Heaviest person to climb 5.14

Discussion Topic

Return to Forum List

This thread has been locked

Messages 1 - 20 of total 86 in this topic

<< First | < Previous | Show All | Next > | Last >>

mike m

climber

black hills

Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 23, 2009 - 04:35pm PT

Who is the heaviest person to climb 5.14

Brian

climber

California

Nov 23, 2009 - 04:39pm PT

John Dunne climbed a bunch of sketchy 5.13X stuff, and must have done some 5.14 equivalent at some point (translations from E-grades are notoriously dodgy). He's a big fellow. Not the sort of guy you would want to piss off.

Brian

Google Edit: He's climbed 8c+, which clocks in around 5.14c

Mighty Hiker

climber

Vancouver, B.C.

Nov 23, 2009 - 04:59pm PT

Both Largo and Peter Haan seem fairly large, and were climbing equivalently difficult things in the 1970s, by standards then. That is, climbs about as difficult as anyone was then doing.

klk

Trad climber

cali

Nov 23, 2009 - 05:46pm PT

thomas willenberg looks hefty. the bouldering sequences in inertia are really impressive.

more recent stuff here. he looks skinnier now:

http://4-seasons.tv/de/film/thomas-willenberg-bouldern-in-sachsen

426

climber

Buzzard Point, TN

Nov 23, 2009 - 05:49pm PT

5.15b is the hardest route as far as "standards" go...

I'm guessing Sharma is the heaviest to redpoint at that end of the spectrum...

pazzo

climber

Vancouver BC

Nov 23, 2009 - 06:08pm PT

I always thought that if your hands/fingers were smaller, crimping/pockets would feel larger, therefore the grade would be subjective!?

Jingy

Social climber

Flatland, Ca

Nov 23, 2009 - 06:16pm PT

I don't know his name, I think Johnny Dunne... from England, Peak District... The guy is massive and climbs just as strong...

All you big dudes have no excuses after him!!!

You can either bring it or you can't!

Brian Edit: Not the kind of guy you want to spot to the first bolt in Touloumne either!!!!

slabbo

Trad climber

fort garland, colo

Nov 23, 2009 - 06:31pm PT

John Dunne is not that big really- I doubt he is more than 180. I did the f/a of a 12C at 215 lbs (trad drilled on lead).
I remember Christian griffith saying- " I was part of the volumous elite at 6'3" and 165lbs" during a trip to Boux.

Tea

Trad climber

Behind the Zion Curtain

Nov 23, 2009 - 06:41pm PT

Just how big was Largo at his max? (Height and Weight please)

Always wondered that.....being a big boy, myself.

Dunne and Largo are my inspiration.

AbeFrohman

Trad climber

new york, NY

Nov 23, 2009 - 06:58pm PT

what about that big dude that went to india with sharma et al?

tom woods

Gym climber

Bishop, CA

Nov 23, 2009 - 07:06pm PT

Don't know the heaviest, but this is a skinny person's sport for sure.

slabbo

Trad climber

fort garland, colo

Nov 23, 2009 - 07:06pm PT

Talk about a slabo meat Tami?! HotHotHot Still doin' the naked blanket toss ?

Peter Haan

Trad climber

San Francisco, CA

Nov 23, 2009 - 07:09pm PT

Largo at his absolute peak form was 204 as I recall. I varied between 185-195 but was probably just right at 188. Larg and I are the same ht, about 6ft 1inch or 1-1/2 inch. Largo was actually stronger than I was, I think too. But we both could do one-arm pullups on either arm.

About hand and finger size vis a vis hold size, it is clear that the geometry of the hand and wrist tends to indicate that if you can get more fingers on a hold, that hold is better for you than for someone who has to leave out fingers because his fingers are big and thus opening up the hand geometry against the load. The hold of course stays the same but less of the human is addresssing it depending on that climber's size.

But in the end, it seems that no matter what, the most important body part of a climber is the mind.

Prezwoodz

Big Wall climber

Anchorage

Nov 23, 2009 - 07:09pm PT

The heavy thing is always interesting to me. I started climbing weighing in at 285lbs. Now I'm a nice light 236-240lbs depending on the day and I'm only 5' 10". I haven't climbed 5.14...in fact 5.12c is the hardest that I have successfully finished. But it always seems like it takes me so long to get my fingers strong enough to hold myself to the wall!

Curt

Boulder climber

Gilbert, AZ

Nov 23, 2009 - 07:12pm PT

Well, as far as bouldering goes, Scott Blunk (6'7" and 235lbs) can certainly crank hard enough. I've personally seen him do V8 problems.

Curt

Peter Haan

Trad climber

San Francisco, CA

Nov 23, 2009 - 07:40pm PT

John Dunne is a great example of a more current, larger climber. Note he put up Parthian Shot!!

Here is the only youtube i could find with John himself at work. The guy is a gas! He probably is about 190 in the video but other images seem to have him quite a bit heavier. Obviously he likes his pubs!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1GTAZOwdvk

Werd

Trad climber

Bay area

Nov 23, 2009 - 07:59pm PT

I clock in at 6'4" and 205lb.

I once lost 30lbs in 1wk due to a raging septic infection after a knee operation--1 month later and the weakest I've been in my life, I flashed sport routes at my highest level I'd ever climbed. This wasn't "winter weight" I lost; all of my wt loss was pure muscle (and I'm not a gym rat).

It made me a believer that weight is much more important than strength on sport routes--I think trad is so much mental that it's a wash on trad routes, at least until you get into 5.13 and above range. Alpine routes are obviously better for lighter weight folks, and most moderate aid (C2-3) is probably best for heavier folks--at least the hauling. I'd bet that dicey aid is better for lighter folks: testing a rurp with a 1kn+ load (me) scares me...

Now that I think about it, I've only ever seen one person climbing 5.12 trad or higher who weighed >180lbs. Not saying it doesn't happen, but I am saying that it's much more common and likely that someone climbing >5.12 is a lightweight or midweight.

Fat Dad

Trad climber

Los Angeles, CA

Nov 23, 2009 - 08:17pm PT

Kind of an odd question but oh well. I'd also toss Klem Loskot into the mix. Don't know his exact stats, but he appears far burlier than many of his counterparts.