okay so i really want to rockclimb and this weeked i tryed it out.
i was doing fine and about halfway up idk what it is but i get this really bad anxiety and my whole body tenses up and it makes it impossible to climb. My hands just tense up so badly and even afterward I couldn't move them that well.
It's like I'm afraid, but at the same time i'm not because i know the harness will catch me. But is this just a fear mechanism that's messing with me?
Because in my mind all I want to do is climb up and I know i have the physical strength, but the muscles in my body don't respond.
I tryed this twice and the same thing happened and after I got down I was crying, and I don't know why.
SUPER SUPER JUST FREAKED OUT i had to take a lojng break.
What the hell man?
2007-09-30 15:06:12 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Sports ➔ Outdoor Recreation ➔ Climbing
This is normal. You say your harness will catch you (quite right). I had the same problem while leading--the harness/rope weren't going to catch me for a while. I suggest you start on easier routes and work your way up slowly. Take a few "falls" to build confidence in your equipment and your belayer, and most importantly--keep doing it.
2007-10-01 02:10:19 · answer #1 · answered by Nelson_DeVon 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You have to learn to deal with the fear. Push it from your mind. Know that you have already assessed and accepted the risks involved, and commit to the climb without revisting your fears. Done properly, it's a zen experience where you are concentrating on nothing other than the task at hand. Only then you can climb to your full potential.
It's completely normal. Climbing builds mental strength just as much as physical strength. Climbing regularly, you'll notice it changes pretty quick. If you're climbing once in a while you may never completly lose the fear.
2007-10-01 04:24:17 · answer #2 · answered by MetalMaster4x4 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Consider this: If you fall, the fastest you can even go falling straight down is roughly a hundred miles per hour or so. People routinely drive at speeds close to this, but nobody hardly ever gets an anxiety attack of being exposed to such speeds. Why? They're used to it. They probably grew up in cars going that fast, so "what's the big deal?" The key is exposure. If you're new to rock climbing and heights, your mind isn't used to new sensations of being up in very high places. So, to get exposure without undue anxiety, do easy climbs frequently, the well protected climbs, like maybe high top ropes, so that you KNOW you cannot get hurt. Take your time, and enjoy the sights. After a while, you'll get used to it, and you'll understand that the risk lies in making serious blunders in the use of equipment, just as the risk in freeway driving lies in serious blunders. Build technical confidence while learning to like being in high places. Can't be done in a day or a weekend.
2007-10-02 15:54:36 · answer #3 · answered by Scythian1950 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
This isn't something you can 'logic' your way out of. The right APPROACH is what's required.
It's simple really. You need to build up gradually. Start small, low heights. Climb to a height you're comfortable with and then go back down. Up and down, up and down. It's a long process and whether you stick at it depends on how motivated you are to reach the end goal, which IS perfectly attainable, given enough motivation.
This isn't something you can THINK yourself out of, it's your practical approach that needs adjusting.
2007-10-02 12:06:56 · answer #4 · answered by anonymouse 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
try by starting off bouldering, you are closer to the ground andif you can do that slowly increase the heights you go to.there is a book with info on dealing with that sort of stuff , i think its called the rock warriors way
2007-10-01 14:54:25 · answer #5 · answered by unbreakable 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋