Fear of falling bouldering. Jun 9, 2024 · Bouldering, especially falling, is scary.
Fear of falling bouldering This is I recently had a pretty bad bouldering injury too - still recovering - and I really wish I had practiced falling like you're all suggesting. The fear of falling in bouldering is a common hurdle that, with patience and practice, you can learn to manage. By learning how to better deal with our fears, the idea of falling doesn’t get in the way of sending our project or enjoying our days at the crag or in the gym any Apr 18, 2023 · Discover effective strategies for dealing with fear in climbing, from understanding different types of fear to building trust, mastering techniques, and employing mental tools to conquer anxiety on the rock. Here, we talk about the science of fear and how to tackle it. Typically when asked, people will say that they fear heights, but when asked for details, most climbers actually fear falling from heights, as opposed to heights themselves. I had Dealing with fear of falling after a big fall that resulted in a broken ankle? Ok so i can consider myself a relatively bold climber, i have always been pretty comfortable climbing on lead even as a beginner and this evolved into me climbing some bold routes with bad protection and big run-outs, also a few relatively hard free solos for me. Practice managing your fears while improving your technique! #ClimbingTips #BoulderingDrills #FearOfFalling”. Learn proven tips to build confidence, push limits, and climb stronger. The fear of falling when bouldering can be embarrassing for some people, but it can also be the only thing holding them back from reaching the next level. #1. Fear of Falling is real, and the only way to get passed it is by acknowledging your fear and doing Heights and falling are central to rock climbing—yet they're also quite frightening. You climb a boulder around 2 grades below your onsight level, moderate overhang is best. Whether you’re bouldering, leading, or even toproping, you can still get scared indoors. I mean falling/heights is a fear that 99% of us have for survival. This is a strategy Dave developed himself and is gua Fear of falling from top of the wall impedes from commit to the problem and finish it I am a beginner starting to dominate V1s but I have a strong fear of falling from the top of the wall (12 feet). This will help your Aug 18, 2022 · Bad landings, bad spotters, a fear of falling that makes you more likely to fall—don't make bouldering more dangerous than necessary. By understanding the psychological roots of the fear, gradually exposing yourself to controlled falls, and having a trusted spotter watching you, you can climb with confidence and fully enjoy the world of bouldering. 2 days ago · Hazel Findlay TEACHES Overcome Fear of Falling Alex Megos Patrick Matros TEACH Training for Climbing For me, to get over my fear of falling, i had to fall. At the end of the day, bouldering without being able to take an unexpected fall well is dangerous. How do I combat this? Hello all! This was such a highly requested video, and to be honest, I'm glad it's all over! My palms are getting sweaty (mom spaghetti) just by remembering 10 Actionable Tips To Beat Fear Of Falling For Good *1,000 subscriber special*To say thank you for a thousand subscribers, I wanted to make the most useful v The Strong Mind course is our flagship programme for fear management in climbing. Rock Climbing: Falling & Commitment Course Mental training coach and best-selling author, Arno Ilgner, teaches falling and commitment in rock climbing. However, we don’t have to let our fear of falling impact our climbing. Just looking for some advice on how to get over fear of falling in bouldering post-injury. Why do we fear falling? There are many reasons why people are afraid of falling, and often this fear is Apr 7, 2022 · Fear of falling can hold us back just as much as physical weaknesses. Enroll Now Welcome to our flagship Falling & Commitment Online Course. I moved on to just top roping and i found a partner who was also only interested in top rope. It’s instinct. It covers everything you need to know about managing fear across lead climbing, top-roping, bouldering and trad. See full list on climbinghouse. It was worse in my mind, so i needed to experience it. I (39F) am slightly afraid of height as much as everyone does. A subreddit for the indoor bouldering community. Jul 9, 2018 · Is your fear of heights holding you back from tackling sweet alpine scrambles and difficult 14ers? Try these 11 mind tricks to conquer fear of falling. (Hopefully, the climbing gym taught you the correct way to fall. Build confidence and unlock your climbing potential. Jan 4, 2024 · The fear of falling is innate in humans. Fear of Falling Affecting Your Climbing? Finally overcome fear of falling with a new evidence-based step-by-step course from Hazel Findlay and Altitude Climbing Fear of falling affects everyone, even the pros. Holding back all types of climbers: trad climbers, sport climbers, and boulders. Anything related to indoor (and outdoor) goes. Whether you’re a beginner on your first lead route or a seasoned climber pushing your limit, the fear of falling is one of the most common mental roadblocks in climbing. The climber uses only their hands and feet to scale the rock face. Fear of Falling As climbers we develop an interesting relationship with falling. Looking for some tips on how to feel safer when climbing on slab. As someone who has had a serious injury falling while bouldering, I would encourage you to change your perspective. Returned to bouldering after a significant injury. At its most extreme, it ends a climb, resulting in a panicky shout of “Take!” or a premature drop-down from a boulder, the climber too scared to press on. After The Fear of Falling Bouldering is a form of rock climbing that is typically done without the use of ropes or harnesses. com Aug 26, 2025 · Some people feel embarrassed to be scared of falling in the controlled environment of a gym, but it happens all the time. Jan 20, 2024 · Fear of falling can be a serious hinderance to climbing performance. It was the unknown that was holding me back bouldering and leading. I took steps to overcome my fear by reading up on the psychology behind the fear of falling (aka basophobia) and the fear of heights (aka Jul 31, 2025 · Overcome Your Fear of Falling Off Boulders A new video from Dave MacLeod gives great insight on how to boulder safely Gripped Published July 31, 2025 Overcome fear of falling in bouldering. Overcoming the fear of falling while on top rope is relatively Aug 22, 2025 · Are you tired of your fear of falling holding you back on the bouldering wall? You see the next move, you know you can do it, but your hands start to sweat, your body freezes, and you climb back down. Apr 20, 2025 · Understanding Fear of Falling (and How to Work With It) Falling is a natural part of climbing—but let’s be real: it can feel terrifying. Overcoming your Fear of Heights To overcome your fear of heights, you must first recognize that you fear heights and nothing more. You need to gently put your self into fearful situations and have good outcomes. The title is pretty much all I want to ask. It’s frustrating, and it’s stopping you from truly enjoying climbing and reaching your potential. Dec 11, 2024 · Learn how to overcome the fear of falling in climbing with practical strategies and mental techniques. But when it comes to bouldering, I find myself so afraid of falling from high that I don’t dare to try. New fear of falling/re-injury is limiting my progress, any advice on regaining confidence on the wall? My wife is great at leading and top rope routes with lots of outdoor experience, but the necessary falling in bouldering has always made her hesitant. If you struggle with the […] Climbing and falling are two sides of the same coin. So, I recommend, going up a few feet off the ground and practicing your falls. I started bouldering last October, and about a month in fell from the top of a wall and injured knees & ankles, bruising bones. Feb 26, 2023 · If you would like to overcome your fear of falling when bouldering or simply learn how to manage risks when bouldering, this video is for you! You will learn the proper technique on how to fall Welcome! Falling is a skill. I took a few controlled drops leading, and a few slips bouldering, l realised that i knew how to fall safely and it wasnt that big of a deal. Whether it is roped climbing or a bouldering session, it can be mentally challenging to push yourself higher when the ground is looming beneath you. The difference is that Acrophobia deals with the fear of the height itself, while Basophobia encompasses the effects of falling. But I feel that it’s totally different when you fall down totally unprepared. But you CAN learn to regulate your fear, commit to moves, and boulder confidently by falling. I went to a gym that has all top out boulders which are really scary if you are afraid of heights. Get back on, climb one move further, do the same. I decided that enough was enough and decided to get over my fear of heights. I'm fairly strong, and have a good grip strength, so I love the cave and overhang, but I'm terrified of slab. From advice on which gym to visit to videos of world cup IFSC climbers, you can find it all here. She has been bouldering on and off for a couple years now, and feels better about falling, although she still isn't very excited about more fall-prone moves. How do you overcome the fear of falling when bouldering? By learning how to fall correctly. But here’s the good news: fear of falling Jul 8, 2024 · Overcome mental challenges in rock climbing with practical tips and techniques for building mental resilience. I get in my own head and psych myself out. 12K Likes, 145 Comments. I find that I'm climbing a couple grades lower on slab problems compared to overhanging ones. Aug 3, 2022 · The science behind fear and expert tips for how to overcome being afraid when it prevents you from succeeding on the rock. This overwhelming fear usually fades as climbers become more experienced Understand the fear Bouldering is a form of rock climbing that is typically done without the use of ropes or harnesses. I know the correct way of falling. Had an injury falling on my butt, and now every time I'm near the top of the boulder and exhausted/making a hard move I have a fear of falling and just jump down. It uses positive reinforcement to build experiences that lessen the fear. Overcoming the fear of falling is not much different from overcoming any other fear. … Feb 1, 2023 · What is the Most Common Fear When Climbing? The most common fear that climbers have is associated with a fear of heights but is actually a fear of falling. We know this going into the climb. When we go lead climbing or bouldering, we inherently risk falling, too. I really don't trust my feet. Mostly because when I reach the top I am too pumped to down-climb and usually I don't have any good jugs to hold on while down-climbing. If you climb with a rope you need to watch this video. To climb your best, you must address your fear. If you're not sure you'll be okay falling, that keeps you from trying your hardest. I started indoor bouldering 2 months ago, knowing that I have a pretty big fear of heights and that it will be a challenge to overcome that. But even in limited amounts, fear of falling causes stress and tension, resulting in over-gripping and reduced mental clarity when trying to execute a tough move. TikTok video from mario (@mariorstan): “Master your fear of falling with effective climbing drills. Falling can be learned – and so can overcoming our fear of falling while climbing. Climbing is about desensitizing our fear through repeated safe exposure until we can physically perform at our limits. With every move, you tap the next hold and let yourself fall without looking. Jul 26, 2024 · Basophobia, on the other hand, is a natural fear typical of most humans and mammals. A reasonable fear of heights and falling keeps us safe, but what to do if it is strong enough to stop us from enjoying a great sport? What are three simple ways to control fear of heights in bouldering? I've fallen in love with bouldering over the past couple of months but have not been progressing lately due to fear of heights/ falling. It’s valuable to not “get over” your fear of heights, because with heights comes serious consequences, and your comfort with heights does not change those consequences. The good news is that fear isn’t something you’re stuck with, even if it feels insurmountable now. Obviously, a strong fear of heights can be a bit of a problem in bouldering. Getting over the fear of falling can only be truly corrected by one thing…falling. When people first start climbing, their fear of falling can be overwhelming. I've been indoor bouldering once a week with friends for a few years. Being afraid to take a big whipper can prevent you from sending your project, reaching your goal grades, and limits you in more ways than you may think. I have struggled from the fear of falling myself, and still do on particularly high or daunting climbs. The fear of falling is probably the single thing that holds more climbers back than anything else – more than finger strength and more than poor technique. An exercise I'd like to recommend is tap-fall. Bouldering can be an intimidating sport, especially if you are afraid of heights. Try to work on some dynamic problems so you get used to popping off the wall Dec 19, 2017 · The fear of falling is common — but you can get past it with the right mental training tools and support from your climbing community. This can be when they are above a bolt, a piece of gear, bouldering, or on toprope. We are constantly considering falling, if it would be ok in a certain spot, how to do it properly, and we even practice it in a controlled environment. I know how to fall, but you don't always have time to think when you're falling, so getting in muscle memory and instinct sounds so helpful. I‘d still advice to go with top rope to get used to the height. You'll learn how to work with fear of falling, fear of heights and exposure, social fears, fear of failure and performance anxiety. Bouldering is often considered to be a dangerous sport due to the height at which climbers can fall. Jun 15, 2022 · Unless you have a specific fear of heights, your fear of falling can be overcome and you’ll be climbing the walls in no time. Jul 12, 2023 · Fear of falling is one of the greatest obstacles in climbing. Jul 21, 2022 · Rope up to see how other climbers tackled their climbing cruxes. Jun 9, 2024 · Bouldering, especially falling, is scary. We’ve been helping climbers all around the world work through their fears and improve performance for three decades. I think it’s a bit extreme to go straight into lead climbing, though obviously you’re better than me about falling if you were into bouldering. It’s a built-in survival mechanism activated from the day we’re born. I really dislike bouldering, and because of the fear of falling from a height i didn't do much progress at all on the bouldering wall. Fear of Falling The most common hold-up with breaking climbing barriers is the fear of injury or falling. I think it's cause on overhangs I'm usually falling straight down onto the mat, whereas in slab climbs I'm scared a foot will slip unexpectedly and I'll hit every hold and volume on the way down. If you don’t, you still need to watch this video because it applies to bouldering too! We Fear of Falling I recently got back into bouldering (I’m somewhat of a mix between a beginner and an intermediate climber) when I discovered a bouldering gym 10mins away from my home. . Jun 23, 2018 · Are you intimidated by the height of the bouldering wall? You start gripping the holds harder than needed? Your palms start sweating more than usual? Check out the video to learn how to conquer Oct 31, 2023 · How to Overcome the Fear of Falling ft Hazel Findlay Hannah Morris Bouldering 160K subscribers Subscribe May 8, 2023 · Conquer your fear of falling in climbing! Learn how to understand, practice safe falls, and shift your mindset for a more confident climb at BKB. It’s not weakness. The walls at this gym are 4-5 meters high and for the first time, I was afraid of reaching for higher holds. The solution is to practice falling properly so much that it just happens, even if you fall unexpectedly. I have been climbing for 2-3 months, going to gym once a week. In this episode Dave shares his special method for helping climbers that suffer from a fear of falling. The climbing is done on shorter walls or boulders, and the goal is to reach the top of the wall or boulder without falling.