UKC

Ive been climbing properly about a year.

So far managed a few vdfiffs and a 6a.

Today a fluffed a 6a+ and stupidly lobbed off a 6a. I did the easy move straight after after missing an obvious hold.

I can't pretend I'm not a bit annoyed despite having a good day out with pals (which is what its all about really)

anyone else get this this silly disappointment. Guess self pressure is kind of why we all love it!

i suppose on sighting everything decreases with overall progression

All the time in pretty much every aspect of life.... isn’t it just how the brain works?

I get more pleasure and satisfaction from failing and then working a route/problem until I get it.  I think the pleasure grows in proportion to the number of attempts.  That's why I will never make a trad climber.

Trad is about using trad gear, on sight is a sub-game. I would suggest that your approach is the one most suited to progression in trad. Take the on-sight if you get it, enjoy working it if you don’t, and get used to falling onto gear a lot.

As another sub-game in bouldering, you describe what I like the most. Finding something that doesn’t go, then working it for maybe weeks or months till It does.

I'm always a bit nervous of the advice to get used to falling on gear a lot.  Both from the potential of accidents and also what repeated unnecessary falls do to gear placements. 

I think the frustration and hollow anticlimax grow in proportion to the number of attempts.

That's why I will never make a sport climber.

Getting frustrated with yourself like this is common. I suppose understanding why your climbing and what your goal is helps. Trying stuff that challenges you is where the fun is at....where you push yourself into a learning zone. In which case climbing routes clean to the top will happen less. If you just want to get up routes clean without any problems then really your probably just looking after your ego.

I'd advise reading psychology books on climbing such as warrior's way. They explain this feeling of disappointment among many other things. Itll make you happier climber and probably climb better too.

I often enjoy the routes I "fail" on and fall off or have a fight with. They're defo the routes where most progress occurs.

Exactly. I don't consider it a proper day out unless I spend the journey home sobbing to myself "why am I so shit?!".

You can read the Rock Warrior's Way if you like, and does contain some good advice about learning how to commit (or at least recognising that you need to learn how to commit). But I think the "it's not about success - that is the ego that must be silenced" stuff is hippy bullshit. I think a really big part of climbing is going home feeling king of the world when you cruise up a classic route at your top grade, or even the next grade (it's bound to be a soft-touch, but ignore that and bask in the glory); or feeling worthless when you fail and give up and get scared for no reason and climb like a sack of rotten potatoes. It's reward and punishment, just like everything else in life. 

Yeah OK, apparently some of us can sit in a cave for 20 years and meditate our way out of the human condition (perhaps I've misread RWW, I dunno), but for the rest of us I think  it might be better to embrace the emotional rollercoaster of success and failure for what it is. Whether that's climbing or anything else you're trying to do. That's my little zen lesson for the day.

Hmmm. I think rock warriors way is fairly basic sports psychology. It is abit airy fairy and American but the basic rules n thought processes help me. Theres other less hippy type climbing psychology books out there.

But failing on routes.....in life day to day....whatever....isnt a bad thing. Never failing is cos your in your comfort zone.

I think sorting ego out.....or whatever you want to call it.....clears slot of shit out of your head and allows you to focus better.

Dont kick yourself for failing.....figure out what went wrong and learn from it.

Dont call me a fng hippy Jon!😂😂😂😂it f*cks with my ego. 

End of the day...its a laugh.

Perfectly said!

Isn't failing core to the game?

(As an indoor lead climber) any route, that I know I will not fail on, is really 'warming up' for the real challenge, those problems or routes you do not get first time or do not think you will. 

The bit of outdoor bouldering I did over the glorious spring lockdown weather was different as, with no crash mat, I could only climb within my flash / onsight ability unless the sit start was the crux!

yeah it definitely is and after a few days I've changed my outlook!

- I had a single go at each route and i think the main issue is logistically there wasnt time for additional attempts which is annoying. I now know to focus more onsingle routes instead of running round. (We were a big group with some begginers)

- I got on a chossy route by mistake. Same grade as intended but from reading comments on here a few critical holds have long since turned to rubble taking it up a couple grades. So learnt to be careful reading guides and routes in general. It had a nasty roof so also identified a wekaness.

- I am pleased I took a big fall above a bolt as I can safely say I wasnt scared just missed a key foothold and got pumped out

It depends on whether this annoyance, is transitory or if you let it fester, it also depends on whether the disappointment, increases your determination to return and finish what you started. Not giving up because of the "defeat" is the take away option which makes climbing fun and addictive.

I have a VS route at Froggatt I've failed to master three times so far, despite managing a tricky E1 and many HVS and VSs.

I know when I go back to Froggatt, I'll have no option but to give it another go, and to probably fail again, but that's part of the fun, surely?

Mostly agree with you here.  Though you seem to infer that boosting your ego by going around a crux move is a bad thing. It is not, if you can't get the crux on the day then it has to be better to go around and top out, complete with said ego boost, than just keep falling off.  Then come back and get it next time. Just as long as you don't kid yourself that you completed the grade on the route.

6a+ outdoors is hard, don't beat your self up!

Defo. I have a few multi-year grudge-matches. Took me many, many goes to get Altar Crack.

Suicide Wall is now a multi-decade affair (amazingly 10 years of a desk job didn't radically improve my climbing).

I used to get it more in the past, but I've got used to it now so I find it doesn't bother me so much these days. Which ironically seems to have had the effect of improving my chances of success.

As long as you don't beat yourself up about it then failure's the best way to improve.

 ha ha ditto, but the joy when you actually make it Must be lovely, I suspect.

I'm the same indoors, if I can't do it ground up, I'm not interested, I can't be arsed to red point, I see having to do it ALL again, my punishment for not being good enough.

Each to their own mind.

Fluffing pebble arete, turning my ankle 90degrees sidewards and subsequently not climbing for the best part of a year would be mine.

Falling off stuff because you missed a bloody obvious hold or made a silly mistake is all part of climbing, yes it's annoying or disappointing at the time but that's all part of the appeal of climbing.   If we all got up everything first time without it being difficult none of us would do it. 

As you get more experience these kinds of frustrating errors will happen less, as you'll get better at reading the rock, but they'll never stop happening altogether.

It's all part of the process.  Just keep doing the right things and you'll progress and all in all the feeling of satisfaction will outweigh the disappointments and frustrations. 

Yeah what was i thinking its all good fun!!  But then again climbing up Shit is totally pointless so whatever i can get from it i will competitive or not