![]() It’s commonly believed that a positive ape index (or an ape index ratio greater than 1) is good for rock climbing. Is a Positive Ape Index Good for Climbing? Alex Megos, one of the best sport climbers in the world, has an ape index of 0 (or, an ape index ratio of 1)Īnd Adam Ondra, arguably the greatest living climber, has a +0.4 inch (+1 cm) ape index.Babsi Zangerl, one of the best trad climbers in the world, has a -0.8 ape index (or, an ape index ratio of 0.99).Lynn Hill, the first person to free The Nose on El Cap and one of the most famous climbers of all time, has an ape index of 0 (or, an ape index ratio of 1).However, there are a few notable exceptions: If these averages held true across a larger sample of pro climbers, they would suggest that a positive ape index is an advantage in climbing at a high level. Keep in mind that our sample is quite small. Put simply, they tend to have long arms for their height. The handful of professional climbers in the table above have, on average, a positive ape index. This video is where I found the ape indices of many climbers in this list, including Adam Ondra’s ape index.Sharma’s is located near the top right and appears to read “2½.” Graham’s is located near the top left in blue and appears to read “4.” Hill’s is located at the very bottom and appears to read “0.” This photo is where I found the reported ape indices of Chris Sharma, Dave Graham, and Lynn Hill.A +7-inch ape index is already incredible. Because the video is of him training at Café Kraft in Germany, I’ve interpreted it as 18 centimeters, or about 7 inches. In this video, Kai Lightner says his ape index is +18.Note: If you know the ape index of a famous climber not listed here, put it in the comments below along with the source and we’ll add it to the list!Ĭompare your ape index with some of the world’s greatest climbers: Climber The downside to this method is that, unless it’s 0, your ape index changes depending on whether you’re using inches or centimeters. Using this method, the typical ape index is 0. When expressed as the difference between wingspan and height, Woods has a +4 ape index in inches, or a +10.2 ape index in centimeters.īottom line: This is the most common way climbers express their ape index. To calculate the difference you simply subtract his height from his wingspan: Method #2: Difference Between Wingspan & HeightĮxample: Daniel Woods is 5′ 8″ (68 in or 172.7 cm) with a 72-inch (182.9 cm) wingspan. The advantage of expressing your ape index as a ratio is that it will stay the same regardless of whether you calculate it using inches or centimeters. A number greater than one means your wingspan is greater than your height, and a number less than one means your height is greater than your wingspan. When expressed as a ratio, Woods has an ape index of 1.06.īottom line: The typical ape index ratio is 1. ![]() To calculate his ape index as a ratio you divide his wingspan by his height: Method #1: Wingspan to Height RatioĮxample: Daniel Woods, arguably the greatest boulderer of all time, is 5′ 8″ (68 in) with a 72-inch wingspan. There are two ways to calculate your ape index: divide your wingspan by your height or subtract your height from your wingspan. The ape index is measured because in sports like rock climbing, swimming, boxing, and basketball it’s considered an advantage to have long arms for your height. It’s believed that most people’s wingspan is equivalent to their height, meaning most people have a neutral ape index or, put another way, an ape index ratio of 1. ![]() The ape index is a measurement of how your wingspan (aka arm span) compares to your height.
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