The head game(mental aspect of climbing)

Just started getting into trad climbing earlier this year, and am enjoying it. So far only done a few 5.4 and 5.5 at devils lake and have felt somewhat comfortable on them.
Yesterday went to a sport climbing area i have been to once before and was looking forward to trying some harder climbs. Instead i found myself having a hard time on just my warm up and resorted to top roping all the harder climbs I had hoped to sport lead. Should i have just sucked it up and tried leading them taking a whipper if it comes if its a safe fall. Also does anyone find that leading in the gym helps with the mental aspect of leading outside at all.

wondering how you all deal with this, feel this is a big part of whats holding me back. instead of just leading it i talk myself out of it sometimes.

Liquid courage always helps me

There's alot of things you can do, but the mental aspect is always there just the climbs get harder. It's a muscle, somedays you're strong, other days your sore, other you just aren't feeling it. I've found the key for me is don't let it get me down if I have a low performance day and some days I quit while I'm ahead. If I feel myself getting frustrated, I'll try to leave on a high note so that carries over with me to the next climbing day. Don't beat yourself up...it is just climbing after all.

I also found for me, I like to lead right off the bat. No TRing till after I've put in a lead. That excitement carries me though the rest of the day.

As far as the gym question goes, sure it helps. But it's not always the head space so much as mileage too. Being comfortable climbing stays with you, again just like exercising a muscle. You need to use it if you want it to grow. Practice, practice, practice.

I'm no hard climber by any means, but I've found some of these little tricks have always helped my head out. I think the mental aspect is really one of the coolest parts of climbing..that ability to work out those internal and external forces with body and mind.

warriorsway.com/

^^^ and of course one of the best answers.

+2 Arno Ilgner is the man. Rock Warrior's Way is more the philosophy, Expresso lessons is a good second book to read as it is more exercises and implementation.

I noticed that after I started trad leading I get nervous on sport. I am confortable falling on gear and don't mind running it out, but for some reason sport gets me. I just had to keep making myself do sport climbs and I'm starting to feel better. Weird stuff I tell ya.

When you're just beginning, I think that leading in the gym helps. If nothing else, the practice in a safer setting lets you push your limits, work on problem areas (utilizing rests & improving footwork) and helps you clip more efficiently. Improving technique and working up the grades gives you confidence, which helps in the head game. Always keep in a position where you can take a controlled fall.

Think about what was holding you back that day. If you were afraid because you were too far past your last piece and might have been in ground-fall range if you went further, then place more gear. If you were getting pumped and didn't think you could grip another hold, then work on endurance (grip & overall). If you're just afraid of falling when you're past your last piece, then lead more in the gym and work on gear placements on the ground to build confidence in your placements and the hardware.

Climb a variety of sport, trad and toprope (your higher grades). A good partner can encourage you and keep you safe. Have fun.

Keep dinking around on 5.4 and 5 trad and you'll never be feeling secure on 5.10 or up in sport. You're doing nothing to develop grip, lock off or crimp strength. Its like coming here saying you've been Tele skiing all winter and now can't handle the bumps. Its just what you choose to focus on. Long ball golfers can't chip or putt for shit. Want to lead sport routes and not worry about falling or even whipping? Then just climb sport. Spend as little time on the damn toprope (take from me of all people) as you can. Or continue with your trad progression and don't bitch about not keeping up on the opposite side of the sport.

Tess Ferguson wrote:I noticed that after I started trad leading I get nervous on sport. I am confortable falling on gear and don't mind running it out, but for some reason sport gets me. I just had to keep making myself do sport climbs and I'm starting to feel better. Weird stuff I tell ya.

haha I thought I was the only person that felt like that.

warriors way=don't be a bitch

Knight of a Woeful Figure wrote:warriors way=don't be a bitch

+1

You didn't post the grade of sport you were trying, but my guess is that 5.4/5.5 trad would not provide you the confidence or strength to climb bolted routes. I have climbed at DL so know the climbing style.

Fear should be respected. Start working some 5.9s and 5.10s on TR at DL and you will have the confidence to lead most 5.9/5.10s sport.

I wonder, George, if that has more to do with the climbers than the climbs.

Rob Dillon wrote:I wonder, George, if that has more to do with the climbers than the climbs.

5.11's and 5'12's tend to be steeper and more flat (less blocky), both of which contribute to safer falls. As a friend of mine (who climbs 5.13) says, when she was a 5.8 climber, she was scared to fall on 5.8. Now that she's comfortable falling on 5.12 and 5.13 ... she's still often scared on 5.8's.

Rob is certainly right that it has something to do with the climbers. At the same time, the climbs are usually safer the harder they get.

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For those who find it difficult to just take a bunch of practice falls, the Clip-Drop technique is a good way to build up to being comfortable with safe falls. Also, remember that falling is a skill, it's not just about sucking it up. Knowing how to fall can help make a fall safer.

http://vimeo.com/4026166

The grade was an 8 swiss cheese at hillbilly hallow and the 9 pwb arete at the same area.

I should add swiss cheese is a do not fall before the second bolt or you're getting rather hurt. I guess i could have stick clipped the first bolt at least.

mike526 wrote:I should add swiss cheese is a do not fall before the second bolt or you're getting rather hurt. I guess i could have stick clipped the first bolt at least.

Swiss cheese is pretty terrifying for a newer leader before clipping the first bolt, but I've seen people whip on that first bolt without any injury. The PWB arete is very different than most Devil's Lake climbs. (smearing on sandstone is very different than tech moves on quartzite)

Did you get on the End of Innocence or Curse of the Drill? If so, did they feel better for you?

Sounds to me like you just need a bunch of mileage.

I would recommend you get some mileage on 5.8/5.9 TR routes on different types of rock and re-evaluate.
When climbing on a new type of rock which may require skills or strength you have not developed, I would think fear would be a normal response.

I did do end of innocence, and curse of the drill having done both of these climbs over two years ago i remembered nothing and curse of the drill felt harder than I remembered it this time, got it but it did'nt feel all that smooth.

As others have said ... Often the harder the climb, the safer the fall .. just make sure the gear is good

Climb as hard as you can and do easy routes as filler or warm up climbs

The only way to get good on lead mentally is to lead as much as possible