From: inezdrex@uclink4.berkeley.edu (Inez Drixelius)
Newsgroups: rec.climbing
Subject: Re: Technique question: How to overcome lack of reach?
Date: Fri, 08 Sep 2000 12:58:16 -0700

In article <8pbcic$bru$1@nnrp1.deja.com>, Kyri  wrote:

>  So, I'm short (not quite 5.2). I'm trying to analyze the weaknesses in
> my technique and I realize that one major one is that I simply can't
> reach the holds.

Dear Miss Kitty,

I am 5.2 and have the wingspan of a finch.  Our own Theresa Ho is no
taller than I am, yet I see her make moves in the gym that I can't do
because of reach problems.  Lets face it, technique does make a
difference.  She's an 11 climber, I am not.  However, in the gym height
will often put you at a huge disadvantage.  You just have to live with it
and look for the routes you can do.  Find a route setter whose routes you
like.  Steve Schneider, whose wife Heather is tiny, sets great routes for
shorter people because he puts lots of footholds on his lines.  Then he
makes them crimpy and technical.  If I fail on a Schneider route, for
example, it is because my technique isn't up to par, not because I am
short.  Good route setters are hard to find, however.  

In all fairness, though, at times being short helps tremendously and where
a tall person has an awkward ellbow lock, the short person can reach up
comfortably and just pull up.  Being crunched up under roofs and
underclings is easier if you are short.  Tiny paws help, you can match on
little holds where the big handed fellows can't.  There is justice!

By the way, there is an old video of a Snowbird comp where Destiville won
over Lynn Hill.  Destiville could make the final reach because she was
able to stand on a hold, Hill, due to her size, had to smear on something
ridiculous and failed to make the move.  The prize was lost to her because
of being short.

One thing you can do is look for other short women and see how they climb
a route you have trouble with.  Go to a kid's comp and see how the little
guys do it.  

Keeping your hip in, backstepping and all that good stuff will help make a
reach.  Learning to smear more, rather than always going for the marked
footholds helps.  On overhanging routes, if you get your feet way up high
(higher than a tall person could) you can often ape over the obstacle by
keeping your arms straight and pushing out hard with your leg(s) and thus
make the move successfully.  That takes lots of strength, of course.  

This is just plastic stuff, though--you won't have such problems
outdoors.  Occasionally, perhaps, but generally you have many more options
on real rock.

Bottom line is--it's just plastic, just training, don't fret.

-- 
Inez Drixelius
Berkeley, California