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Head Problems - do we all have them?

sharyl Crossley · · Chattanooga, TN · Joined May 2013 · Points: 0

Everyone has given really good advice already. Kinda comforting to see we aren't alone in our struggles. I have been dealing with this quite a bit as well. I would agree that motivation plays a huge role. Also I think strength training has helped me feel more confident in certain movements. These are both continous works in progress for me.
The relationship and trust you have with your belayer is key as well and will helps me in those moments when I start over thinking/analysing.
While I agree that practicing falls will help get you more comfortable...go slow and take it in stages. If you just throw your self at taking big falls you will only reinforce the negative feelings you have in those moments. Start inside your comfort zone (I.e. top rope fall w/ slack) and gradually increase "intensity" (lead fall w/ pro near waist). Work each step until it's not a big deal anymore - you become desensitized to it - before moving to the next.
Another thing for me is accepting that I won't always have awesome, beast mode climbing days. A day out of wimpy climbing, is still a day out climbing.

Jplotz · · Cashmere, WA · Joined Sep 2011 · Points: 1,315

As frustrating it is to fight with your thoughts while cruxing, that internal conflict is a great reminder of just how fascinating climbiing is. I pass most days on a mindless cruise control. But when climbing something challenging it aleays kicks me out of that numb space. I'm actually pretty thankful for the fear.

Ashort · · Las Vegas, NV · Joined Apr 2014 · Points: 56

New Alpinism has some interesting reading on fear.

tinyurl.com/q7zgzee

Thomas Stryker · · Chatham, NH · Joined Aug 2014 · Points: 250

I just have to lead a bunch. I stay on the sharp end, even if I have to dial it back sometimes. I've been climbing 38 years and prefer not to follow, and frankly I suck at toproping! If I don't lead, I don't focus, I don't conserve, I don't plan.

When you have your leading game dialed, you can focus on doing harder stuff next. Hard to move both forward at the same time.

Just my opinion.

Mike Robinson · · Boulder, CO · Joined Feb 2012 · Points: 251
Will S wrote:Committing - When the climbing becomes hard enough that I may fall, I assess the gear, where the next place I can stop to protect or rest is, and the consequences of a fall. If those are reasonable in my assessment, I try to fully commit and go to that next place. When it gets hard, many people will hesitate and not fight, and the rising fear and panic will overtake them. Make the decision, empty your mind and go.
this is good advice
angie pagán · · Thornton, CO · Joined Jan 2014 · Points: 5
Tom Stryker wrote: If I don't lead, I don't focus, I don't conserve, I don't plan.
This really resonates with me. I am trying an easy 9 pitch route tomorrow in RMNP, and will be thinking about this.
Anonymous · · Unknown Hometown · Joined unknown · Points: 0

I don't think you truly understand climbing until you have stepped out on the sharp end and gone for something that you aren't completely sure you can do. This doesn't always even mean climbing something in a hard grade level than what you are capable. I mean when you look up at a 500ft or 1500ft wall and even though you have looked in the guide book and feel like you can make it to the top you don't really know.

It is the adventure of climbing that I love. I don't really care about climbing hard but I do try to train hard so I can open up more areas to climb. I want to be able to make it up a 5.13 not to go climb a 1000ft 5.13 but so I will feel more comfortable climbing that 1000ft 5.10 (or you never know you could get off route and climb a 5.11 or 5.12 path by mistake).

I would recommend finding someone you can learn from but at some point you will get comfortable enough to go find that route and figure it out yourself (generally easier if all the pitches have rap rings when you are starting). Once you get comfortable leading go find that long climb without a retreat and go for it. You can always retreat be it calling for help or leaving gear but being on a wall that you know the only way down is to finish or leave 100s of dollars of gear will get your blood pumping.

jim ongena · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2011 · Points: 1

Head problems are an issue in many corners of our lives, climbing isn't unique. My work ( besides guiding) deals with fear and how to manage it so I do have some relevant thoughts.
1) Pay attention to your language ( inner & outer voice) as it is powerful and can hurt or help performance.
2) Avoidance is the most popular response to a fear but also the worst. Approach what scares you.
Managing fear is the greatest single learning I have had and has enabled many achievements, better climbing being only one of them.

Dom Caron · · Welsford, New Brunswick Canada · Joined Dec 2007 · Points: 1,370
Angie P wrote: I was dropped indoors, but these troubles were brewing well before that incident. (In which I was not hurt and didn't deck, just lost some faith in belayers in general.) Not a good place to be! But it is great to see there are things I can read and things I can do to get to the bottom of it.
Hi Angie,
I've been climbing for 9 years and have/had progressed to a point where falling on sport routes did not really scare me anymore. Last year, I was dropped 30' indoors onto concrete, left in an ambulance, pissed blood for days, etc. (Somehow I miraculously did not break anything in my body).

The belayer's cinch didn't bite and evidently he did not have his hand on the brake hand.

Anyways, I had to relearn to trust belayers and it wasn't easy.
FWIW, I found that what helped me the most to push myself was and still is to communicate with your belayer that you might fall.
A simple "watch me" to my belayer and I feel that he/she will be ready to catch me. Eventually, I regained my full confidence in belayers and am back where I was prior to the fall.
Joy likes trad · · Southern California · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 71
Angie P wrote:... I was dropped...
I know "oldtimers" don't like them but autoblock/assisted belay devices are our friends. I don't say anything to my friends about it but ATC/tubular belay plates are fine but in my opionion out dated. So many well crafted semi-auto and automatic devices are availale and light weight.That is all I use now. They are "safer", in many cases lighter, and easier to use. I am always slightly more relaxed when some body has me on with a modern device.
Parker Wrozek · · Denver, CO · Joined Mar 2012 · Points: 86

The anser to the question do we all have head problems is no, some people do not have them. I am never really afraid on the rock because I know that my belayers are good and my gear is good and my fall will be safe. I basically do what I would call calculated risk assessment (this goes for climbing, biking, skiing, anything where not being all about what you are doing can lead to bad things). I look at what I want to do and what I need to do to get there and then take the time and steps to put myself in a position to succeed. I have been in some "scary" spots climbing and skiing but I know I can trust myself, my gear, and my buddies so I go for it.

I do know tons of people that have major head games issues though and I don't know how to push them past that (people who can lead 10c in the gym but only 5.7 outside. I can't quite understand it and how to help them).

I think the best thing to do is climb more and trust the gear and belayer. Push your comfort zone and be willing to fall.

Good luck.

Adam Brink · · trying to get to Sardinia · Joined Mar 2001 · Points: 560

Maybe it's not so much about fear and climbing but about mental control in general. Have you done sitting meditation consistently? Try basic sitting meditation for a month or two (every single day). If you can't control your mind when you are sitting there is no way you are going to control it in a highly stressful environment like lead climbing. Meditation did wonders for my lead head. I have practiced all the advice mentioned above and nothing comes even close to what meditation did.

Anonymous · · Unknown Hometown · Joined unknown · Points: 0
jim ongena wrote:Head problems are an issue in many corners of our lives, climbing isn't unique. My work ( besides guiding) deals with fear and how to manage it so I do have some relevant thoughts. 1) Pay attention to your language ( inner & outer voice) as it is powerful and can hurt or help performance. 2) Avoidance is the most popular response to a fear but also the worst. Approach what scares you. Managing fear is the greatest single learning I have had and has enabled many achievements, better climbing being only one of them.
Avoiding irrational fear is a bad thing, but avoiding rational fear items isn't bad. There is a reason you don't grab hold of something that is glowing red hot with your bare hand because it will burn you. You have to learn to properly assess the situation you are in and push forward if you know it is safe but it is still scaring you.

I think anyone rational should be scared to some degree the first time you have an all trad hanging belay, and to some degree anytime you are on one there should be some sense of fear to make sure you aren't being careless. You have to judge the risk vs reward and determine for yourself if the risk is worth it. No 2 people are going to be exactly the same.
angie pagán · · Thornton, CO · Joined Jan 2014 · Points: 5
adam brink wrote:Maybe it's not so much about fear and climbing but about mental control in general. Have you done sitting meditation consistently? Try basic sitting meditation for a month or two (every single day). If you can't control your mind when you are sitting there is no way you are going to control it in a highly stressful environment like lead climbing. Meditation did wonders for my lead head. I have practiced all the advice mentioned above and nothing comes even close to what meditation did.
This is really great advice. I do have training in meditation/sadhana and should be practicing daily. Thanks so much!
Alexey Dynkin · · Bozeman, MT · Joined Oct 2014 · Points: 0
Jake Jones wrote: How's your belayer? I'm a pretty conscious climber, meaning that I have a pretty good idea where I am above pro at almost all times, and when I pop, I know how far I should fall. So when I have a belayer that lets me fall 20 feet when I'm 2 feet past a bolt, that's a problem. When I call take and someone has to yard out three full armloads while walking backward to take, that's a problem. I'm a stickler for good belaying, and I won't climb at my limit on lead unless I have that.
+5! For me, trust in the belayer is absolutely paramount. Not that it fixes everything, but it sure is a requirement!
Bill Kirby · · Keene New York · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 480
Alexey Dynkin wrote: +5! For me, trust in the belayer is absolutely paramount. Not that it fixes everything, but it sure is a requirement!
+1

I think I have more than one partner due to my belay skills. Anyone ever feel like their friend doesn't trust them until they fall? After a couple good catches then I hear "Hey I got this project I wanna do today.."
Ryan Malloy · · Raleigh, NC · Joined May 2014 · Points: 1,177

If you're primarily a boulderer, and you get spooked at a committing move on lead, just remind yourself: You have stuck much, much harder moves than whatever is right in front of you. Often works for me.

june m · · elmore, vt · Joined Jun 2011 · Points: 110

And don't be afraid to fire a bad belayer

Adam Brink · · trying to get to Sardinia · Joined Mar 2001 · Points: 560
Angie P wrote: This is really great advice. I do have training in meditation/sadhana and should be practicing daily. Thanks so much!
The thing that really help me was that I started practicing on lead what I was practicing when I was sitting. I treated leading as an extension of sitting meditation. When a thought came up when I was leading I labeled it as a though and let it go. I then returned to my posture and breathing. It took about a year of consistent practice and it hasn't been an issue sense.
djh860 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2014 · Points: 110

I've had all the fears that you mentioned. I check knots I just checked and I'll check them again. Double triple quadruple checking. I have done a reasonable job controlling it with this idea I speak to myself. " I understand my fear want to be a ten on a scale to ten but I need it to be a two because when I'm afraid I lose my wits and nothing will keep me safer that me staying composed"

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Beginning Climbers
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