Lost My Lead Head

title pretty much says it all... for some reason lately when i get on vertical ice I can't seem to set a screw without freaking myself out. I'm fine while climbing but when i'm hanging there placing a screw I worry about losing my grip or having a point blow out. i think i can place a screw pretty damn quick but for some reason i'm just not enjoying leading like I used to...

anybody else ever have this happen? any magical cures? any help would be great!

thanks guys!

Magic cure = man up

honestly there isn't an easy way to do it. You just have to slowly work back up to it probably.

Yer done...

Do mileage on TR. Find your rests on vertical ice. Do lots of tool pull ups and hangs. Climb easier 3+ lines, but try to place on those steeper sections. Lastly, HTFU and go climb!

Try to control those errant thoughts. Don't let the negative ones take over. Instead of worrying about losing your grip, or having a crampon blow out, think about placing your feet carefully and weighting them. Get your best stance possible so less weight is on your arms while you place. Breathe. Focus on what you need to do and how to make things go right instead of how things can go bad. I'm a huge chicken and have to work hard to control my fear on pretty much any lead over W2+. It's part of the challenge for me.

And, if you do that, and still aren't enjoying leading, take a break and follow someone else for a while. Climbing is supposed to be fun, right?

Fill yer Nalgene with liquor.

+100 to what J C Wilks said! Leading ice is a Harry thing! ;)

pound your tool till the hilt and clip it.

warriorsway.com/

I was told quite some time ago that "the lead head comes and goes".
That has been my experience over my 20 yrs climbing.
It will come back if you get out enough.It sometimes takes a while.
Also as was already said,try to keep the negative thoughts from overtaking the reality of the situation.
Great focus is your friend.
Good luck!

Scott M. McNamara wrote:http://warriorsway.com/

Bingo. Back this entirely.

is that like loosing your mojo?

Eli Harry wrote: title pretty much says it all... for some reason lately when i get on vertical ice I can't seem to set a screw without freaking myself out. I'm fine while climbing but when i'm hanging there placing a screw I worry about losing my grip or having a point blow out. i think i can place a screw pretty damn quick but for some reason i'm just not enjoying leading like I used to... anybody else ever have this happen? any magical cures? any help would be great! thanks guys!

Eli, we need more beta. What kind of screws are you using (not that it's important, just curious). Are you climbing leash-less (& what tools are you using)? Again, just curious. Are you setting them at a positive or negative angle? Same psych out with shorter and longer screws?

Having trouble setting them with either hand or do you favor one over the other? Is your non-setting arm straight & bomber or is it bent and shaking? Or, similarly, is it properly locked off and solid?

I think the biggest problem I see (cuz I used to do it - I always learn things the hard way) is that climbers tend to reach up too far above or to too far to the side (reach out) and they "lever" themselves off (or feel like they are doing so .... just as bad). All too common. Others have their own technique but I stab my screw at waist height and close to my body, that way, the "thrust" is more powerful and no 'lever' action on a 'spider looking" body. Also makes clipping the rope easier & faster.

When sketched, I think a good trick is to quickly slip the rope(s) beneath the opposite tool's pommel end to get a bit of tension if you fall & until you can get a screw in. I know....all in an ideal world.

I agree with those that suggest to back down a grade until you've re-dialed it.

There's the other cure......keep climbing until a better stance.....which will always come.....eventually. "Climb through danger" as they say.

placing only black diamond screws... same feeling with long and short screws... i mainly only place 16's... leashless with cobras or matrix techs. i'm pretty good about placing low and in between my hips and nips...

sounds like everyone has had some good advice... i aprecciate the input and i hope someone else has been able to gain something from it as well!

Get on something easy that is well within your limit. Especially something long/inspiring that you're psyched on but still technically easy and below your current technical limit. This will help get the confidence back hopefully. Then work your way back to your previous limit, gaining confidence along way on climbs that are progressively more difficult.

Probably totally defeats the purpose of leashless but if nothing else works get some tethers (daisy chains or whatever). Connect the axe to your harness with the tether. Adjust so there is no tension on hang hand when you are placing screw. Other axe you just place real high and solid(again no tension).
You are still not "cheating" - the tether is only there as a backup. But I would think it would calm your mind knowing that if you melt off the tethers will still "catch" you.
I'm sure you will be accused of being the dreaded noob but I bet it works.

I agree with Mike; get on something you are comfortable with but do laps on the route, ideally not the same line. I found the best thing that helped me years ago on steeper ice was climbing super long routes within my grade comfort. While these seemed relatively easy, after pitch 5-8, I was exhausted. But feeling that tired and forcing myself to place good pro was invaluable.....I had to do a good job cuz my partner was not a lead ice climber.

Personally, I would not encourage TR-ing to overcome this. That might just psychologically set you back. Get back on LEAD, just dial down the grade.

I may be misunderstanding Lou re: tethers/leashes. Tethers will NOT hold tension; they are meant to catch your tool in case you lose/drop it. (Again, I may be misunderstanding what Lou is suggesting; apologies Lou if so).

I'd do what many name-brand ice climbers are finally doing after all these years: leash up those Cobras!!!, move to tethers after comfortable level reached (I've seen more and more climbers using both leashes and tethers....and they are good climbers. Not quite sure I understand the rationale).

(Tip: if you leash your Cobras, there is about a 1" piece of nylon between the main attachment point to the tool and the chrome "knob" where the leash attaches. This tends to flop around just enough that it's freaked people out that have tried to leash Cobras....it tends to move just a bit. Solution: thin strip of duct tape around the tool and over the webbing several times, winding it near the chrome knob and it's rock solid. Will make unleashing/leashing hugely easier & maybe give you an extra moment of comfort).

I think we're all saying: "Keep at it!!!!"

Warbonnet - the old tethers that did hold tension are different than the new swivel tethers designed for leashless just in case you drop your axe.
Prior to leashless, if you used a tether you would connect each ice axe to the harness independently with something that held tension - they used to sell cam lock adjustable tethers but you could also use a daisy chain, I would think. Or the right length tubular webbing.
Some people would hang off of them when placing a screw until they got comfortable without.

Lou, you are right....to some degree. I wasn't sure if you were recommending he use the new tethers that are not designed to hold weight. You said: "...get some tethers (daisy chains or whatever)...", so I interpreted that as you meaning that 'daisy chains' were 'tethers'. In a generic sense I guess daisy chains are 'tethers' and could hold weight, however, 'tethers' as used by the major manufacturers are not meant to hold weight.....big time warning against this....they are only there in case one drops a tool but it doesn't fall to China.

You say: "Adjust so there is no tension on hang hand when you are placing screw." The problem with that is if his hang hand does slip, it will sort of "shock load" whatever his hand comes in contact with (in this case, could be the bottom pommel of his Cobra or, depending on your suggested adjustment, come off the tool handle all together). That in turn could have negative consequences (such as popping his tool, depending on other circumstances).

If we're suggesting he avoids (or minimizes) the pump which in turn would hopefully give him more time to relax & fire a screw, why not just get BD's leashes & then eventually, should he think he needs them, use tethers (true tethers, not daisies) but to reduce the fear of losing a tool (although I've seen a lot of experts blow a tool, thus an increase in sales & use of tethers). Properly adjusted leashes will keep his hand on the tool (however loose) but if he needs to hang by his wrists, he can do so. Additionally, no shock loading if properly adjusted leashes are used.

Eli, if the saying is true ("Misery loves company") than I humbly suggest that everyone in this string has had this form of "writers block" (in this case, "lead ice climber's block") at one point or another. You're in good company and don't let the bad juju win.

Happened to me last year - turned out my tools and 'pons were way dull (rounded beyond sharpening). Finally splurged on new picks and front points at the end of last season - felt like a new woman!