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slightlychilly
Sep 19, 2009, 3:23 AM
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I'm a lanky gal of 5'10'', and I'm curious to know if there are any elite climbers out there around my height. I'm just starting to get into climbing, so my strength isn't super, but I feel confident about my ability to advance and improve. I just get a little discouraged when I see tiny girls at the gym leap around the bouldering wall like spider monkeys. So...I want to know if any good women climbers share my inches!
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jakedatc
Sep 19, 2009, 3:57 AM
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Alex Johnson is tall and super skinny.. she climbs like V12? kicks major ass in comps. she's 5.8 but i bet has a ++ ape index
charlette Jouett is 5.8- 5.9 according to 5.10's site.. she is pretty strong too.
Just keep climbing and figure out how to do things with what you have. short and tall have advantages
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bandycoot
Sep 19, 2009, 5:01 AM
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Lanky is good. It's all about strength to weight ratio. You'll be bouldering easily like the other women once you've been climbing for a while too. It's not necessarily a height issue, probably amount of time they've been doing it. Plus, why do you have to be elite? To be elite these days, you probably need genetic disposition so you might be setting yourself up for disappointment. Just enjoy climbing and improving.
Josh
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granite_grrl
Sep 19, 2009, 2:17 PM
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Hey, I'm quite your height, but I feel your pain. I stand at 5'8", and I'm built a little heavier than some people my height (yes folks, I'm calling myself big boned  ).
I don't easily put on muscle either, but keep in mind that you don't need to be super strong to pull pretty hard. I think everyone has to learn how to take advantage of their body type. As you learn more technique you'll find ways to take advantage of your height, ways that don't require spider monkey powers. You will get stronger as you continue to climb, and have this great base of technique, just keep that in mind.
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lena_chita
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Sep 19, 2009, 4:03 PM
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Slightlychilly, it is likely that the spidermonkey women at the bouldering wall have been climbing a lot longer than you have, so don't get discouraged.
While I can't tell you about professional climbers, I know many strong women climbers who are same height as you are. Take time to learn good technique, keep climbing, you will get stronger and better at climbing, and you will learn to use your height to your advantage.
granite_grrl wrote: Hey, I'm quite your height, but I feel your pain. I stand at 5'8", and I'm built a little heavier than some people my height (yes folks, I'm calling myself big boned ).
Oh, yes, you are really heavy for your height.  So heavy, I wouldn't want you to sit on the bench with me, you will just tip it over.
Seriously, I have no idea what you weight, but when I see you, I think 'very skinny'. It if funny how what the outsiders see is often different than the "reality" or our own self-perception. Last week, I was warming up at the 5.10 wall at Roadside. After i came down from Pulling Pockets, I said something about how it was one of my favorite routes, and another lady piped in, saying something like:"Well, yeah, maybe it is a good warm-up if you are taller, but for me, being only 5'3", the long move at the crux is really tough. Of course, you are quite a bit taller than me..."
I looked at her in confusion and asked her how tall she thought i was. She said 5'7"!!!! I almost chocked on my water. Then I walked up to her and let her see those 3 inches that she actually had on me.
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clausti
Sep 19, 2009, 8:55 PM
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lena_chita wrote: . After i came down from Pulling Pockets, I said something about how it was one of my favorite routes, and another lady piped in, saying something like:"Well, yeah, maybe it is a good warm-up if you are taller, but for me, being only 5'3", the long move at the crux is really tough. Of course, you are quite a bit taller than me..." I looked at her in confusion and asked her how tall she thought i was. She said 5'7"!!!! I almost chocked on my water. Then I walked up to her and let her see those 3 inches that she actually had on me.
haha. that is pretty funny. you do use *all* of your reach more effectively than most people do, though. that is one thing i have noticed is that a lot of climbers do not ever use all of their reach. which is why people end up thinking you're taller, lena. 'cuz you do cruise that move pretty handily.
in all fairness, though, i tend to agree about that route not being the best warmup. that is also the one i tweaked my back on, on that move even.
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lena_chita
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Sep 19, 2009, 9:39 PM
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clausti wrote: in all fairness, though, i tend to agree about that route not being the best warmup. that is also the one i tweaked my back on, on that move even.
Oh yeah, I remember that day. I honestly don't think the move is that bad, it might have been just because it was still relatively close after the time you hurt your back, so it was tweaked easily. I don't know. LOL, interestingly enough, you still cruised the rest of the route with the tweak, and then was barely able to hobble to the backback when you came down. Isn't it funny how it works that way?
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joanneding
Sep 20, 2009, 6:24 PM
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Hmm...I don't know what you mean. In my opinion, being tall is actually an advantage when it comes to climbing. When you start getting into 11s and 12s, there are many moves that require high reach or dynos. I'm only 5'2 and I constantly see people in the gym having an easier time reaching handholds than me and I wish I can grow taller. Good luck!
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slightlychilly
Sep 21, 2009, 2:53 AM
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it's hard to be confident when I'm watching skinny, short girls send stuff all over the place! But I am a newcomer to the sport- and I know that even if I am tall, I can work to get strong. My height does come in handy for long moves!
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clausti
Sep 21, 2009, 1:42 PM
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slightlychilly wrote: it's hard to be confident when I'm watching skinny, short girls send stuff all over the place! But I am a newcomer to the sport- and I know that even if I am tall, I can work to get strong. My height does come in handy for long moves!
i promise you the short, skinny girls worked hard for it.
read advice: if you are mostly bouldering rather than rope climbing, make sure that you're actually making the most of the time you spend at the gym. that is, don't spend 80% of the time sitting on the mats and 20% of the time climbing. try easier problems. do made-up traverses. try some roped routes. flow and endurance are as important as raw strength, and you should train them as well.
also, do core workouts that enhance your ability to keep your feet on the wall. dead-hanging from something (pullup bar, hangboard, doorframe) and doing leglifts will do wonders for your lower abs.
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lhwang
Sep 22, 2009, 2:21 AM
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It honestly has less to do with strength and more to do with technique. I know people who can't do a single pull up but climb 5.11+.
My honest advice? Stop looking at and comparing yourself to other climbers (fine if you want to see someone else's beta or if you're watching someone to see how they position their body or something like that. But "wishing" behaviour, like "I wish I were taller/shorter/skinnier" is a waste of time).
I'm 5'7". Not really tall or short.
And to answer your question and add to the other examples, Josune Bereziartu regularly climbs 5.14 and is 5'9".
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slightlychilly
Sep 22, 2009, 3:33 AM
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I know it's mostly about the amount of work that you put into it. I am a new climber, so I have a ways to go. Still, I wonder if odds are stacked against me or if tall gals just don't climb as much-- so it's nice to have someone to look up to!
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erisspirit
Sep 22, 2009, 4:32 PM
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As everyone has said... the odds are not stacked against you. In some situations you will have an advantage over a shorter person because you will be able to reach the next solid hold rather than figuring out an in between move. In other situations a short person may have the advantage because the climb requires moves very scrunched for a taller person. In the end its a lot about body positioning and problem solving.
Don't compare yourself to others... everyone is different. You should just focus on your personal goals and accomplishments. For example, I can out climb a friend any day on a crimpy climb... you throw slopers in there and that same friend is destroying me.
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Rocknovice
Sep 30, 2009, 2:18 AM
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lena_chita wrote: Slightlychilly, it is likely that the spidermonkey women at the bouldering wall have been climbing a lot longer than you have, so don't get discouraged. While I can't tell you about professional climbers, I know many strong women climbers who are same height as you are. Take time to learn good technique, keep climbing, you will get stronger and better at climbing, and you will learn to use your height to your advantage. granite_grrl wrote: Hey, I'm quite your height, but I feel your pain. I stand at 5'8", and I'm built a little heavier than some people my height (yes folks, I'm calling myself big boned ). Oh, yes, you are really heavy for your height. So heavy, I wouldn't want you to sit on the bench with me, you will just tip it over. Seriously, I have no idea what you weight, but when I see you, I think 'very skinny'. It if funny how what the outsiders see is often different than the "reality" or our own self-perception. Last week, I was warming up at the 5.10 wall at Roadside. After i came down from Pulling Pockets, I said something about how it was one of my favorite routes, and another lady piped in, saying something like:"Well, yeah, maybe it is a good warm-up if you are taller, but for me, being only 5'3", the long move at the crux is really tough. Of course, you are quite a bit taller than me..." I looked at her in confusion and asked her how tall she thought i was. She said 5'7"!!!! I almost chocked on my water. Then I walked up to her and let her see those 3 inches that she actually had on me.
It was great meeting you there. I was not the petite climber. I am 5'10 and think being tall has it's advantages. It seems most of the pros are on the shorter side.
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clausti
Sep 30, 2009, 10:22 AM
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Rocknovice wrote: I am 5'10 and think being tall has it's advantages. It seems most of the pros are on the shorter side.
sorry, but this has been done *to death* and it's just not true. summary: the variables tall climbers list as "cons" for being tall can be modified with work, primarily weight and flexibility. the primary complaint of the short climber: "on some moves, the distance between the only two holds is greater than the span of my body" is not alterable. and the height distribution of the pro climbers pretty well match the height distribution of the representative population.
anecdotally, the best female trad climber i know (not the best i know OF but the best i know) is 5.10. she rips up the 5.12 trad. and she's not wraith-skinny, either.
if you want an excuse to run with for why you're not climbing as hard as the other 5'10 individuals you know, i'd go with lack of testosterone. alternately, you can make it a goal to "climb like a girl" with all the flexibility and careful footwork that implies, but with 16-18 more inches of reach when you put your hand in the air then someone who is 5'2.
final word (for this post anyway):do you find yourself frustrated 'by your height' because you over-reach and end up with a hard time getting your feet up because you're overextended, because you've "skipped" holds, either hand or foot? i was having this conversation with a guy at the gym on sunday who came up and asked for pointers on his technique, because he feels like he's plateauing. the solution to this is twofold: you climb more and you'll have a better idea of how far you can reach without feeling like you've stranded your feet and in the meantime, be extra deliberate about getting your feet up, move to move. watch somebody else climb a route that's well within your ability, and make note of how often they move their feet.
edited to add: at the risk of being a huge jerk, i'll add this: earlier in this thread you bemoaned watching "short, skinny girl" send. you mentioned you're tall. you didn't mention where you are on the skinny front. barring serious health complications, that is something you can do something about that will also make a big difference in the way climbing feels. and if you feel depressed and fat all the time (esp if you're not actually fat) get your thyroid checked and talk to your doc about what birth control you're using.
(This post was edited by clausti on Sep 30, 2009, 10:31 AM)
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lena_chita
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Sep 30, 2009, 2:58 PM
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clausti wrote: Rocknovice wrote: I am 5'10 and think being tall has it's advantages. It seems most of the pros are on the shorter side. edited to add: at the risk of being a huge jerk, i'll add this: earlier in this thread you bemoaned watching "short, skinny girl" send. you mentioned you're tall. you didn't mention where you are on the skinny front. barring serious health complications, that is something you can do something about that will also make a big difference in the way climbing feels. and if you feel depressed and fat all the time (esp if you're not actually fat) get your thyroid checked and talk to your doc about what birth control you're using.
I think you got rocknovice mixed up with the OP, slightlychilly. Rocknovice did not say anything about short skinny girls sending, or about weight.
And yes, Wednesday, it was nice meeting you, too.
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clausti
Sep 30, 2009, 3:46 PM
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lena_chita wrote: clausti wrote: Rocknovice wrote: I am 5'10 and think being tall has it's advantages. It seems most of the pros are on the shorter side. edited to add: at the risk of being a huge jerk, i'll add this: earlier in this thread you bemoaned watching "short, skinny girl" send. you mentioned you're tall. you didn't mention where you are on the skinny front. barring serious health complications, that is something you can do something about that will also make a big difference in the way climbing feels. and if you feel depressed and fat all the time (esp if you're not actually fat) get your thyroid checked and talk to your doc about what birth control you're using. I think you got rocknovice mixed up with the OP, slightlychilly. Rocknovice did not say anything about short skinny girls sending, or about weight.
whoops, you're right. got the two mixed up.
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acacongua
Oct 1, 2009, 12:57 PM
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We actually had this discussion on Redriverclimbing.com
http://www.redriverclimbing.com/viewtopic.php?t=11395&start=0
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clausti
Oct 1, 2009, 1:26 PM
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clausti
Oct 1, 2009, 1:39 PM
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looks like you came to the same conclusion: that the height of climbers generally, and strong/pro climbers also, is representative of the height of women generally. average height for a woman in the US is about 5'4, with a standard deviation of less than 3 inches. which means that less than 5% of women will be taller than 5'7 or so. so maybe one in 20 female climbers will be taller than 5'7. and then only one in whatever of those will be "strong." so yeah, you don't see that many tall, strong women climbers, but it's not because it's inherently harder to climb if you're tall.
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clausti
Oct 1, 2009, 1:54 PM
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granite_grrl wrote: clausti wrote: looks like you came to the same conclusion: that the height of climbers generally, and strong/pro climbers also, is representative of the height of women generally. average height for a woman in the US is about 5'4, with a standard deviation of less than 3 inches. which means that less than 5% of women will be taller than 5'7 or so. so maybe one in 20 female climbers will be taller than 5'7. and then only one in whatever of those will be "strong." so yeah, you don't see that many tall, strong women climbers, but it's not because it's inherently harder to climb if you're tall. LIAR!!!! It is obviously the reason why I can't climb 5.12 yet. 
aren't you canadian? you get your own standard deviations.
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lena_chita
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Oct 1, 2009, 2:21 PM
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clausti wrote: granite_grrl wrote: clausti wrote: looks like you came to the same conclusion: that the height of climbers generally, and strong/pro climbers also, is representative of the height of women generally. average height for a woman in the US is about 5'4, with a standard deviation of less than 3 inches. which means that less than 5% of women will be taller than 5'7 or so. so maybe one in 20 female climbers will be taller than 5'7. and then only one in whatever of those will be "strong." so yeah, you don't see that many tall, strong women climbers, but it's not because it's inherently harder to climb if you're tall. LIAR!!!! It is obviously the reason why I can't climb 5.12 yet. aren't you canadian? you get your own standard deviations.
I like that!
On a related question, did my standard deviations change when I became US citizen, or am I forever limited by Russian deviations?
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clausti
Oct 1, 2009, 2:52 PM
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lena_chita wrote: clausti wrote: granite_grrl wrote: clausti wrote: looks like you came to the same conclusion: that the height of climbers generally, and strong/pro climbers also, is representative of the height of women generally. average height for a woman in the US is about 5'4, with a standard deviation of less than 3 inches. which means that less than 5% of women will be taller than 5'7 or so. so maybe one in 20 female climbers will be taller than 5'7. and then only one in whatever of those will be "strong." so yeah, you don't see that many tall, strong women climbers, but it's not because it's inherently harder to climb if you're tall. LIAR!!!! It is obviously the reason why I can't climb 5.12 yet. aren't you canadian? you get your own standard deviations. I like that! On a related question, did my standard deviations change when I became US citizen, or am I forever limited by Russian deviations?
you're a russian deviant.
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iamthewallress
Oct 2, 2009, 6:55 PM
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Re: the bell curve of wwomen's sizes, I was thinking the same thing. I don't know that many women that are 5'10" period.
However the number of women that are 5'1 and below that crank like mofos that I know are represented to a MUCH greater extent in the population of female climbers that I know vs. people that I know in general.
I think that some body types help to be the BEST at a particular type of climbing, but with really hard work (including loosing excess weight), just about anyone can be pretty good, IMO.
Being bigger has its advantages when carrying lots of stuff is involved.
Being smaller has its advantages when carrying lots of your own self around becomes problematic.
Some of the hardest cranking gals that I know are taller than me. (I'm 5'6"). Few outweigh me by much though.
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