Shorty climbing 5.12??

I am 5 feet tall and can climb 5.10a. Will I ever climb 5.12? Many times I get shut down on harder climbs because they seem very reachy! I cannot find any footholds to try to reach higher! What does one do?

Also, do you need to be able to do pullups to climb 5.12? Being a woman, I find them hard, and not too sure I want to spend time training them if they're not needed!

Answer

Thanks for your question. Many short climbers like Katie Brown and Beth Rodden have been pushing climbing for women for years. It is very possible for short climbers to climb hard. You just have to learn your strengths and find new ways of doing things.

Doing pull ups will certainly help you in long run.

-The Climbing Expert