Kai's Over The Head Heel Hook! (Ft. Kai Lightner) | Beta Break Ep.12

[@AlbertOkay]

Hey everyone thanks for watching and a huge shoutout to Kai for being a part of this video. I published the video at almost 3 am and was really tired and didn't add subtitles, but they should be up now! So if you have a hard time hearing the phone call turn on the subtitles! -A.Ok

[@strahinjamijajlovic8933]

Great work with the videos, I love it, keep it up! :) Here is another beta break from Petra Klinger from this week's comp in Austria. Hopefully it makes it to a video in the future. Cheers! kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXrWXoGoiciCa80

[@thexbigxgreen]

"There are a lot of variants when it comes to body shapes and climbing..." *cuts to Jujimufu*

[@SHOOPWOOOP]

me: puts in countless hours of training on hangboard, circuit wall, top rope, weight room, etc some people: nah u got that route cause ur tall

[@Orynae]

Didn't you know, being tall gives you access to magical climbing abilities, you get to skip all the work :O Just make sure to stop by the magic fountain to pick up your tall-people-only download code!

[@Nb_edu]

Everytime I top a boulder: You could do it because you are tall!

[@ArmenJosh]

Working an outdoor boulder this past winter I got called out for using "big man beta." Little did they know, I was using a 5'7' (also his arm span) climber's beta. For reference, I am 6ft with a +0 arm span. Not huge by any means, but on the slightly larger side. But I know people that will use their: little legs, big fingers, long legs, etc. as an excuse. Bottom line, don't use your morphology as an excuse and don't shame others for theirs. We all have to work with what we are born with.

[@AlbertOkay]

[@Dom-cq8pw]

@@AlbertOkay What I believe to be true ist that grading becomes very wrong when you are above average height or below average height. A 7A can easily become a 6A to a tall climber who can basically skip the crux on the other hand there might be a 6A that feels more like 7A because all the holds are extremly bunched up and you have to figure out your body position So in some cases i believe the "u got the route cause you are tall" is true, but people overuse it

[@misterx2133]

If you are planning more interviews in the future have the interviewees record their end of the call with their phone and send it to you. Much better quality than recording it on your end.

[@Mike-oz4cv]

Yes, it’s really hard to listen to it.

[@Gdawg_10]

Maybe add subtitles too.

[@AlbertOkay]

There are subtitles updated!

[@corkforktork]

So awesome to hear insight from the actual climber!

[@xremming]

If being tall was an advantage, we'd see the high-level competitions being dominated by tall people, just like we do with basketball and volleyball. Clearly this is not the case in climbing.

[@Bsmd25]

Yeah, most pro climbers are under 6 foot.

[@bibblybopbops441]

The fact that the tallest climbers are like 6'2-6'3 and they're rare, really says it all.

[@Govanification]

Being tall still requires a similar strength-to-weight ratio for hand and bicep strength, but taller people tend to be heavier and longer limbs require additional muscle mass to contract. For steep overhanging and crimpy climbing, being heavier is a huge disadvantage. So, it's all about a balance of traits, but in general being lighter is an advantage in climbing in many more ways than being tall, especially in roped climbing where endurance plays a huge role.

[@Tomwoodfitness]

As a 6ft 8 climber, I approve this message.

[@TheMetalButcher]

@@bibblybopbops441 Exactly. If tall was really an advantage, NBA players would dominate. More to it than that.

[@zoaxanthellae]

My thinking on climbing morphology is: the farther away your body type is from that of the average good climber/routesetter, the less grades mean to you.

[@jennifer4643]

So cool to hear from the climber themselves! Also really enjoyed the snippet when you interviewed Jain Kim in a previous video. Only next time when it's a phone call maybe consider adding subtitles, it was a bit hard to understand sometimes, especially if English isn't your first language. Otherwise I'm loving this series!

[@AlbertOkay]

I updated the subtitles so hopefully they help! Thanks for the support from overseas!

[@MotesofDust]

Kai used to climb at my home gym. His mom would hang out and sometimes when folks fell off of stuff, his mom would occasionally say stuff like "My Kai just did... (some impossible thing), just do that!" I always wanted to say "I know your son Clark Kent flew right up, but I'm human, let me fail this v7 in peace!" As an aside, it's hard not to feel super proud when you saw somebody starting out as a kid. He's always been a monster, but it's great to see him go so far

[@Basajaun10]

I´m 175cm, my climbing mate is 198cm. For every time we find that he has an advantage over me where he can skip a hard move, we can easily find the same that applies to me where I fit in the wall like a glove and he hangs like a ham. We climb anything together from boulder to long routes even psicoblock. Height in climbing is not comparable to weight in boxing, simple physics. F=m*a Figure it out!! I rather compete against my mate in a climbing competition than a boxing one. Beside that, I believe to be height way more advantage in other athletic sports like 100m sprint for example and as far as I know there isn´t height categories.

[@stuck_in_a_fishbowlagain652]

I have nothing to add of worth, except I am gonna start using “hangs like a ham” when I want to rag on my fellow climbing friends lol.

[@Leoridor]

I think the notion that height matters so much is common because most people are probably beginner-intermediate climbers. I am 6'3" and started to climb a year ago with a bunch of friends. We noticed that in the beginning, it was a huge boon to be tall. Breaking into the V5-V6 range now, I realize I have to just work on other things than my friends to continue progressing. Something people don't realize is that by being tall you are also heavy - only aggravated by the fact that your butt sticks out further from the wall assuming similar flexibility. So yes, sometimes I can still find a tall person beta to crush problems above my grade but just as often I struggle with e.g. overhangs that rely on specific boxes/a higher strength-to-weight ratio. I love finding a good unintended kneebar though :D

[@sunchips11]

I love making knee bars when they didn't exist for most. I'm 6'8" and have some advantages, but the "box" and sit starts are my bane.

[@Bloxeh]

I'm small, heavy and inflexible. I have the best of all worlds. Oh, and I'm weak 😊. At least I can only improve. Did my first V2 last weekend, heh. :)

[@emiki6]

Also long fingers are not optimal for crimps :D

[@Thisdown]

Unintended kneebar had me laughing

[@dincerekin]

@@emiki6 good for most pinches and slopers tho

[@helena2787]

When Kai said "and as always keep crushing it" it made so happy, anyways great video as always, Albert! Very interesting hearing about Kaiz way of thinking and solving problems :)

[@sebyyes7906]

Yo i was at that gym when he sent the black with the crazy drop knee! I didn’t even know he was a professional climber 🤦‍♂️

[@calebwinters3733]

I sent my first black tag the other day

[@adgarbault]

@@calebwinters3733 I still struggle with some of the purples lol.

[@AlbertOkay]

Yoo Akron gym !

[@sebyyes7906]

caleb winters @caleb so proud of you my man!!! I have gotten one black tag but that was before quarantine now I’m struggling to get back to where I was lol

[@sebyyes7906]

Albert Ok yeah rock mill has such a great atmosphere to it and the people are so nice and don’t judge

[@joseruiz4075]

Been climbing well over a year now and one of the biggest things I used to say when I first started was "Man it must be nice to be tall and reach like that." Let's fast forward now where I can do V6-V8 Routes every now and then. I'm about 5'5. Short wing span, but with amazing flexibility. The most exhilarating thing for me, is watching someone massive do a tough route their own way, (then maybe see a couple other do it a similar way, because of similar height and build.) Then when I hop on, it's an entirely different route I have to figure out because of my size. I may not be able to do big dyno moves as often as most, but my static movement is one of my best skill sets to be able to elbow lock, reposition in such a way that I solve using my own betas. Everyone has their own way of climbing, height is neither and advantage or disadvantage. The true disadvantage is having such a mindset.

[@GrubeAbzeichen]

Please keep trying to reach the climbers directly. Sooo amazing to hear directly their thoughts as an addition. Great Video!! :)

[@AlbertOkay]

I'll try my best to do so in the future!

[@mrgoatbeard]

What's crazy about Kai is he had to adapt to the longer reach as he was brought up climbing as a 5 foot nothing kid...has been a blast watching him grow from when he was 11. Fun fact, his first outdoor trip was a small bouldering field in Uhwarrie National Forest that had probably 15 solid problems...he was so excited he kept forgetting we needed to put crash pads down before he started climbing and he would be 10 feet up before a pad was put down...super energetic kid.

[@XxXStoneFingerXxX]

6'7" tall, 6'10" wingspan with 205lbs - intended beta is just a recommendation at this point for me. Tall usually also means heavier, so for V6 and upwards, height is more of a disadvantage.

[@peterlustig8021]

I found my drop knee a week ago! 195cm hahahha that stuff is great. I also love high heel hooks, they are so relaxing. Btw being at such extremes, no matter how tall or short: You gotta make your own beta all the time, you have to be able to project your body onto the wall and so on. Being average hight and weight etc - THAT'S THE CHEATING lol

[@Rottae]

as a 6ft woman, having climbed for 2 years, this entire video is inspiring and shows me tricks I can probably use to improve my climbing. Love it and I just want to go to the gym and try new stuff out.

[@powersergio]

As a climber who is roughly 5'5'' I've made my fair share of comments about taller climbers having an easier time with certain moves, but the same was said of how I have an advantages of fitting inside a smaller box for scrunched up moves. Each body size/type has their pros and cons, but a great climber will utilize their advantages and overcome their disadvantages. Great video showing the hurdles a taller climber has to overcome.

[@AlbertOkay]

You especially have really overcame everything man. You're so strong and found your style. I like how Adam Ondra is 6'1'' and Tomoa Narasaki is 5'7'' but both always compete for the top spot. Really shows that you can work with your body sizes if you know what to do.

[@Schelatine]

Hahah thank you for adding the cm on the screen, now I dont have to look his height up😂 Love the series, keep the good work up!!

[@AlbertOkay]

Thanks for noticing! I remembered to accommodate for the metric users out there!

[@danielscully9356]

To have a climber share the way they think of climbing is so helpful. It is actually helping me improve. Thank you. This is my favorite video from you so far. :)

[@TheKaryo]

Being tall can be an advantage and a disadvantage, same for being small every height has pro's and con's

[@AlbertOkay]

True!

[@joseruiz4075]

I strive in crunched up overhangs, where taller people would struggle. As I struggle for massive dynos, where people with larger figures find it easy. It all balances out really

[@JamesWongLife]

Thank you for added subtitles for the phone call, as someone who is hard of hearing, it was super tough to understand the phone call. For future videos, perhaps you can try Skype? It has an inbuilt recording feature so that you’re not recording through speakerphone, but instead recording directly which gives much better quality.

[@AlbertOkay]

For sure! This was the only option at the time but next time hopefully I can do it in person and bring my mic so I can get good quality! Thanks for the comment!

[@mtc7598]

The overall message that tall climbers don't have an advantage overall is the truth. Mostly in the beginning tall people have a huge advtange, but the more you climb and get better, the less height is important. I an see that with me and some friends as I got better than them, despite being the shortest out of them, when they had advantage over me before. The critique point I have on this video is the audio quality, not when you speak, but when Kai Lightner did, as it was pretty hard to understand him, especially if english is not your mother tongue, but I see that you updated the videos with subtitles, so that's pretty cool.

[@TedHolmwood]

As a 6'4" 200 pound climber, I have to agree with Kai on heel hooks. I have very long legs and I'm also lucky to be fairly flexible for my size. Heel hooks are like a gift from god, I love finding them where most of my friends can't get their legs. One of my favorite climbing partners is 5'3" and she rarely makes use of them. It's really fun to see how our styles adapt to the same boulders. She thinks it's so unfair when I skip moves on slab, but when there's a cramped sit start she gets the last laugh 😂

[@Kyllleur]

Really cool video again, and really nice to have the climber himself speaking about the topic! But in case the audio quality is so bad, it would really help to have some subtitles. I really struggled to understand what he was saying. But I'm not a native speaker, so that might be why I had troubles.

[@AlbertOkay]

Thanks Thu :)

[@Kyllleur]

@Thu Nell Ⓥ I totally assumed that the subs would be generated automatically! My bad hahaha

[@felix3821]

So cool to be able to hear from the athlete themselves ! Really good vid !

[@AlbertOkay]

Thanks Félix!

[@benhuckaby]

After climbing for 4 months and flying up the ranks to V5's and 5.11's, I love any sets that let me use a heel hook. At 6'1" and +2 wingspan, hearing Kai say that heels are his favorite, well, thats a man after my own heart right there.

[@chickenspy1854]

The way I see it, if being tall was truly that much of an advantage, the majority of professional climbers would be taller, but some of the best climbers in the lime light right now are short, so I agree with you. Also, there was a great beta break in the Women's Austrian Finals earlier today. Petra Klingler on boulder 4. It was amazing!

[@AlbertOkay]

Petra is so good! Definitely allot of heights can be successful in climbing and in allot of other sports.

[@Powderhorn916]

Love to see my favorite climber on the best climbing KZbin channel!

[@AlbertOkay]

He's such a great climber!

[@Powderhorn916]

@@AlbertOkay He really is! I always love his fluidity, and the creative ways he uses his height and wingspan to go up the wall.

[@andrewst.pierre2779]

Yo that shot at 0:35 is my home gym! Not surprised since Kai is from faryettville

[@connormatthews522]

Kai sounds like such a chill dude

[@seandelaney7780]

eyyyyyyyyy never been the first view! Good work man, keep it up!! I'm 6 foot 3, with a +2cm ape index, i hate being told i can only do problems because I'm tall, not because of the amount of time i put into training.... its the most frustrating thing! Especially when they don't understand the box principle, our long limbs keep our hips far from the wall if we wanna be in that box!

[@peterlustig8021]

Yee more respect to the tall and short folks! The averages are the ones with the easy lifes. Not to complain but they probably never thought that everything manufactured nowadays is made to average dimensions...

[@bobbobington3272]

Yea bro I have a similar problem. I'm 6foot 2 and a lot of people say the same thing to me. I spent half a year trying to not use my height at all

[@Simssss888]

Thanks for that video! I‘m 6‘ 4 and i always get talked at like: you have it so easy. You can just reach up. But thats not true. I always answer with ‚Yes‘, but most other moves, which are not long and closer to your centre are a lot harder for me than for any other little climber! If not impossible. The amount of strength i need to make the same move is enourmos! Think about clipping a hard clip with your 100° bend elbow right in front of your chest. Little climbers just chill there... There is certainly a good body type for certain moves or a certain style of climbing but it doesn‘t make you better or worse

[@AlbertOkay]

Especially at your height I bet cutting feet is really difficult since your swing is so much bigger than a shorter climber. Either way I'm sure you're beasting it up on the wall!

[@rmmichael95]

Every time I think I'm too big to be a crusher I think of Kai and Dean Potter.

[@dubzxi2979]

Me being 6' 3 as well, people always say "you only got it because you are tall." Its very frustrating when you climb v8 plus in gyms and always get discredited due to height.

[@seanrhm]

The same thing happens to me to, but I’m really short so it’s always “You only got it because you only weigh like 100 pounds” 😂

[@Cellkist]

People will come up with any excuse to make them feel better about what they did or didn't do.

[@Arrogan28]

There is always advantages on extreme but also cons and people only see the pluses they never register the failures because of the opposite way. Being tall means you are heavier and long holds are harder in my experience, but you get a better reach, though you also have some problems where shorter means u can brace yourself easier, and others were you can only brace if you are taller. It really depends on the route, and the climbers style. So this idea that taller or shorter is an advantage is clearly shown to be false in the stats of who wins competions, what wins is people who win using what they have and being genius in their use of their strengths.

[@sseppel]

Great video, just a quick suggestion: I'd have appreciated subtitles when Kai talks due to the low quality of the phone call audio.

[@AlbertOkay]

There are subtitles updated!

[@sseppel]

@@AlbertOkay Thanks from Spain, Albert, keep crushing it!

[@MrLightGaja]

My leg hurt watching this Drop Knee at 3:12 D: As always a great episode. Keep it up. Much love

[@unsexysadie]

ikr, my knee started aching

[@MitchellRoman97]

Hey 2:50, I know that Gym, good ol' Rock Mill in Akron Ohio! :D

[@lammy12ninja]

Love it keep it up man it was worth the wait :)

[@AlbertOkay]

Thanks Life :)

[@ctuchikAO]

Love this series more and more!

[@AlbertOkay]

Thank you thank you!

[@ThePooh858]

Awesome vid! Maybe consider adding subtitles for the over-the-phone interviews, since they can be a bit hard to understand without headphones.

[@AlbertOkay]

I updated the subtitles so hopefully it helped!

[@jonkrause6714]

Your videos are a “true beta break” and are wicked cool. 🤘🙏 Saw him at Mesa Rim Mission Valley and absolutely not only a powerful climber, but very fluid/balance based. His epic heel was at the top of the sport climb main pitch, and he literally hung out just chilling. My shoulder hurt holding the camera so long. 😂 Of course I got a good pic with him, too. 🤩

[@AlbertOkay]

Hahaha, he's such a nice climber and human. Also so talented!

[@ellawasincredible]

This is so interesting to watch and great to hear from the climber themselves! I'm 5'3" and climb with my boyfriend who is a foot taller than me so we have to read routes and go through certain angles so differently

[@AlbertOkay]

That's so awesome! Having a climbing partner that is different in height really makes things interesting when you can do the same thing, but completely different.

[@alexharkler]

0:37 Hey, I've climbed that pink route! Just not with the massive dyno...

[@iliakatster]

Yeah, as a 6'2" guy, I can tell you, sometimes you're laughing when you can just skip past a crappy hold and sometimes you're cursing out the route setter for putting all the footchips at your belly button.

[@jamis00]

You reminded me of Roman Mars for some reason. Wonder if there's something about route set designing we could pitch to 99pi.

[@AlbertOkay]

No clue who that is, but I'll go check him out!

[@francom8337]

After watching “light” documentary I have even more respect for this guy

[@michelbathke717]

Thanks for putting in metric measurements, also thanks for creating great content Ü

[@AlbertOkay]

I tried to remember for my non-American viewers! Thanks for noticing :)

[@Ida-qk2nj]

so cool that you got to chat with him directly!

[@aimenhamami8902]

I just found this playliste and i've put "like" on every one 👌 those videos are so interesting and well maid, keep up

[@morgendorffer3504]

As Wolfgang Güllich and Kurt Albert (german legends, inventors of the redpoint) put it: "The most important muscle in climbing is the brain."

[@NickB-zc2kq]

Great video Albert! Super useful and well put together :-)

[@AlbertOkay]

Thanks Nick :)

[@alexgalays910]

Almost the same height as him; being tall has pros and cons but probably more cons; lots of extra useless weight too. The best height is probably the average height of the route setters :p

[@paulw7491]

Sit starts are the absolute worst

[@jordi95]

@@paulw7491 couldn't agree more with you I'm at 6'3 and I strugle with the most basic routes when they have sit starts :S

[@tagaming200_7]

I wish I could get some climbing help, I'm 6'3 and have a 6'8 wingspan and don't really know what to do to train or get better

[@talkanything123]

Wait was that Ashima next to him? Ahhh so cool watching these legendaries and great interview :)

[@wh0ei]

Obviously being tall, or small and light, or having really tiny hands that render crimps to become jugs, or w/e can be advantageous in a specific boulder. However in general, I think it might just best to be average height as route setting is done for the average person anyway. At my local gym here people are quite tall (average dutch male 180-185, females 170-175). My friends from abroad always complain how some moves seem impossible as ' these boulders are set for giants!' and 'this is not climbing' and I get their frustration, but it goes the other way around also. At least for shorter people they still look cool when a boulder is too tall for them as they get to try and dyno for it, whereas tall people failing 'short' boulders just look super sad with their asses sticking out of the wall or getting crammed up in weird body positions: There is a a lot of awkward falling on your butt in a sitting up straight position.. it's not pretty.

[@fuzz6263]

I'm a Belgian climber and we have a similar height to the Dutch. It's quite interesting to me that you said the average height for women was 170-175, since I'm 170 cm and female myself and I'm definitely one of the taller female climbers at my gym. I always wish I was a little shorter. You're definitely right, it's not elegant to have to climb the short people beta when your ass is hanging off the wall...

[@peterlustig8021]

But as female that makes it even harder, doesn't it? Anatomy-wise the most challenging combo would be female + tall

[@fuzz6263]

@@peterlustig8021 Whoops. Gonna be hard.

[@eenhoornlover112]

Hi Albert! Again, great video! Love to watch them :).

[@AlbertOkay]

Hi eenhoornlover112! Thanks for the support!

[@jacknearing5283]

People act like being tall is always an advantage. Early on, it is, but I think it's because you're climbing mostly jugs, and someone like me can just reach them and brute force my way up. But longer limbs cause moves such as mantles and toe hooks to be harder. With mantles, there's more leverage acting on your limbs, so they're harder, and sometimes it's hard for me to actually straighten my leg when I'm toe hooking because there are no acceptable holds for my hands for my body to extend that much. Moves that require one to be bunched up are really hard for me to both get into and out of. For reference, I'm 6 ft 1 with a 0 ape index. Yes, sometimes being tall can help me do certain moves easier. But it can also be a disadvantage at times. The same can be said for people of any body type.

[@AlbertOkay]

Definitely being taller means you have harder leverage and can't fit in scrunchy boxes. There are some advantages since you can reach, but in climbing everything is a double edged sword which is why climbing is such a unique sport and so addicting.

[@jacknearing5283]

I completely agree! Also, thank you for taking the time to respond to people's comments. It's really cool to see that. Also your content is great. Keep up the good work!

[@blackwhitemarchen7274]

Funny thing to see the boulder where i climg nearly every day :D

[@Rufgaudas]

I was playing basketball a lot, before I started climbing (at 28y old), naturally to play basketball you need to have traits like high vertical jump, flexibility, also some height (I am 193cm). When you combine height with high vertical, well some interesting beta breaks happens, where in some extreme cases you can jump from start straight to top (my trainer was mad when I was doing it :D ). But 3 years passed, my vertical got down by quite a lot (I can barely touch basketball rim now, before I used to dunk easily), so this super jumping beta break doesn't happen anymore :). P.S. I hate low, small space, compact, box starts, I have to use so much strength just to hold on to start position, compared when shorter climbers just had casual easy time to start. But a lot of times I have a luxury of doing a lot of moves statically (thus much safer), esp feels good on slabs. That's the difference and trade-off :)

[@Wischmopp95]

My armspan is four inches shorter than my height. Yeah, it sucks when I have to dyno every move my friends can easily reach statically, but it actually really helps with keeping my hips close to the wall when I'm climbing overhangs.

[@justinlumpkin1874]

Yo magnus midtbø! This is beast

[@AlbertOkay]

Heck yes!

[@yaboi-km2qn]

that last one is the comp match of all comp matches lol

[@trashpanda2219]

The outro music is one of my favorite things

[@davidwellmann4985]

oh yeah height is broken which is why the average pro climber is like 175cm

[@biggbluecanoe7108]

Average height for men around the world is roughly 175cm, actually, so that average among pro climbers doesn't mean a lot.

[@RubinKlein25]

@@biggbluecanoe7108 It means pro climbers dont get a clear benefit from being tall, like some people try to claim. In other sports like basketball or volleyball its a massive advantage and most pro's are a lot taller than the average person.

[@PopeyeTheVRMan]

Great video! I do have to say though, the poor quality of that phone call audio was distracting. Maybe it's my age showing... but I had to turn on CC to get all of it xD

[@AlbertOkay]

Hopefully the CC helped out!

[@softwareengineer9435]

This seems really fun sport. Where to watch the competition?

[@OutdoorHawaii]

So sick you should totally try to bring climbers in to discuss the climbs again

[@AlbertOkay]

Hopefully I'll be able to in the future!

[@maxe.1598]

Hi Albert, if you can't see my other comment: Petra Klingler did a really cool beta break yesterday in the Austrian Climbing Summer Series - Women's Final, Innsbruck. Timestamp 1:42:00. You should take a look at it :)

[@maryianek]

I hear everytime and from everyone that something is/will be easy for me because im tall (190cm) and i don't like it. Everyone hates it when I easily reach hold that is difficult to reach for everyone else but i feel like I have to struggle with every other move more. I feel my height is rarely a game changer on a route and when it is I try "harder" way anyway just not to miss out on cool moves and to improve. I wish I were short in that regard, I prefer dynamic climbing style anyway and it is much easier when you are shorter and lighter.

[@turtledudelogan]

Awsome video, keep it up

[@AlbertOkay]

Thanks Logan!

[@HeldVenom]

The fact is - sometimes something comes down to winning a genetic lottery. That's a part of life, and it's okay. If people see something like a tall climber reaching a hold higher up than they could and their response is to get mad, here is a thought for them: Think of the kind of person who sees that and is happy to see a person maximizing their innate abilities. Now think of the kind of person who gets pissed and upset that they don't have that same advantage. Who do you think is more likely to succeed and be rewarded by their society long-term of those two people?

[@Orynae]

As a shortish woman, when I'm climbing with a group of average-height dudes, it really feels like their height is an advantage because they can all share beta with each other whereas I might have to find a different way. I mean, I know their height isn't an _inherent_ advantage, but sometimes watching them do a move that is just physically impossible for me because of my much shorter reach is... frustrating. I suppose deviating from the average in the other direction can be just as frustrating X) (Of course, it's fun too! Sometimes you get to make up some fun moves, and it feels pretty cool when you come up with your own beta and your friends are like, wow, that was clever)

[@Bloxeh]

Same here! I'm a 5'2 female and go with two tall dudes. They come up with betas for me and in half the cases they overestimate my reach. But, I get more route out of my entrance fee ;).

[@stephantom8237]

I think taller-than-average guys are right to complain about people complaining about their unfair advantage, because it has to also be a disadvantage. But there is no way that being an average guy-height climber is a disadvantage, overall. lol Routesetters in gyms try to be inclusive, but that is still MAINLY what they're using as a benchmark for most problems. And outdoors, most problems are established by average-height guys, and therefore graded around the difficulty of that particular beta, soooo. I kind of think being an average male height IS actually an advantage, just based on like... the likelihood of encountering climbs well-suited to you.

[@AlbertOkay]

It sounds like you have such a fun group with allot of diversity! I'm sure it helps you think and learn off of each other in such a fun way. I know for a fact that you're smart and creative enough to solve every problem uniquely for your body size!

[@itscloudracing]

I don't get why people are complaining about this when literally every other sport has a more ideal body type in order to succeed. You don't see people complaining that NBA players are at an unfair advantage because of their height or volleyball players because they have stronger leg muscles and thus a higher vertical. I think climbing is a sport where the "ideal body type" is incredibly diverse, farm more than other sports.

[@michaelcarruth7138]

I've coached and have been a routesetter, I'm also 6'2"... you try and optimize a route or boulder for average height, generally. Sometimes, I set for 5 year olds... it's a ridiculous sight when i pull on to test those climbs, squeezing myself into the "box". When the shorter people or kids complain that I can do a move more easily, or skip a move all together, because I'm tall, I don't bring up my practice of technique or my training of strength and flexibility (well sometimes i do, If I want to encourage them to focus on those areas as well)... I tell them their lucky because they get to do more climbing. The shorter you are, the bigger the walls are, and the more you have to climb to get up them. The more climbing the better. ... I'm jealous.

[@tomaszzielinski4521]

Oh, so there's a chance for me! :)

[@theperserker]

waiiit a second...at 1:21 are you climbing near dortmund????

[@hirnzocker6714]

and 2:04 in Nürnberg

[@AlbertOkay]

Morrison, Colorado!

[@16m49x3]

I climb with a friend of mine that's really tall. Some times when the last move of a boulder is the crux, and he can just skip it, that does feel a bit unfair as he doesn't have to get over it. But it's not like it matters. We're just climbing to have fun.

[@AlbertOkay]

I'm sure there are situations where you have advantages over your friend as well! Climbing is a very diverse sport with something for everyone and like you said it's for fun!

[@16m49x3]

@@AlbertOkay While I am sure there are genuine advantages to being shorter at a high level. I haven't really experienced those yet at our level (just getting into the 6es)

[@AlbertOkay]

@@16m49x3 I'm sure when you get to the point where it does it'll feel great! Keep it up!

[@maxe.1598]

Size is often an excuse when not being able to top a boulder. But you have to realize it's a bad argument, when little (strong) kids in your gym can clim wicked problems and you can't.

[@alexgalays910]

It's a total beginner excuse :p "it's easier for you, you're taller" which to be fair, might be true for VB/V0 where there are so many holds to choose from. Then you get humbled in frog like moves, sit starts, moves where you just have to bend your arms more, etc.

[@1337-David]

@@alexgalays910 sit starts are the bane of my existence *shudders*

[@calebwinters3733]

I sent my first black tag is bouldering yesterday!!!!

[@AlbertOkay]

Nice!

[@milspectoothpick4119]

Something I think people forget about when complaining about taller athletes, we have the same muscle and bones... As ANY animals body gets bigger and bigger, there are limitations to muscle, bone, and even organ strength that can become problematic. Body mass increases exponentially with size but muscle and bone strength do not. More fitness is used up by just holding their own weight up instead of moving around. In some sports like basketball it's not much of deal breaker, but in something like climbing it can really make a big difference.

[@glassharmonica]

I like the comment about Ondra only being able to climb 9c+ because he's so tall... I'm thinking to myself, the guy that did the first 9a onsight is only 5"7" (Megos) lol

[@jaelabi19]

I just found this channel, and stumbled into a world I didn't really know before! (I've also binge-watched all the videos in this series & now it's 3:30 AM, but let's not think about that). I had a question that I was wondering if you (or anyone lol) could answer - what about glasses? In most sports (or just life in general), people wear contacts, so that glasses don't get in their way. But throughout your videos, I've seen climbers with glasses on while climbing. Doesn't that get in the way? (Especially when I see them with their faces basically pressed up against the wall).

[@AlbertOkay]

Sometimes they do get in the way, but it's pretty rare! I climb with glasses on all the time and they've only knocked off twice but it was my mistake that they did. I do have contacts if I'm weary that they will let in the way and allot of climbers have contacts as well. Thanks for watching and exploring!

[@jaelabi19]

@@AlbertOkay Thanks for replying! I look forward to more videos (:

[@Felix-zy1rc]

I am 202cm in which box am I going to fit in?

[@Crooklyn7]

Should’ve called it the “Kai hook” as a reference to the sky hook😂

[@rkwd86]

"there are no morphologic problems, only weak climbers"

[@91722854]

anyone noticed how strong that mono is at 9:11!!!

[@AlbertOkay]

It's pretty crazy! I do know some people at that competition and it was more like a 3 finger pocket, but still hard regardless!

[@katjas6107]

People saying that being tall is cheating, are playing the game wrong. I see climbing a little as a human puzzle, you use the pieces you have. So it is kind of weird you mention the cheat comments so often in your vids. Another upside of being short, it is super fun to see my tall boyfriend work himself into difficult positions because he wants to skip a step. Just that look of 'wait a minute' on his face is priceless!

[@thiagowaldhelm]

Man, this was so entertaining! Pretty cool to have Kai's insight on his own style of climbing. I hope you're able to do something similar with other climbers moving forward too! It's always nice to know what goes through the minds of these amazing people. And regarding climbers' bodies, it was interesting seeing that comment about Ondra, because Ondra himself has addressed the issue in one of his videos: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r3fJnIKDbbead7c Anyways. Congrats on the nice video, Albert! Keep rocking it! 🍻

[@annick8960]

I'm 167cm and the friend I climb with is 190cm. I always say that he has an advantage on the wall because he's tall. Maybe Kai should come to the Netherlands and practice here! Most people here are tall, so the routesetters are taller than average.

[@AlbertOkay]

That sounds like an interesting place to climb at, I'm a bit of a taller climber so I'm sure it would be really fun to climb there one day!

[@cgrcooke]

Great video buddy

[@AlbertOkay]

Thanks Charlie!

[@insertphrasehere15]

The reason height and reach aren't the 'game breaking' advantages that they seem to be is because shorter people have a better power-to-weight ratio. Essentially those longer leaver arms of taller people are a double edged sword. The larger frame means they fit more muscle, and hence have more power, but the rate at which power increases is slower than the rate at which body weight increases. This is why kids are such naturally good climbers, and why most random twelve-year-olds can do more pullups than the average adult. Add to this the fact that the heavier weight means you have to put more weight on the same surface area of a hold (or approximately anyway); the surface area of the hands that one can put on the holds DEFINITELY does not scale with height and body weight. This makes marginal holds more difficult to grip for taller, heavier, climbers. Add to this: when the moves are more bunched up, the taller climber's butt sticks out farther from the wall, exacerbating their weight disadvantage. Ultimately it means that while some climbs will advantage taller climbers, others rely on difficult to grip holds or technical strength and benefit the climbers with a better power-to-weight. Actually, more technically difficult climbs tend to advantage shorter climbers except where the crux is skippable with extra height. It is up to route setters to have a diverse range of moves and types of difficulty in any competition, which helps even things out.

[@sarahpreston4558]

2:44 oh hey that's my gym :)

[@AlbertOkay]

Houston Gym!!! Such a great gym :)

[@clintonroose4517]

Funny thing, as a 6'7" climber I get cheating because you're tall all the time; however, quite a few times it can be a hindrance because you think you can solve the beta one way only to find out that either A the next reach is way too long or B you end up getting yourself in a weird pretzel and have to re-think it.

[@WestCoastPA]

4:10 thats my gym!

[@AlbertOkay]

Heck yes! East Coast gyms FTW!

[@drewdurant3835]

I am 5”4 with a +5.

[@aidanloeser4890]

"Oh my hat" 8:07

[@AlbertOkay]

Whoops!

[@WuschelofDespair]

Awesome to get the climbers perspective but e audio quality of his call is abysmal, very hard to understand

[@AlbertOkay]

This was the best quality I could get, check subtitles if you can't understand!

[@WuschelofDespair]

Albert Ok Good idea. You could also try to add some in the first place as well : ) anyway, thanks for the effort to get the climber on the Video, my comment wasn’t meant as an insult or anything, just a piece of criticism so you could improve on it in future videos. KZbin autoplay was about to Switch to the next video so I kinda rushed my comment, maybe that’s why it came across in a mean way. Sorry about that. Keep up the good work

[@xmnemonic]

@@AlbertOkay I think some kind of app-based or Voip calling would have much better audio. WhatsApp call audio quality is MUCH better than phone, probably similar with Zoom, Facetime, or Skype. I used WhatsApp to call colleagues on the other side of the world and it was crystal clear, seriously helped with communication since they had accents.