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A question for those who had a major fear of heights before they started climbing.

Original Post
CVRIV · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2015 · Points: 0

How long did it take you to get over your fear, enough, that it no longer impeded your ability to climb?

I do have a fear of heights, but at the same time I have this insatiable urge to climb. I also have this fear that a huge boulder will come crashing down on me, or crush my arm as I ram it into a crack to anchor myself in. All of these fears don't kick in until I'm about 40 - 50 feet up. Before that its pretty OK. Once I get up higher, I start to freak out a bit, to the point that I can't think or to an extent lose the urge to push on. I noticed this one climb I did, each attempt was a bit easier.

I just want to know about how long it takes to get over it enough where the only thing in mind is climbing, not falling, or being crushed.

Anyone see that movie where the hiker gets his arm crushed? HOLYCOW! Thats what I'm talking about.

Steven Groetken · · Durango, CO · Joined Sep 2012 · Points: 390

Took me a while, and I still get those fleeting feelings of the rope cutting or zippering down the wall, but they usually leave pretty quick. A lot like when I first started driving, I was white knuckling the steering wheel when merging on the highway. Focus on the moves in front of you, not below you and trust your gear. Read "The Rock Warriors Way."

Tom Sherman · · Austin, TX · Joined Feb 2013 · Points: 433

Fears are a neurotic tendency you either harness or repress.

If you go there continually and repress these fears, they will leave.
If you go there and continually obsess over these fears they will become hardened.

So go there and don't do that shit... done!

Rick Blair · · Denver · Joined Oct 2007 · Points: 266

Always been afraid of heights, still am. Started climbing in the late 90s because it was something I always wanted to do since I was a little kid and then my sister was climbing in the Yos. Valley in the 90s. I never started to achieve control of my fears until I started seconding easy and low angle trad around 2006 and then finally leading. Easy trad is what got my fear under control. Placing and removing gear and climbing became my focus, sometimes I would forget how high up I was.

I have never been much of a sport climber but I think that is my next step, climbing harder and taking whippers here and there.

Highball bouldering will never be for me, I don't care how many pads I have, scares the hell out of me.

Joe Garibay · · Ventura, Ca · Joined Apr 2014 · Points: 86

I seem to love heights. Never felt discomfort. So I can't relate. But because of this I am always curious about how someone can over come this and get unafraid. I've bouldered for a long time and have got many friends to take it up. But now I'm climbing with ropes mostly and my bouldering friends are disappearing and I'm struggling to gain new partners.
My theory is this, though it seems that it's not always the case, BALANCE. I always ask someone that is afraid of heights how well their balance is. I feel that if one was able to increase their balance, then you would feel much more comfortable and in control. So I recommend that person to start skateboarding or surfing. It may help, it may not. But it couldn't hurt. Could be an inner ear thing as well.

Any thoughts on this from others?

Jacob Smith · · Seattle, WA · Joined Aug 2013 · Points: 230

The way I see it, there's the fear of falling, the fear of exposure, and the fear of random bad things happening. It sounds like you are taking about the second two of these. When I started climbing I had a pretty normal fear of exposure (i.e. felt really uncomfortable at hanging belays) but it faded quickly since I climbed 3-4 days a week. If I don't climb much for a month or two it comes back but I can usually muscle my way past it. You just have to get past that reptilian part of your brain that doesn't understand dynamic ropes. The irony is that the only reason I have ever not climbed for a month or two is because I was injured, and with each successive injury my fear of random bad things happening has increased (because logic?). At times I have caught myself having a mini-panic attack while rappelling away from a completely bomber bolted rap station because all I can think about is the bolts ripping out of the rock.

So basically, I would say it should take 4-6 months of consistent climbing (minimum weekly) to lose the fear of exposure relative to the type of climbing you are doing. I qualify that because steep single pitch, multi-pitch, and big wall all involve very different levels of exposure and being accustomed to one won't necessarily help you with the others.

climber pat · · Las Cruces NM · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 286

My fear of heights has become situational. I can climb and repel fine but I cannot walk up to an edge; rather I have to belly crawl to the edge. Even walking on bridges can bring my fear of heights to the forefront.

I have been climbing over 30 years and managed to get my fear of heights under control fairly quickly. I think the concentration necessary for climbing made it possible. When the fears attack, I concentrate on climbing well and safely.

BoulderCharles · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2011 · Points: 95

It's a balance of risk & consequence. You may remain afraid of the consequences but as you gain more experience your risk assessment will change. For example, I'm really scared when 10ft above gear on a hard climb because the likelihood of falling is high. I'm no longer very afraid of being 10ft above gear on an easier climb because my experience tells me the risk is low.

The time needed for you to build up the experience needed to change your risk assessments is based on many different things (time on rock, time in relatively scary situations, etc.). I'm not a fan of pushing for faster development because improperly evaluating risks can be very serious in climbing. My best advice would be to simply enjoy climbing and do the aspects that you enjoy.

Rocky_Mtn_High · · Arvada, CO · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 230

I was petrified of heights and of exposure when I was a kid, and I still have a deep, ingrained fear of falling. For a while, it was all I could do to climb a wall at the gym, even while on toprope. My fear of falling is most present when navigating exposed ledges and ridges. I can function reasonably well when I am roped up and attached to the rock, knowing that if I fall I probably won't die, but traversing exposed 4th-class terrain unroped, especially along ledges or across knife-edge ridges, means fighting a constant running battle against my fear. Fortunately, I have slowly become desensitized as I climbed the Colorado 14ers (when faced with the choice of either crossing the ledge / ridge or calling for a chopper, one tends to nut up and go for it!), so one word of advice is to slowly but surely keep pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.

Given my fear of falling and of exposure, it is difficult for me to understand why I got into climbing and love it so much, though part of the reason is the deep satisfaction that results from achieving a goal that is out of my comfort zone, despite being scared. But the fact is, my fear of falling and subsequent lack of confidence are probably the biggest impediments that restrict my progress as a climber. For example, I tend to waste energy and time by placing gear too often, or when climbing through the crux, which a more confident climber would naturally avoid. Again, what I try to do is to keep pushing myself out of my comfort zone in order to desensitize my fear over time. For example, I'll try to run it out a bit more than normal when climbing on easier terrain, asking myself to consider not my usual fear-driven question, "what would happen if I fell here?", but rather to consider the more practical question, "am I really likely to fall here?". Also, I'll push myself to go for moves at my limit and risk falling -- and take falls! -- when I know it is safe to do so (both indoors and out). And you'd be amazed what you can do when you are leading and there is little alternative but to push onward and upward to get the job done. I often hate it when I'm out of my comfort zone and afraid of falling, but it sure feels good when I conquer my fear and send the pitch! In any case, I know I will be fighting the battle to conquer my fear for the rest of my climbing life: I can extend my limits slowly over time, but I am quite sure that there will not ever be a time when I will be "cured" and will have conquered my fear of falling once and for all.

It sounds as if you also have to contend with an overly-active fear of objective hazards, which I don't have, though I would point out that a healthy respect for the potential risks in an alpine environment -- e.g. rockfall, icefall, avalanches -- should help to keep you alive. The risk of a large boulder crushing you on a popular sport crag is quite unreasonable, but the risk of an avalanche or rockfall on a warming day while you are climbing a couloir should give you pause. As you gain experience and slowly push your limits, you will hopefully learn when your fear is reasonable and deserves a risk-mitigating response, and when it is unreasonable and should be suppressed. Good luck!

bearbreeder · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 3,065

Do as much multi as you can ... Be a multi belay biatch

Then lead as much multi as you can ... Doesnt need to be hard

While there will likely always be some residual fear ... Mounds of multi will get u used to heights

The longer and more exposed the multi the better

Thats all there is to it

;)

Leo Paik · · Westminster, Colorado · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 22,800

As a kid, I was terrified to be up off the ground or at the edge of something, even the roof of our house. I recall the first time looking over the edge of Half Dome, that was unnerving to say the least. This phobia was something I learned to control over the years, but free hanging rappels can get it going again. Arm getting crushed by a rock, no, fortunately that one isn't a phobia.

thecmacattack · · Denver, Colorado · Joined Aug 2013 · Points: 30

I try and smile, which may sound silly, but it seems to change my perspective while looking over the edge. so i figured its worth mentioning.

Or i sing to myself lol

Healyje · · PDX · Joined Jan 2006 · Points: 422

Not to be mean in anyway, but it should be said that climbing isn't necessarily a fit for everyone...

CVRIV · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2015 · Points: 0

So many great replies. I loved reading what everyone had to say about this. I feel much better. I was climbing an ~80ft cliff with a nice overhang near the top. It wasn't until I reached the overhang that i started to freakout a bit. My fear kept me from even trying the first time. I told my belay to just lower me. Sitting on the rope and allowing myself to swing out was really hard for me. I was about 60ft up at that point, maybe more. After my belay climbed, I tried again. The second time i did it, was wasn't as scared. For a hot second there i kind of forgot about my height and falling. I jammed my fist into the crack and tried reaching up to jam my other fist higher up, but then at that point i knew i was going to fall and I fell. It wasnt no big deal right when i feel but when i swung out i was like holy shit, because i could see how high up i was.

After that we move to the other side of the wall which was easier than the last. I was able to climb higher and wasnt as afraid but still fearful. I made it up almost all of the way until i came to a small overhang. I became afraid when i reached that overhang. It wasnt that difficult, but being a bit scared and so tired from climbing two days in a row, i just had my partner lower me.

I want to go back there to and beat that shit. I feel defeated. The second route was alot easier and allowed me to practice working a crack with my fists and hands as if they were a cam or nut. I have never climbed like that, so i feared that a bit as well. I think with time i will be a lot more fearless, im just wondering how long. I have been climbing outdoors about once a week.

Kiri Namtvedt · · Minneapolis, MN · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 30

When I started climbing I was terrified of the exposure; I'd get halfway up climbs and want to be lowered. Eventually I habituated--the unnatural feeling of being on a cliff face started to feel more comfortable, and I pushed on through.

In the early stages of climbing there's also the lack of trust in the gear; now I know the rope is there for me (except for the occasional moment of irrational doubt). Once you trust the gear and you've spent some time high off the ground it starts to feel better. It seems like my first couple of months of outdoor climbing were fearful like that, but I was only climbing about once every two weeks.

Mathias · · Loveland, CO · Joined Jun 2014 · Points: 306

Maybe try climbing routes without overhangs for a while.

Tom Sherman · · Austin, TX · Joined Feb 2013 · Points: 433

Also, with out reading all the replies, and expanding off what I said earlier. I think this statement holds a lot of weight.

Rick Blair wrote:I never started to achieve control of my fears until I started seconding easy and low angle trad around 2006 and then finally leading. Easy trad is what got my fear under control.
I think gaining experience bit by bit, and slowly is probably the best way to use climbing to habitualize yourself and control fear through experience.

AKA if you're putting yourself into fearful (fear-causing) situations, well within your abilities you have a much higher likelihood to have the ability to control your fear. Whereas in contrast, putting yourself in a situation over your head and trying to repress fear/ fear management, is a much more difficult task. And in the latter example, every situation where you're doing an outing and entering a fear inducing environment/ not managing your fear, you're strengthening that fear, i.e. degressing.
QdeBees · · Boulder, CO · Joined Sep 2009 · Points: 5

I could not be in a glass elevator or stand next to a parapet on a roof before I started climbing. Worried about falling out of a third floor window if it was open. Couldn't get halfway up the wall at the indoor gym, on the kids' route, for several months. Really bad. But now, many years later... so long as I am in a harness and tied in, exposure doesn't bother me more than anyone else. So it can be done, absolutely. Keep going, CVRIV!

Just climb a lot, anywhere you can. Don't beat yourself up -- give yourself little challenges at first to successively desensitize. Practice stopping on good holds (not hanging), shaking out, and taking some deep breaths and giving yourself positive talk. Then keep climbing, even if it is only 1-2 more moves. Don't expect it to come all at once, but the fear of heights does wear off. If you have an anxiety disorder, fear of heights may be replaced by some other fears, such as performance anxiety, or not completely rational concerns about the rope being cut, the holds moving while you are not looking, or an earthquake happening, etc. !!! So then you deal with those.

The "smile" idea actually helps.

Healyje: What you said is clearly invalid, given the other comments here, and not adding anything.

JoeGaribay: There might be something in that, but I think it is the fear that removes natural balance, not the other way round. I was a !@#@! ballet dancer before I started climbing. But there is nothing like being gripped to take away what should come naturally. Of course, being strong and having a good technique also helps with the anxiety business -- you know you can park on a decent hold for a while while you "compose yourself". (But most of us have to climb for a while to get to that point).

Healyje · · PDX · Joined Jan 2006 · Points: 422
QdeBees wrote:Healyje: What you said is clearly invalid, given the other comments here, and not adding anything.
The other comments here have shown some folks have learned to cope. That's good. But the idea that climbing is a fit for anyone and everyone is both naive and dangerous. Can you endeavor to persevere without much of a natural 'feel' or instinct for climbing? Sure. But past a certain point you're probably being told something you should listen to. This is dangerous business and trying to force a fit where it really isn't happening is unwise.
Joy likes trad · · Southern California · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 71
Healyje wrote: ...dangerous...force ...where it really isn't happening is unwise.
BS. Not everybody has talent. But plenty of untalented people can learn how to do things. This is rude but I think you should shut up. He asked for help and you essentially told him to cry and go home to momma.
Healyje · · PDX · Joined Jan 2006 · Points: 422
gription wrote: BS. Not everybody has talent.
My comments have nothing whatsoever to do with 'talent'.

gription wrote:This is rude but I think you should shut up. He asked for help and you essentially told him to cry and go home to momma.
No, I didn't. I suggested he and others with a more profound fear of heights should also consider the possibility this may not be a fit. Again, forcing too contrary a fit can be dangerous to both the person and partners. You may not care to hear that, but it is a reality and one I've seen played out enough times over the years to bring it up here.
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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