In reply to Tigger:
> So I got curious. The majority of climbs that are at the edge of what is currently considered possible are set by men. Is this merely down to there being more male climbers or do physical factors come onto play as well? While it is widely accepted that men are stronger than women that doesn't count for so much when climbing. What does is strength to weight ratio of which there isn't much difference between the sexes, flexibility (women generally come up tops there) and technique.I don't intend to cause any offence with this post, I'm merely looking to better educate my self.
Not sure if any of the respondents so far have been female; it would be interesting to hear a balanced discussion on the topic. Whilst I do not consider myself to be limited by being female (this is a big factor - it's easy to think "oh I'm not as strong as that man" or "I'm not tall enough, I can 't reach" and not bother trying because of a perceived disadvantage!), I do recognise that there are differences between men and women that impact climbing performance. It would also be interesting to hear the perspective of trans and intersex people.
It is first important to distinguish between "gender" and "sex". Gender is a social construct based on how humans are raised and behavioural norms, whilst sex describes the biological differences between men and women. I believe that both sex and gender factor into climbing performance; I explain this below.
There are likely a number of factors at play, and ultimately nobody has "the answer" to such a complex topic. However, it is very interesting to discuss nonetheless! Very clever Mike505 in getting everyone to do the research for you! Excellent delegation skills.
I would group these factors into physiological, psychological and social. I appreciate that some of these have already been mentioned, and to some extent there is a level of speculation as I am assuming that nobody here is a sports science expert and only has access to the best that Google can offer (or at worst, dangerous assumptions based on social stereotypes!).
Physiological:
Men generally have a lower body fat percentage than women. Fat is metabolically inactive whilst muscle is not, i.e. fat comes for the ride, muscle helps get you there.
Men have higher levels of testosterone and in turn higher levels of aggression and drive.
Women may handle stress better due to the combination of higher levels of oestrogen and oxytocin.
Women have more hormonal fluctuations and are generally more prone to depression and anxiety than men, which can reduce motivation.
Women generally have a lower centre of balance than men.
Women generally have better aerobic endurance (in relative terms) than men, this is likely to be of limited benefit in climbing however.
Strength to weight ratio difference favours men by a small margin.
Men are generally taller and have a longer reach thus making it easier to reach the holds - this is usually but not always beneficial. As has been mentioned already, indoor walls do seem to make some routes harder by simply increasing the distance between holds.
Psychological:
Men generally have better spatial abilities than women
Studies have shown that men generally score higher than women for machiavellianism (i.e. emotional coolness & focus on self interest), narcissism, sense of authority and pride.
Men have also shown greater tendency towards sensation seeking behaviour than women. This suggests that they are more likely to take risks. After all, women are also physiologically predisposed to self-preservation - they have a limited number of eggs and have to be more selective than men when choosing a mate, and so perhaps that is also a factor in approach to risk.
Social:
Men are generally socialised to be dominant, whilst girls are socialised to be more passive. I can already hear people saying that this is just a stereotype, but there is truth to it whether we like to admit it or not. I can say this of my own upbringing and of those around me - it's difficult to change perceptions of what is 'male' and 'female', and these beliefs are passed down the generations. I think that this is slowly changing, but there is a long way to go, for instance in the toys male and female children are given, or the clothing options available to boys and girls - these all send subtle messages about expected norms of behaviour. The dominance factor also links back to the hormone factor and aggression/drive.
Additionally, people, particularly women, are usually met with criticism and social 'punishment' of sorts for differing from the social norm, i.e. dominant women are seen as pushy and unlikable. Obviously this can be an issue for men too, but I am working on the assumption that dominance/aggression rather than passivity is the key factor in terms of climbing.
As climbing is a male dominated sport, there are few women to be found at local walls and crags, which to some could cause discomfort, feeling like everyone is looking at them, etc. It could also indicate to a new climber that there is little support for women (we tend to help people who are like us - this has been shown for example in the business world by 'old boys networks' - i.e. men help other men, so there are fewer opportunities for women to get help, particularly from other women. The other aspect of this is the perception that men only want to hang out with women they want to sleep with!).
Some of the social factors can be altered by life experiences, and of course gender is a spectrum - most of us have 'male' and 'female' characteristics.
So in summary - physiological, psychological and social factors are at play.