How good is your climbing memory?

I've heard some climbers say that after leading a pitch, they remember every piece of gear they used, where they used it, how good it was, where all the crux moves were, etc.  They remembered every detail up to the features of the rock and the techniques used on them, and so on.  Are you that way?

For me, if I can somehow miraculously make it up a pitch on lead, then it's all a blur to me.  I can't remember any of it.  I retain almost nothing.

Oddly, origami is not that way for me.  After folding a model once, I can usually repeat it again without any instructions, even if it was fairly involved or intricate.

For me I'd say I'm somewhere in between. I found myself remembering what gear I used better than I thought I would. It seems that what you are describing is due to focus. A lot of times when we climb our focus is on the "goal" (ie: the end of the pitch) and so we miss a ton of the details along the way because all we can think about is "get to the anchor/ledge/etc". If you try to shift your focus to constantly be in the present it should help a lot. The classic example is driving home after a long day of work when all you want is to be home. You get home and can't remember anything about the drive.

I usually remember the gear I need for the crux.   I have recently  repeated some routes that I have not done for 20  years . On a conscious level I do not remember  exact  beta. But  I will know if I grabbed a wrong hold or am missing a hold on an sub conscious level. For me the most difficult is if a big chunk falls out, ie fastest gun  at poco or partition at  washbowl or the rose at upper west. My body remembers  the original beta. I can also remember other peoples sequences that don't work for me because I am under 5 feet tall.

Mine is horrible, probably because I'm pretty new to this game. It is something that I'm trying to develop more. The gear I place I can somewhat remember because it is color coded, or I remember if a move really stands out. I think part of it is that I'm a visual learner vs. tactile.

No, those things don’t exist.

Anyways, I’ve gone back and led routes that I originally toproped years ago and they felt familiar.  It usually feels like I remember the route better than I realized...muscle memory can be a powerful thing.

I am usually very good about remembering critical gear. If it was a memorable climb even more so.

Anything moderate i completely black out on, basically 5.7 and easier i won't remember a single move or gear placement if i place any. As things get harder and the moves get better my memory gets better.

I'm with Jake. I can remember specific sequences and even gear placements at hard cruxes or in places where I was very run out from weeks, months, or years ago. Or if the movement is super fun or super awkward. But anything easy, or generally mediocre climbing... I will have forgotten as soon as I reach the anchors.

I'm typically useless for any kind of meaningful movement beta. Seems to disappear by the time I've taken my shoes off on the lower.

"Clip the bolt, make a few cool but involved moves, and idk, make your way up, clip the next bolt, and eventually the anchor"

Well  most sport  climbs are  less memorable  than trad climbs

I don't remember moves on routes that rate less than 5.7 but on routes between 5.8 and above I remember the moves. Some Little Cottonwood routes that are rated 5.6 I remember the moves and gear because they are tough.

I’m hopeless trying to remember, I’ll recognize it if I repeat the route but that’s about as good as it gets. “Go up” is the best you can hope for if you ask me for beta. 

I can remember the temperature.  It was cold, you might say brisk.  To the touch it was like the inside of a cooler.  Not rough on the hands though, it was smooth like glass.  Just the tips of the fingers were needed to start the project.  Great anticipation for the reward of what was to be.  Come to think of it, there were several to choose from.  Most all the same.  Some i could recognize from 100 feet away and as i finished I had decided, that was one refreshing beer after that last route....  #masterbetta #lessrackmoresack. But yeah, I remember most routs of good quality.  

june m wrote: I usually remember the gear I need for the crux.   I have recently  repeated some routes that I have not done for 20  years . On a conscious level I do not remember  exact  beta. But  I will know if I grabbed a wrong hold or am missing a hold on an sub conscious level. For me the most difficult is if a big chunk falls out, ie fastest gun  at poco or partition at  washbowl or the rose at upper west. My body remembers  the original beta. I can also remember other peoples sequences that don't work for me because I am under 5 feet tall.

Was the Rose harder or easier before?

Okay, I know I'm probably the 1,000th person to post this on mountain project, BUT...  speaking of climbing memory....how about Alex's memory of Freerider?!?!?!

So psyched to see this movie!!!

Taylor Parkin wrote: Okay, I know I'm probably the 1,000th person to post this on mountain project, BUT...  speaking of climbing memory....how about Alex's memory of Freerider?!?!?!



So psyched to see this movie!!!

soloing is different though, it's really easy to remember every little detail when your life depends on it, in fact the tiniest of little details are what you remember the most, like which crystal to put your index finger on when pulling on that quarter pad crimp, stuff like that is really easy to put to memory.

I rarely remember much about sport climbs unless they're really rad or hard in a unique way.

I remember gear climbs much better, but "how much" depends. Primarily I remember run-outs, getting off-route, running out of gear, places where gear was hard to clean/almost got stuck, places where gear was psychological, sections of stellar climbing, and sometimes I remember rappels, depending on the circumstances. Often I remember feelings about a route more than the specific moves or gear required. And routes I climbed with a special partner usually stick in my mind in terms of the experience... I have some memories of climbing mediocre to good routes, but the focus of the memory is on the person(s) I was with at that time and how awesome the day was because of them.

On the flip side, I've been known to have the amnesia onsight and/or hangdog fest too, mostly on 1 pitch routes.

I seem to remember approach beta quite well over time... which is a good and lucky skill I think.

It was once said about Beckey "At his age he has forgotten more climbs than some have climbed"

I'm sorry, what was the question??

My favorite story related to this topic was some, er, older friends of mine who put up a new route-- a fairly obscure trad line-- at a local cliff.  They go to tell the name of their new line to a local climber who is putting together a guidebook for the area, and he says, "OK, so you want me to replace the old name you gave it?  You guys already climbed that route five years ago."

Tyler Newcomb wrote:

Was the Rose harder or easier before?

The  rose has definitely  become harder  , used to pinch the  flake, now its offwith. Have  not figured out a sequence at any where near 5,10 a  for my size. To go along with this I am almost completely face blind, last night I met a very attractive young man who apparently I've met at least three times before. But when he told me the name of the route that he put up then I totally knew who he was and I remember the route quite well even though I've only been on it once or twice. And remember meeting him when he was wandering around looking for a line to bolt. We were both looking at the same line, but  he had the drill. Why can I remember moves on a route  but not a persons  face?