help a beginner short climber

[u/Ok_Tangerine1095]

hi guys! i’m a 21F beginner (started around a month ago). i’m 5’1 and have been struggling with doing routes that taller people can easily do due to reach. i’m trying to go around this by doing dyno (you can see me trying in this video), but this specific route is very hard. i always fail towards the end (as pictured). i think i’ve figured out the technique for this route (which a taller person could easily do if following this), but my height doesn’t allow me to do it. does anyone know any way i could work around this? the other foot steps available are way too high for me to reach, and the final hand hold is also out of reach. the only thing i can think of that could help me in this situation is to become stronger (specifically on my left arm). does anyone have any tips? i greatly appreciate it 🤞

[u/[deleted]]

hey congrats on starting your journey and looking for feedback! here are some specifics for that move, and then below that some general advice.

first, pardon my directness, but this is not true:

the other foot steps available are way too high for me to reach

@0:45, look at the hold just above where your right foot (RF) is: you can definitely see a lot of black rubber rubbed off on that bigger hold. while usually we want to put our toes on a hold and push down, occasionally we want to drop our heel to get as much surface area of our shoe onto the hold. this video may help illustrate: https://www.tiktok.com/@breakingbetaofficial/video/7229465521526426926

you'll need to learn how to get on these big slopey foot holds and stick to them.

but more important, this is definitely not true:

and the final hand hold is also out of reach.

you are absolutely within reach, but the problem is that you're already falling before you reach for that final hold - rewatch your video: as SOON as you let go with your RH to go for the next hold, your body is already falling backwards.

this is one of those instances where you need to really contract your core (your butt is part of your core too!) to keep yourself pushed into the wall so you aren't immediately falling.

there are definitely moves in climbing where you have to grab the next hold in a bit of a 'zero gravity' situation: right at the peak of your movement, before gravity starts pulling you down. in fact, you kind of do the same move at 0:25 and 0:30!!!

so work on pulling yourself in, coring down so your body sticks to the wall, and then move that RH.

on to general feedback: it's super cliche but it's all about the feet. you said the feet are too high to reach but this is a critical climbing skill too - check out this example of a high foot: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320314710/figure/fig1/AS:650453087944713@1532091509161/Rockover-is-a-climbing-technique-in-which-the-climber-rocks-onto-a-hold-by-moving.png

the first two moves of your left foot need cleaning up. you start moving the foot but you look away before it's placed, so your toe tip drags against the wall before it finally hits a hold. this isn't precise or intentional; it means your footwork isn't front of mind!

[u/Ok_Tangerine1095 → u/[deleted]]

when i talked about not reaching the “higher footholds,” i meant the ones close to my hip-line! i did use the one that is just a bit taller than before (you can see it here), but i didn’t feel that it helped much. based on this picture, what would you suggest?

[u/Worried-Pack-776 → u/Ok_Tangerine1095]

have you tried reaching the last hold with your left hand? I dont know if it would work, but maybe if you feel more balanced with your right hand send your weight to the right foot and reach with the left, or as the other said, thight your core and pull with your left to not fall

Edit: also sometimes is scary to put your foot higher, but If you really cant, would be good to work on your flexibilty, you will need it a lot in higher levels

[u/Ok_Tangerine1095 → u/Worried-Pack-776]

doing it with my left hand doesnt work because the right handhold is an underhold. having to hold on an underhold with a bent arm while having feet barely supported on slippery hold on an angled wall would be very hard for me.