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Is climbing the same for women as for men?

startedwithtrees

15-Oct-2009
1:47:44 PM

I was pretty proud of "climbing" today... :)

So I'm wondering what the chockstone public thinks about this article - http://www.doublex.com/section/life/rock-climbing-only-truly-gender-blind-sport.

It basically says climbing is the only sport where it doesn't matter if you're male or female, because you do the same things. Thinking about it I agree - although more guys climb and tend to be physically stronger, there's noone standing around saying "chicks can't climb" and girls that do use the same gear and climb the same things and get the same encouragement from climbers of both genders, in my experience.

Relevant bits:

"Sports generally reward bulk, speed, strength, and, often, height—all traits in which men tend to have the physical advantage. But climbers can’t rely on brute strength alone. The typically feminine assets of balance, flexibility, and a sprinkle of grace are essential to navigating the vagaries of ancient rock and plastic gym holds. (To effortlessly “dance up the wall” is a high compliment.) Excessive bulk, be it muscle or fat, while not a showstopper, is a definite disadvantage in a sport that rewards a high strength-to-weight ratio. Height can help or hinder, depending on the contours of the rock."

"True, most of the top climbers are men, but in a few cases, women have accomplished what men could not"

"On rock, your partner is the No. 1 buffer between you and gravity. In moments of fear, as your legs shake and your grip gives out, the gender of the person holding the rope is the last thing on your mind."


ajfclark

15-Oct-2009
2:36:41 PM

Link above doesn't work. http://www.doublex.com/section/life/rock-climbing-only-truly-gender-blind-sport

gfdonc

15-Oct-2009
2:44:27 PM

You may have a point, my question would be:
what do women say instead of WHO'S MY BITCH!!
when they finally send that desperate project?

gfdonc

15-Oct-2009
2:46:26 PM

oh, and to respond to the genuine question, the simple answer is: Lynn Hill, FFA of The Nose, Yosemite Valley.


IdratherbeclimbingM9

15-Oct-2009
3:12:41 PM

On 15/10/2009 startedwithtrees wrote:
>So I'm wondering what the chockstone public thinks about this article
>- http://www.doublex.com/section/life/rock-climbing-only-truly-gender-blind-sport.
>
>It basically says climbing is the only sport where it doesn't matter if
>you're male or female, because you do the same things.

True they do the same things, however I think the physiological and psychological aspects were largely neglected in that article. The way the things are done can be quite different for many climbers (irrespective of gender).

I thought this bit was interesting.

Just to make sure my love of climbing wasn’t muddying my view, I looked for comparable gender dynamics in other sports. Pairs skating was out because of its strictly defined male-female roles. Plus, the costumes and thick makeup promote a girliness that is blatantly retrograde in the context of sports. Sailing was a possibility, until I came across studies and news articles showing that many dude mariners are anchored to a tradition of male chauvinism.

... Some people like dressing up?
... Male chauvinism abounds in many places, and on the random sample of some recent posts to Chockstone, would indicate it can be played to effect by the opposite gender!

>"On rock, your partner is the No. 1 buffer between you and gravity. In
>moments of fear, as your legs shake and your grip gives out, the gender
>of the person holding the rope is the last thing on your mind."
>
Partially true. The climbing system is more than just a belayer.


cruze

15-Oct-2009
3:14:16 PM

I would have thought that target shooting would have been the number one "sport" where gender doesn't matter.

egosan

15-Oct-2009
3:36:13 PM

Quoting from the article: "The typically feminine assets of balance, flexibility, and
a sprinkle of grace are essential to navigating the vagaries of ancient rock and
plastic gym holds. (To effortlessly “dance up the wall” is a high compliment.)"

I suspect Baryshnikov
might have something to say about the inherent sexism sneaking through her
statement. Small, thin fingers surely are advantage on many routes, e.g. Passport to
Insanity, however so is a long reach handy on many days.

This fluff piece is just that fluff. "I like climbing because it allows me to play with the
boys." Great. Good for you. Gender stereotypes are self reinforcing and in general
useless when predicting anyone's performance or behavior.

hero

15-Oct-2009
4:03:23 PM

Startedwithtrees,

I've just been sorting through a huge pile of books donated to a Frinj art project (yes, for those reading from other threads we are going to wrap the pharos in paper) by a woman climber who has been around since Kim was a boys name. She has thrown out some thirty years of feminist classics.

The thing I always liked about the Australian climbing scene was that there have always been a number of strong women in it (I don't mean physically), and these women have collectively influenced the sport and the behaviour of men within the sport (at least when they were in earshot of these women). I've had the good fortune to climb with many of these women (and no, pointing to another thread) my grades never went up as a result).

I have not noticed a similiar feminism in other parts of society I inhabit, with the exception of academia.

The sport has been much richer in this country for their presence.

PS: Anyone want to buy the essential feminist library?

gfdonc

15-Oct-2009
4:24:32 PM

Is this the same person who ran the "Sheer Height" climbing school? Gets my vote as one of the best puns of all time.
(if ya don' geddit try this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shere_Hite)


MisterGribble

15-Oct-2009
4:27:14 PM

Someone has to do the pots after dinner at the campsite.....

hero

15-Oct-2009
4:28:16 PM

That would be you mostly Mr Gribble, would it not?


IdratherbeclimbingM9

15-Oct-2009
4:29:58 PM

On 15/10/2009 hero wrote:
>I've just been sorting through a huge pile of books donated to a Frinj art project
(snip)
>PS: Anyone want to buy the essential feminist library?

? ^{Donator will be pleased.}


MisterGribble

15-Oct-2009
4:36:30 PM

On 15/10/2009 hero wrote:
>That would be you mostly Mr Gribble, would it not?

Mrs Gribble doesn't like having dirty pots around before the round of after dinner mints.
You know me so well.....

simey

16-Oct-2009
1:00:50 AM

I thought the article was lightweight fluff. It didn't acknowledge that climbing competitions have male and female divisions, whilst sports such as equestrian actually have men and women competing against each other at Olympic level.

Personally though I would love to see more women competing in open divisions against men, not only in climbing competitions but in other sports as well.


Doc

16-Oct-2009
8:50:51 AM

On 15/10/2009 gfdonc wrote:
>You may have a point, my question would be:
> what do women say instead of WHO'S MY BITCH!!
>when they finally send that desperate project?
>
How about"Who's been a naughty boy then?"


harold

16-Oct-2009
1:52:53 PM

On 15/10/2009 gfdonc wrote:
>oh, and to respond to the genuine question, the simple answer is: Lynn
>Hill, FFA of The Nose, Yosemite Valley.

Or more recently, the last world cup event at Puurs where the super final for the women was held on the mens final route. In the mens final Adam Ondra topped out and Patxi Usobiaga was 2nd falling about two holds from the top. In the womens Johanna Ernst fell one hold higher than Patxi so she would have been 2nd in the Mens!

widewetandslippery

16-Oct-2009
1:55:26 PM

On 15/10/2009 IdratherbeclimbingM9 wrote:
>On 15/10/2009 hero wrote:
>>I've just been sorting through a huge pile of books donated to a Frinj
>art project
>(snip)
>>PS: Anyone want to buy the essential feminist library?
>
>? ^{Donator will be pleased.}

How much?

sousau

16-Oct-2009
10:47:00 PM

women kick ass at long distance swimming. fat=float


JamesMc

17-Oct-2009
9:56:12 AM

I reckon women have equal ability in all three sports worthy of the human spirit (mountain climbing, motor racing and bull fighting).

JamesMc

hero

17-Oct-2009
10:44:09 AM

Is JamesMc the avatar of Ernest Hemingway?

There are 22 messages in this topic.