How to be a short climber - 10 tips from Hazel Findlay 

A (short) friend of mine used to say "it's great being short! you get to do more moves which means more climbing which means more of what we love right?" ;)

I have found that most short climbers go through the anger stage, the acceptance stage, and then the joyous creativity stage of climbing. It is so satisfying to find creative beta breaks as a short climber!!

Thank you for this video! As a (very) short climber of 160 cm (5 ft 2) I have struggled and am struggling still. This is especially true in the gyms where most of the routes are set by taller male routesetters (but not all!!). I’m also the shortest climber in my climbing group. The struggle is real 😅 But on the rock it’s different. I love being creative with high foot placement.

The comment that outdoors you can fill in with alternate feet and features, but not indoors is very much spot on. Especially when the indoor wall itself does not have features (outside the bolt ons).

This video is so spot on! I'm very short climber and it describes my struggles so well. Indeed, indoor grades can be quite meaningless for me and I had to actively work on my mindset not to get discouraged if I struggle on the route that is supposed be my easy flash grade. Overall overcoming the mindset problems took some years for me and I'm still falling into the mindset traps described in the video. What I find really helpful is to climb with other short people, because then at least we can solve things together. Unfortunately, the harder I climb the fewer short people around me. What is my main issue is that I often feel misunderstood by taller climbers and sometimes I feel like I don't belong to the community. There were cases on the crag that someone commented on the crag about "what is she even doing here" when I was working on the first move that most of people find easy. For me it was harder than the crux of the route, but for people it seemed that I shouldn't even attempt it, since I cannot do that one easily. So I would ask all taller climbers to not make such comments.

Being short and light is awesome. The only place I get shut down is poorly set indoor climbs. Mother Nature tends to make intermediates, even if they are crappy.

This was great! I’ve never heard someone put into words what I’ve been learning since I started! I always thought of climbs as a puzzle for me to problem solve and the problem is unique to the person.

Thank you so much for this video. I am short and older (60+) and accepting my differences has been a journey. I felt really validated in seeing you both address the challenges all 'shories' face. Thank you ❤️

As a taller guy, I like working through boulder problems with smaller climbers as I find we both learn something. I’m still far weaker at controlling swings & explosive moves from tight spaces than my shorter climber friends - there’s rarely anything indoor set to practice the cut-loose moves they’re able to do, when my feet are still on the wall. I’ve definitely improved my high feet when working problems with them & spotting other creative options. ^the above works both ways - we usually find something to either work around a long reach/span/bridge, or (for the climb that works better for shorter people) to generate more tension, or release lanky limbs fro a tight spot.

I enjoy watching other short climbers at my local gym, especially the ones that are much better than me! So much to learn from their technique and where to apply strength or dynamic movement. Though it is a bit galling when my tall mates just reach past the crux move! 🤨

I climb indoors in Japan and the setting is definitely geared towards climbers who are less tall, unsurprisingly. This means there are fewer reach-dependent problems and really boosts the confidence of younger, shorter and female climbers. Hence, greater participation and achievement.

Great content and filming - also appreciated the humorous bits :) I agree that as short climbers we're one step ahead with realizing the grades don't mean that much!

Super hyped for this RU-vid Channel!!!

Great video! I really like your approach and I'm trying to learn it to! What I also found very difficult, is a "definition of a short climber". I'm myself 150cm (4 ft 9) with a negative ape, and often hear from people 10-15cm taller, that I have no right to complain, as they are short and did the move, those 5cm sometimes make a huuge difference, but I am trying to focus on my strength and not compare myself to others, working on the right mindset is a piece of work for sure.

I’m 6’3 and my regular climbing partner is my daughter who is 11. We regularly do the same problems and are always seeing height issues for her. I was excited to watch this with her and thank you for uploading, looking forward to future videos from you both.

lots of good points here...always interesting to see topics about the height of climbers...I've seen a lot of videos about shorter and taller climbers (I'm short myself) there are certainly advantagesas you say yourself... there are also many climbs that I simply ignore because I know that due to my height it is harder or even sometimes impossible... especially indoor many disadvantages from my experience.But almost no one talks about the ape index, which I personally think plays a major role...example...someone of 1m70 with a + 10 ape index compared to someone of 1m75 with a - 5 ape index...the 1m70 climber is then seen as the short climber but has more reach and is lighter or the 1m15 climber...ape index matters a lot,all the 'short climbers' in comps have a positive ape index

Exactly this is what I have been realizing. And I do get psyched to figure out my own way of climbing. Thanks so much Hazel for sharing your thoughts and genuine opinions, I am sure it means a lot to many people :)

My current project in Squamish involves a long reach to get established into a crack, and I'm missing maybe 2cm of reach to make that move like most people do. I've had to resort to really working this section and finding an alternative beta, which turned out to be harder for me than the actual crux of the route 😂 I feel like this section gave me even more motivation to work the route and once it goes down I'll be even prouder. I keep telling myself "if it were easier it wouldn't be as worthy a challenge!"

This was good. I'm a short climber (5 ft 2) and everybody I climb with is taller (one of my climbing friends is like 6 ft 4), and it does get irritating when they can just skip holds or reach easily, and I have to jump. BUT I have the advantage with pockets since I can stuff my fingers in and they have problems with that, or starts that are super low (easy for me to get on and start, really hard for them). I think your last few points are the best - think of your reason why you do it (it's fun, and a good social outlet), you don't need to compare yourself to others, and get creative with how you do it. Thanks for the video!

Thank you so much for this video. I've always thought being short is my main limit and I struggled a lot thinking "I would be stronger if I were taller". To hear these things from you is a great help to me. Please, continue to bring these issues that everyone knows but nobody talks about! ❤

Thank you for posting this! So helpful and motivating!

Thank you for uploading this movie... so may guys do not understand my struggle as a short person and this helps!

So chuffed that you got a RU-vid Channel now! As a short climber, with fear of falling I massively appreciate your insight and advice. :)

i just start climbing this year, and i really love it. and itch time I strugle on a route (indoor) because it's too "morpho" i remind myself that ai mori (one of the best climber in the world) is 1M55 just like me. so the route isn't the problem i just need to imrpove my climbing and it will not be "morpho" anymore ! and mini hand are a big advantage in the gym i think when i see big guy struggle to put their two hands on the same hold it's quite esay for me .

I'm an average height male but also often find my own beta for routes. E.g. i remember a route where the guidebook said the crux section needed a big dynamic move but I quickly found a tiny intermediate that you can use to break it into smaller moves, which to me felt easier, while the big move might feel natural to someone maybe with more power from a modern bouldering background. choose your own adventure, dontchaknow

I have an 11th tip - find a climbing partner of similar height if you can! I climb with a friend who is close to my height at 5'2" (he's only 4" taller than me) and it makes a huge difference in terms of sharing beta and overall understanding of movement.

"get better at climbing and don't worry"

BEST EDUCATIONAL CLIMBING VIDEO IVE EVER WATCHED.

excellent first video.

On gritstone that extra hold for me at the weekend was a pebble 😂. Great video 😊

As a shorst climber (159 cm) I don't like the moments where some person higher than me tries to sell me some betas that wouldn't work for me even if the suggestion is said with a good will. As if they'd knew better what is best for me. I got to the moment when automatically I just ignore those suggestions like they're never said. I only accept them from my climbing instructor or my boyfriend (who is well tall but got to know me in that matter). There are still many moves I need to work out like high feet steps or dynamic moves but sometimes that gets me into the bad mindset when I see holds just above my head but cannot reach them statically as they are even 5 cm away on my full reach and there are no holds or steps I can help myself with. During the training I feel sometimes like giving 120% of myself whereas others just train as normal without any problems. But it is just the very beggining on my climbing journey as I am at 6c stage and currently I am aware that some 6cs can be 7as for me whereas for someone taller can be easy. Hopefully someday the trainings would pay off. Sometimes the change is noticeable that gives me much satisfaction. Being short I think means working more on the psycho than usually. Being able to do dynos where other just reach the holds.

Thanks for making this video. I'm not a particularly short climber but, as a woman of average height (5'6ish), I've still found some routes harder than for the 'average height man'. Not to mention the comment that '...there's no such thing as a reach problem!' Hah! But my flexibility has often helped give me a different sort of advantage. Also, some of the best climbers I know (of either sex) are short, and especially advantaged if they have a positive ape index. (I don't 😢). If you've ever watched arboreal apes, you'll see why! 😅 Also, I learned early on that focussing on developing good footwork was one of the best ways to improve my climbing, rather than just training for more upper body strength. Thanks again - I look forward to more thought-provoking videos.

Excellent video. Thank you. 5’7” male. Light. Love crimps. Find indoor boulder grades idiotic and outdoor sport grades so varied. We should expect that. I find setting my own board or spray wall climbs far more efficient for training hit find I can find funky beta outdoors with intermediates and footholds such that the climb becomes incomparable to the climb my 6’2” friend just did on the same quick drawers lol

Maybe we should start our own club of short climbers around the world :D we could spread short friendly beta 😂

BIM subbed

❤

-5 ape index here [waves]. This is all useful, but there's a sizeable difference between being a short climber and being a climber with a pitiful wingspan. I'm jealous of other 'short climbers' who have great reach, or even a neutral ape index (like Hazel).

Out of interest, what's Hazaels ape index ?

am I wrong in thinking that almost all the best female climbers are quite short? And that very few top level female climbers are tall?

I have tall climbers try to follow my leads and they pften havevto do different moves, because my short beta didnt work for them. They often find a way that "looks" easier for everyone but its actually just easier for them, itd be harder for me. Just like my beta was harder for them. Im also not suuuuuper short, im 5 7

You two have such a good chemistry together - be careful, you might end up married 🙈😅

I am tall and when my short climbing partners comment on my reach I propose a thought experiment: I will give you 10 cm but it comes with 10 kilograms. They stop commenting and start climbing.

An important topic for climbing wasted in this video though. Not much content, gives nothing.

Great video to share with my daughter who is frustrated to be the shortest in her team and have a hard time sometimes in competitions. Thank you.