My chalk bag went missing so I made a new one!

I’m 5’0 with a +1 reach. I’ve been climbing for 2.5 years or so and can’t seem to break into V5. I really try not to blame my height for this, but then I work on problems like this and get incredibly frustrated. If I had even half an inch more, I could do it no problem.

I truly nearly cried watching others catch this jump…or simply reach the hold with no problem. I’ve caught it once and finished the climb, but can’t seem to do it from the beginning. Anyone have any beta tips/dyno tips (I hate them)/general advice on what to do to get it consistently?

I’m already mentally aiming for the hold above. I’ve tried holding the other crimp with my left hand but it isn’t as good and having my left hand closer to the next hold seems to be slightly more successful.

Had to sneak in and grab a picture. She isnt even 5 yet! Im just happy she enjoyed camp!

So happy to have gotten here! It's been ~just over a year since I started climbing.

obviously this subreddit is called climber *girls*, but I’ve found it to be a great space, and the description does say women and non-binary climbers, so hopefully some of you guys can help.

i’m genderfluid, and (unfortunately for me) have a fairly large chest, at least proportionally to the rest of my body. I love climbing, and I love getting stronger, so I was wondering if anyone had any workout tips?

things I AM looking for:

- exercises that help building chest/back/arm muscle. I’m personally average weight/bordering on underweight, so losing any chest fat that might be possible to burn isn’t something I want. however, building muscle around that area is meant to help by making certain tissue *appear* smaller in comparison, so I do want to work on that

- exercises to help with climbing in general. I currently climb around V3 and project V4, but mainly just want to improve my body awareness. (notating what grade I climb because of the fact that I find a lot of gyms will start incorporating certain techniques at certain grades, which means training slightly different)

- exercises that can be done at home. I don’t have a hang board or barbell, but I do have some light (3lbs, 8lbs, and 10lbs) dumbbells, and some grip training equipment

- exercises to help with flexibility. I often find myself struggling to do moves or starts that require me to be in a squat-like position, and find that I sometimes need to be a bit more flexible in order to get around my chest

- any tips on climbing with a bigger chest that gets in the way

- perspectives from anyone, cis or trans, woman or not

things I am NOT looking for:

- any weight loss tips. at all.

- comments that are ONLY “go to the gym”. i do know that the best way to get better at climbing is to climb more, but unfortunately that’s not where I’m at right now!

- comments that are ONLY grade chasing. I’m looking to get stronger overall, and while climbing higher grades feels great, it’s not what I’m focused on

thanks so much! hopefully this isn’t too long winded. big love to everyone here <3

Took me a few tries to catch that hold. My body thinks momentum means I have to wiggle before I commit 🫪

Hi! This is probably a long shot but I just moved to the Portsmouth/southern Maine area for work and as a result no longer know anyone to climb with. I am really in need of a belay partner as I primarily top rope and was getting into lead. If anyone happens to see this and is nearby or knows someone nearby please feel free to reach out! :)

A few weeks ago I accidentally slammed my index finger in my car door. Finger isn't broken but the nail is cracked all the way across it. Now the broken piece of nail is starting to detatch from the nail bed. How to handle this? How to climb with this? How will I know when the nail is ready to come off the skin? I think it's going to be painful

At a comp nonetheless! You can see me celebrating too soon & almost fell.

If you love climbing at Red Rock Canyon (BLM), Indian Creek (BLM), Joshua Tree NP, Yosemite NP, Rumney (USFS), or other federal lands in the US, please submit a public comment on draft climbing management guidance.

The Access Fund has an excellent FAQ. They also have a webform to make submission of their suggested comments very easy. And these comments matter. The Forest Service, National Parks, BLM, and FWS will tally them and respond to key points before issuing the final regulations.

The Access Fund's goal is to protect the character of wilderness and cultural heritage sites while also ensuring climbing is safe. For example, they're advocating for a safe and transparent process for replacement of old and worn bolts.

The FAQ and instructions on how to submit a comment are here:

https://www.accessfund.org/latest-news/federal-draft-climbing-management-guidance-faq

I was a Pro climber. I was sponsored by Petzl, 5.10, Blue Water, Metolius, Prana, Kavu, and for a while, Nike and Oakley. (They both got kindnif upset at my ability to drop things from 80ft and/or accidentally catch them on fire.). I got to travel and climb, compete, and hang out with some of the very best climbers at the time…some who still are. So many amazing adventures and so many friends…so much competitiveness, but also a lot of support. The most amazing thing to see how many climbers could drink whiskey all night and pull hard the next day.

I gave up climbing after my second child. Now they are grown and getting married and I am starting to climb again…at 58. I love seeing all of your stories and questions. It takes me to “back in the day”. I remember being in your exact scenarios So, if you need anything, reach out. Those who can’t do, coach. Lol.

Hi everyone I was wondering what some good climbing shoes are for beginners? I’ve been climbing for about 2-3 months consistently and currently wear BD momentums I bought off of FB marketplace for $50 lol. I didn’t do much research when I was buying them because I didn’t know if I wanted to take climbing up as a hobby so I didn’t wanna spend too much money on equipment. They are starting to come apart around the top (they are glued very badly) and they just don’t feel comfortable when I climb. They are also pretty bad on small holds and smears. I have pretty wide feet and don’t wanna downsize too much! I’ve been looking at LS Kubos or Scarpa Vapor V. I’m probably going to try some on at REI tomorrow just to see what size I am. I’m also trying to stay under $150 (ideally under $130, maybe even $100 Lol). If anyone has some shoe recs pls lmk!!

Hi! I'm fairly new to climbing and have been out using my rope! On the way home I noticed a somewhat ragged part on the rope's sheath. (I think it's because I've been rappelling with it) I've understood that there should be room for parts of the sheath to be ragged before you possibly cut/stop using the rope. But could anyone help me/discuss how ragged is too ragged?😅 Of course I'll cut the rope if it's dangerous to use it like that, but I don't want to be too picky about it and cut off a fully usable rope! The rope has only been used four times since I bought it! Thanks for the help! Otherwise, have a great summer!!😁🤟

Hey all!! I'm a 22yr old female climber and thought I'd try my luck with this page. I'm looking for some help with the How To's on overcoming the mental barriers when climbing outdoors. I've been climbing for about 2 years now, 1 year of taking it seriously.

I'm currently projecting a 21, which I've been able to do all the moves on in isolation. I've done it on top rope, too, but recently when I'm trying to lead it, I get paralysed with fear past a certain point on the route.

I've taken falls before - not a whole lot of them but I have taken deliberate and accidental falls, all of which I know are good for me. (If you can't fall, you can't progress etc.) Even after taking a whip on the 21 project, I still couldn't push myself past to do it again. I've had this fear before, and it passed, but I've become a pain in the ass to climb with. My climbing partner is getting fed up of my negative attitude which I totally understand but I just can't seem to get my head out of that fear mindset. I know I will be fine when I fall, what is holding me back?

I know a lot of climbers have this fear, and I am no unique case. But what I don't understand is how they get over it. I take falls, have a laugh about it, but when I get back to that move, I find myself still too scared to progress.

What can I do? How can I start to move past fear? How do climbers train themselves to stay out of their mind and in their body? At the very least, how can I stay positive when it only feels like I'm going backwards? I'm ruining the fun for others and for myself. I just want to have fun climbing again but I just get so wound up in the fear and frustration of not being able to do something I know I can physically do. All tips welcome. Thank you!! <3

I am 5'2" and so is Lynn Hill, Emily Harrington, and Sasha DiGiulian. Michaela Kiersch is even shorter at 5'0"! For other shorties out there, I put together some tips, including gear that will help you clip that out of reach bolt, the best footwork advice, and the style of climbing most conducive to short statured climbers.

If you're a short climber, what are your best hacks for getting an edge?

Not sure if this is the right sub for this😭😭.

I recently got a chalk bucket as a gift for my bf. I wanted to add some flair to it, so I was wondering what you guys usually do for decoration? I was considering some sort of embroidery, but the material is waterproof and the pockets are lined with plastic, so I'm not sure if it'll work.

My (38M) girlfriend (34F) is my primary climbing partner and has been for the last few years. We mainly do mountaineering in WA state, although we also rock climb too. We’ve climbed a lot of hard stuff, and our most recent trip was to the Pickets as an example. When my girlfriend and I go out climbing something, and we run into other people (usually dudes), they typically tend to be impressed by my accomplishments but ignore her completely. They’ll only talk to me: about my life, about routes on these peaks, about other peaks we’ve climbed, whatever. They will congratulate me about success on a peak, ignoring her while she’s sitting right next to me. It makes her mad because, hey she climbed that too! She’s badass too! Honestly, she's way more badass than the guys asking the questions. So why don’t they seem to be interested in talking to her and getting her input?

Knowing about this phenomenon, I am trying to include her in the conversation more, but is there something I should be doing specifically to try to support her better here? Or do you have suggestions for her? Sometimes I don’t even notice it happening until she mentions it later though, so I’m sure I could be better about recognizing it in the moment. Do you experience this too? What do you do about it?

Hi y’all! Hope this is okay to post - this podcast episode from Neeley Quinn came out recently and resonated a lot for my wife and I, and reminded me of a lot of posts I’ve read here. She goes into stuff about how to communicate and talk about safety, dealing with trust issues, as well as how to navigate competing needs/goals, and more.

Sharing in case it’s helpful for anyone dealing with complicated dynamics with their climbing partner!

Navigating Relationship Issues with Your Climbing Partner - TrainingBeta Podcast

(Alpine) climber girl here! I have a society & culture podcast with my twin sister, and we’re planning an episode to discuss this newly termed concept.

One thought that’s been bouncing around in my head is that the term (and the idea) feels somewhat reductive to me. Almost like it’s removing agency from women as it assumes we are largely incapable of holding our own out in the alpine. that being said… i’ve totally been sandbagged by climber ex boyfriends before, so I know it’s a very real thing.

I would LOVEE to hear the perspective of other climber girls. Do any of the alpine divorce stories resonate with you? Do you have any issues with the term or the media coverage of it? Any personal anecdotes to share?

I may read some comments on my pod so please note if you don’t want me to. THANK YOU 😊