UKC

Hi everyone,

I'm a new climber, started in July, haven't managed to do an awful lot of outdoor climbing due to location/weather etc.

I can see little improvements every time i climb, however I have discovered an awful fear of falling which stops me from pushing myself and improving further, whether outdoor/indoor or even doing a little bouldering.

Anyone else feel like this?
Any suggestions?

-Laura

In reply to Laura88:


The best way of overcoming the perfectly natural fear of falling is to fall. Lots. Without hurting yourself.

Try it indoors, with a good belayer. DOn't try it outdoors unless you're on a toprope, a bolt, or otherwise bomber gear.

In reply to Laura88: Been climbing Trad for nearly 40 years. Fallen off lots. Only ever stripped two runners, both desperation RP's. Only minor injuries including 40 ft headfirst in Italy bouncing twice. Frankly never lost the fear of falling. Fear is healthy and gives you an adrenalin rush and thus stops you taking hard drugs.

You climb better when you climb confidently. Confidence comes with thinking that you won't fall off rather than that you will or at least if you do you have it wired. You should never get blase about falling off on trad. Sport yes, but even then the spacing and condition of a lot of bolts makes you think. Just work at it, get confident in your climbing and your runner placements and and get better, but never lose the fear of falling. Hope that helps. Have fun.

In reply to Laura88:

>Anyone else feel like this?

Yes, everyone.

>Any suggestions?

Forget about it. Sooner or later you'll fall off and find you don't die - probably - and the relief will spur you on.

jcm

In reply to Laura88:

You might find the current article on Dave MacLeod's online climbing coach blog helpful:

http://www.onlineclimbingcoach.blogspot.com/

(thanks to es for pointing it out to me)

In reply to fimm: Yeah that's good. Echoes what I said. I have always thought that if you don't step outside your comfort zone occasionally you are missing a great deal about climbing. Sometimes easier said than done though!

In reply to johncoxmysteriously:


Yes, this is true. In my case it took about 20 years.

In reply to Laura88:



Thanks for all the help

In reply to Laura88: i get it all the time, followed by a frantic struggle to clip the next one (indoors) or latching onto the rock like a frightened kitten (outdoors) i just take a rest for a bit and take time to mellow out, and really once youve done it once and realise youre not going to die its not so bad. i was always shit feared of coming off my motorbike, but after bouncing over a car i realised well, its not that bad.

In reply to fimm:
Thanks for that link: it makes a lot of sense, and sums up what has been happening to me! Time for small but regular steps outside my comfort zone...

In reply to fimm:

Strange - normally my head is ok - but yesterday at ratho i had one climb where all i could think about was that wasn't tied in properly and that i was going to fall and deck - crazy. I kept going though (after a few knot checks) - the next few climbs were better.

(see 'the fear' gets us all sometimes)

In reply to Laura88: Laura,

I believe that the fear of falling is important in ensuring we take all the right precautions (Tying in, gear placements, setting up belay stances etc) and is therefore not entirely conquarable and we should respect that.

However, any irrational fear can be managed, never really had a good head for hights myself but somethings have helped.

When I did my initial course indoors on the last day I was made to take a lead fall (Sept 06). It was intentional and the belayer was tied in, but it helped me appreciate the feeling and the security we aim for. Needless to say nothing realy bad happened.

Secondly I climbing with a range of people and there are definatly some I have climbed with longer and harder and over time have built up confidence in working with them. Therefore I definatly push the comfort level when they are belaying. Although it is theoretically illogical the higher I am the more daunting the move seems. (The more rope out the softer the bounce being the logical vs the emotional, the further from the floor the harder the deck out would be)

Indoor Boldering helps push the limits and improves confidence with a lower risk

Outdoor mostly we all climb within our technical limit.

I did find that the greatest help was doing a lead course outdoors, tied in at the end of the first pitch and belaying my partner up and past me I realised that the confidence in gear placement was the counter to excessive fears of falling.

Resting on my own placed gear was another milestone in dealing with the fear of falling.

Climb with people who respect both the fear and your ability and that you are confident and comfortable with. Take time to build up mutual confidence. Only then can you push your grade and deal with any excessive fear. I never push a grade untill I'm 100% confident in the belayer.

I have not taken a lead fall outdoors on own placed gear yet but all runners are placed with that possibility in mind. I have confidently soloed stuff that a year ago I would not have tried but eqully I draw the line well within my ability.

Having a family at home to take care of I start by ensuring I take care of myself. Whatever pain and damage I cause myself would be worse for them.

Climb to enjoy and challange yourself not scare yourself silly!

In reply to Laura88:

don't let them kid you:
everyone feels like this.

except norrie.

In reply to Laura88:
I agree with everone the best way is to fall,

A bit of encouragement from belayer/friends to push
yourself may just bring the first natural fall quicker if
the fear is stopping your pushing yourself to the limit.

Have faith in your belayer.

In reply to Laura88:

read this article on the BMC website

http://www.thebmc.co.uk/Feature.aspx?id=1734


enjoy falling safely ....

In reply to Laura88:

Im new to climbing...very new...as in only been indoors about 5 times. I absolutely love it and am determined to improve and challenge myself more. Ive yet to fall off but know that I will...I guess its something that you have to prepare yourself for everytime you start to climb.

Out of interest one of the reasons I started climbing was because I was absolutely terrified of heights and have always suffered with really bad vertigo...but when my 7 year old son (who has been climbing about 6 months) insisted that I have a go so that its something we can eventually do together I couldnt refuse him. I still get a bit jittery at times and have only worked off a top rope so far, but Im confident that I will carry on as I enjoy it so much...odd hey??

In reply to Laura88:

every time i look down i think on my!! but i fall off loads when i push myself you just have to have confidence in your belayer and kit and just push yourself you will fall but it is fine. Like everybody says the only way to feel confident in it is to fall. I know it sounds mad but when i did my trainning it was part of it and you had to keep jumping off you get use to it.

In reply to Laura88: I found it difficult to push my leadins pass HVD this year for the same reason, WHAT IF I FALL OFF!!!!!! But, i was fine seconding up to VS with one or two falls (over a long period not each climb). Eventually it took a friend to turn round one day whilst at Burbage north to casually say, 'Joe, fancy doing that severe?' and because I didn't want to look like a tit I grudginally went for it. Now when it came to the difficult bit which happened to be the top out I spent a good 10 minutes talking to myself, saying that I shouldn't be an idiot cos I knew that I'm perfectly able to climb this grade without falling off so why be worried that I was dragging a rope up with me instead off it being the one dragging me up! This helped immensely and I came to realise that if your sure about what level in which you can climb then you can lead it too you just have to rid the horrible little voices in your head that say that your gonna fall, YOUR GONNA FALL OFF! Since that day i've shot up in grade for leading and led my first VS last month as I know that if you can control the doubt in your head all is good.
Just make sure that you can place gear properly and I do recommend not stopping every 6 feet lokking for plkaces to put it as this tires your arms out, just crack on with a smile on your face!!!!

In reply to Stu Briscoe: "but when my 7 year old son (who has been climbing about 6 months) insisted that I have a go so that its something we can eventually do together I couldnt refuse him"

You sound like a good dad. Just thought someone should say that.