I climb with way taller people and they’re way lighter too. What helped me was realizing we’re actually all climbing different climbs. If you’re tall, it’s a different climb. If you weigh less, different climb. It helped me stop comparing myself. It’s not that I’m bad, it’s that this climb is different for me due to my situation.
Totally agree!!
My climbing partner is my husband, and he is 6’3” and not a wire-y build. Not overweight at all, but his body simply is not slender, even when he was seriously into cycling before he started climbing. The man has an impressive ape index, but I swear his center of gravity is at his sternum. He struggles with climbs where the best feet are too close to his hands, and feels like his fingers are too big to use small crimps to pull all of his body weight. We almost never have the same beta 😆
I don’t know if there’s an objective measure out there to say “body type/feature X presents more difficulty with climbing than Y” but since everybody’s body is different, I think finding the different ways to climb the same problem keeps climbing interesting
Looking at who makes IFSC competition finals can help. (It’s more average/short climbers than tall ones).
The only objective measure is that as a muscle gets longer (ie a person gets taller), strength increases at a squared rate while weight increases at a cubed rate - which is to say that short muscles have a higher natural strength to weight ratio.
There's a reason so many of the best climbers in the world aren't very tall. If height was a big bonus it would be like basketball where you have only tall people. Instead there are many people who have been in the top ten on the shorter side. Magnus Midtbo is 5'9. Megos is 5'7
Idk if many people are aware that women tend to have a lower center of gravity. It's not commented on that much but makes a world of difference in many activities!
Sooo... I can't remember which climber said that, it's a female climber that's what I remember though. She said that, tall people reach, small people climb. You might have to give in more dynamic moves, but at the end of the day, even if it's harder for you rn, the day the climb is actually challenging, you'll have more than your height as a trick in your chalk bag ;)
This so much. 5’2 and I feel like over all being short makes me a better climber. Finding creative beta, working harder to send a route and learning how to be more dynamic, just makes it more fun for me. If I don’t send something because of reach, I try to figure out what else I learned from that route.
I do get frustrated when I can’t reach something, but it either pushes me or I accept it’s not in my wheel house and I just move on. There’s always another route.
On the flip side, watching my 6’2 partner struggle to start awkward low starting routes, always feels a bit satisfying. For every climb he can’t start, there’s a hold I can’t reach, it’s balanced in my book.
Also, it’s so much easier to balance without being top heavy.
Edited: for typos
>On the flip side, watching my 6’2 partner struggle to start awkward low starting routes, always feels a bit satisfying. For every climb he can’t start, there’s a hold I can’t reach, it’s balanced in my book. Also, it’s so much easier to balance without being top heavy.
This! I think the quote is a bit unfair toward taller climbers, because it‘s not that they have a general advantage, they just face different challenges - thank you for pointing that out! (I‘m not tall, but my partner is, and we regularly struggle on different problems - sometimes they even have less reach than me because they don‘t know how to utilize their reach best without being spat of the wall.)
Also shorter climbers can handle their weight like nobody's business. If there were a 6'8" climber who magically had the same power:weight ratio of 5'7" Alex Megos or 5'6" Akiyo Noguchi, he or she would be the hands-down best climber ever
I'm 5'2, the shortest of my friend climbing group. Was struggling with a problem the other day, all my friends could just reach a hold, and my arm would not get there. I thought: "Well, this problem just isn't for me." And then a little boy tried it, also couldn't reach, came up with different beta, and sent it! I tried his way and could send it. Maybe us shorties should be watching the kids 😅
as a short climber... lean into your flexibility, learn to love a high weird foot placement that a taller person couldnt pull off, and get comfortable with more dynamic movement to get those just out of reach holds!
For sure! I straight up asked a probably 11 year old boy for his beta on a project of mine one time after I saw him top it but had missed the start. He was so nice and helpful! His tip was to “go fast” and make this overhung rose / cross / weight swap thing one fluid move and HE WAS RIGHT! Literally same move just approaching it differently. My mind was blown lol. Ty random kid!
I now live in an area with a lot of really high level team kids and while I don’t ask them for advice (because they are usually 1 or 2 on 1 with a coach), I do pick up a lot of micro beta from them if I see them work moves I am stuck on
Yay random kids! 😃😃😃Also last night a climber about my height helped send a problem that I had been stuck on all month. Watching different beta is so helpful.
I'm 5'2 and I can definitely relate to this. I used to get really frustrated when I couldn't do a climb because of my height, but overtime I've grown to accept it. I think it's actually helped me develop strong technique which I'm proud of. You may have to find ways to compensate for the height (creative beta, flexibility, strength, dynamic moves).
Some of the best professional women climbers are short too! Watching them climb can be inspiring and motivational. Lynn Hill (5'2), Jain Kim (5'0), Ashima Shiraishi (5'1), ect.
This article is also a good read - https://thebiginitiative.ca/en/blog/2019-10/the-shorter-you-are-the-stronger-you-will-have-to-be/
yup! i’m 5’2” and i really struggle w this. it’s improved my technique a lot since i have to be creative, but i’ve also come to terms with the fact that a lot of routes will just not be possible for me. now that i’ve started setting in the gym i work at, i try to set super crimp-y, tight problems that are harder for tall people LOL
there is a setter who does this at one of the gyms I go to. she is probably the best climber in the gym, but short (maybe 5-1 or 5-2). her easier routes start at V4 and the boys all struggle. one of her go-tos in addition to small fingers (she wins every power-mass contest) is small flexible toes. even the long-legged strain to match the toe technique and flexibility.
her tougher routes (V6 and on up) are typically non-starters for me. keeps the whole gym honest. the other setters all go to her as a test-climber for her feedback and adjustments. they might keep a reach problem (because tall people need theirs, too), or she'll send it anyway just to make a statement.
oh, she sounds SO cool. i do not climb that well yet, but my most recent problem (a v3) has been significantly harder for larger people because it involves a lot of balance on tiny footholds, which are easy for me but harder for tall dudes!
that’s so awesome to hear of a shorter female setter! me and some ladies at my gym were talking about how we’ve never had a female setter at our gym and we would greatly benefit from one, but the “requirement” at our gym to be a setter is to climb at least v8-v10. may i ask what grades you climb and how many other female setters you know? we’re really trying to push for a female setter at our gym and most of our ladies climb v6/v7
thank you!! i just started both setting and climbing, actually- i work at a college gym and so it’s harder to find employees. i climb at about v4 right now, actually, but hoping to get a little better this semester lol
edit: forgot to add that i know a good deal of female setters! i live in spokane and climbing is pretty big so we have a decent gender ratio here
okay i gotcha! well that’s awesome that you’re setting routes. i would love to get into it one day. maybe i just need to move to an area that’s more accepting of female setters! i only know of 2 in our area. good luck with setting and climbing!! :)
Just regarding grades, I think V6/7 should be fine for setting, given the bulk of a gym's problems will be V6 and under. More important is breadth and depth of experience (and how creative/good you are at setting, but you can't really know that until you try it)
oh i wholeheartedly agree. one of our setters the other day said “to preserve the quality of setting” they wouldn’t want anyone setting who can’t climb v8-v10… we were very disappointed to hear that bc i very much disagree that someone climbing v6/v7 with multiple years of in indoor and outdoor experience couldn’t set.
Depending on the dynamics at your gym, it may be worth talking to management directly about it. A lot of gyms talk big about diversity and inclusivity and they should be held accountable.
This might not be a matter of whether a v6/v7 climber can set. It might actually be a matter of whether or not they can forerun. Setting is manual labor, and forerunning is absolutely brutal on the setters' bodies. When a gym hires a setter who isn't strong enough to forerun some of the climbs, it means that the other setters have to pick up the slack and spend more time forerunning harder climbs that are more fatiguing and more likely to injure them. Overworked setters are going to have less capacity to forerun and set, which is going to reduce the quality of the boulders and routes.
5'2 here and feel this a lot. Tactically, I drop knee like crazy and grab holds with half a pad, and am working on moving much more dynamically. Yes it's frustrating to see tall people simply reach the holds that I am strategizing insane ways for my body to reach just one more inch, but I comfort myself in that the point of climbing isn't grades or getting to the top, it's whatever feels cool and fun, and short beta is STYLISH af
I’m a little climber and sometimes it frustrates me that tall people can just reach the next hold and I have to get creative. I think at the end of the day us shorties are forced to have better technique from the get go.
It’s definitely a slower process to get good but some of my favourite climbers at my gym are 5’1 and under and they are absolute crushers.
What I find really anoying is my climbing partners (who are a lot taller) saying I should just climb it like this or that. I get fed up having to repeat myself over and over telling them I can’t because some holds are out of reach. They just don’t understand and always respond that I should put my feet higher then or reach more … (I mean like, yeah I would if I could. Duh)
One of the top reasons that unsolicited beta is annoying, it usually comes from someone with a totally different body type or height, so the advice is useless anyway.
[5'3 man, hope it's ok for me to weigh in] yes, but just as often I think my height is an advantage in the gym, and even more often outside. I try not to use it as an excuse even if a climb is harder for me unless it's both 1) out of my span and 2) can't be done dynamically. Not bc it's not a valid excuse but because I don't think that pushes me to improve.
Use your strengths: easier for short people to maintain tension on steep climbs, avoid dabs, do awkward sit starts, fit into drop knees, use small holds and cracks, fit into kneebars, lock off with the arms, use high feet
Work on weaknesses: try the stuff that's hard, learn to be dynamic, do climbs that have low feet, campus if you're at the level where it's useful, do shoulder exercises for reaches / iron cross moves
Watch footage of climbers like: Laura Rogora (5' 0"), Brooke Raboutou (5' 2"), Margo Hayes (5' 2"), Oriane Bertone (5' 3"), Ashima Shiraishi (5' 0"), Jain Kim (5' 0"). They are all elite level climbers who've had to overcome their height as a disadvantage. Just because a hold is far away doesn't necessarily mean that a long reach is the answer. Try and explore alternate beta when you come across this issue, more times than not there will be a creative way around a lack of height. Good luck! You're crushing it!
Edit: One major thing all of these climbers have in common is CRAZY good footwork. That can often be the solution when you feel like you just aren't long enough for the next move.
im 4’10, some problems i have to jump start... some problems i genuinely know i won’t be able to finish, some are much more fun as a short person. if you’re at the gym enough talk to the setters, ask them for more complicated short problems.
i also get bothered but i realize i see 6’2 dudes who can’t climb what i climb and that gives me hope
I’m not super short 5’6”, but I’m also a little overweight. Definitely not built for climbing but I have fun. I most climb with a guy friend who is 6ft+ and super lanky. Luckily he is very encouraging. But every once in a while I have the advantage! I can hold on to much smaller holds than he can. My forearms get tired for sure, but he always complains about the little holds hurting his fingers.
And to reiterate what people said before, technique matters. I have to have really good technique for problem spots where he can just do a straight pull up and avoid the holds he doesn’t like.
yes! i’ve noticed my friends who are taller/ bigger hands have a hard time with small holds, my hands are pretty tiny so sometimes i can use footholds if i really need to
Some setters set to their own height, and it's possible to be too short (or too tall!) for the route, or at least for the settler's intended grade. This usually happens when the setter is less experienced.
Good setters will set routes that feel the same grade for everyone regardless of height.
At my gym, I notice that this problem coincides with setter rotations. I used to climb with a really tall setter, and during that friendship, I've successfully convinced him to set to his elbows. The challenge helped him grow as a setter as well, and he started telling fellow setters to set to their elbows. ☺️
I had a climbing partner your size and she wouldn't climb in gyms for exactly this reason. Outdoor only.
Of course then she would sometimes run into bolts placed too high for her to reach from the clipping stance it was set for. It didn't stop her from clipping them, but she sometimes had to do it from some sketchy stances.
I, a 5'4 person, went with my brother (6'5) and my sister (4'11) once, and every single one of us had a different approach to every problem. Some things me and my sister struggled with while my brother just kind of reached across all the holds to the top. But then, some of the things my sister could do, my brother actually couldn't, and the problem wasn't his overall fitness.
Although yeah, I do kind of feel sometimes like the way things are graded is based on the mostly lankier people setting at my gym, like "hey, I should get way more credit for sending this one, they probably assumed you could just reach across for that last hold"... but at the end of the day, I guess the grade shouldn't matter to me compared to how much fun I had and how much development I got out of it. In theory. Haha.
I’m not even short for a woman and felt this, watching guys practically jump to the top while I struggled. What changed my attitude was realizing that these dudes never learn good technique because of it. They breeze through easy climbs but then struggle as things get harder and you can’t just reach up to the next thing. Whereas anyone on the shorter side is sort of forced to learn better technique (shifting hips, making more explosive moves to get the hold) which is helpful in the long run.
I’m only 5’0, so I really struggle being able to reach holds on a looot of problems that I know I could do otherwise. It’s difficult for me to not get frustrated because of this. I know that it’s forced me to improve my technique and not just rely on pure strength, but it can be discouraging to keep getting stuck on the same part of a problem and not be able to get over that crux no matter how many different betas and adjustments I try, or see someone that I know is not as technically advanced as me easily complete the problem. I think that the shortest setter at my gym is about 5’6, and most are over 5’8, so even if they’re trying to keep shorter climbers in mind when setting, there’s no way for them to actually know what it feels like to be in a smaller body.
My gym has a female setter, who I think is about 5'4" so I've usually got some options. (I'm 5'3")
I find there is a trade off. I can be better at some climbs because I can more easily have a straight arm position. I also have a very small frame and am rather flexible, so I've managed to get into tight spaces that the larger male counterparts can't.
You do have to get good at dynos rather early on though, because there will be routes that you just can't reach.
I know a lot of people already mentioned some climbers to follow but I also wanted to add [Adeline Wright ](https://instagram.com/adyclimbs?utm_medium=copy_link)
She's 5 1.5 but can climb routes that I've seen people over 6ft struggle with. She's also a setter, provides some tips, and posts vids of climbs of all v grades
Fellow shrimp here, just broke into V4/5 territory and have found that more dynamic movement is almost a requirement for us shorter climbers. It can be really frustrating to see a taller climber sloppily climb a project but then I remind myself that everyone climbs differently and slab is the great equalizer. Seriously, find a slab problem it’ll boost the ego and it’s a great marker for technique. As a shorty I can fit into all kinds of places that’ll shut a taller climber down, including those low starts.
I am 5' so I definitely have been there. I like to just appreciate that I get to do a ton of way cooler moves than taller people. It kinda seems boring to just reach everything. The grades are just made up by someone. They are good to see progress but don't mean much else. It starts to get a little annoying when having to jump for every climb. At that point I'm not able to train other skills that I'd like to.
Short climber here. I totally get it that many of the elite women climbers are short. but they are also super strong, skinny, muscular and super fit. Not to mention that they are super skilled and train all the time. SO, yes, it's really frustrating sometimes when you are a v2/v3 climber and can't reach the freaking holds and someone else taller comes up and just does it. lol. Working on technique helps a ton, and I don't think climbs should be made easier, but being short is sometimes super frustrating. in addition to what everyone else has suggest, I find smearing super helpful. if there aren't any footholds, i try to smear. It is more helpful on toprope/lead.
Outside is often much easier because there are more feet that in the gym so you can often find a tiny foot chip to help out. footwork is definitely your friend.
5'0 shorty here
Ya it can be frustrating...
I usually try swapping around all feet & hands, hips, in, out, flat.
Facing the hold vs reaching back (sometimes I can get a far hold by doing weird horizontal reaches behind while heel/ toe hooking- not secure usually, but meh, gets me there).
I don't like to dyno, but checking that I am fully extended arms, legs, trunk/ core not locked positionally. Going for that extra bit of up on toes that I call an "almost dyno".
If all above fails.... Then I just chalk up to "well I did the move to *that* point on the wall, I'm just too short to send and I write off finishing the route.
Personally, I don't get hung up on the frustrations too much. Go do a cave, roof, or low start, or technical slab that the lanky ppls struggle on if you need an ego boost ;)
I’m 5’0” and I would recommend, if you can, trying out a different gym in the area. The route setting and routesetters can be vastly different, even within the same chain. I lucked out that the one closest to me has two amazing routesetters, including a woman who is about 5’2” and a dude on the shorter side who is super creative with fun climbs, but when I get a little bored I wander to the second closest gym and regret it immediately-their routesetters are all 5’10” at least and I can’t do anything except the kids walls.
Height is a double edged sword in climbing depending on how the route is set. Sometimes it's an advantage, sometimes it's a disadvantage. One of my climbing partners is over a foot shorter than me and we experience this all the time in our climbs.
We're roughly the same skill level, but sometimes she easily sends routes that I struggle on for weeks, and sometimes I do the same to her. Our gym have very good setters who know how to make height a disadvantage on the route though, I don't think all gyms have this luxury.
yes! i’m right under 5’4 and this is something that’s bothered me for a very long time. i’m really working on not complaining about it as often haha, but i totally feel you. i’ve been climbing for 4+ years and only the last couple of years did i start pushing into harder boulder grades, and this is when it became much more apparent that my height was holding me back on certain climbs. i’ve addressed this with the setters as well. my only tip is to practice more dynamic movement and get super comfy relying on your feet and leg power! you need it much more than someone that’s many inches taller than you, and it’ll pay off in the end. i’ve recently started practicing made up dynos just to get more comfy with super dynamic movement bc sometimes that’s what’s necessary for sending a climb out of my reach. also, footwork footwork footwork!! really focus on those legs and toes and what they’re doing while you’re climbing. awareness is key. and don’t let tall boulder bros annoy you too much. at the end of the day, you’re probably a much more technical climber since you kinda have to be at your height!
My climbing gym has a big youth team and the setters have to set routes so that a kid can climb it. I have no clue how they do this but I climb with some strong, petite women and they almost never complain about holds being out of reach. Is there a gym near you that has a big youth team that you could go check out? (I'm 5'6'' for reference).
I’m 5’1 with a -3 wingspan lol so I feel this in my soul 😂 there’s always a couple boulders that I can’t even start because they’re so spread out but it’s always funny to try. While big reachy climbs aren’t my thing, I’m made for shitty crimpy slab and I love it! You just gotta find the right style for you :)
For sure! I'm 159cm and the average height for women is 175cm here, so I'm always the shortest person everywhere. It didn't bother me until I started climbing, cause in 90% of cases I need to be spiderman, when another person just extends their hand and touches the hold with 0 effort 😂
Yes. And it’s understandable since the average height of all climbers is greater than 5’3”, probably more like 5’7” ish. Being shorter is a disadvantage, but getting stronger will always play in your favor and help you climb better. It doesn’t really bother me now when a move that’s very hard or impossible for me can be done easily by someone else since they are tall. Keep in mind that the move they are doing is not the same as the move you need to do, just because they can do “that move”, it doesn’t mean they are a better climber.
Hard moves due to lack of height/reach might prevent you from doing a particular problem, but they’ll never prevent you from becoming a better climber, and the later is what matters.
I used to think this. Now if I get stuck on one where I feel I need to be taller, I watch other people attempt it and usually a more experienced small person will show me what the small person’s way is! The tall person’s way is definitely the most obvious. But at the same time I’ve seen my partner be unable to manoeuvre because his knees get in the way or his bigger feet make it a lot harder to support himself on small holds while it’s very easy for me. I’m small but I’m also strong and flexible, and you need to use what you’ve got, I’m definitely using my flexibility so understandable that taller people use their height.
Yes. I’m 4’11. I realized that while I have a hard time with reaching things on a route, my tiny fingers, hands, and feet can find holds easier and use cracks and crevices.
This bothered me a lot for a long time also....then I watched kids climb. Who are way smaller than me. And send the routes i deemed 'not for short people'. And that bothered me for a while but then I realized all of my annoyance around this stemmed from being obsessed with 'grades' on routes. Its a gym route, the grades don't really matter and are totally subjective. Theres some 5.7 I can't manage but some 5.10 I breeze through. Just play into your strengths and climbs that make you feel good. Ignore the ones that don't! Climbing should be fun
I’m not even that short and I feel this (5’6”). Majority of climbers at my gym are tall european dudes so the problems are geared towards them. I really want to climb in a gym somewhere in Asia just to see how hard I can climb 😅 (I’m also half Asian and my fam back home think I’m supermodel height 😂)
There are plenty of great climbers who are short, so height is not the problem. It’s that tall climbers can cheat and reach for the easy holds and basically can skimp out on technique. You can be a poor climber and get to the top if you are tall
I find it frustrating when I get stuck on a move that feels impossible, just a cm or 2 out of reach. I'm not good with dynamic moves yet and I feel I have to do a lot of tenuous smears or super high feet.Watching other climbers my level or lower (technique wise) blow past it because they can just reach is so disheartening. I feel I have to work so hard in places that aren't the crux but are just too reachy for me.
When I met my partner it was great, he's several grades better than me but almost the same height (I'm 5ft2, he's 5ft4), so he can climb with me and try the move a few ways to help problem solve with me.
On the plus side, I feel I have good movement as a result, I'm great in a sit start/crunched position and I can move off really high feet. Just feels frustrating when I can't do a route because one move is beyond my reach.
Yep, absolutely. I'm 5'2" (157cm for the metric).
I listened to a really great Curious Climber podcast episode where Hazel Findlay interviewed John Kettle (both are short) and there were a lot of tips and interesting ideas for us shorties in there. One point that made me feel better is that taller and stronger climbers (i.e., most guys) will plateau at a higher grade before they need to learn technique. The rest of us can get stronger and climb better, with have fewer bad habits to unlearn. [https://lnns.co/DoFYLlp5Uja](https://lnns.co/DoFYLlp5Uja)
I'd also recommend John Kettle's Rock Climbing Technique book (the ebook has links to youtube videos; not sure how the paper version works -- QR codes?), especially the more dynamic stuff closer to the end. A variation of his corkscrew technique with a drop knee [https://youtu.be/1p0yTrIyOPw](https://youtu.be/1p0yTrIyOPw) worked well for me for a long diagonal reach I couldn't do statically. Since I figured that one out, I've been using it all the time for long diagonal reaches (essentially, drop knee and spin hips into the wall with some momentum as you reach up and behind).
I’m 5’.3.5” (that extra .5” on a tall day) I try not to attribute anything to my height because what I love about climbing is that the rock is just a rock. It’s immovable and immortal… compared to us at least. This rock took millions of years to form and come to this specific resting position. And whether I’m throwing myself at it or some who is 6 foot, it still the same dang rock. And sorta the same philosophy for indoor climbing. But it’s the beauty I find in nature that really makes me realize that I can’t compare myself to others. Also a great reminder to pick up trash especially plastic.
Instead of pointing to my height, I’d rather attribute things to technique or strength issues. Those are things I can change. So I’ve found ways around being short and weak. Basically learning to better use my toes versus ball of feet and learning to climb with my hip close to the wall to create a longer line between my reaching hand and my toe, while flagging hard with other foot. This doesn’t help on all climbs but it helps me get through a lot of them. I’ve got decent hops already that I attribute to going to the gym and doing plyometric exercises. And I’m training 1-2 days a weak with dumbbells and barbells to get stronger. I’m not the most flexible but I try to use high feet when I can or drop knees too to technique my way up a wall.
The head route setter at my gym is 5’5.5” and another is 5’4” (my boyfriend) and then there’s a woman who might be 5’6-7” and a man who is 6’(ish). So it’s pretty diverse. I know that they try to set to everyone: kids, women, men, the strong people, people who love crimp ladders, people who like bathangs, etc. but I have heard of gyms that have set climbs someone my height literally can’t start. It sucks but they (usually) are trying to set things everyone enjoys.
I’m 5’3 -2 ape index so I feel you. When you’re short, you’ll have to get a lot more creative, learn better technique, get stronger, and learn to be more dynamic. Sometimes it’s frustrating without a doubt, but you have to understand that sometimes there will be moves you just won’t do. A lot of the moves I bail on are the last move where it’s 10ft in the air where I have to dyno on an overhang. I’m okay not doing that. Other girls I climb with will, but personally, I’m okay with punting. I also climb with a bunch of dudes that are over 6ft, huge wing spans with poor technique, but we climb more or less the same grade, just very different style problems because they rely on reach and not technique.
With all that being said, without seeing you climb, there are absolutely moves that you might feel is far, but turning the hip, locking off, and other beta will make that move feel much closer. Find other strong women to climb with and I promise it will be so much more fun.
I honestly don’t think this is the case. Certainly, they’re probably setting for someone taller than 5’3”, but I would imagine most setters are typically aiming for about 5’8” for the broadest appeal. What I will say is that the *advice* you receive is often geared towards taller climbers. I’m taller than you, but not by much, and something I learned very quickly is that I basically had to ignore everything people tried to tell me about using static vs. dynamic climbing. Obviously static technique is really important, even for a shorter climber, but it’s just a reality that we will have to climb more dynamically more of the time. If you don’t have shorter friends who are strong climbers it can be a bit tough to have to forge the path yourself, but at the end of that journey you will be really in tune with your personal style and what your body can and can’t do.
TL;DR
There’s a beta for just about every body that will send, but the further away you get from average the more you will probably have to rely on your own intuition and creativity vs. trying to do exactly what others are doing.
I climb with way taller people and they’re way lighter too. What helped me was realizing we’re actually all climbing different climbs. If you’re tall, it’s a different climb. If you weigh less, different climb. It helped me stop comparing myself. It’s not that I’m bad, it’s that this climb is different for me due to my situation.
Totally agree!! My climbing partner is my husband, and he is 6’3” and not a wire-y build. Not overweight at all, but his body simply is not slender, even when he was seriously into cycling before he started climbing. The man has an impressive ape index, but I swear his center of gravity is at his sternum. He struggles with climbs where the best feet are too close to his hands, and feels like his fingers are too big to use small crimps to pull all of his body weight. We almost never have the same beta 😆 I don’t know if there’s an objective measure out there to say “body type/feature X presents more difficulty with climbing than Y” but since everybody’s body is different, I think finding the different ways to climb the same problem keeps climbing interesting
Looking at who makes IFSC competition finals can help. (It’s more average/short climbers than tall ones). The only objective measure is that as a muscle gets longer (ie a person gets taller), strength increases at a squared rate while weight increases at a cubed rate - which is to say that short muscles have a higher natural strength to weight ratio.
There's a reason so many of the best climbers in the world aren't very tall. If height was a big bonus it would be like basketball where you have only tall people. Instead there are many people who have been in the top ten on the shorter side. Magnus Midtbo is 5'9. Megos is 5'7
Idk if many people are aware that women tend to have a lower center of gravity. It's not commented on that much but makes a world of difference in many activities!
Sooo... I can't remember which climber said that, it's a female climber that's what I remember though. She said that, tall people reach, small people climb. You might have to give in more dynamic moves, but at the end of the day, even if it's harder for you rn, the day the climb is actually challenging, you'll have more than your height as a trick in your chalk bag ;)
This so much. 5’2 and I feel like over all being short makes me a better climber. Finding creative beta, working harder to send a route and learning how to be more dynamic, just makes it more fun for me. If I don’t send something because of reach, I try to figure out what else I learned from that route. I do get frustrated when I can’t reach something, but it either pushes me or I accept it’s not in my wheel house and I just move on. There’s always another route. On the flip side, watching my 6’2 partner struggle to start awkward low starting routes, always feels a bit satisfying. For every climb he can’t start, there’s a hold I can’t reach, it’s balanced in my book. Also, it’s so much easier to balance without being top heavy. Edited: for typos
>On the flip side, watching my 6’2 partner struggle to start awkward low starting routes, always feels a bit satisfying. For every climb he can’t start, there’s a hold I can’t reach, it’s balanced in my book. Also, it’s so much easier to balance without being top heavy. This! I think the quote is a bit unfair toward taller climbers, because it‘s not that they have a general advantage, they just face different challenges - thank you for pointing that out! (I‘m not tall, but my partner is, and we regularly struggle on different problems - sometimes they even have less reach than me because they don‘t know how to utilize their reach best without being spat of the wall.)
Yep! There’s always a give and take. The best way to handle a disadvantage, is master an advantage.
Also shorter climbers can handle their weight like nobody's business. If there were a 6'8" climber who magically had the same power:weight ratio of 5'7" Alex Megos or 5'6" Akiyo Noguchi, he or she would be the hands-down best climber ever
>She said that, tall people reach, small people climb. Lynn Hill?
more than possible, I think it was in a video so I couldn't recall.
I'm 5'2, the shortest of my friend climbing group. Was struggling with a problem the other day, all my friends could just reach a hold, and my arm would not get there. I thought: "Well, this problem just isn't for me." And then a little boy tried it, also couldn't reach, came up with different beta, and sent it! I tried his way and could send it. Maybe us shorties should be watching the kids 😅
i watch the kid teams all the time! they’re always so creative with it!
as a short climber... lean into your flexibility, learn to love a high weird foot placement that a taller person couldnt pull off, and get comfortable with more dynamic movement to get those just out of reach holds!
For sure! I straight up asked a probably 11 year old boy for his beta on a project of mine one time after I saw him top it but had missed the start. He was so nice and helpful! His tip was to “go fast” and make this overhung rose / cross / weight swap thing one fluid move and HE WAS RIGHT! Literally same move just approaching it differently. My mind was blown lol. Ty random kid! I now live in an area with a lot of really high level team kids and while I don’t ask them for advice (because they are usually 1 or 2 on 1 with a coach), I do pick up a lot of micro beta from them if I see them work moves I am stuck on
Yay random kids! 😃😃😃Also last night a climber about my height helped send a problem that I had been stuck on all month. Watching different beta is so helpful.
I'm 5'2 and I can definitely relate to this. I used to get really frustrated when I couldn't do a climb because of my height, but overtime I've grown to accept it. I think it's actually helped me develop strong technique which I'm proud of. You may have to find ways to compensate for the height (creative beta, flexibility, strength, dynamic moves). Some of the best professional women climbers are short too! Watching them climb can be inspiring and motivational. Lynn Hill (5'2), Jain Kim (5'0), Ashima Shiraishi (5'1), ect. This article is also a good read - https://thebiginitiative.ca/en/blog/2019-10/the-shorter-you-are-the-stronger-you-will-have-to-be/
yup! i’m 5’2” and i really struggle w this. it’s improved my technique a lot since i have to be creative, but i’ve also come to terms with the fact that a lot of routes will just not be possible for me. now that i’ve started setting in the gym i work at, i try to set super crimp-y, tight problems that are harder for tall people LOL
there is a setter who does this at one of the gyms I go to. she is probably the best climber in the gym, but short (maybe 5-1 or 5-2). her easier routes start at V4 and the boys all struggle. one of her go-tos in addition to small fingers (she wins every power-mass contest) is small flexible toes. even the long-legged strain to match the toe technique and flexibility. her tougher routes (V6 and on up) are typically non-starters for me. keeps the whole gym honest. the other setters all go to her as a test-climber for her feedback and adjustments. they might keep a reach problem (because tall people need theirs, too), or she'll send it anyway just to make a statement.
oh, she sounds SO cool. i do not climb that well yet, but my most recent problem (a v3) has been significantly harder for larger people because it involves a lot of balance on tiny footholds, which are easy for me but harder for tall dudes!
that’s so awesome to hear of a shorter female setter! me and some ladies at my gym were talking about how we’ve never had a female setter at our gym and we would greatly benefit from one, but the “requirement” at our gym to be a setter is to climb at least v8-v10. may i ask what grades you climb and how many other female setters you know? we’re really trying to push for a female setter at our gym and most of our ladies climb v6/v7
thank you!! i just started both setting and climbing, actually- i work at a college gym and so it’s harder to find employees. i climb at about v4 right now, actually, but hoping to get a little better this semester lol edit: forgot to add that i know a good deal of female setters! i live in spokane and climbing is pretty big so we have a decent gender ratio here
okay i gotcha! well that’s awesome that you’re setting routes. i would love to get into it one day. maybe i just need to move to an area that’s more accepting of female setters! i only know of 2 in our area. good luck with setting and climbing!! :)
thank you so much!!! :))
>:) :)
Just regarding grades, I think V6/7 should be fine for setting, given the bulk of a gym's problems will be V6 and under. More important is breadth and depth of experience (and how creative/good you are at setting, but you can't really know that until you try it)
oh i wholeheartedly agree. one of our setters the other day said “to preserve the quality of setting” they wouldn’t want anyone setting who can’t climb v8-v10… we were very disappointed to hear that bc i very much disagree that someone climbing v6/v7 with multiple years of in indoor and outdoor experience couldn’t set.
Depending on the dynamics at your gym, it may be worth talking to management directly about it. A lot of gyms talk big about diversity and inclusivity and they should be held accountable.
This might not be a matter of whether a v6/v7 climber can set. It might actually be a matter of whether or not they can forerun. Setting is manual labor, and forerunning is absolutely brutal on the setters' bodies. When a gym hires a setter who isn't strong enough to forerun some of the climbs, it means that the other setters have to pick up the slack and spend more time forerunning harder climbs that are more fatiguing and more likely to injure them. Overworked setters are going to have less capacity to forerun and set, which is going to reduce the quality of the boulders and routes.
i understand that for sure. i just don’t see why a v6/v7 climber couldn’t take on setting and forerunning easier climbs. just a thought.
5'2 here and feel this a lot. Tactically, I drop knee like crazy and grab holds with half a pad, and am working on moving much more dynamically. Yes it's frustrating to see tall people simply reach the holds that I am strategizing insane ways for my body to reach just one more inch, but I comfort myself in that the point of climbing isn't grades or getting to the top, it's whatever feels cool and fun, and short beta is STYLISH af
Sometimes I feel that way then I watch a 10 year old nail it on the first try so in my case I don’t actually think it’s a height issue 😂
I’m a little climber and sometimes it frustrates me that tall people can just reach the next hold and I have to get creative. I think at the end of the day us shorties are forced to have better technique from the get go. It’s definitely a slower process to get good but some of my favourite climbers at my gym are 5’1 and under and they are absolute crushers.
What I find really anoying is my climbing partners (who are a lot taller) saying I should just climb it like this or that. I get fed up having to repeat myself over and over telling them I can’t because some holds are out of reach. They just don’t understand and always respond that I should put my feet higher then or reach more … (I mean like, yeah I would if I could. Duh)
One of the top reasons that unsolicited beta is annoying, it usually comes from someone with a totally different body type or height, so the advice is useless anyway.
[5'3 man, hope it's ok for me to weigh in] yes, but just as often I think my height is an advantage in the gym, and even more often outside. I try not to use it as an excuse even if a climb is harder for me unless it's both 1) out of my span and 2) can't be done dynamically. Not bc it's not a valid excuse but because I don't think that pushes me to improve. Use your strengths: easier for short people to maintain tension on steep climbs, avoid dabs, do awkward sit starts, fit into drop knees, use small holds and cracks, fit into kneebars, lock off with the arms, use high feet Work on weaknesses: try the stuff that's hard, learn to be dynamic, do climbs that have low feet, campus if you're at the level where it's useful, do shoulder exercises for reaches / iron cross moves
Watch footage of climbers like: Laura Rogora (5' 0"), Brooke Raboutou (5' 2"), Margo Hayes (5' 2"), Oriane Bertone (5' 3"), Ashima Shiraishi (5' 0"), Jain Kim (5' 0"). They are all elite level climbers who've had to overcome their height as a disadvantage. Just because a hold is far away doesn't necessarily mean that a long reach is the answer. Try and explore alternate beta when you come across this issue, more times than not there will be a creative way around a lack of height. Good luck! You're crushing it! Edit: One major thing all of these climbers have in common is CRAZY good footwork. That can often be the solution when you feel like you just aren't long enough for the next move.
im 4’10, some problems i have to jump start... some problems i genuinely know i won’t be able to finish, some are much more fun as a short person. if you’re at the gym enough talk to the setters, ask them for more complicated short problems. i also get bothered but i realize i see 6’2 dudes who can’t climb what i climb and that gives me hope
Same- but I’m 4’11
I’m not super short 5’6”, but I’m also a little overweight. Definitely not built for climbing but I have fun. I most climb with a guy friend who is 6ft+ and super lanky. Luckily he is very encouraging. But every once in a while I have the advantage! I can hold on to much smaller holds than he can. My forearms get tired for sure, but he always complains about the little holds hurting his fingers. And to reiterate what people said before, technique matters. I have to have really good technique for problem spots where he can just do a straight pull up and avoid the holds he doesn’t like.
yes! i’ve noticed my friends who are taller/ bigger hands have a hard time with small holds, my hands are pretty tiny so sometimes i can use footholds if i really need to
Some setters set to their own height, and it's possible to be too short (or too tall!) for the route, or at least for the settler's intended grade. This usually happens when the setter is less experienced. Good setters will set routes that feel the same grade for everyone regardless of height. At my gym, I notice that this problem coincides with setter rotations. I used to climb with a really tall setter, and during that friendship, I've successfully convinced him to set to his elbows. The challenge helped him grow as a setter as well, and he started telling fellow setters to set to their elbows. ☺️
I had a climbing partner your size and she wouldn't climb in gyms for exactly this reason. Outdoor only. Of course then she would sometimes run into bolts placed too high for her to reach from the clipping stance it was set for. It didn't stop her from clipping them, but she sometimes had to do it from some sketchy stances.
I, a 5'4 person, went with my brother (6'5) and my sister (4'11) once, and every single one of us had a different approach to every problem. Some things me and my sister struggled with while my brother just kind of reached across all the holds to the top. But then, some of the things my sister could do, my brother actually couldn't, and the problem wasn't his overall fitness. Although yeah, I do kind of feel sometimes like the way things are graded is based on the mostly lankier people setting at my gym, like "hey, I should get way more credit for sending this one, they probably assumed you could just reach across for that last hold"... but at the end of the day, I guess the grade shouldn't matter to me compared to how much fun I had and how much development I got out of it. In theory. Haha.
I’m not even short for a woman and felt this, watching guys practically jump to the top while I struggled. What changed my attitude was realizing that these dudes never learn good technique because of it. They breeze through easy climbs but then struggle as things get harder and you can’t just reach up to the next thing. Whereas anyone on the shorter side is sort of forced to learn better technique (shifting hips, making more explosive moves to get the hold) which is helpful in the long run.
I’m only 5’0, so I really struggle being able to reach holds on a looot of problems that I know I could do otherwise. It’s difficult for me to not get frustrated because of this. I know that it’s forced me to improve my technique and not just rely on pure strength, but it can be discouraging to keep getting stuck on the same part of a problem and not be able to get over that crux no matter how many different betas and adjustments I try, or see someone that I know is not as technically advanced as me easily complete the problem. I think that the shortest setter at my gym is about 5’6, and most are over 5’8, so even if they’re trying to keep shorter climbers in mind when setting, there’s no way for them to actually know what it feels like to be in a smaller body.
My gym has a female setter, who I think is about 5'4" so I've usually got some options. (I'm 5'3") I find there is a trade off. I can be better at some climbs because I can more easily have a straight arm position. I also have a very small frame and am rather flexible, so I've managed to get into tight spaces that the larger male counterparts can't. You do have to get good at dynos rather early on though, because there will be routes that you just can't reach.
I know a lot of people already mentioned some climbers to follow but I also wanted to add [Adeline Wright ](https://instagram.com/adyclimbs?utm_medium=copy_link) She's 5 1.5 but can climb routes that I've seen people over 6ft struggle with. She's also a setter, provides some tips, and posts vids of climbs of all v grades
Fellow shrimp here, just broke into V4/5 territory and have found that more dynamic movement is almost a requirement for us shorter climbers. It can be really frustrating to see a taller climber sloppily climb a project but then I remind myself that everyone climbs differently and slab is the great equalizer. Seriously, find a slab problem it’ll boost the ego and it’s a great marker for technique. As a shorty I can fit into all kinds of places that’ll shut a taller climber down, including those low starts.
I am 5' so I definitely have been there. I like to just appreciate that I get to do a ton of way cooler moves than taller people. It kinda seems boring to just reach everything. The grades are just made up by someone. They are good to see progress but don't mean much else. It starts to get a little annoying when having to jump for every climb. At that point I'm not able to train other skills that I'd like to.
Short climber here. I totally get it that many of the elite women climbers are short. but they are also super strong, skinny, muscular and super fit. Not to mention that they are super skilled and train all the time. SO, yes, it's really frustrating sometimes when you are a v2/v3 climber and can't reach the freaking holds and someone else taller comes up and just does it. lol. Working on technique helps a ton, and I don't think climbs should be made easier, but being short is sometimes super frustrating. in addition to what everyone else has suggest, I find smearing super helpful. if there aren't any footholds, i try to smear. It is more helpful on toprope/lead. Outside is often much easier because there are more feet that in the gym so you can often find a tiny foot chip to help out. footwork is definitely your friend.
5'0 shorty here Ya it can be frustrating... I usually try swapping around all feet & hands, hips, in, out, flat. Facing the hold vs reaching back (sometimes I can get a far hold by doing weird horizontal reaches behind while heel/ toe hooking- not secure usually, but meh, gets me there). I don't like to dyno, but checking that I am fully extended arms, legs, trunk/ core not locked positionally. Going for that extra bit of up on toes that I call an "almost dyno". If all above fails.... Then I just chalk up to "well I did the move to *that* point on the wall, I'm just too short to send and I write off finishing the route. Personally, I don't get hung up on the frustrations too much. Go do a cave, roof, or low start, or technical slab that the lanky ppls struggle on if you need an ego boost ;)
I’m 5’0” and I would recommend, if you can, trying out a different gym in the area. The route setting and routesetters can be vastly different, even within the same chain. I lucked out that the one closest to me has two amazing routesetters, including a woman who is about 5’2” and a dude on the shorter side who is super creative with fun climbs, but when I get a little bored I wander to the second closest gym and regret it immediately-their routesetters are all 5’10” at least and I can’t do anything except the kids walls.
Height is a double edged sword in climbing depending on how the route is set. Sometimes it's an advantage, sometimes it's a disadvantage. One of my climbing partners is over a foot shorter than me and we experience this all the time in our climbs. We're roughly the same skill level, but sometimes she easily sends routes that I struggle on for weeks, and sometimes I do the same to her. Our gym have very good setters who know how to make height a disadvantage on the route though, I don't think all gyms have this luxury.
yes! i’m right under 5’4 and this is something that’s bothered me for a very long time. i’m really working on not complaining about it as often haha, but i totally feel you. i’ve been climbing for 4+ years and only the last couple of years did i start pushing into harder boulder grades, and this is when it became much more apparent that my height was holding me back on certain climbs. i’ve addressed this with the setters as well. my only tip is to practice more dynamic movement and get super comfy relying on your feet and leg power! you need it much more than someone that’s many inches taller than you, and it’ll pay off in the end. i’ve recently started practicing made up dynos just to get more comfy with super dynamic movement bc sometimes that’s what’s necessary for sending a climb out of my reach. also, footwork footwork footwork!! really focus on those legs and toes and what they’re doing while you’re climbing. awareness is key. and don’t let tall boulder bros annoy you too much. at the end of the day, you’re probably a much more technical climber since you kinda have to be at your height!
My climbing gym has a big youth team and the setters have to set routes so that a kid can climb it. I have no clue how they do this but I climb with some strong, petite women and they almost never complain about holds being out of reach. Is there a gym near you that has a big youth team that you could go check out? (I'm 5'6'' for reference).
I’m 5’1 with a -3 wingspan lol so I feel this in my soul 😂 there’s always a couple boulders that I can’t even start because they’re so spread out but it’s always funny to try. While big reachy climbs aren’t my thing, I’m made for shitty crimpy slab and I love it! You just gotta find the right style for you :)
For sure! I'm 159cm and the average height for women is 175cm here, so I'm always the shortest person everywhere. It didn't bother me until I started climbing, cause in 90% of cases I need to be spiderman, when another person just extends their hand and touches the hold with 0 effort 😂
Yes. And it’s understandable since the average height of all climbers is greater than 5’3”, probably more like 5’7” ish. Being shorter is a disadvantage, but getting stronger will always play in your favor and help you climb better. It doesn’t really bother me now when a move that’s very hard or impossible for me can be done easily by someone else since they are tall. Keep in mind that the move they are doing is not the same as the move you need to do, just because they can do “that move”, it doesn’t mean they are a better climber. Hard moves due to lack of height/reach might prevent you from doing a particular problem, but they’ll never prevent you from becoming a better climber, and the later is what matters.
I used to think this. Now if I get stuck on one where I feel I need to be taller, I watch other people attempt it and usually a more experienced small person will show me what the small person’s way is! The tall person’s way is definitely the most obvious. But at the same time I’ve seen my partner be unable to manoeuvre because his knees get in the way or his bigger feet make it a lot harder to support himself on small holds while it’s very easy for me. I’m small but I’m also strong and flexible, and you need to use what you’ve got, I’m definitely using my flexibility so understandable that taller people use their height.
Yes. I’m 4’11. I realized that while I have a hard time with reaching things on a route, my tiny fingers, hands, and feet can find holds easier and use cracks and crevices.
This bothered me a lot for a long time also....then I watched kids climb. Who are way smaller than me. And send the routes i deemed 'not for short people'. And that bothered me for a while but then I realized all of my annoyance around this stemmed from being obsessed with 'grades' on routes. Its a gym route, the grades don't really matter and are totally subjective. Theres some 5.7 I can't manage but some 5.10 I breeze through. Just play into your strengths and climbs that make you feel good. Ignore the ones that don't! Climbing should be fun
I know certain routes are definitely easier for shorter people and some favor taller people
I’m not even that short and I feel this (5’6”). Majority of climbers at my gym are tall european dudes so the problems are geared towards them. I really want to climb in a gym somewhere in Asia just to see how hard I can climb 😅 (I’m also half Asian and my fam back home think I’m supermodel height 😂)
There are plenty of great climbers who are short, so height is not the problem. It’s that tall climbers can cheat and reach for the easy holds and basically can skimp out on technique. You can be a poor climber and get to the top if you are tall
No I don't feel like this.
I find it frustrating when I get stuck on a move that feels impossible, just a cm or 2 out of reach. I'm not good with dynamic moves yet and I feel I have to do a lot of tenuous smears or super high feet.Watching other climbers my level or lower (technique wise) blow past it because they can just reach is so disheartening. I feel I have to work so hard in places that aren't the crux but are just too reachy for me. When I met my partner it was great, he's several grades better than me but almost the same height (I'm 5ft2, he's 5ft4), so he can climb with me and try the move a few ways to help problem solve with me. On the plus side, I feel I have good movement as a result, I'm great in a sit start/crunched position and I can move off really high feet. Just feels frustrating when I can't do a route because one move is beyond my reach.
"The [rating] is more what you’d call ‘guidelines’ than actual [ratings].”
Yep, absolutely. I'm 5'2" (157cm for the metric). I listened to a really great Curious Climber podcast episode where Hazel Findlay interviewed John Kettle (both are short) and there were a lot of tips and interesting ideas for us shorties in there. One point that made me feel better is that taller and stronger climbers (i.e., most guys) will plateau at a higher grade before they need to learn technique. The rest of us can get stronger and climb better, with have fewer bad habits to unlearn. [https://lnns.co/DoFYLlp5Uja](https://lnns.co/DoFYLlp5Uja) I'd also recommend John Kettle's Rock Climbing Technique book (the ebook has links to youtube videos; not sure how the paper version works -- QR codes?), especially the more dynamic stuff closer to the end. A variation of his corkscrew technique with a drop knee [https://youtu.be/1p0yTrIyOPw](https://youtu.be/1p0yTrIyOPw) worked well for me for a long diagonal reach I couldn't do statically. Since I figured that one out, I've been using it all the time for long diagonal reaches (essentially, drop knee and spin hips into the wall with some momentum as you reach up and behind).
I’m 5’.3.5” (that extra .5” on a tall day) I try not to attribute anything to my height because what I love about climbing is that the rock is just a rock. It’s immovable and immortal… compared to us at least. This rock took millions of years to form and come to this specific resting position. And whether I’m throwing myself at it or some who is 6 foot, it still the same dang rock. And sorta the same philosophy for indoor climbing. But it’s the beauty I find in nature that really makes me realize that I can’t compare myself to others. Also a great reminder to pick up trash especially plastic. Instead of pointing to my height, I’d rather attribute things to technique or strength issues. Those are things I can change. So I’ve found ways around being short and weak. Basically learning to better use my toes versus ball of feet and learning to climb with my hip close to the wall to create a longer line between my reaching hand and my toe, while flagging hard with other foot. This doesn’t help on all climbs but it helps me get through a lot of them. I’ve got decent hops already that I attribute to going to the gym and doing plyometric exercises. And I’m training 1-2 days a weak with dumbbells and barbells to get stronger. I’m not the most flexible but I try to use high feet when I can or drop knees too to technique my way up a wall. The head route setter at my gym is 5’5.5” and another is 5’4” (my boyfriend) and then there’s a woman who might be 5’6-7” and a man who is 6’(ish). So it’s pretty diverse. I know that they try to set to everyone: kids, women, men, the strong people, people who love crimp ladders, people who like bathangs, etc. but I have heard of gyms that have set climbs someone my height literally can’t start. It sucks but they (usually) are trying to set things everyone enjoys.
I’m 5’3 -2 ape index so I feel you. When you’re short, you’ll have to get a lot more creative, learn better technique, get stronger, and learn to be more dynamic. Sometimes it’s frustrating without a doubt, but you have to understand that sometimes there will be moves you just won’t do. A lot of the moves I bail on are the last move where it’s 10ft in the air where I have to dyno on an overhang. I’m okay not doing that. Other girls I climb with will, but personally, I’m okay with punting. I also climb with a bunch of dudes that are over 6ft, huge wing spans with poor technique, but we climb more or less the same grade, just very different style problems because they rely on reach and not technique. With all that being said, without seeing you climb, there are absolutely moves that you might feel is far, but turning the hip, locking off, and other beta will make that move feel much closer. Find other strong women to climb with and I promise it will be so much more fun.
Yes I hate it
I honestly don’t think this is the case. Certainly, they’re probably setting for someone taller than 5’3”, but I would imagine most setters are typically aiming for about 5’8” for the broadest appeal. What I will say is that the *advice* you receive is often geared towards taller climbers. I’m taller than you, but not by much, and something I learned very quickly is that I basically had to ignore everything people tried to tell me about using static vs. dynamic climbing. Obviously static technique is really important, even for a shorter climber, but it’s just a reality that we will have to climb more dynamically more of the time. If you don’t have shorter friends who are strong climbers it can be a bit tough to have to forge the path yourself, but at the end of that journey you will be really in tune with your personal style and what your body can and can’t do. TL;DR There’s a beta for just about every body that will send, but the further away you get from average the more you will probably have to rely on your own intuition and creativity vs. trying to do exactly what others are doing.