UKC

Is there anybody on here who managed to overcome a fear of falling*, or maybe even a fear of heights, through rock climbing?

I'm just starting out again and haven't done anything other than graded scrambling since I was a kid, but I've always had a strong fear of falling. I've found that things have got easier the more I climb but wondered if it would ever go away completely.

In reply to Altitude Addict:

Fear of falling and hitting the ground....no. That's one fear that shouldn't be overcome, it's there for a reason.

Fear of falling on well-protected leads onto a rope....yes. It's often a phantom fear (assuming one has the technical knowledge, and good comptence), and is worth overcoming if one wants to progress.

In reply to Fiend: Have to agree, you need that fear of falling. Or else you'll act like a tw*t! Perhaps you experience vertigo, different from fear of falling.

In reply to Squirrel Bill:

I don't think I have vertigo. I've happily abseiled off a 100 ft viaduct knowing that I was roped up and couldn't fall any faster than I wanted to.

It's not the height that scares me, it's the thought that I might fall. They may sound one and the same but for some people, just the thought of looing over the edge of a big drop would be enough to terrify them whether or not they were roped up.

In reply to Altitude Addict: maybe your sensable then

In reply to Altitude Addict: I'm the same but I've not yet fallen onto gear I've placed myself. Problem is I don't want to 'cause I'm a self confessed woos. However next season I'm gonna rig a fall close to the ground to see what it feels like. I don't mind falling (lying through his teeth) if I trust my gear.

In reply to mick1jones: If you want to improve one day you find your self on a route were your arms pump up and you cant hold on anymore. you fall. your gear holds. you swear. you go for a beer. you climb again, still scared of letting go. its normal.

Cheers

Ian

Are you happy falling indoors. If you learn in a safer environment about falling and get used to the feeling when you are outdoors you are in control if you fall. Its one of those little things you need to learn. I was always brought up will the school of thought that you don't fall, however thats will not always be the case. Its actually a massive confidence boost falling onto you gear and it holding, so get out there and practice a falling, start of indoors, where you don't have to worry about your gear holding. As a by point, do you wear a helmet?

In reply to Altitude Addict:

It's not the falling you want to be scared of...it's the hard bit at the bottom that should worry you. That's the killer.

In reply to Altitude Addict:

i have the fear of falling, even indoors (which is often more heightened why I have no idea?) but when I do fall its not that bad, (unless you whislte past a block or tack a 30ft off gogarth.)

go for it if you fall you fall if you don't great. I must admit that I only tend to do routes where a ground fall is unlikely or they're easy.

i remember when i first climbed indoors the guy i was with told me to go up a few clips and then take a fall just to feel what it was like i think that helped me get some confidence but then again falling is still something i try to avoid

In reply to Altitude Addict:
I was terrified of heights before I took up climbing. It gets better with confidence

In reply to mick1jones:
next season I'm gonna rig a fall close to the ground to see what it feels like.

NEXT season? It IS the season get on t'grit lad

In reply to bluerockman:

Yes, I do wear a helmet.

I'm surprised not to have some replies along the lines of "if you're scared of falling you need to find another hobby"! I'm glad that there are plenty of others who are scared of falling, and even more encouraging is your reply Duncan Bourne. If you can climb and overcome being terrified of heights then there's hope for me yet

In reply to Altitude Addict:
Been climbing 40 years..still scared sh**less about falling.
Find it tends to keep me hanging on in moments of desperation..whereas some of my more open minded collegues would have gone for the easy option lob. No Thanks!

In reply to Altitude Addict:

When I started climbing I was completely excessively scared of heights, and I've basically worked my way out of that through climbing, when I'm safely secured to something heights no longer get to me at all.

Falling however is (rightly) a different matter, taking a fall on trad gear is always going to be intrinsically dangerous, I'm scared of falling in this sense. I'm however glad for it, fear of falling keeps you on the rock (I've yet to take a trad fall, and I've been leading for a year), and it helps keep you out of trouble.

Falling inside is different, and it no longer phases me particularly.