UKC

Hi all,

I am a PhD student at the University of Cambridge looking for climbers to take part in a research project. It would involve 20mins of body proportion (think ape index, leg lengths, etc.) and body composition (think body fat % etc.) measurements as well as a lung volume measurement and grip strength test.

This will take place in both Cambridge and Sheffield over the next few months, and in the case of elite-ish climbers I'm also potentially willing to come to you elsewhere in the UK.

If you could be interested then sign-up here and I'll send you an email when new slots become available: https://forms.gle/yKpasMeiMqYg1ifA7

More information about the study is also at the link. Must be over 18 years old.

Thanks so much in advance, and please do pass on the link to anyone that might be interested, especially if they're elite level! By all means also post this in facebook groups or WhatsApp chats or anywhere else you think people might be interested! You wouldn't believe how hard it is to get hold of people!

Thanks all!

George

You might want to pitch the research to people, so that they can see whether they think it is worthwhile. I can definitely imagine many reasons why it is hard to get climbers to volunteer their time for a PhD student based in Cambridge, the flatest place in the known universe.

e.g. you could have posted your own staff profile: https://www.arch.cam.ac.uk/staff/george-brill

Just a thought, outdoor roped climbing in the UK is mostly trad, would it be worth including that grading in your questionnaire when asking about the highest grade climbed? Just feels a slight ommission coming from someone who has climbed a fair bit harder on trad (as nearly all my time/effort is directed towards that) than they have ever bouldered or sport climbed outside hence it wouldn't be a very representative answer if you're looking to correlate grade with something to do with the measurements in your survery! (Though if that isn't the case then please disregard this.)

Happy to sign up to your survey though as Cambridge based climber for a short while longer.

Cheers, appreciate the addition. I'm hopeful I'll get more sign-ups in Sheffield for exactly this reason!

Hi Elizabeth,

It's a good point, but unfortunately it comes down to the nature of the study. Sport and boulder on average give a better indication of one's actual physical climbing ability (which is what I'm interested in here), especially at mid-range grades due to the more mental nature of Trad.

You are right though--personal specialisms are always going to skew things, sometimes quite significantly, but shouldn't be an issue as this study is looking at maximum achievable with regards to certain body proportions across a population rather than matching measure to grade directly, if that makes sense! All that said, I will also be noting your trad grades anyway!

Appreciate the input and hopefully catch you soon!

Possibly if people came back with the results or findings, more people would be willing to help as UKC is academia friendly. It's bit like some posters come on here, asking a question and never return and say thank you. Not saying this is you, but it does happen. Good luck.

Cheers for taking the time to reply - sounds well thought out!

I've signed up - all the best with the PhD.

Especially people who’ve climbed much outside in last 12 months!

Also, it’s quite a jump from V0/5+ to V4/7a+ if you’re interested in ‘mid-range’ grades… I’m basically a trad climber too, but I’m happy to help.

Hi Dave, would be great to have you involved--please do sign-up!

And yes, you're right, it is indeed a big jump. Should cover people of all grades though, just need to be able to differentiate broad stratifications for the purposes of data collection quotas. The actual levels are determined based on International Rock Climbing Research Association grading cohorts if you're interested.

That did make me giggle a bit. How come not the health or medical research ethics committee?

Presumably because (according to his profile posted above) he's in the department of archeology

Yes, strange I know. Biological Anthropology (my department) is part of the Archaeology department here. You can be assured that this has gone through all the necessary and correct insurance and ethical reviews, including the medically-associated human research subjects section here at the university. This happens automatically as part of the departmental ethical review process if human subjects are involved. I promise you my measurements are all pretty innocuous! Hopefully meet you soon!!

As someone currently doing an MSc (replete with ethics application) writing a paper with two academics in my department (another ethics application) and just applied for a PhD (and already stressing about ethics approval) I feel your pain 🤣. 

Sheffield is a bit far from me (I'm in Congleton) and I'm a bang average (very punter) trad climber, but happy to travel over if you're very stuck for participants! 

Maybe I could give you a lift if you can get iver to Leek!

Ooh that'd be good, yeah I could drive over to Leek and lift share.  It's more than I'm a bit time pressed at the minute, and heading over to Sheffield is probably going to take up the vast majority of an a full day.  I've not looked at the time slots, I'm not free now until week beginning 20/5

Sheffield slots won't be for a little while yet. I'll send out the dates to all the emails that sign-up as and when I'll be up there.