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General Climbing Discussion

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Strength/Endurance for leading 1-May-2007 At 4:57:05 PM chris

Message

On 30/04/2007 dalai wrote:

>
>Still a lack of visiblility within climbing of the really good women climbers
>in the media and locally around at the gyms to be mentors and role models
>for other women getting into climbing. Though definitely on the improve!
>
>Possibly also for some women who have climbing partners they may underachieve
>due to their male partners fragile ego if their girlfriend outcranks them...

Don't mean to disagree Dalai... maybe where you're from there are not a whole lot of women pushing their boundaries.

In Sydney and around I know of at least 7 women who have climbed grade 29 in the last year (including 2 who have climbed 31), and another 4 women who have "only" climbed grade 28, plus quite a few women climbing V7 on the boulders, and a few more climbing quite hard trad, 24-5 or more.
Interestingly their styles vary quite dramatically... you couldn't exactly call Sam Berry and my wife Karen dainty and technical... I've seen both of them burn off the strong boys on power problems in the gym and outdoors.

From what I have heard both Hannah Lockie and Jackie Middleton are climbing quite hard in Victoria, as well.

Despite my severely bruised and fragile ego, my heartless and evil wife quite happily outclimbs me on the rock and in the gym!

Don't mean to be contradictory, just thought it's worth recognising that there really are a lot of girls out there climbing hard.