Great Climbers...Born or made?

[skyhuck]

75mm and 83mm here = 0.90.

 

I think Rich's idea about ape index has more relevance, though.

 

Sit down on the floor, stretch out your legs straight. Now stretch out your fingertips and see if you have a positive (fingertips further out than toes) or negative (fingertips further in than toes) ape index.

 

In inches, I'm about a +4.

 

Rich will be about +24!

 

:confused1:Not heard of that one before??

 

I know you are supposed to be square, IE your span (arms straight out to side as far as poss measure from finger tip to finger tip) should be the same as your hight, but I have a span of 6ft4 but I'm only 5ft11

 

I

[arbclimber]

:confused1:Not heard of that one before??

 

I know you are supposed to be square, IE your span (arms straight out to side as far as poss measure from finger tip to finger tip) should be the same as your hight, but I have a span of 6ft4 but I'm only 5ft11

 

I

 

Thats interesting, i'm perfectly square.

 

Was either of your parents really really hairy mate?

[skyhuck]

Thats interesting, i'm perfectly square.

 

Was either of your parents really really hairy mate?

 

My dad was fairly hairy, as am I, I'm also ginger:001_huh:

[arbclimber]

My dad was fairly hairy, as am I, I'm also ginger:001_huh:

 

Ginger like an Orangutan?

[arbclimber]

I just tried Marks sitting on the floor and stretching your arms out experiment.

I'm so unflexible, I can barely touch my shins, let alone my toes. Even sitting on the floor with my legs straight out I can feel my hamstrings pulling:blushing:

 

I'm surprised I can walk, let alone climb:laugh1:

[skyhuck]

I think a lot of what Mike says about lack of fear and pushing your self is very true, and much more common in the young.

 

I remember before I left school (at 15) I went on a school trip too the lakes, we stopped at Devil's bridge for a swim, there were some older teenagers jumping off, out of the 20 of us I was the only one who would do it.

 

It was not dangerous, as we could see others doing it, the other lads with me were prevented by an irrational fear of jumping which I was able to over come.

 

Most of the fears faced in tree work are irrational and just need mental strength and self belief to over come them.

[Mark Bolam]

One of my mates is really good with a saw, but literally freezes on a stepladder.

 

He could never be made into a great climber.

 

On the other hand I'm many times better than I was through practice, but just know I would never have achieved 'great' climber status no matter what.

 

I think like in most walks of life to be 'great' you need to be born with the right qualities mentally and physically, than push them even further with training.

 

On the 'square' front Huck, I'm 5'9" with a span of 6'1".

 

I might start walking on one hand so I look taller!

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Everyone is born to do something, the one thing they have in thier blood, finding ones gift is the hard part, we all have our own paths to follow and roles to fill in this world.

 

 

Like most on here, I think truly gifted arbs are born, not created.

[Rupe]

I think Rich's idea about ape index has more relevance, though.

 

Sit down on the floor, stretch out your legs straight. Now stretch out your fingertips and see if you have a positive (fingertips further out than toes) or negative (fingertips further in than toes) ape index.

 

Thats just a flexibility test!! Not an ape factor. I can touch my toes easy, but years ago I could wrap my hand round my feet and lie down on my legs and have a little sleep! Nothing to do with length of arms, just good flexibility gained from serious hard work at stretching over many years.

 

I am only slightly longer in the armspan than I am in height so I have a +1 ape factor

[Mick Stockbridge]

It's in the blood!!!! My nan was a topless trapeze artist in the twenties with three tits and flew by the stage name of 'Triple Nipple'.......Luckily I only have two nipples but theres no doubting the natural ability.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hahaha, she did'nt really have three tits but she was a trapeze artist....