Short vs Tall bouldering competition! Does height REALLY matter in climbing?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 มิ.ย. 2024
- Short climber vs tall climber bouldering competitor - who will win in a battle of the scrunchy vs reachy?
Shop HMB Merch!
☞hannahmorrisbouldering.com/shop
The first 1,000 people to use this link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: skl.sh/hannahmorris10211
With Nathan being a tall climber, and me being a shorter climber, we thought it would be funny to pick out some bouldering problems in the climbing gym which highlighted the trials and tribulations of being tall vs being short.
Nathan and I are sporting quite a height difference, and we find that our bouldering style and technique is wildly different often! Volume 1 generally sets really interesting boulders that we can both work with our unique climbing techniques, but there are often times when we're projecting something in a totally different way.
Some little parts of audio had to be muted to avoid a music strike! Sorry!
Supported by Beyond Hope and Eb Climbing
Joby Tripod (best for vlogging!) joby.com/uk-en/gorillapod-1k-...
☞hannahmorriscreative.co.uk
☞Instagram: hannahmorris
☞Snapchat: hcemorris
☞Tumblr: hcemorris.tumblr.com
Support me on Patreon:
/ hcemorris
Subscribe to the channel for weekly bouldering and outdoor adventure videos!
☞hannahmorriscreative.co.uk
☞Instagram: hannahmorris
☞Snapchat: hcemorris
☞Tumblr: hcemorris.tumblr.com
Support me on Patreon:
/ hcemorris
Subscribe to the channel for weekly bouldering and outdoor adventure videos!
~-~~-~~~-~~-~
Watch my most recent video with a flexibility coach: "Instantly improve your climbing flexibility with a pro"
• Instantly improve your...
~-~~-~~~-~~-~ - กีฬา
I am 25, 4' 10", and a beginner climber. I get frustrated when I am struggling with a route and my 6' friends effortless grab a hold that I was trying to jump for. Am I truly at a disadvantage with my height or am I just not experienced enough yet??
I climb for a few years and am medium sized I would say (1,8 meters). In the start, when your technique is not very good, you probably have a slight advantage when you are bigger. But that will soon go away. There are a lot of moves that are easier when you are smaller. Very low starts are a lot easier, when you are smaller. Also very crimpy sections become easier when you're smaller, just because you weigh less. Also in general when there are moves, that require your foot to be closer to your hands, it gets easier, because you're not as "squashed" as a bigger person. Overall I would say it's pretty balanced, if the route setters are good of course :)
One recommendation I would give as a shorter climber is go find people who are shorter at the gym/crag and watch/ask for pointers from them, they understand the struggle
Its completely route/problem dependant. Sometimes you have an advantage other times you have a disadvantage. The issue is that most routesetters will set problems with the average heighted people in mind so more often than not you'll be at a disadvantage there. Get comfortable with dynos and deadpointing, because you're going to be needing a lot of that and start stretching because matching foot on your hand is our best friend. Regards from a 25, 5' 5", +1ape, V10 climber.
I'm 4'10" with a -2 ape ratio (meaning my armspan is even shorter than my already super short height). I climb around v5/v6 in the gym, v4 outdoors. When you're first getting started with your friends, it is SUPER OBVIOUS to see how much having extra length/reach can help, and much less obvious to see how being smaller can help. I definitely understand your pain :(. Fortunately, this is mostly true only when you're starting out. As you get better, get stronger, and build up more technique, you'll find that you often have to do things differently than your average-to-tall height friends, but it doesn't mean it's impossible!
Shorter climber strengths: sit starts, high feet, high heel hooks, less core strength needed to keep you close to the wall on an overhung/roof problem, and generally speaking if you have smaller hands too then crimps and pockets that a tall person can sometimes get 1 finger or 1 pad on can feel like jugs you can match with tiny hands :D (I just recently did a v6 in the gym that a bunch of average/taller height people were struggling on, and when I sent it I matched hands on every single crimp, and the tall boys were like "what you can do that?? someone stop her, that shouldn't be possible!" in a joking manner). Also, even though you usually will have to do more moves because your reach is less, it's also easier to move yourself around, so that part kinda balances itself out.
I agree with what someone else said in asking fellow shorties at the gym for their advice/beta on problems you are struggling with. We shorties DEFINITELY understand the struggle! I am always super super happy to share short beta (and receive advice from other shorties), even if they're strangers. It's much, much, muuuuuuuuuch more useful than your tall friends telling you what they do, because the truth is that we often just need to do things differently. There are also some routes that will just not be possible for our size, or that become much, much harder if you're small (for example, what might be a V1 to an average sized person might become a V6 to us if a move is really difficult for our body morphology). I still recommend trying those routes, and trying to figure out alternate beta! And if you can't figure it out, don't beat yourself up on it, and move on to something else because there's plenty to work on :D
Other shorty advice: look at the pros! Some LEGENDARY climbers who happen to be
you'll probably mainly have a disadvantage that is due to the fact that most route setters (at least in germany) are male and around 175/180 cm tall, so thats how they set a route. and since they set it and grade it, it is most likely for you to find these routes harder than the grade shows. I can often tell, if a woman (or shorter routesetter) set the route, just because it suits be way better.
Im the resident shorty at my gym at 5'2, 0 ape. When we set, I get to test the reach on everything lol. Sometimes it's hard to imagine that ppl are tall, so I'll set a very involved, techy sequence and then watch tall folks skip all my moves lmao
I’m 5’1, and I love technical climbs as well because reachy ones are always harder for me, but it’s always so funny when tall gym bros come and can’t do the technical boulders that a short girl can, sometimes they get kind of offended and it’s honestly pretty funny lmao
Love this concept but I've gotta say 5'5" isn't that far off average. Esp for a female climber. 6'5" is much more an outlier. To me a "short" climber is someone who's under 5'2"
Yea, it definitely would be super interesting to have our friend (5’0) vs Nathan! That would demo the difference better! Maybe another video! 🤪
5 ‘5” is average for females but I wonder what was the average in mind when these routes were designed. I wonder if they were built with the average height of men in mind?
I'm 5'1" so imagine my trouble!! Sometimes my peers literally just say.... I think.... Your span is the problem! HAHA
@@Phoenixhunter157 She's probably not 5'5
@@Phoenixhunter157 I would imagine it would probably be designed for someone around the setter's size because they could test it more easily. However, sometimes they are made shorter when things like youth and juniors are accounted for
I'm also 6'5" and reach through all my problems, and I also hate sit starts! ha!! I tend to try to static dyno moves, much to my friends frustration. It's good to watch how different heights work the same climb
I love a good sit start, they’re the only move I can do that Nathan can’t hehe. It took me so long to start moving more dynamically in my climbing, but being a short static was getting a bit frustrating! 😅
Totally agree - I'm the same
strength to weight ratio is king in climbing .
Anyone who has ever climbed has heard something along the lines of "If I was that tall I would have sent it too etc" meanwhile some 11 year old team kid who wouldn't reach their chest has just used the climb as a warm up .
For the level most of us climb at unless you are an absolute outlier (massive long boy or Warwick Davis) it's not what is holding your climbing back.
While I agree it does not hold you back in general there are some things that become much harder/easier dependant on your height
Dont forget flexibility ;) while i agree strength to weight is absolutely important u should not forget the other aspect especially if difficulty increases.
I also feel like when comparing height its often male vs female, which is often not a fair comparison in itself. I'm 5"11 female climber so I'm often not represented, I have less muscle density and more body fat than the average 5"11 climber which is male, so while yes I have reach I also have more of me to get up the wall then either sample pool
This!! I'm a 5'11 female climber too and at 160lbs it is quite difficult to grow the strength to heave my own large frame on the wall. So I need to cultivate good technique like short climbers.
Being a 185 cm (6'11") woman, i don't have any advantage. Any possible reach advantage is gone because of the weight i have to drag up the wall. A smaller climber can use their feet to push up on holds that would cause me to push away from the wall.
I think that in most climbs at the beginner and intermediate levels tall climbers have at least a marginal advantage because most climbs don’t have scrunchy moves but almost all climbs have reachy ones….but I also think that it’s harder for taller climbers to progress to really advanced/elite climbs because they don’t really always cultivate the skill set required to do those since they’ve been able to depend on their height so much at the lower levels. There are exceptions like Adam Ondra but he’s definitely an outlier and I think that there is a reason that so many of the elite climbers are under 6 feet tall….
I would agree! I definitely notice more now that the higher grades are more of a fair split between Nathan and I, whereas in the middle of our grades difficulty seems to be bigger moves between fairly good holds still!
It is also hard to build up strength when you are taller, all the levers are much larger and thus the forces are bigger. I am a 6' 4" climber and my biggest constraint has been my grip strength. I learn the techniques and have been steadily progressing as my grip improves. Climbing across ceilings or overhangs are particularly brutal as you feel like your body is actively trying to pry you off the wall by its leverage.
@@adaelion3772I completely agree. Everyone seems to acknowledge that tall climbers have a longer reach. But no one seems to notice that physics are your worst enemy when your tall. It’s not just about being heavier, it’s about the length of your body being a multiplier on the amount of weight you have to hold with your grip.
When it comes to harder problems, for a large majority of them, you're not skipping holds
Great video, Hannah! I’m 6”1 and don’t find sit starts hard but I don’t overly like them.. 😅 I find it very interesting watching how different people of different heights tackle problems! All I want to do now is go climbing!! 😩
As a 5'1 beginner climber, this is really interesting!
Glad you found it interesting! :)
I am finally getting serious about bouldering regularly and it was so insightful to see this video showing how you project a route, try different methods, break it apart, and don't always get it in a session. Thank you for showing your thought process!
That’s great to hear, glad you find the videos usurious and that you’re enjoying climbing! ☺️
As a tall climber I can definitely cheat my way through a lot cruxes in the intermediate grade range. This may cause a loss of friendliness with a few shorter climbing friends...
Great video showing the differences for people. For me THIS is exactly in part why I love bouldering.
For each of us, when we see someone 'complete' a problem before them it can be frustrating to us. But that IS bouldering - being able to work out a problem for ourselves, given our own physical (age, strength, height, etc) & mental (attitude, perspective, knowledge, experience, etc) tools available. I'm a newish beginner & am 6'1. I climb with 2 others who are shorther, a man & woman. We all approach each problem with slightly differently. Ultimatley there are some similarities & differences.
All the setters at my gym are under lije 5'10 and it shows in their setting. It definitely makes it harder on me more times than you would think. especially when it comes to caves/roof sections. Also a lot if time I can "cheat" some moves and break beta due to the height difference
As much as I enjoy judging tall climbers for often having it much easier than me (I am 5"4 which is pretty small in The Netherlands) I really recognize that being tall also has many downsides. It's simply best to be of average height in the country that you are climbing in, in my opinion. I always just wish I was 2 inches taller because there are so many problems that would be that much easier 😂 Anyway, great climbing from both of you, I love seeing the different betas!
Glad you enjoyed it! Haha it’s funny how the next hold always feels like it’s JUST too far away and if you had just a little bit more you’d be able to reach! Thanks for watching!
I'm 5'2 and my bf is 6' so this is super interesting!!! He can usually reach most holds i have to jump to, and i climb more technically than him (although he does use heelhooks a lot) because otherwise i cant send the boulders. loved your comparison!
I'm about as tall as Nathan, and I have exactly the same problems as he seems to have, only ten times worse. Does he have any tips about crunching yourself through the small boxes that seem to be everywhere? I'm struggling on V3 / 6a in top rope, and I can't find a way through so far :(
7:16 I felt that reaction in my soul 😂
The dismay 😫
What music is playing at around 6.43? That sounds like perfect working music!
It's Sunflowerz by Chris Mazeura :)
So should climbing have height categories?
Yes, Nathan will get a subscribe from a tall climber. Thanks for showing this comparison!
Haha he’ll be pleased with that! Glad you enjoyed it!
as a 5ft 3 long time climber i find height a massive disadvantage - for moves i have to dyno or use more power to get up on but then there are a very rare few short person climbs i absolutely blitz and watch tall folk struggle on :D
I am 26, male, and 5'3". Climbing some routes is a very, very, weird time. Not impossible. But I certainly handle certain problem's very differently than I believe is the intention. I was climbing with a friend the other day, and from the floor, he can simply reach up and grab the first hold of a boulder, feet flat, arm's bent, while I have to jump off of the ground entirely, to reach the hold at all. (age included for reference, that I am not gonna get any taller)
My brother is 6'2", as is my dad. We're all baffled by why I'm so short. XD
There is a perfect ht/wt combo for all sports. That simply means that the person with the perfect ht/wt ratio will be better suited to excel at the sport. We can all become very good, in most cases, but we will never reach the pinnacle of the sport. If you look at Alex Honnald and Adam Ondra you will see what I mean. From the back they could be twins.
Can you list the track names you put in this video, they’re so vibey ♥️
Is 2nd boulder start legal?
I thought you can't use anything using your hands except starting holds
The setter confirmed it flies, but I don't think it was his intended beta!
well if height is an issue, just ask Nathan for a boost like you see in the movies
It's either a frog on the way up scuffed beta or a ninja warrior attempt for the really high reaches 😂
I think everyone will climb differently according to their height, strengths and preferences. I also think when you’re smaller, you need to compensate with strength what you “lack” in reach. It’s not better or worse, it’s just a different skillset. I feel like being “shorter” (i’m still in the average for women, but since a lot of climbing gyms are set up to men standards and averages, i’m “short”) helped me learn to rely on my feet and techniques faster since I couldn’t just rely on reaching and grabbing. I noticed that in a lot of my taller friends too, that they learned technique slower. It’s why I like watching Ondra climb so much because he still climbs like a “short” person even though he grew up pretty tall.
Sp, apparently that 1,65 m and 1,95 m?
That sounds about right! ☺️
She is shorter
@@hannahmorrisbouldering You don't even reach his shoulders. 1 foot difference would be mean around shoulders or a bit above.
I thought you are supposed to match your hands on the last one?
its not about size, its about technique...
He's just a touch taller than me so feel his pain ! 🙂
Haha I’m starting to come round to the idea that being talk does have some downfalls in climbing! 😉🥲
@@hannahmorrisbouldering physio on neck, upper back, lower back. Cloths don't fit.
Head wounds from bus rails to shop signs etc....... list is endless.
@@dave_h_8742 im a 5ft 4 dude and I've never not had to tailor a pair of trousers, apparently clothes for either side of the spectrum don't exist. the struggle is real
@@ImTooSwFT so true !
So what I want to see is you 2 on the same problem. But his spaced by a ft more.
Short is 5’2- 5’3 :(
Just saying, If Nathan had her level of skill and technique this wouldnt be a question. He would be flashing these problems with her beta. That last yellow problem should have been fairly easy with her beta. For a taller climber it requires alittle more shoulder strength but mostly just flexibility. Im 6.2 with +4 ape index so fitting in the box is hard, but I'm very flexible and can do a side split. Anything with high feet, knees out, hips in is easy and thats all this problem was. Hannas techinque through it was excellent. Avoiding good beta with reach doesnt make you a better climber. Do more flexibility work and the only tall climber challenges are small box climbing and body length stuff like toe hooks and knee bars.
You're not that tall my friend.
I enjoy watching people climb but tall men are the most boring to watch
height is not a issue, u just needa be more stronger!!!!
Working on it!
A lack of technique and strength, nothing about height.