Rock Climbing Forums: Climbing Information: Beginners: Re: [dingus] What helped you most with rock climbing?: Edit Log

Forums: Climbing Information: Beginners: Re: [dingus] What helped you most with rock climbing?: Edit Log

USnavy

Aug 22, 2009, 2:24 PM

Views: 6177

Registered: Nov 6, 2007
Posts: 2667

Re: [dingus] What helped you most with rock climbing? Report this Post Average: (1 rating)

dingus wrote:

Good, sound fitness, first and foremost. Can't be over emphasized.

2nd was being exposed to climbers who get after it - week after week - attitude.

A lot of folks who could otherwise be competent, across the board climbers, end up stuck on top rope (till the glory fades and golf and Thai Bo get in the way) for the duration of their climbing careers.

Many of these folks I think love climbing - but cannot see how to get from where they are to where the good climbers are.

What I'm saying is that gap is not the chasm a lot of us, even the fat man over there on the 5.5 kids top rope route there... even THAT DUDE... the chasm between him and competent 5.10 leading is not as deep or as wide as he may believe.

Belief. Often attitude comes down to belief. Belief in one self. That belief, for us climbers, is founded in physical fitness and then through conscious will, through force of will, it is pointed forward and pointed up and week after week, you BELIEVE.

Then you look back 5 years later and go... whoa!

Fitness and attitude are the simple rock solid foundations of rock climbing. Skill, technique, gear - all that crap will accumulate over time. But without fitness and attitude? Those other things accumulate in the closet, for the most part.

Fitness. And attitude.

DMT

Fitness is important but it’s not number one. I know people who can bench 250 lbs and run 1.5 miles in 9 min but cannot climb 5.10 to save their life. On the other hand I know some who eat fast food almost every day and lead 5.12. One must "be in shape" to climb but being an athlete does not guarantee success. More then half of what determines how hard you can climb is the ability to make efficient moves, and technique. Less then half is physical strength.

Attitude is very important. I know someone who can top rope 5.12 but cannot lead 5.8. She has an imprint in her mind that lead climbing is so excessively scary that she wont even try it. Yet I know if she tried it and got use to it she could join the realm of real 5.12 climbers. It’s a shame really. Frown

(This post was edited by USnavy on Aug 22, 2009, 2:30 PM)

Edit Log:
Post edited by USnavy () on Aug 22, 2009, 2:29 PM
Post edited by USnavy () on Aug 22, 2009, 2:30 PM

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