The 5.10 Barrier

[thelawgoddess]

Yes. Get over this irrational fear of getting hurt! Those two falls didn't kill you did they?

 

so, what you're saying is ... i should get more in touch with my non-sexual masochistic side? i agree that it is an often "irrational" fear, but *realistically* how does one get over it? you're right that relatively speaking i didn't get *that* hurt - no missing limbs, broken bones or stitches anyway. it took me over a year before i got my ear pierced again just because i knew it would hurt!

[glacier]

The two things that most affected my lead ability were consistency and attitude - Consistency - I didn't break into (and past) the 5.10 numbers until I was in a place where I could both train and climb consistently so I could build on past successes and setbacks. Hitting the gym, crosstraining, and getting out regularly for full weekends made the difference. Second was attitude and recognizing that I could get on those routes- probably one of my best days with regard to this was a day at Smith several years back when a friend and I started at Teddy bear's Picnic as a warmup and essentially climbed every sport route up to .11c from there up to Misery Ridge. That day really expanded my concept of what I could get on successfully, and I had a basis for seeking out other routes.

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

DFA was strapped with a completely unfounded fear of leading for quite a while, which proved very difficult to get over. Since you have gotten hurt falling, perhaps the first step would be to identify how or why you got hurt. Were the falls long or in dangerous places like swinging into a corner or hitting a ledge? Did they hurt because of your falling technique? Were you short-roped and took a hard fall, or did you get tangled in loops of slack? Identifying why the falls hurt you would be a logical first step, so you can avoid similar situations in the future, and ensure that your falls will be safe. People pitch off routes constantly, and it's pretty rare that they get hurt, so keeping this in mind might help. Then, of course, it's time to practice actually falling, and either the gym or a well-protected route outside is ideal. Find something moderately overhanging for starters, so you won't smack into something, get a trustworthy and competent belayer, and start falling. Take it slow and be sure you're comfortable, start small, and work your way up to bigger falls as you get more comfortable with it. You're unlikely to wind up with a bolt much lower than at your toes at most sport crags, so you don't need to be taking huge screamers to prepare yourself. If you don't want to start fall practice on the sharp end, try toproping with a little slack out and falling that way.

 

You could also work on leading routes that are well within your ability and focus on staying calm, and focusing on the climbing, not the potential falls. This is a big difference between people who are scared of falling and people who aren't. Invariably, the people who aren't worried about falling are more focused on the actual climbing, and consequently wind up falling less. Toproping with some slack out is also a good way to help staying focused. You know you're on TR and it's safe, so just keep reminding yourself of that, and focus on the climbing. Talk to yourself if you need to in order to stay focused. DFA has found it helpful to verbally (either in your head or out loud) remind himself to breathe, focus, bear down, stick holds when dynoing, use good footwork, etc. Pretty much any time you catch yourself doing something you shouldn't or if you need to do something specific on a route, it's helpful to remind yourself verbally. It might seem a little silly, but hell, so is rock climbing.

[glacier]

TLG,

 

Ya, I hate to fall, too, and constantly work on separating my climbing from the concept of falling. People will recommend that you take jumpers on bolts or gear to get past it, but the real issue is separating or accepting the fear/consequence and focussing on the climbing, placements, rests, etc. Secondly, a headworker I was talking with recently asked my to look at a fall/accident in this context: "...but what did that experience give you?" - rather than focussing on what the experience may have taken away (i.e. confidence).

[chucK]

TLG,

You're reply leads me to believe that your injuries were not serious (i.e. something that healed within a week).

 

If they were serious injuries, then let me ammend my above post...I was just kidding! Worrying about things that have a good chance of seriously injuring you is a GOOD thing! Two falls, two serious injuries = fix what was wrong before you go down for the third and final time!!!!

[thelawgoddess]

thanks, dfa. your thoughts are right on and your points are well taken. you should write a book. or something.

 

i spend quite some time in the gym and will use that "safe" haven as a place to work more directly on passing my 5.10 barrier. i think working specifically on my weaknesses is going to be the key to making me a "better" and stronger climber. ooh, can't wait for my next sesh!!!

[sk]

I think dfa should come south and teach a clinic for sk

 

I haven't even fallen yet and I get gripped...

[iain]

falling becomes a little easier on the steeper 5.10's too. Falling on those smith 5.9 nubbins would give you a good knee cheesegrate.

[sketchfest]

Yeah, I'd say that for me there was, still is a mental barrier. This summer, I finally lead a couple of .10's and the psychout was massive and difficult to overcome. On the first one, I was hanging on every other piece of gear and was completely pumped the entire way, but once I made it to the chains, I was thinking WTF I've climbed harder after a rest I sent it no problem, but still look at the .10's like they are another level above me.

[dbconlin]

I think DFA was on a good point about the psychology of getting pumped. The problem is, once you start to realize you are tired, or often even if you aren't thinking about, but simply as a result of physical tired-ness, you start to climb sloppy, which gets you more pumped. If you are getting to this point, you have to actively concentrate on technique more, rather than just letting it naturally flow. Also, while this has all been said, I'd like to summarize what I think are the most important ways to get better (not that I've really broken the barrier yet).

 

1. overcoming fear of falling. In order to push grades, you must accept the chance of this happening. Luckily, harder grades are often less dangerous to fall on due to steepness.

 

2. placing gear efficiently. Place where you have a good rest, and run out the difficult climbing. Also, choosing/finding the right piece quickly, rather than fiddling with a few different pieces.

 

3. climbing regularly. 'nuff said.

 

4. bouldering. not just at the gym, which is a far cry from reality. try bouldering hard, awkward cracks on real rock, or face moves where you really try new/awkward positions and techniques.

 

5. learning to trust and utilize marginal holds that will only take a small fraction of your weight before slippage. this is well accomplished by toproping or bouldering.

 

6. toproping at the high end or above your ability.

 

I think I'll go try my advice!!!

[chelle]

Hey Matt...I had a blast pulling on gear to follow you up that climb! It was an awesome lead you did.

 

GregW - I've had the same problem this year. It seems like I had a mental barrier to start leading 10s. Someone told me (and I believed them) that it really isn't until you start getting into the 11s that the climbs are harder to protect. He recommended that I think of 10's as more sustained 9's and not to be concerned about sewing up the cruxes. It worked for me.

 

Maybe I'll be lucky enough to face the 5.11 barrier next season.

[mmcmurra]

(a little late to this thread...)

I gave this some thought and realized that my brief forays into onsight leads above the .10 barrier were successful only when I had the proper attitude about the climb. The mental aspect has been by far the most important. If I had convinced myself I'd probably take a few falls, lo and behold I would. On the other hand, if I had taken the time to prepare myself mentally, which sometimes included conceptualizing myself succeeding, that seemed to make the difference. The most extreme example of this was technically my hardest lead: I thought I was on a 5.8, but it turned out to be an .10d/11a. I succeeded because I kept saying to myself: "I can't fall -- it's a 5.8!!"

 

$0.02

 

Michael

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

The whole visualization thing is a very effective tool, also; good point. It seems silly as hell (much like talking to yourself), especially for anyone who has seen Masters of Stone, watching Todd Skinner sit there miming out moves with his eyes closed. But guess what? It works. Once you get the sequences on a route pretty well worked out, taking the time to step back so you can see the whole route, and go through every move, either in your head or in the air in front of you, really helps cement the thing in your head. DFA even stops for rests and chalk (not literally chalking up, of course), does the clips, goes through the verbal cues ("lock off here," "footwork," "stay focused," "relax," that sort of thing -- whatever you need to do to keep yourself dialed in), etc. all the way to clipping the anchors, and being stoked at clipping the anchors. If you catch yourself forgetting sequences on the ground, you can bet you would have blown it on the route, too. In that case, look at the sequence, remember what you were supposed to do, then start at the bottom and go through it in your head again. You want the whole route correctly committed to memory. This can dramatically shorten the amount of time it takes to send a route. Now when you get on your route, you know and remember exactly what to do, and you can move a lot more confidently. If you've done a good job picking all the rests and crux areas out, you'll find yourself flowing much better, and as you complete one section, you'll know exactly what to do next.

 

End of lesson two, go send something now.

[Greg_W]

DFA - That sounds good on sport climbs. However, on trad climbs you don't always know what you are heading into move by move. The type of visualization that I've used on trad climbs is to visualize success, run sequences of strong leads through my head, etc. Basic "positive thinking" type shit.

[Jim]

No, I think this applies to sport or trad. I've spent many a time on a small ledge above my last piece working out the next sequence to another rest spot.

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

Greg, that may well be the case. DFA has only led trad routes he was pretty sure he wouldn't fall off of, so it's hard to say. The Doctor would guess, though, that if one was working to redpoint a trad line, one might commit to memory any rests, the gear placements, any key crux beta such as foot placement or specific jams, etc. And your comment on "basic positive thinking shit" is good, too; keeping those strong leads in your head. That's one of the best things about ticking a route that you've been working on, or getting a good onsight, is banking that feeling in your head, and replaying it afterwards. Great entertainment when you're ass-bored at work, stuck in traffic, trying to sleep, or whatever. And it gives you some confidence and stoke to draw on next time you need to get biz on some shiz, to use the ghetto idiom.

 

[Greg_W]

Good point, Jim. Now that I think about it, I do plan my first few moves off the belay and mentally think about what pro I will need; not so much mid-pitch, though. Maybe that's one of the keys to moving up in the grades.

[Greg_W]

ghetto

 

Yeah...you driving that subaru wagon is SOOOOOO ghetto.

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

Hey, DFA is part of the white tide gentrifying the formerly mostly black NE Portland area, and he was bumping Jurassic 5 in the Sub' this morning. Yo, all the Gs in PDX be rollin in Subies, homie. On the real tip; peep game, yo.

 

Uh, yeah ... back on topic, the visualization can be a very effective key to advancing. A lot of beginning or intermediate climbers don't learn or take advantage of this skill, and waste a lot of time bumbling on moves that are within their ability, because they simply haven't taken the time to plan out the climb beforehand. Hell, climbing's hard enough without having to try and remember what you did last time every time you get to a crux. Taking this kind of analytical approach can help you with on-sighting as well, since you're looking at the rock and the holds and visualizing what the moves will look like. By committing sequences to memory, you can recall a sequence you used on another route when you see a similar configuration of holds, and cut out the guessing game.

[sk]

NE P-town GOOD will be there this weekend... we should climb

[Jim]

I also think there's nothing like climbing up and back down to a good rest while working out moves to help you get the confidance when you're leading at your limit.

[Dru]

I am still stuck in the 10s if you look at it that way, on the other hand there are plently of routes for me to do at that level and it is sufficient for the FAs I want to do so what is my motivation to improve? Basically low to non existant. However if I wanted to lead 11s regularily instead of my current standard I would

 

1) crag outside and climb in the gym more instead of trudging up alpine peaks, for a few months, to build up strength

 

2) TR 11's regularily and lead lots of hard 10's to build up a "route pyramid"

 

3) choose a couple of known-to-be-easy-sends 11s like the Black Streaker**, Clean Crack, Arrowroute, This Is The New Stuff*, for my first 11 leads.

 

* In fact (chestbeater mode on) I TRed this one with only about 2 hangs this summer so I could probably redpoint it without the training steps mentioned above if i really wanted to... it might take me a week or so but the longest I have ever worked something is like 3 tries.... so

 

4) overcome fear of boredom when working routes.

5) hire, borrow or purchase a belay slave willing to put up with me working routes

 

The last one is probably critical. I can't think of anything more boring than belaying a person while they give 10 burns on the same route so I usually dont even try to persuade belayers to do so. might help.

 

** Actually now that I think about it I lead the 10c pitch of this and fooled the 11a clean so if I wanted to send an 11 this would be my first choice. But climbing 11a slab does not guarantee success on 11 crack.....

Edited December 6, 2002 by Dru

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

True, if you can pull it off. Although DFA usually finds himself getting too pumped and falling off in that situation, but that's where more endurance training and learning how to rest well comes into play.

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

5) hire, borrow or purchase a belay slave willing to put up with me working routes

 

The last one is probably critical. I can't think of anything more boring than belaying a person while they give 10 burns on the same route so I usually dont even try to persuade belayers to do so. might help.

 

Heh heh, that's a good point. There was a cat here in PDX a while ago who was trying to do The Burl Master, which is up, up, up at the top of Aggro Gully. It took him two or three seasons to do it, and he had a hell of a time convincing people to trudge up the hill with him and sit in the freezing shade while he sessioned the route. Didn't help that he weighed around 200 pounds, either, and most of the folks he climbed with had either done the route already or were nowhere near climbing that hard.

 

Nothing like having a climbing partner of similar ability and with similar goals so you can work the same routes.

[JayB]

For most folks breaking into the 11s in the sport realm requires little more than access to a gym or other climbing structure and putting in the time to develop the necessary strength and endurance. The balance and footwork necessary to climb at that level will come along for the ride if you get in enough.

 

Climbing trad 11s looks like another story entirely. I only know one or two people who consistently lead trad routes in the 11s, and the recipe that they seemed to use to get there combined natural ability with a hell of a lot of climbing for many years, and most of the time they're still gripped out of their minds while leading routes at that grade. I'll personally be happy when I can confidently lead most trad routes in the 5.10 to 5.10- range, as that will open up just about all of the classic routes that I want to get on. I've logged a bunch of time on 9s and have half a dozen onsights of 5.10a routes plus one almighty thrashing, so I think that the key for me will be getting out and forcing myself to log as much time as possible on routes at that grade. Problem is that normally after one trade route at my limit my lead-head is spent and all that I want to do is climb cruiser routes the rest of the day...