Women rank rock climbing as the sexiest sport

By Adam Roy On August 13, 2010 · 45 Comments

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A study by a University of Hertfordshire professor suggests that women are especially attracted to men who rock climb.

WORKING WITH FITNESS expert Sam Murphy, Prof. Richard Wiseman polled over 6,000 people to find out which of 15 sports they thought would make a member of the opposite sex more attractive. Climbing topped the list for women with 57%, edging out extreme sports, soccer, and hiking.

I can’t say I’m surprised. Climbing is just a sexy sport in and of itself. It’s adventurous, acrobatic, and takes place in some of the most beautiful spots in nature. Climbers themselves tend to be trim, muscular, extremely flexible people with a penchant for taking their shirts off. Who wouldn’t want that?

Men, apparently. Among the survey’s male participants, climbing didn’t even make it to the top five. Men overwhelmingly picked aerobics (70%) as the sexiest activity, followed by yoga/pilates, going to the gym, and running.

On his site, Wiseman offer a possible explanation for the gender gap:

Women’s choices appear to reflect the type of psychological qualities that they find attractive – such as bravery and a willingness to take on challenges – whilst men are more shallow, looking for a woman who is physically fit but not challenging their ego by being overly strong.

If it’s true, it’s disappointing. I have to imagine that most of the men polled for the survey didn’t climb. In my experience, most male climbers think it’s a huge plus if a woman is into their sport. For serious gym rats, dating another climber may be the only way to get a girlfriend that they’ll ever see.

Photo: Mykl

My gender’s poor taste in sports aside, I’m pretty happy with the results of the survey. It’s nice to see my climbing addiction validated by members of the opposite sex.

Golf is unsexy

Golf didn’t fare quite as well. The sport came in second to last in women’s estimation, just above aerobics. According to Aspiring Golfer, Wiseman suggests three reasons that women find golf so unattractive:

1. Golfers don’t have to be fit.
2. They keep their clothes on while playing.
3. They frequently wear plaid and Pringle jumpers.

As unsexy as these are, I’m not convinced that fit, scantily-clad golfers would be enough to make golf interesting. It would probably boost the PGA Tour’s female audience, though.

Whether we’ll now be seeing more golfers swapping their plaid pants for climbing harnesses is hard to say. I don’t know if it would make a difference for them anyway. To me, the sexiness of climbing is less about muscles and super-hard moves, and more about the passion and commitment that climbers have for their sport. If you’re not feeling it, it’s awfully hard to fake.

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About The Author

Adam Roy

Chicago native Adam Roy is the former-Editor of Matador Sports and an aspiring renaissance man to boot. For more of Adam's writing, check out his blog at Ill-Advised Adventures.

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Pingback: Climbers Are Sexy, But Is The Sport Getting Too Sexy?? | ClimbingNarc.com
http://www.candicedoestheworld.com Candice

Ah, yes. Can’t resist those muscly arms.

Dammit, looks like I have to take up aerobics. You mean body-building isn’t desirable?

jimmy

http://www.takenbythewind.com Reannon

Aerobics??? I don’t believe that. Who are these men that they polled? Where are they from?

I’m surprised ice skaters or gymnasts didn’t make the list. What about surfers? Aren’t female surfers sexy? I’m not a guy but I would think any sport where a girl is in a bikini would be appealing, no?

“Going to the gym” is not even a sport! I think that you’re right, the results would’ve been different if they had polled anyone who actually did any of the sports on that list.
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Kush

Hmmm these results are interesting.
I must say that climbing guys are very sexy and certainly love to take of their shirts, making it very entertaining

Howevermy personal experience has varied quite alot, with no single opinion taking prevalence. Some climbers absolutely have to have a climbing girl friend, for them its a deal breaker. But for alot I’ve found that they would rather have a hiker for a girl friend, because its more about having someone with similar outlooks to them, i.e. into nature, but not necessarily into climbing because they don’t want to spend all their time with them. They seem to want some space when it comes to their climbing. And of course there are those that above all else want you to be a lady before anything else. Hmmm, me think its a bit hard to pull off the dainty little lady look on the said of the mountain.

At the end of the day, I can’t seem to find a consistent opinion, even among them I here them disagree alot. So there really is no point in trying to understand these creatures when they themselves do not know what they want.

climberbabe

I fully agree with this article. I’m a female climber, and lemme tell ya, i may not be 5’0 100lbs (“dainty”) but i’m fit and still very attractive. Also, i actually met my boyfriend at a climbing wall. Climbing is a passion which we both share and we both find this a blessing. We’re able to take climbing trips and go to climbing gyms together and we enjoy the time this gives us. As someone from the inside, i give props to this article and its validity =)
Michael Boone

Well I can only speak from experience, but I’m a male rock climber and the last quality I want in a girl is ‘dainty’. I want a tough, gnarly babe who climbs super hard and sends 5.12+ .. my only complaint about my current girlfriend is that she only sends 5.11, but we’re working on that
Natalie

AY Kushal is that you?!

But as an advent female rock climber, I really do think climbing is the sexiest sport for men. Not just the physical aspect of it… but the overall attitude and fitness. Climbing is a whole different sport, I wouldn’t even call it a sport… moreover a passion. Rock climbing is somewhat a competitive sport, but not as gnarly as others. The obvious ripped back muscles is a plus, but the climbing community is (generally) surrounded by positive and encouraging attitudes. I see guys every day encouraging and giving advice to each other and genuinely mean it.

So its not just the physical fitness that sexy, the overall attitude also.

Dom

I do both rock climbing and golf. Am I sexy or not?

Jaycock

unfortunately golf is not sexy
Jaycock

unfortunately golf is not sexy

Aikighost

But climbers are all homosexual. Why do women always like queers so much?

Marc

I am rock climbing myself and must say that female cilimbers are pretty attractive too!!
And I am not afraid for a woman that beats me at climbing… Another motive to climb more and better myself
ukclimber

Hey guys + girls.

Ive been climbing for a few years now. and i can say with all honesty, a climbing girlfriend, would just be the best thing in the world, someone to share my passion for the sport, and doesnt seem bewildered by all the climbing jargon but i am yet to find one one day! hopefully.

ClimberMike

Agreed! A girlfriend that you can take climbing is awesome… sorry you haven’t found one yet. Maybe try sites like FitnessSingles or dateAclimber.com

monkeypunch

HAHA Wiseman think’s it’s because men are afraid of female climbers, if you look at the top 2 sports (aerobics and yoga) men generally find this sexy because the women doing it wear very tight clothing and stretch in a lot of odd positions . . same with the gym and running . . well can anyone say ‘sports bra’ or lack of for most female runners, thus catching the males eye
Yup

My guess is guys are intimidated by women rock climbers

UT200112

Not intimidated, more like just not turned on? And that’s ok right? To each their own.
UT200112

Not intimidated, more like just not turned on? And that’s ok right? To each their own.

Mark

Fuck this “women good, men bad” kind of thinking in its ear.

Maybe women are the shallow ones and think that thin ripped guys taking their shirts off are hot, or maybe men are the deep ones that think a woman doing something that is conducive to a reproductive purpose are hot?

Who the hell is the asshole who did this study to assume that men are shallow and women are deep? Did he even ask men and women what their motivations were before writing that paragraph on what he assumed their motivations were?
Eddie

Rock climbing is tough and you need a big upper body. I don’t find women who are just as big as me attractive. I am not saying they aren’t. Just not for me. I do like a more feminine woman. I do agree that type of woman is fading fast. It does not change the way I feel though, I can’t just want a “manlier woman”. I do like well fit women also. Very trim and athletic. I don’t like couch potatoes who complain about how in shape the world is.
Eddie

Rock climbing is tough and you need a big upper body. I don’t find women who are just as big as me attractive. I am not saying they aren’t. Just not for me. I do like a more feminine woman. I do agree that type of woman is fading fast. It does not change the way I feel though, I can’t just want a “manlier woman”. I do like well fit women also. Very trim and athletic. I don’t like couch potatoes who complain about how in shape the world is.
Eddie

Rock climbing is tough and you need a big upper body. I don’t find women who are just as big as me attractive. I am not saying they aren’t. Just not for me. I do like a more feminine woman. I do agree that type of woman is fading fast. It does not change the way I feel though, I can’t just want a “manlier woman”. I do like well fit women also. Very trim and athletic. I don’t like couch potatoes who complain about how in shape the world is.
Jess

Eddie, I get the feeling you don’t do much climbing. The idea that you need a large strong upper body to be a good climber is a myth. Strength to weight ratio is a huge factor. It’s much better to be light and a little less strong, that super bulky. Climbing is much more about how you move than how strong you are. If you have good technique then muscle isn’t as important.
Jess

Eddie, I get the feeling you don’t do much climbing. The idea that you need a large strong upper body to be a good climber is a myth. Strength to weight ratio is a huge factor. It’s much better to be light and a little less strong, that super bulky. Climbing is much more about how you move than how strong you are. If you have good technique then muscle isn’t as important.
http://twitter.com/johnsin John Drefahl

Limber and lanky and women are loving it! Duh! Not hard to figure out why!
http://twitter.com/johnsin John Drefahl

Limber and lanky and women are loving it! Duh! Not hard to figure out why!
http://twitter.com/johnsin John Drefahl

Limber and lanky and women are loving it! Duh! Not hard to figure out why!
http://twitter.com/johnsin John Drefahl

Limber and lanky and women are loving it! Duh! Not hard to figure out why!
iminit4freebooze

guys what is wrong with you???? you didn’t even pick pole dancing!!!!!!!!
iminit4freebooze

guys what is wrong with you???? you didn’t even pick pole dancing!!!!!!!!
iminit4freebooze

guys what is wrong with you???? you didn’t even pick pole dancing!!!!!!!!
iminit4freebooze

guys what is wrong with you???? you didn’t even pick pole dancing!!!!!!!!
http://www.facebook.com/BorreMR Al Mori

I really liked this article. In fact, I’ve been climbing now for 6 years, and I had a girlfriend who rock climbed with me, it was really a beautiful method to connect to each other in sort of super natural ways.

I find rock climbing ladies very attractive, and I would rather prefer a girl who goes on climbing with me, than a gym nerd. Not to say I am not really into anti-sport girls.
Jstone

I think women like climbing for the ratio of 200/1, Men like Yoga cause it’s 30/1.
Jstone

I think women like climbing for the ratio of 200/1, Men like Yoga cause it’s 30/1.
Alexis

Mesa Rim has built in sexiness – check us out in San Diego http://www.MesaRim.com
Moose180

all i do, all the time, is climb. you sir have given me hope
Moose180

all i do, all the time, is climb. you sir have given me hope
FITBIRD

bs rugby is boss . END OF
FITBIRD

bs rugby is boss . END OF

Women rank rock climbing as the sexiest sport

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