Too much anxiety about leading

Another good TED Talk on the topic: ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonig…

JulianG wrote: just climb what makes you comfortable even if it is beneath you climbing ability. Scrambling is a good way to lear to climb.

Climbing friend,

this is an excellent way to do the reaching to the 5.7 grade and the staying their for your entire life.

Like others have said, take some controlled falls in the gym with the belayer you normally climb outdoors with. Part of this is learning to trust the gear and the other part is learning to trust your belayer such that you are safe after the fall.

Another thing I'd point out that could play into this is to pay attention to your caffeine intake before leading outdoors. I've found for myself that caffeine intake before lead climbing outdoors really spikes my anxiety rather severely such that I've found that I've been a very poor lead climber. I just can't get into the correct head space. So I avoid caffeine at all costs before lead climbing outdoors. If I absolutely need to have some because of lack of sleep, one normal sized cup of coffee or tea, and no more.

I'd also recommend that you make the first one or two climbs outdoors on something easy that you can easily complete and have very little chance of falling. I find this helps me get in the correct head space and build some confidence.

Lastly, choose your own routes to lead climb that you feel comfortable with. Climbing partners can have the best of intentions by pushing you to try something harder, but if your not feeling it that day your probably going to have a bad time of it.

Aleks Zebastian wrote: Climbing friend, this is an excellent way to do the reaching to the 5.7 grade and the staying their for your entire life.

Yes but I will be in the 5.7 nirvana a bliss for my whole life. :-) Up and down Bastille all day long OMMMMM

I think is better advice for a beginner than Just go jump off a cliff. The Ted talks are good

mountainproject.com/v/trend…

JulianG wrote:I think it happen to a lot of climbers when they start climbing. It happen to me after the first time I got in trouble outside. Try this it will get you stronger and have better climbing skills, I think it will help more than taking falls. Falling is the easy part. Toprope the climb before leading eventually you will build confidence. Another thing you can try that is better. Climb easy stuff on toprope up and down in the gym for 20 or 30 mins. Your mind will eventually will start to relax and you will just concentrate on movement. Good way to build endurance and better footwork Just don't do it in my gym

climbing friend,

the more you would be toproping, the more you train yourself to avoid leading, be scared, that not leading is normal, etc. accept the fact you will be scared leading and so are your friends pretending not to be, and keep doing it (but for most obvious, avoid situations where you truly may do the decking or hit something).

also do not do the "jump off a cliff." discussion here is for some "small falls" at top of clean sport route with fat shiny bolts, with your safety harness and dynamic rope of nylon safety "securely and properly attached," where you will not be "hitting something," and with "belayer" who is not a lazy inattentive, how you say, "chode" like so many others.

you are going to be doing the dying.

Kiz wrote:Climbing is all about enjoying yourself and the process.

climbing friend,

no.

climbing is about flogging yourself repeatedly with never a break or compromise, no matter the pain, suffering, or self loathing, into a physical superior specimen, so that you may hide in the bushes, wait until someone comes and they struggles on their project, and then you come down and casually chuck a few laps.

Ho ho!

Ha!

Hobo Greg wrote:Drink 2-4 beers before you climb.

Spark a spliff...won't have to pee on the third pitch.

Aleks for president