Regaining Confidence after Decking

IMO, the overall carelessness and attitude of someone who makes this kind of mistake early on is rarely unlearned.  Some have it for trad climbing, some don't and never will.

Lot of good advice, I'll throw in some data.

In the last census, there were over 400,000 more male births than female births but by the time you get to the 35-39 cohort, the numbers became favorable to females. Implication being that 400,000 more males die between 0 and 34 years of age than females. Generally people in this age group are at low risk of death by disease so I'm sure you can guess what they're at high risk of dying from.

As an aside, I watched a famous climber who had a 5.14 sport grade learn trad at mid 5.10 or ~14 grades below their limit. There is not a lick of shame backing off a little.

Push your grade or your gear, not both at the same time I believe is the old adage. 

I’ve had two really bad falls. Once I was off route, way above my gear in crumbling stone with no options for protection but pray and keeping moving. The other time, I put in a shit piece and justified it because I had good gear a few feet lower. The piece popped and broke my front tooth.

Both of these experiences changed my climbing. I don’t climb routes with little beta and poor pro. I also don’t often put in “mental pro.” (Recently I tugged out a blind placement by hand and fell, but I was high enough to be safe.)

I disagree with the suggestions to get back on the horse and take big whips. My suggestion is do something else. Spend some time bouldering and sport climbing. If you’re like me, you’ll eventually find your way back to hard (even some scary) trad climbs, but in the meantime you’ll have fun and get stronger.

Learn everything you possibly can. Reach out and grab every small scrap of info, fact or truth about the technical game and things that can kill you in this game that you can find. Work on your knowledge. Read books, watch vids, follow experienced climbers and learn everything you possibly can. That's all I have, but that's all you need.

Simeon d wrote:  Don't chase grades, its very gay.

Will Fricker wrote: I have trouble respecting anything you say when this is how you end your message.

I took it to mean: "Don't chase grades, it can fuck you in the ass"

I don't know, if your foot work is good and you are good on your feet that gives you the confidence to take falls. Not being able to purchase holds and stay on them ruins your confidence for getting above runouts. Unless you are trying something multiple times and falling on it. Having well placed feet and using them right gives you your confidence back. Because the gear is the gear, bolts are bolts. You still have to move above them with some sort of reasoning that you are not going to fall and that if you might fall you have good piece in and a good belayer. I take breath silence my imagination and go. But if I do not trust the belayer or the fall and my feet are not connecting to head. I pause. Take a breath and eventually make the move. But I wish I could always flash instead of stall. When I flash something or climb right up it. My feet are excellent and my thoughts are to climb and I am not thinking about falling. But again second guessing my feet causes me to stall too long. So in retrospect the connection between my feet and how to use them are hand in hand. Using your feet wrong can expose you to thinking you have campus the route. And that is backwards thinking. You can slip but you have know that at the bottom of slip your feet hold or your hands held. Or like most people you need to find something harder than you can climb but still place gear and take at least one or two falls on it. If it is something you might be able to climb by working the route even better. Because you will either down climb hang or fall. Either way you need good feet a good belayer and a good piece of gear. Climb on brother.

Creed Archibald wrote: I’ve had two really bad falls. Once I was off route, way above my gear in crumbling stone with no options for protection but pray and keeping moving. The other time, I put in a shit piece and justified it because I had good gear a few feet lower. The piece popped and broke my front tooth.

Both of these experiences changed my climbing. I don’t climb routes with little beta and poor pro. I also don’t often put in “mental pro.” (Recently I tugged out a blind placement by hand and fell, but I was high enough to be safe.)

I disagree with the suggestions to get back on the horse and take big whips. My suggestion is do something else. Spend some time bouldering and sport climbing. If you’re like me, you’ll eventually find your way back to hard (even some scary) trad climbs, but in the meantime you’ll have fun and get stronger.

This is the advice you’re looking for.  Hazel Findlay has some good stuff about mental training as well, and she also does remote coaching if you’re interested and really struggling.  The short of it is that recovering from a bad fall isn’t as simple as jumping back on the horse...this can often make matters worse.  If you experienced real trauma then trying to go too quickly can retrigger it and make you hate climbing.  Don’t be afraid to boulder, toprope, get lots of moderate climbing in.  Do stuff that is fun and make you feel safe to break the association between climbing and trauma.  Take it slow and then ease back into it when you’re ready. 

Tom Z wrote: Lot of good advice, I'll throw in some data.

In the last census, there were over 400,000 more male births than female births but by the time you get to the 35-39 cohort, the numbers became favorable to females. Implication being that 400,000 more males die between 0 and 34 years of age than females. Generally people in this age group are at low risk of death by disease so I'm sure you can guess what they're at high risk of dying from.

As an aside, I watched a famous climber who had a 5.14 sport grade learn trad at mid 5.10 or ~14 grades below their limit. There is not a lick of shame backing off a little.

Push your grade or your gear, not both at the same time I believe is the old adage. 

All of this, all day, emphasis added.

Gentle reminder that a highly confident and experienced climber took a groundfall from 20 feet here in Boulder last week and took the brunt of the impact on his head. He's in a coma and the outlook is uncertain. I am glad you had better luck with your fall and that pin held. 

How strong did you feel on top rope? If I were trying a route I knew to have tricky placements with decking potential and poor feet I might just preplace those pieces and lead the rest. Unless I felt super confident on that section and knew of better gear nearby. 

I didn’t read everything here...

I like to just go out aiding!   The more time I spend on gear the more I get to know what works and what doesn’t...

Will Fricker wrote: A few months ago I had 2 pieces pop, and I decked from about 20 feet. Fortunately I ended up being totally fine, but it definitely scared me, and I’m having trouble rebuilding confidence. Any tips from people that have gone through similar situations?

Will, how's it going? What did you decide to do? Hope you're well.