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General Climbing Discussion

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Fear of Flying 31-Jan-2004 At 1:54:46 PM gusc

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I'm glad there's still enough of us willing to acknowledge what I reckon just about every climber feels from time to time! Have you ever read any of the stuff from the "Warrior's Way"? ( http://www.warriorsway.com/ ), which focuses on mental training for climbing. The stuff that made the greatest impression on me was discussion of 'being in the moment' on a climb. Fear saps your confidence and ability, making the things you're afraid of more likely to happen, but you can't make it magically go away or ignore it (because it's there for a good reason!). So, you seek to acknowledge what is scaring you, decide whether it's rational or reasonable and, if it isn't, attempt to move consciously _beyond_ the emotion. In this calmer space, the moves flow and time becomes meaningless - the bliss that every climber knows! (This usually happens to me usually on grade 12s!)

I haven't read much Warriors Way stuff lately because a lot of it has been about how mental training has allowed people to get their children climbing exactly 2.459 grades harder than they'd climbed before. Pushing grades seems to be missing the point a bit.

I reckon I can get myself into that zone when I've placed a bomber bit of gear - you know, like a wire slotted deep into a narrow crack - and so can confidently remind myself that I can put the fear aside. It doesn't disappear, I can just tell myself I don't have to worry about it at that moment.

I suppose I like the hippy eastern mysticism of it all too - The Matrix Revolutions didn't deliver enough in that department!