Very strong fear of falling - looking for testimonials
|
Larry DeAngelo wrote: Remember, if you do not fall, you will not fall to your death. |
|
The best climbing advice I have ever gotten was from J Star at Rock'n and Jam'n 1. "There's only one way to get over it." It's true, the only thing you can do is take falls to get over the fear of falling. Just take time and work up to it. |
|
I've taken a lot of falls, some over 30 feet and one near 60. I think your fear is justified. Also, all humans are born with a fear of high places... probably a trait from when we lived in trees. |
|
1) Learn about falling and what makes a fall safe. |
|
muttonface wrote: This is not good advice. You should never attempt to grasp the rope while falling. Please do not do this.Care to explain? Assertions without reasons do not make for very helpful advice. |
|
Sam Lightner, Jr. wrote:I've taken a lot of falls, some over 30 feet and one near 60. I think your fear is justified. Also, all humans are born with a fear of high places... probably a trait from when we lived in trees.Definitely an instinct. Read The Dragons of Eden by Carl Sagan for some really cool insight into how these innate fears have lasted through the eons in our brains. |
|
Thank you for all the great replies! Here's the latest update: |
|
Also, It's incredibly hard to not grab the rope when falling. I've always failed when I try to stay hands off. On the bright side, I'm only grabbing with one hand so I suppose it could be worse. I'll keep trying. |
|
I'd agree that getting in the habit of gripping the rope tightly during a fall is bad. I've never had this problem, so it didn't occur to me that this might be a problem. For me, grabbing the rope while taking practice whippers helped get me over the initial mental hurdle. It was especially helpful for intentional whippers, when you have to force yourself to let go. After more experience, I naturally stopped grabbing the rope , which - as you say - is better for bracing for impact. |
|
You might think about bouldering too! This will help you get much better at climbing in general. How to rest on the rock, how to read the rock, how to stand on your feet better etc etc!! When you get real strong, you can then safely climb routes at a couple of grades below your level (say 5.8) then after many of those; work into multiple pitches. This all takes time.......but it is worth it in the end. I actually kinda fell in love with bouldering when doing it twice a week minimum. I got much better at climbing and felt much more in control and therefore safer at heights. It also helps on runouts too! The more you put into climbing the more it gives back!!! |
|
Thanks for the explanation, mutton. I've never had the inclination to grab the rope while falling, so never thought through the potential dangers there. |
|
I took Arno's Trad Camp at the New River Gorge last year and it was the best thing I have done for my trad climbing. I was deathly afraid to fall on trad gear and after that class, it's not something I think about anymore, and it increased my situational awareness of climbing. Before the trad camp, I was skiddish on 5.8 trad lines. My goal was to lead a 5.9 by the end of the year. After the camp, I skipped the 5.9 and went right into a 5.10 and had no hesitation. |
|
I read in a book once, that it's about noticing the difference between rational and irrational fears. I thought the author really hit it on the head. |
|
Crossing wrote: for me knowing that I had a good trustworthy friend who I know could catch a fall (both on TR and lead) helped me overcome my fear. You should probably start addressing your fear of falling and heights by top rope climbing first, I don't think you should attempt leading until top roping and falling on top rope are commonplace and there isn't any fear associated with it.The above post summed up my climbing experience, and +1 to all of muttonface's posts. To get past my fear of exposure, I had to toprope and boulder around in the gym for a long time. This allowed me to work on technique without the imminent danger of a fall or the distraction of exposure. Keep improving technique and working up the grades. Focus on your breathing, taking rests when available and the rock in front of you when you are ready to lead outside. I can't say that any of my lead falls helped me got over my fear of heights, but they are a part of the game. Good luck. |
|
This thread might be a solid contender for the best troll EVER! |
|
agreed, talking about taking falls with the bolt at face level has to be a troll. though i sympathize with the OP if this is real, because i have a similar vaginal infection while leading. |
|
Nope, I'm totally real. Remember: I get scared climbing the ladder to put Christmas lights up above the first floor gutters of my house. Practice falls like that are a big step for me. I got tired of all the bouldering I was doing and decided it's time to sack up and build some lead-head. (I've had the physical ability and the know-how to lead for years). Another small success in the journey today. I went to Ilchester, the local P.O.S. crag in my area today and did some top-roping. The falling practice I've been doing has been helping me with the fear I had been experiencing on top-rope. |
|
I think getting over your fear of falling is a natural part of climbing. Your case sounds more extreme than most, but it sounds like you have a real desire to move past it and you're obviously looking for a methodical approach to it. |