Tips
Photo: BMC
British Lead
Championships, by Alex
Messenger /
BMC
and once you do, it’s inevitable your
climbing will improve dramatically.
Everyone knows that you can enjoy
climbing much more, as well as relax,
clip easier and take more risks, when
you’re not worried about hitting the
floor.
Firstly, to overcome a fear
of falling there is one thing you are
going to have to do: fall. This means
getting yourself on more leads rather
than top ropes and practicing some
falling drills. The best way to do this is
in safe conditions, indoors. Do not try
falling drills outside, especially on trad
routes. This is not a good idea when
there can be lose rock, and trad climbing is always a bit scarier anyway.
Simply, go down to your nearest indoor climbing wall, and practice what
is often known as, ‘the clip and drop
technique’. This is when you climb
up to a safe enough height - no less
than four clips - clip, then fall. Next,
you repeat this, except you don’t clip
this time. Finally, climb up again, and
pull out some rope as if you are about
to clip, drop the rope, and fall - make
sure you have a confident lead belayer
for this. As long as you practice falling
regularly, then - eventually - it will just
become normal.
Another tip: don’t hang
around. There’s nothing worse than
hanging on aching arms, as you contemplate whether or not you should go
for the next move. This will just waste
energy, making the climb even harder
than before. Don’t stay where you are.
The longer you wait, the more you’ll
be thinking about it - and sometimes
thinking can be overrated. Some
people even find it helpful to listen to
music while climbing, to distract their
mind from falling. Even if it means you
have to result to down climbing, this is
better than just staying put.
Finally, have trust. You should
always feel comfortable with your
belayer and your gear - especially
when climbing outside. As long as
everything is done properly, there is
no reason for climbing to be unsafe.
How often do you hear of a rope sud-
denly snapping? Or a belay device not
holding someone’s weight? You don’t,
because that’s not going to happen.
Still, make sure you know your gear.
Climb with a partner you know and
trust. This way they will know your
climbing limits and exactly what to
expect from you. Also, remember to
communicate. If you’re finding a move
hard then tell your belayer; sometimes
it can be easier to see where to go
from the ground.
Ultimately, the only one who
can give you the mental strength
needed is yourself. Overcoming your
fear will not just happen overnight,
and will take a certain amount of persistence and practice to break out of
your comfort zone. However, once you
prove to yourself you can do it, you’ll
be wondering what you were ever
worried about in the first place.
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