UKC

Hey
I want to buy an aider ladder.
There are two aider-ladders lengths of the same model in my local shop
- 5 step aider ladder (when standing on the bottom step the end of the top loop comes up to eye level)
-6 step aider ladder (when standing on the bottom step the whole aider is like a head taller than me and feels kinda bulky when I clip it to harness)
The steps in both are not-so-close to each other.

Which length would you recommend for me? I'm 176 cm tall.

In reply to mike.gore:

Don't have mine with me, but I'm 183cm and went with the 6 step Yates big wall aiders which are 170-178cm (the lower number if you go with outdoorgearlabs review and the bigger one if you look at the Yates website).

Its worked out to be a pretty good length for me, and a pretty good set of aiders too. (Heavy, but comfortable and easy for use).

One could always cut off an extra step that wasn't wanted.

In reply to mike.gore:

what will you use them for? Proper aiding or just a bit of aiding you come across on a long route? If it is the former just get the longer ones

In reply to mike.gore:

You only really need longer ones for tricky aid on really overhanging terrain. I've got 4 and 5 step ones (alternate loops rather than ladder-style) and hardly ever use the fifth step.

In reply to Hannes:

Fifty-fifty, hard to say, as I start I probably will use 'em on easy aid where free climbing parts will be predominant.
I went with 5-step ones. They come up to my eye level and according to outdoorgearlabs this size would be ok.
I think the 6step were a bit too long. (they ended far above my head )

In reply to mike.gore:

its your choice really but i find its always nice to have an extra step there if you need it. better to have it and not use it rather than not have it and need it! if your doing proper aid rather than just the odd pitch or difficult section of a route, you'll find you spend the majority of your time in your top 4 steps anyway so i wouldn't worry to much about it. an extra step is also a godsend when you clip your aiders horizontally at a belay to rack gear on, you can never have enough places to clip gear too!