Well, I’ve been avoiding talking about this topic publicly for a bit now. Why? Part of it was that I didn’t consciously know there was an issue. Part of it may have been that when I realized what the issue was, I thought I was being what Mike calls “sour grapes”. Or I thought others would think I was being “sour grapes” and I didn’t want to sound like I was whining. And perhaps part of it was that a big component of my mental game in bouldering is practicing a fair bit of denial about the possible limitations of being shorter than my male counterparts.
But today, I’m coming out of my silence on the topic and I’m saying what I think. Climbing gyms need to start attempting to make shorter clientele feel included, instead of ostracized. When Gym X allows their setters to create the majority (if not all) of their problems with enormous reaches and no supporting feet, it sounds like they are saying, “Women, short men, and youth, your motivation, your training, your experience, and your climbing doesn’t matter to us.”
Let me just start this off by trying to establish some credibility. You might think I am a girl that likes to lock everything off and climb as statically as I can on small crimps and that’s why I can’t do big moves in the gym. If you’re interested in my climbing training and ideology, visit some of my previous blog posts, but I will summarize here. Two to three years ago, indeed, I was very lodged into a particular style of climbing usually associated with female climbers; crimp ladders. Crimps were all I would climb on. But repeated finger injuries due to this type of climbing, and reading Dave MacLeod’s 9 out of 10 climbers forced me into an attitude adjustment and I began focusing on other types of climbing, most notably, problems with bigger moves on larger holds. Admittedly, I have not yet mastered jumping, pinching, and compressing, but, I have made considerable progress. I am particularly proud that I can succeed on powerful, dynamic climbs now. If I need to jump, I will!
Weekend Trip to Rumbling Bald from Patti Wohner on Vimeo.
Here's a video of last weekend’s trip to Rumbling Bald where I sent a milestone type of climb for me, Patio Roof (V8). I did this problem in a few hours at the beginning of the trip and repeated it the next day for video after having tried it 3 years ago and thinking I would never be able to do the powerful throw.
I have noticed, however, a big discrepancy between my level of climbing outdoors versus indoors. Outdoors, I can send V7/8 in a day. Indoors, I flash all the problems up to V4 in the gym, but quickly become frustrated that I can’t do any of the problems rated V5 and higher. I am not exaggerating. This has happened to me twice recently. My husband on the other hand usually has a great time completing most of the climbs up to V8, also his typical day send grade. I should note here that he is 5’11” and I am 5’5”. Typically, the reason I fail is because there is a very long move between decently sized holds that I cannot physically span. Now you might be thinking “just jump more”. Jumping can indeed work when you have bend in your knees and you can initiate movement. However, many gym setters move shorter climbers into the starfish position, i.e., what happens so much to my friend Jill on way too many climbs in the gym that she has come up with a name for it. The starfish is a result of bad setting and results in the climber becoming extended to their maximum. Once in the starfish position, it is quite difficult to get enough bend in the knees to initiate a jump. It’s okay for a few problems to be tall climber-centric, or maybe even a lot of them, but not MOST of them. What about folks who are even shorter than I am?
Recently, Mike and I took another trip to a climbing gym. We decided we would add feet for me so I could do the same movement he was doing. It was an interesting experiment. We found that on many of the boulder problems as set, I would end up in the starfish position, it occurred mostly at the beginnings of problems. If we added slightly higher feet, I would be able to get into the same positions he was getting into. I have heard the contention that adding higher feet makes the climb easier. In all the cases we added feet for me, Mike still preferred to use the lower feet because it was easier for him to execute the move. The higher feet felt “bunchy” to him but enabled me to do the same move he was doing, hence enabling my capacity to learn the intended movement or at least try it. We had a lot of fun that day; it was like being outside. Mike would suggest alternate beta that I could use for feet in order that I could do the same move he was doing. We didn't change the intention of the moves or the difficulty, just put feet on so I could attempt the intended move. If you climb at a gym that doesn’t provide feet for you, my suggestion is to count other feet on so you can try the intended move. The point is to learn rock climbing movement, not in doing a taped problem. If you are a setter, try taping a few other feet without changing the difficulty or intent of the problem.
The cool thing about climbing is that body size, age, and gender do not limit who can be strong at the sport. I just recently started setting boulder problems at TBA because I want to try and set problems of equal difficulty for everyone and I figured I should put my money where my mouth is! TBA is extremely receptive.
I aim to set like Kasia Pietras, who creates high quality, powerful, and dynamic boulder problems using volumes, slopers, and pinches while providing feet for everyone. I attribute much of my recent progress in bouldering to TBA during the time when Kasia was setting because I learned how to be dynamic. Kasia’s routes were so good because the intended movement could be executed by anyone strong enough to stay on the holds. I could actually practice long moves and learn how to stick them. This is a big deal!
Check out a Crux Crush interview with Kasia and Sydney McNair about setting.
http://cruxcrush.com/2013/09/19/making-of-the-heist-the-setting-team/
I have a lot to learn about setting but maybe one day I’ll be as perceptive as Kasia at setting unique, dynamic problems for everyone to enjoy.
Now, here's something for fun! Jill and I completing Unlocked (V8) at the Hospital Boulders in Alabama. Hope you enjoy!
Unlocked from Jill Sompel on Vimeo.
