Should I be more scared?

You should be scared if you aren't safe, and if you are safe it's best not to be scared. 

Connor Dobsonwrote:

You should be scared if you aren't safe, and if you are safe it's best not to be scared. 

???    Agree with first part,  Second part not so much.   I’m safe as F.  But still have a “healthy” fear in the background always.  Sort of like that background radiation from the Big Bang.  Personally, I think it’s harder to be safe if you don’t perceive that signal in the background.  

Mark Pilatewrote:

???    Agree with first part,  Second part not so much.   I’m safe as F.  But still have a “healthy” fear in the background always.  Sort of like that background radiation from the Big Bang.  Personally, I think it’s harder to be safe if you don’t perceive that signal in the background.  

Meant it more as if you are safe don't be gripped with fear because it will make you climb like crap. Listen to good fear but not bad fear.

You should be more scared. Fear will help keep you safe. Trad climbing is inherently dangerous. When you have mastery and a good understanding of your protection system and what can go wrong is when fear should mostly go away. You don’t have enough experience to know what can go wrong. There’s long threads here about the best way to build an anchor but most trad accidents are the result of inadequate lead pro. If you fall do you know where the rope will stop you at any point in the climb? Often you are looking at an injury if you fall at the wrong time even if you did everything right. Have you tested pro enough to see when it will pull even though at first glance it looked great? Courage is not the lack of fear it’s overcoming it.

"Be more scared?" well... it is relative to you as a climber and the routes you are on... First the climber you are: 

- Can you place gear quickly and easily that is bomber? (I would say any person who feels as comfortable as you can easily look at a route a sew it up without second guessing their placements or what gear to use...)

- Are you strong enough to move through effective "no fall sections"? meaning a fall has potential to cause bodily harm due to the nature of the route (no gear aka run out, and or you just passed a ledge.. Maybe you don't have the rack to protect that section ~ ideally not the case...)

- The head space you have seems to be equivalent to the 1990s brand NO FEAR!!! haha get some retro shirts and bring it back?

Second the routes you are on 

- If you are climbing splitter cracks then the NO FEAR deal is probably understood... clean falls and placements available all day...

- If you feel fine on runouts that your body is shaking on due to lack of strength and or you feel great climbing above gear you are unsure of then... - you better check yourself before you wreck yourself...

I think a huge thing that is missing in a lot of people pushing grade these days is fall potential (meaning what is the worst case result of me falling at this location...): clean fall off of leaning tower on a bolt - probably 0 percent chance anything will happen, 

falling on some slab you are "projecting" and you are 20 feet above your last piece of marginal gear - YER GONNA ....

I guess evaluate all of that and if you think your headspace is in line with your placements / routes your climbing / climbing strength / etc then your good to go eh?

Sam Goldenwrote:

- The head space you have seems to be equivalent to the 1990s brand NO FEAR!!! haha get some retro shirts and bring it back?

Second the routes you are on 

- If you are climbing splitter cracks then the NO FEAR deal is probably understood... clean falls and placements available all day...

East Cottage Dome, Tuolumne Meadows.  I loved that T-shirt!

phylp phylpwrote:

East Cottage Dome, Tuolumne Meadows.  I loved that T-shirt!

Ha Nice!!! Love climbing Tuolumne too!

I think you're fine. I fortunately took my first whipper on my first trad lead and nothing popped and I got right back up and finished it. I think confidence is great just make sure you're climbing well within your ability and place a lot of gear 

Jon Hartmannwrote:

I read John Longs anchor book and learned everything from there with no mentor. 

I second reading John Long's anchor book. I have learned more from that book than any other source. 

I have been leading 5.8-9 on gear for about 6 months now and I have finally started feeling more confident with my placements. I have not had any steady mentors, but I climb with people of all different experience levels on a regular basis. From folks with 30 years of experience to folks with only a few years. You'll learn a lot of different techniques and practices. 

Just thought I'd bump this and say I just got back from a week in Jtree. It was amazing and we climbed all but 1 day (booo rain!) I did manage to find a little fear there though!

Jennifer Ravenwrote:

Just thought I'd bump this and say I just got back from a week in Jtree. It was amazing and we climbed all but 1 day (booo rain!) I did manage to find a little fear there though!

I just had fun, thanks!