Ape index: How big is the advantage in climbing?

As a tall and pretty heavy climber, I’ve always struggled with boulder problems that require balance and those with sketchy, crunchy starts. However all my friends always say that my height and long arms give me an advantage, but do they? My ape index is +1, but compared to pro climbers, some of whom even have -2, does it really give me an advantage?

What is the ape index?

Coming straight out of the Roman Empire, what we know today as the ape index is the result of an ancient philosopher, Vitruvius. This is the idea of the “perfect man” depicted in Leonardo Da Vinci’s work “Vitruvian Man” (below) shows a human with an equal height/arm span ratio, so an ape index of 0.

The Ape Index is a correlation between an individual’s height and arm span. Some people believe that the greater this ape index, the better climber you will be if your arm span is longer than your height. So in theory, that sounds kind of true, but does it really offer you an advantage in climbing?

Regularly, the average ape index in humans is zero, like in Leonardo’s sketch, meaning it’s neutral. If your arm span is longer than your height, then your ape index will be positive. Now, it doesn’t go very high, with a few exceptions: most climbers have one or two centimeters in addition to their height.

There have been cases where great climbers had negative ape indexes. For example, Lynn Hill, the legendary Stone Master from Yosemite and overall badass, managed to be one of the greatest climbers in history, rocking a negative ape index.

Another important aspect is that your ape index is not influenced by whether you are tall or short. So you can be a short person with a positive ape index, like Sasha Di Giulian, who’s 157.5 cm tall and has an impressive +5 cm ape index.

How to calculate ape index

If you don’t know your ape index yet, there are several methods, some more complex than others. I consider that dividing your wingspan by your height is the best methold.

What makes this division method the most efficient is that whether you’re using the metric or the imperial system, you’ll end up with the same value.

As an example, we’re going to use one of my favourite boulderers of all time, Dave ‘The Wizard’ Graham. Now Dave has a height of 177.8 cm and a wingspan of 188 cm.

So this makes the math, 188 ÷ 177.8 = 1.06, resulting in Dave having a positive 1.06.

If you’re not a math scholar, you can always use the subtraction method, which will differ depending on the scaling system you are using. This method is really popular in Europe because of the metric system, and according to my research, it stuck pretty well in the US as well.

Let’s take Dave’s example again. This time, we’ll subtract the wingspan from the height like so:

W 188 cm – H 177.8 cm = +10.2 cm.

This a massive ape index! So maybe the ape index can come in handy when Dave does his magic.

Of course, there is always the third option; you can try our ape index calculator and get the right answer without having to do the math:

How does the ape index influence your climbing?

Whenever we fall over and over again on a boulder problem, we tend to look for excuses. The most common excuses are that other climbers are taller and/or have longer arms. But do your height and ape index make you a better climber?

Well, it depends, as we’ll see later in this guide, but in most cases, not really.

The first example that comes to my mind is our Stone Mistress, whom I mentioned before, Lynn Hill. Rocking a height of 157 cm and a negative ape index, Lynn schooled everybody in Camp 4 in Yosemite by sending the first free climb of the Nose.

In most cases, your height or ape index won’t really influence your climbing as much as your technique and, of course, strength. I’ll give you a personal example. My home gym is mostly filled with short shredders and teenagers ranging from 14 to 16 years old. Even if I’m a pretty tall guy, 185 cm and a +1 ape index, and they simply destroy every route while I’m struggling to get on the wall or shaking like jelly on a juggy route.

As far as I’ve seen, short climbers with a positive ape index might have an advantage over short climbers with a neutral or negative index. Small fingers are better for holding crimps or pockets and being closer to the wall while in an undercling is most definitely an advantage.

Different ape indexes in climbing, as well as height indexes, will influence the style in which you will be climbing and the beta. So, some moves will be easier for climbers depending on their ape index and height.

Some examples of different betas depending on height and ape index are Will Bosi’s and Jana Švecová’s approach to Terranova (V16) boulder or Katie Lamb’s Box approach to Therapy (V16), who had a “hybrid” beta combining Sean Bailey’s and Drew Ruana’s approaches. They were all able to pull the moves but the betas were different because of the height and ape index differences.

Ape indexes of pro climbers

Statistically, pro climbers, male and female, usually have a +2 ape index. An extra two centimetres doesn’t mean that much, but I know that it feels so, especially when you are on the boulder and stretching just to touch that far-fetched hold.

We’ll see that some of the best climbers out there, such as Adam Ondra and Alex Megos, have an ape index close to zero, which clearly rules out the so-called advantage of the extra centimetre that differentiates the pros from the Joes!

Can I increase my ape index for climbing?

Unfortunately, no, the ape index is a trait we are born with, and there’s no scientifically proven way that you can increase your ape index.

But if you want to improve your climbing, some training would be great! Working on your hangboard technique, strengthening your fingers, and getting stronger overall will help you become a better climber.

Also, a good tip to get that hold, which is one inch too far, is to just work on your balance so you can lean a little more. You can work on your balance by climbing slabs on tiny foot holds, and some exercises on the balance board are always welcome. With enough creativity, you can even get a full-body workout by using only the balance board.

Slacklining is a technique for better balance straight out of Camp 4 in Yosemite. A great pastime for the apres-climb, the slackline will work wonders on your footwork and ability to stretch.

What’s your way to compensate for your disadvantages on the wall? Whether you are too crunched in a route or it’s too far-fetched, what are your techniques for solving your projects?

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