Hey, so I've been climbing for about 8 or 9 months. Lately I've been getting on the roof at my local climbing gym more regularly, which has been really fun, but I feel like my fear of lead falls (not just on the roof) is holding me back from making moves I know that I can do. On the other hand, it feels like a sensible thing to be cautious of.

Do other people still have this fear, no matter how long they've been climbing? Is it something that you should fear, and not something you should make efforts to overcome?

Or is it like on top-rope, where you need to stop freaking out about the heights aspect in order to get on with the climbing?

While there is still the fear about hitting the floor or hitting someone on the floor, there is the added fear about a pendulum into a wall.

That's not an issue in any of the gyms I've climbed at. The roof usually doesn't come after a vertical face, like on many climbs outside, but a progressively more overhanging wall that you have very little chance of penduluming into especially considering how close the bolts are in a gym.

Although no fall is absolutely safe, some falls, when objectively analyzed, are reasonably safe, and if you are excessively afraid of reasonably safe falls, then your progress as a climber will be hindered. So climbers need to hone their skills at distinguishing reasonably safe falls from dangerous ones and learning to commit to climbing when the fall is reasonably safe. Much has been written on this subject, the best, IMO, by Arno Ilgner. I suggest, as a place to start, that you get hold of his book The Rock Warrior's Way.

Jay

Ah I remember my first lead fall. I fell and my belayer botched catching me and I tried to grab back on to the wall. I ended up slamming the wall hanging upside down and my leg was tangled up in the rope. After I came down my heart was racing even though I was sitting for like 30 minutes.

Falling is apart of lead climbing, especially sport lead climbing.

Very rarley do I redpoint a route without falling once.

After awhile you get used to it and it can even be fun, JUST dont be the people who fall on purpose because that is stupid.

Part of rockclimbing is problem solving. If you are thinking about taking a risky move but the chances of you taking a big whipper or hitting the wall is increased you do what rock climbers do; problem solve and find a away to get through it.

As long as you are a couple bolts into the climb and your belayer is remotely competent, there is no way that you will hit the ground. Especially sport climbing in a gym, there is no way you will blow your last clip.

Get this in your head and the long, stretchy falls suddenly get fun :)

Dave

Also I advocate taking practice falls. I don't have a problem with those. I did them all the time when I was practicing. What I meant was I've seen people skipping 2 or 3 bolts just so when the jump its a intense fall. I feel that is reckless

As long as you are a couple bolts into the climb and your belayer is remotely competent, there is no way that you will hit the ground. Especially sport climbing in a gym, there is no way you will blow your last clip.
Dave

A climber can easily deck from the second, or even third, bolt if there's enough slack in the rope. Technically speaking too much slack can cause a climber to deck at any point on a climb. There was an article about this in R&I magazine last month.

My advice to the OP is this: Learn to recognize a safe potential fall from an unsafe potential fall.

if you are up high enough and theres nothing to hit on the way down ... its doesnt matter one bit

just because you dont get it doesnt mean its "reckless"