, 2004
Posts: 73
|
I've pissed off a few dads in my gym after I've heard them say stuff like "you climb like a girl" or "come on, you SISTER could make it up that!" to their little boys. My general comment, "with other kids present, could you keep your chauvinistic sterotypes to yourself?"
"Feminism is the radical notion that women are people too."
|
|
|
|
|
cantbuymefriends
Apr 30, 2004, 12:44 PM
Post #15 of 34
(3951 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 28, 2003
Posts: 670
|
In reply to: I've pissed off a few dads in my gym after I've heard them say stuff like "you climb like a girl" or "come on, you SISTER could make it up that!" to their little boys. My general comment, "with other kids present, could you keep your chauvinistic sterotypes to yourself?"
Props to you! :)
|
|
|
|
|
lisenda
Jun 9, 2004, 9:44 PM
Post #16 of 34
(3951 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jun 8, 2004
Posts: 15
|
My boyfriend introduced me to climbing and has been nothing except supportive. We also go with his uncle and between the two of them I feel like a princess with all the coaching and compliments I get.
|
|
|
|
|
rvega
Jun 10, 2004, 5:00 AM
Post #17 of 34
(3951 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jul 28, 2003
Posts: 421
|
When I first started climbing, long time ago, I was certainly a "betty" belay; never leading, never builing the anchors, never being an active participant in climbing. I had always thought my partners, all men, were being supportive. But I can't remember one of them ever suggesting that I start leading, or ever even offering to teach me how to build proper anchors, or place gear properly. I was desiginated clean up & bring up the next rope girl.
Then I stopped climbing with them and picked up climbing with another friend, also a male. He couldn't believe that I had climbed for so long and never lead a single climb. He forced me to lead and build a proper anchor that very first day. He taught me more about climbing in one afternoon than I had learned in 3 years.
Who's fault? Mine for certain, for not pressing the issue, and for letting myself always be in the background. But why did those partners never try to encourage me to be at the forfront? Good partners are they best thing a new climber can do for himself/herself, not only your saftey but for your education as a climber as well.
Don't let people belittle your success. If they say something like that again, tell them that you don't appreciate their snide remarks. Call them on it, see what happens. If they don't immediately apologize then find some new partners who will congratulate you instead.
|
|
|
|
|
climbingurlie
Jun 10, 2004, 6:38 AM
Post #18 of 34
(3951 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 11, 2003
Posts: 202
|
Guys are weird. A couple of my close climbing buddies *all male* like to joke that I can pull as hard as they can and I'm a girl. And the guy who started my climbing craze is really impressed cuz I'm the only girl who is a regular with the "team" at the gym and is willing to go outdoors and lead and whatnot.
Guys who know me at the gym know that I'm doin pretty well for a girl my size and experience level and no one has ever given me a serious hard time. (Although, some new guys I've trained have been given a hard time by other guys for not being able to climb as hard as I can!)
|
|
|
|
|
changling
Jun 11, 2004, 4:26 PM
Post #19 of 34
(3951 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 29, 2002
Posts: 301
|
Guys tend to treat me pretty equally. Some can be more supportive than others, but that's probably due to their personalities, and not my gender. Either way, I was never given special treatement because I'm a girl. Maybe it's because I'm taller than most of them. :?:
|
|
|
|
|
crazygirl
Jun 11, 2004, 5:07 PM
Post #20 of 34
(3951 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 27, 2003
Posts: 595
|
some guys you meet at the crag, if they see a girl, they tend to assume that she is a newbie tagging along with her boyfriend.
|
|
|
|
|
crazygirl
Jun 11, 2004, 5:50 PM
Post #22 of 34
(3951 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 27, 2003
Posts: 595
|
In reply to: In reply to: some guys you meet at the crag, if they see a girl, they tend to assume that she is a newbie tagging along with her boyfriend. I've gotten that before. I'm more experienced leading trad than my boyfriend, yet if people chance upon us when it's his turn to lead, they treat me like i don't even know how to clean. argh/sigh. i try not to take it personally. those people have stereotypes and i don't need to be their friend or anything....
don't get me wrong, i'm talking about strangers only, i've never experienced that kind of attitude from people i know.
|
|
|
|
|
kbearchk
Jun 15, 2004, 7:57 PM
Post #23 of 34
(3951 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jun 7, 2004
Posts: 45
|
So far I've only climbed with guys. They all like it when I come for comic relief. I don't think I'm that funny.
|
|
|
|
|
maww
Jun 16, 2004, 5:29 PM
Post #24 of 34
(3951 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 4, 2004
Posts: 3253
|
In reply to: some guys you meet at the crag, if they see a girl, they tend to assume that she is a newbie tagging along with her boyfriend.
Yes indeed. How am I supposed to pick up boys if they assume I am with the dudes in my group?!!! :P :P
|
|
|
|
|
spider_woman
Jun 20, 2004, 3:04 AM
Post #25 of 34
(3951 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 17, 2001
Posts: 247
|
When I first started climbing at the gym guys would offer to spot me like I was a porcelain doll, it was hysterical, and a little offensive. I remember one particular afternoon, I was climbing and this guy was spotting me on this rad boulder problem. I had everything solid and homeboy thought that I needed some help so he proceeded to place his hands on my butt in an effort to "just push you on up and give you a boost" Seriously, now.
|
|
|
|
|
|
1
