Height Shaming. It’s a Thing. Let’s Talk About It. (aka: Being tall is aid)

As a 5'7" bigwall climber, nothing is more painful than listening to 6'6" monsters talk about how easy a section of climbing is because they literally reached past all of the difficult placements. Same thing with listening to beta from tall climbers, "just reach for that jug, that's what I did!" oh, the one that's a foot beyond my reach? Nah, guess I'll just do some above the grade moves to reach that hold. 

https://rockandice.com/climbing-news/height-shaming-its-a-thing-lets-talk-about-it/

In a sport that heavily relies on its community for support, it’s counterproductive to tear someone down due to uncontrollable factors like height 

...tall-shaming: when average- or smaller-sized climbers deduct value from a  taller climber’s achievements because of their height. There’s a right time and a wrong time to tall-shame. Don’t tall-shame: if your taller friend can do a move that you can’t, if they can reach a lower foot, or if they bypass that shitty intermediate that you have to fingernail crimp. Do tall-shame: if your tall friend is being a dick and needs an ego-check.

And because we might as well add previous MP forum threads to the discussion:

https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/117081530/short-climbers-unite

Being tall isn't always helpful...have you ever seen a 6'6'' monster on a sit start? Or on a compression route? Or on thin hands? I definitely get fat shamed (everyone on the internet refuses to partner with people over 170lbs) as much as I get tall shamed.

Kevin- do you know or have you ever seen a 6’6” Monster climber? I know ONE- he has climbed El Cap several times- but get on a long ly-back or a thin slab and he is toast. Being taller has its own drawbacks, ly-backs are hard, squeeze sections can be impossible. And when your really tall you are always “big”.

But being tall, 6’2”, has always helped me get past the blank sections. I often proclaim “I’d rather be tall than good” 

I’ll stand by that statement. 

Ay, 6'3 here.  

I get schooled by folks all the time... it may or not maybe an advantage based on the situation.  I think that the 95lbs 12-year-old girls who are in year 6 of their gymnastics program are at a way better position than I am when we're looking at an overhanging sport climb.  

I suck at a lot of things just because I haven't done the work or lack the fortitude to do em, but there's definitely some mechanical advantages folks have on things like sit starts.

But I sure as hell will clip high whenever I can.  It's nice.  At the end of the day, I don't care about grades, just the quality of the experience.  

I sometimes wonder if I am missing out on part of that experience when I don't have to use some hard intermediary hold.  

Cause, like, it's not "better" for me if the climbing is easier... I'm not a better person because I climb stuff with a harder grade.  And I don't get anything out of it.  I don't get paid more cause I can skip a move, or even get more to eat, or have more fulfilling sex, or have fewer worries about getting older or something.

HA! tall shaming. What a joke. People need to get over it. 

I‘d rather be 5’6” than 6’5”. Rock climbing is a short man’s sport.

Lynn Hill is 5'2"

Alex Megos is 5'7"

Sasha DiGuillen is 5'2"

Alex Pucco is 5'2"

I’m 6’ - 3” with a +2 ape index however I’m 250 pounds so i actually get a +1 grade handicap to all the climbs I do. 

Strength to weight ratio is unfavorable the taller/heavier a climber is. 

They make cheater sticks. They don't make cheater helium balloons to help the fatties. 

(coulda sworn this was a Tradi/Gumby troll post before clicking also)

Short climbers will be more comfortable on a bivy ledge or portaledge, or even just in a tent. A 6'6" person would probably need a four person tent just to feel comfortable, and an extra-long sleeping pad.

"Height shaming" is a pretty silly term, I guess thats just meant to draw attention.  That said, I do have one friend who makes every single thing in climbing about height.  I am 6'5", he's a little under 6' (not that short).  Any move he struggles with is always "Im too short for this"  "you just got it because you could reach past the bad hold"  blah blah blah.   I always want to say "sure height helps, also going to the gym 3-4 days a week for the last 5 years has helped a little too".  

I believe that being tall is a big help up until mid-5.11.  After that, the climbing is often so sequential that it seems to balance out.  You cant usually reach through the crux to a jug on 12's.  Looking at the top levels of the sport, seems like most pro's tend to be under 6', and certainly not 6'5", other than Dean. 

Chad Miller wrote:

I’m 6’ - 3” with a +2 ape index however I’m 250 pounds so i actually get a +1 grade handicap to all the climbs I do. 

how about a handicap for starting late:

30: one letter grade
40: 1 digit
50: 1 + a letter
60: two digits
80: you're awesome

I'm 6'8" and a life goal is to bolt a ledgy sport route where every clip is at the limit of my reach from a good stance.

Evan Kirk wrote:

HA! tall shaming. What a joke. People need to get over it. 

I can't get over it, it's too tall!

sandrock wrote:

Lynn Hill is 5'2"

Alex Megos is 5'7"

Sasha DiGuillen is 5'2"

Alex Pucco is 5'2"

Layton Kor was 6'3"

Adam Ondra is 6'1"

Chris Sharma is 6'0"

Dean Potter was 6'5"

Different body types are going to be better for different climbs, and overall it mostly evens out. But for the majority of people they could climb a lot harder by training and climbing more than by being a few inches taller or shorter.

Unrelated to climbing, I’m happy I’m 5’5”. I’m afraid of heights so being tall would probably scare me. 

No johns. Get good. 

I'm 6' and can say being tall is only part of it. Yes, I can reach holds where other people have to use intermediates, but that's about it. 

There's so many other aspects that go into a good climber than height. 

• Flexibility
• % body fat
• Fear
• Strength
• Cardio
• Preexisting conditions
• Technique/problem solving
• Socioeconomic status
• Location
• Age
• Gender
• Hair length
• How much we trust our belayer
• Tattoos
• What we had for lunch
• How tight our pants fit
• Stick clip length
• Fluctuations in microgravity
• How hard we scream when dynoing

If we're gonna compensate for one we've gotta compensate for them all. (Yes I know some of these things can be changed and some can't. Just get taller, ok?)

Bottom line: everyone is different and we have to compensate. But if it's all about the grade for you, you will always lose.

Watching short ppl on overhanging stuff makes me jealous. I have fat long runner legs that I have to fight with the entire climb.

"just reach for that jug, that's what I did!" oh, the one that's a foot beyond my reach? Nah, guess I'll just do some above the grade moves to reach that hold.

The aid pitch off of Long Ledge on the Salathe comes to mind - can change from R/scary to PG/doable depending on height. Handful of injuries/broken bones attest to that one. My partner is over 6' and he cruised it. Read the comments on the beta page or the accident reports and that's not the case for everybody.