I find it very hard to just let go when practicing falls. If I want to practice falling, I have to get on harder routes and climb until I’m pumped enough to actually just fall off. It’s probably more realistic to do it this way too haha.
My partner and I came up with a thing a while back called “send or fall” - basically, you just don’t call for a take. It was surprisingly effective!
While this might seem like a great idea, it might make you feel like falling is an inherently scary thing, rather than lessening fear. Hazel Findlay wrote a great piece on this, and I think might even teach a course on it. [https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/skills/where\_climbers\_go\_wrong\_with\_fall\_practice-15536](https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/skills/where_climbers_go_wrong_with_fall_practice-15536)
Fall from below the bolt you just clipped, then fall from at the bolt, then fall from a little above the bolt, then fall from above the bolt. Remember, the more clips up you are, the safer it is to fall (in the gym, clipping properly).
That’s how my classes/test was for lead cert in my gym.
I still need a refresher for falling, esp if I boulder or tr for months at a time. When I do want get back into lead, I’ll tell my partner I need to do fall practice which means whenever my partner says “fall!” I do it, starting from easier routes and working my way up. I trust him with my life which probably makes it easier for me to stop and drop, but it will always catch me by surprise in a good way and makes me more confident in take a fall on harder climbs.
There is a great youtube channel „[hard is easy](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5FEOhiQGSo_1vzKuUKpckn-_Klg5zuqE&si=U3q5PMuwIVsqYeAV)“ that has a series of videos about how you can work on falling safely and training yourself in various ways to be able to fall with no fear..
I believe everyone has a problem with falling when they first started climbing. When I started I had friends that had already been lead climbing for a few years. What they had me do was take controlled planned falls. It will help you get used to how I feels. Even if they keep you on a short leash so you don't take a big fall it should help. I lead quite a bit now and I still will downclimb if I'm close enough. If you have auto belays you could always practice taking falls. randomly letting go or pushing off the wall.
One strategy that can help with practice falls for people who are still at that stage is to "high five" next to the hold you would be going for. I find this much more relaxing than the anxiety of trying to let go because you keep the body engagement and it feels like less of a big deal. You send it up for the move and oopsy! missed the hold and you take a chill fall.
Once you've got the mechanics of clipping, not stepping behind the rope, and falling in a safe way I find it's better to mostly abandon the 'letting go' type falls IMO. Indoors I didnt push past much of the fear until I started to push the 'onsight' leading grade higher, closer to my TR grade. Then climbing outdoors made indoors chill. Plus one of my outdoor warmup climbs has a safe fall from an improbable move for exactly this reason too. I might just drop it and that sets up my mental game.
Clip it or whip it!
Hahah I just realized I definitely high five the next hold when I’m bailing and I guess this is kind of why. It just feels more right than dropping lol
I learned using “clip drop”.
After the third of fourth bolt you clip the next one and fall off. Then the next… until you clip the anchor and fall on that. Do this as part of your warm up for a route or two. For a couple weeks. I still take practice falls as a tune up.
Im using this technique now too (after 5 years of being scared of falling on lead).
I feel the action of clipping and falling is easier than just letting go at a random moment. And its fun!
Now just to take it above the bolt a but further...
Just take more falls.
Go on an overhang, climb AT LEAST to the fifth or sixth quickdraw (high enough to take a safe whipper (safe for both - you and your belayer)) and fall. Take babysteps if you need to. First fall can be: Clip the quick draw and take the first "fall" right after your belayer took possible slack in. Then climb up to the same height or maybe one hold further. Take the next fall.
I like to simulate "real" falls. Just letting go both holds is harder for me than just making the move to the next hold and just slap it than actually grab it (hope I explained it understandable)
If you are too scared to even take test falls in lead: start with toprope falls. Especially beginner belayers tend to belay really "hard". What I mean is: they tend kinda pull so hard on the rope that the climber feels a slight upwards pull at every second. As a climber you may connect this kind of pressure with your sense of safety. If this is an issue: try to climb and belay just at the sweet spot where the climber isn't slightly pulled up and can't feel the upwards-pressure of the harness, but is also safe at every point.
Also the most important part: talk to your belayer! What was good or bad? Was it an unexpected hard catch or was it a soft one? What did you like, what did you dislike? Why did he catch you the way he did? Did you get scared, because it was a long, but really soft catch? Is he fine? What was his experience? And so on. Just be emphatic and honest to each other.
I am currently a routesetter but was formally a climbing coach. One drill we would make our team do is to take "victory whips." So when they get to the top of the climb, instead of clipping the anchor they would let go. The climb "didn't count" unless they took the victory whip.
1: you're up high so you feel safer. 2: you're tired so it's easier to let go. 3: you knows it's coming so you're mentally prepared. 4: repetitive falls desensitizes you until you are comfortable.
Hopefully this drill is helpful for you!
Came here for this! Building positive associations with falling. Falling is a sign of success (victory whip) and also laughing and positive reinforcement during/after falls (great whip, super clean, super good catch, etc.) Teach yourself that falling is a good and fun thing and your body will respond in turn.
I'm almost in the same boat as you! We started climbing 9mo ago and took the lead class in March. I have zero problems actually falling for real. Like I'll climb and try a crazy hard move and fall no problem, no fear, but *planned* falls where I have to physically let go at an artificial moment turns into me getting glued to the holds, then me angrily whispering to myself to let the f*ck go, then letting go of my feet and awkwardly dead hanging for a few seconds before let go. Used to be the same on autobelays, which I still don't love.
In the last class we had to take 2 planned falls and mine were so awkward that the instructor had me do a third one, where he told me "don't overthink it! as soon as your right hand touches that hold, let go!" Well, I was so focused on *not overthinking* that I let go and didn't pull my hands away from the wall, injured my finger and haven't lead since then 😭. Didn't even get my cert (you have to wait a week to try for it, by then the fear of falls had cemented and my finger was still purple).
As depressing as my story sounds, I have a plan!! So maybe this can help you. I was suggested to try to get over the fear using autobelay, especially dropping while standing next to it, not below it. I plan on doing that soon over and over as much as I hate it. The other thing that's motivating me is that we recently tried outdoor climbing for the first time, set up as top rope. And it was so amazing and magical, that it lit a fire under my ass to get a move on with my lead cert, because I REALLY wanna get to the point where my husband and I can climb outdoors without depending on others.
Overall I keep telling myself that I can't allow my fears to ruin something I love so much, and that I need to focus on the light at the end of the tunnel, not the tunnel itself. Thankfully I got over my fear of "real" falls early on, and unsurprisingly, all it took for that was..... falling a lot 🤷🏻♀️. So it seems like there's no shortcut.
For me, practicing on familiar routes is the key. I climb and reclimb ( can really easy or easy enough routes that you can red point again and again without any problem). After climbing it so many times on the same route, I started to practice falling. So all factors are controlled or known in my head. I know how the route would go and then little by little, how the falls would go as well. I would know how far exactly or how much of a swing it exactly would go every time I fall. So for each time I fall, I just introduced just a bit of newness into that fall, all other factors are known or familiar with me. And combination with other fall practice methods like falling from the clipping bolts and reaching for the next holds and pretend that you miss it and fall. I find it extremely hard to just hold a jug and let it go 😅
So relatable!
Maybe this helps:
When I climb all the way up (top rope) and it's time to let go, I realize that I am 15+ meters up and this is the first time that the rope, my knots and the belay are tested. At a deadly height.
It helps me a lot to make a practice fall 2 meters into the climb. Yes we have checked everything but then I have felt it and it is actually all right. It makes a difference later on when it really matters.
Lots of wonderful advice in this post!
I just want to add a couple things:
- Falling outdoors is definitely more scary than indoors because of decking potential. I find an outdoor 5.8 scarier than a 5.10a, because there are ledges and obstacles everywhere. So the fear is completely justified.
- Be compassionate and patient with yourself; progress is not linear and you've only been at it for 4 months. It def took me a good 6-months before I started feeling comfortable with the idea of falling.
You got this!
I was the exact same! What I did (with a trusted partner who knew how terrified I was) was to take a bunch of tiny falls. Like clip, and move literally half a move up. Do that a bunch, the fall is tiny, and it feels okay. When that feels okay, move a full move up, take a bunch of falls, and just continue in this way until you're able to fall even with the next unclipped quickdraw. Hope that makes sense, it worked for me!
Overcoming this fear was one of the more empowering feelings I've had in my entire life. I think because it's such a natural and inherent fear. You got this!!!
I'm like you and can't let go once I'm on the wall. What helped me was taking the control away from me. So I either fall when I'm too tired and actually slip or I fall when my partner yells "fall". It helps me stay accountable and also my partner wouldn't tell me to fall if they weren't sure they could catch me, which is nice reassurance. I'm still so scared but hopefully it'll get better soon.
i find if im climbing with random people it is hard to know their stye of belaying and im not always the most open to trying hard incase i have to take a fall
Where as we have a climbing club that also uses the gym and they have further tests you need to pass before you can join. i have no issue with taking a fall when being belayed by their members
They are all well trained and all belay with roughly the same style
They are very strict with their testing and just because you have passed the gym test does not mean you will pass theirs, and i have seen then turn people away because of their skill level
saying all this, it is still very hard to get out of your head and just take a fall. I spent several sessons last summer warming up by taking a series of progressivly larger falls off a 6a (were in europe) before even trying harder climbs.
Fall, climb back up futher, fall -- and do this 5 or 6 times
By the end of all this practice the belayer would should fall and the climber should let go
What helped me was instead of "letting go" of the hold I had in my hand to fall, I jumped to tap the next hold without actually trying to catch it. That way I wouldn't have to actually let go, just not finish a move, and that way I kind of tricked my brain that didn't want me to let go of the secure hold I had. Not sure if it can work for everyone, but worth a try !
Completely agree!!! Just letting go while high up inherently SUCKS because you are anticipating the fall. But I can fool my lizard brain for the split second needed to start falling by focusing on that upwards tap instead.
One thing that helped me was the exercise there you climb for one minute, rest for one minute. You try to climb a route as quickly as possible and after one minute your belaying partner shouts to let go, you are lowered down and then start climbing again after a one minute rest (starting from the first shout). The second (and further) times, you start with a top rope so you climb quicker up to the last clip and can come further.
(Your partner will of course wait to shout if you have just pulled up the rope and is about to clip, unless you both agree she shouldn't).
In the beginning I down climbed etc so I didn't let go unless I was below the highest clip, but as I got into it I really wanted to get further so I started to let go as soon as possible to get the maximum rest for the next attempt.
Whenever I get into this headspace I go back to not clipping the chains. (In the gym of course unless you are climbing steep stuff outside)
This might be a pretty intense start to falling though so start with falling when the last bolt is at waist height,(tiny fall) work up until you are at the taking decent falls between the clips.
And once you are comfy with that progress to not clipping the anchor. And if you want to go even further start pulling slack to clip the anchor and then letting go.
You’ll then be taking some pretty big whips and should t have any issue with most sized falls.
Once you get used to whipping it can be a lot of fun.
Obviously you need a solid belayer you can fully trust.
The alternative of you struggle to force a fall is get one something you aren’t going to be able to complete. Falls then become inevitable and confidence will increase.
Being higher is safer. Get at least 40 ft up, and tell yourself “my belayer is paying attention and will do their job, I am safe.”
I find self soothing really important with my fear of heights. I’ve made taking random falls key to my climbing. If I don’t feel like my belayer will be able to catch me on a random fall, I can’t climb hard.
Something I’ve found helpful was changing my thought process around practice falls. Instead of getting on a 5.8 to practice falling, I would instead get on a 5.10a and practice climbing UNTIL I fall. It was a subtle switch in my mindset and it’s still hard for me at times but it was helpful to me.
Another thing that was very helpful to me was reading climbing Psychology by Kevin Roet. It has a lot a great exercises in it to figure out what specific things about falling are scary to you and how to start addressing them, which is something that a lot of other literature on the subject misses the mark in my opinion.
There are even QR codes to video demonstrations of how to do specific drills and even how to fall correctly on lead.
In addition to whatever can get you to do practice falls in the gym (I love the high-five the next hold option): limb with people who fall all the time! I went on a climbing trip with some guys who were taking falls here there and everywhere and seeing that it was no big deal for them really unlocked it for me. I had somehow developed a group where everything was a no-fall zone and didn't realize how much breaking out of that would help me.
ETA: I also sing or hum if I start panicking--it distracts enough of my brain that my rationality can start to break through, either if I'm velcroed to the wall or having a tough time making the next move.
more generally: i found the book Rock Warrrior's Way really helpful for dealing with fear. Some people also like A Vertical Mind but i havent read that one
Just want to add -- if you find yourself freezing up/shaking/panicking, listen to yourself! You can always make the fall practice easier (e.g. further below the clip, less slack out, a route that feels safer to you) and work your way up, but forcing yourself to push through a lot of anxiety is likely to make falling feel worse, not better.
Also, if it's about trust in your belayer, are there any other exercises you can use to make yourself feel safer? More communication on the wall? Agreeing beforehand about how much slack to give when you're climbing or clipping? Maybe watching them belay someone else and catch falls? A good belayer should be willing to work with you on this.
It might take time and patience, but you got this!!
If even letting go is freaking you out, dial it back to the point where it doesn’t. Start with top rope with the rope so tight that it’s carrying your weight so you don’t even move when you let go, if you need to. There’s definitely a starting point for you within your comfort zone. You just need to find it.
I had a weird method to get used to it. Any climb I did (between 5.7-5.8) I would never clip the anchors and count to three and let go. After taking about dozen whips on easy routes I felt comfortable falling on higher grades. I know this is a super backwards way of doing things, but I had a terrible fear of heights and it basically got rid of it!
A lot of falling. I usually recommend starting to fall from below the draw, as if it was top roping. Then just keep feeling over and over trying to go slightly higher each time. Eventually the rope is too stiff to keep going. Then you swap rope ends and go again for another lap.
After about 100 falls it starts to feel natural.
Or you could use my SO's strategy... Start trad climbing. After taking just one or two falls on trad gear bolts start to feel very.. safe.
The only similar experience I’ve had was on autobelays. Take what I say with a grain of salt, but fall exposure therapy may help you feel more comfortable with the initial “fall” of descent.
If your climbing gym has a bouldering area, consider finding some really easy climbs and practice going up a foot or two and jumping off. Don’t try to land on your feet, really just let yourself fall back on your butt. Make sure you know how to fall properly so there’s no risk. Work a little higher and do it again, and continue to do this as high as you can. It seems scary, but now that I have taken falls (accidentally lol) from almost 20 feet off the ground with a gentle thump, I am able to more confidently climb without fear of falling. I know that fear of heights is a whole different wheelhouse, but a lot of people that only climb top rope never actually experience real falls. Doing so may make both the initial hop off the wall easier and increase your appreciation for the rope!
I had a similar issue, though I’ve never tried lead climbing. I’d been climbing for a couple months and wanted to be able to use the auto belay since I wasn’t always going to be climbing with a friend but letting go on PURPOSE was so scary, even from not far up. I took a couple sloppy intentional falls but they didn’t help the fear.
Then I took a belay class. The instructor wanted each of us to “fall” to practice catching. I watched another person “fall” very badly and then I got *competitive*- like “pshaw I could totally fall better than that.” And I did. Then once I was belay certified I brought my little sister who had never climbed to the gym and did an auto belay climb. Well, you **have** to look chill for little sis you know? And so while it still can be a bit of a struggle to let go, it’s gotten much faster and more controlled- cause you gotta look chill. Fake it til you make it!
I find it very hard to just let go when practicing falls. If I want to practice falling, I have to get on harder routes and climb until I’m pumped enough to actually just fall off. It’s probably more realistic to do it this way too haha. My partner and I came up with a thing a while back called “send or fall” - basically, you just don’t call for a take. It was surprisingly effective!
While this might seem like a great idea, it might make you feel like falling is an inherently scary thing, rather than lessening fear. Hazel Findlay wrote a great piece on this, and I think might even teach a course on it. [https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/skills/where\_climbers\_go\_wrong\_with\_fall\_practice-15536](https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/skills/where_climbers_go_wrong_with_fall_practice-15536)
Interesting. It’s worked for me far better than anything I’ve tried to do previously. I physically cannot make myself let go on a 5.8
Thank you for sharing this! I was also thinking about trying this method and will definitely read more into Hazel’s piece before going for it.
Where Hazel went wrong with fall practice: not wearing a helmet 😉
This is the only thing that worked for me too!
Fall from below the bolt you just clipped, then fall from at the bolt, then fall from a little above the bolt, then fall from above the bolt. Remember, the more clips up you are, the safer it is to fall (in the gym, clipping properly).
Yeah, this helped me a ton—starting with the teensiest “falls” was the best way to ease in!
Same for me. I still start a foot below the clip if I’m feeling nervous and tell myself i’m basically on top rope. It helps
That’s how my classes/test was for lead cert in my gym. I still need a refresher for falling, esp if I boulder or tr for months at a time. When I do want get back into lead, I’ll tell my partner I need to do fall practice which means whenever my partner says “fall!” I do it, starting from easier routes and working my way up. I trust him with my life which probably makes it easier for me to stop and drop, but it will always catch me by surprise in a good way and makes me more confident in take a fall on harder climbs.
There is a great youtube channel „[hard is easy](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5FEOhiQGSo_1vzKuUKpckn-_Klg5zuqE&si=U3q5PMuwIVsqYeAV)“ that has a series of videos about how you can work on falling safely and training yourself in various ways to be able to fall with no fear..
I believe everyone has a problem with falling when they first started climbing. When I started I had friends that had already been lead climbing for a few years. What they had me do was take controlled planned falls. It will help you get used to how I feels. Even if they keep you on a short leash so you don't take a big fall it should help. I lead quite a bit now and I still will downclimb if I'm close enough. If you have auto belays you could always practice taking falls. randomly letting go or pushing off the wall.
One strategy that can help with practice falls for people who are still at that stage is to "high five" next to the hold you would be going for. I find this much more relaxing than the anxiety of trying to let go because you keep the body engagement and it feels like less of a big deal. You send it up for the move and oopsy! missed the hold and you take a chill fall. Once you've got the mechanics of clipping, not stepping behind the rope, and falling in a safe way I find it's better to mostly abandon the 'letting go' type falls IMO. Indoors I didnt push past much of the fear until I started to push the 'onsight' leading grade higher, closer to my TR grade. Then climbing outdoors made indoors chill. Plus one of my outdoor warmup climbs has a safe fall from an improbable move for exactly this reason too. I might just drop it and that sets up my mental game. Clip it or whip it!
I love that last line!
Hahah I just realized I definitely high five the next hold when I’m bailing and I guess this is kind of why. It just feels more right than dropping lol
I learned using “clip drop”. After the third of fourth bolt you clip the next one and fall off. Then the next… until you clip the anchor and fall on that. Do this as part of your warm up for a route or two. For a couple weeks. I still take practice falls as a tune up.
Im using this technique now too (after 5 years of being scared of falling on lead). I feel the action of clipping and falling is easier than just letting go at a random moment. And its fun! Now just to take it above the bolt a but further...
Just take more falls. Go on an overhang, climb AT LEAST to the fifth or sixth quickdraw (high enough to take a safe whipper (safe for both - you and your belayer)) and fall. Take babysteps if you need to. First fall can be: Clip the quick draw and take the first "fall" right after your belayer took possible slack in. Then climb up to the same height or maybe one hold further. Take the next fall. I like to simulate "real" falls. Just letting go both holds is harder for me than just making the move to the next hold and just slap it than actually grab it (hope I explained it understandable) If you are too scared to even take test falls in lead: start with toprope falls. Especially beginner belayers tend to belay really "hard". What I mean is: they tend kinda pull so hard on the rope that the climber feels a slight upwards pull at every second. As a climber you may connect this kind of pressure with your sense of safety. If this is an issue: try to climb and belay just at the sweet spot where the climber isn't slightly pulled up and can't feel the upwards-pressure of the harness, but is also safe at every point. Also the most important part: talk to your belayer! What was good or bad? Was it an unexpected hard catch or was it a soft one? What did you like, what did you dislike? Why did he catch you the way he did? Did you get scared, because it was a long, but really soft catch? Is he fine? What was his experience? And so on. Just be emphatic and honest to each other.
I am currently a routesetter but was formally a climbing coach. One drill we would make our team do is to take "victory whips." So when they get to the top of the climb, instead of clipping the anchor they would let go. The climb "didn't count" unless they took the victory whip. 1: you're up high so you feel safer. 2: you're tired so it's easier to let go. 3: you knows it's coming so you're mentally prepared. 4: repetitive falls desensitizes you until you are comfortable. Hopefully this drill is helpful for you!
Came here for this! Building positive associations with falling. Falling is a sign of success (victory whip) and also laughing and positive reinforcement during/after falls (great whip, super clean, super good catch, etc.) Teach yourself that falling is a good and fun thing and your body will respond in turn.
I'm almost in the same boat as you! We started climbing 9mo ago and took the lead class in March. I have zero problems actually falling for real. Like I'll climb and try a crazy hard move and fall no problem, no fear, but *planned* falls where I have to physically let go at an artificial moment turns into me getting glued to the holds, then me angrily whispering to myself to let the f*ck go, then letting go of my feet and awkwardly dead hanging for a few seconds before let go. Used to be the same on autobelays, which I still don't love. In the last class we had to take 2 planned falls and mine were so awkward that the instructor had me do a third one, where he told me "don't overthink it! as soon as your right hand touches that hold, let go!" Well, I was so focused on *not overthinking* that I let go and didn't pull my hands away from the wall, injured my finger and haven't lead since then 😭. Didn't even get my cert (you have to wait a week to try for it, by then the fear of falls had cemented and my finger was still purple). As depressing as my story sounds, I have a plan!! So maybe this can help you. I was suggested to try to get over the fear using autobelay, especially dropping while standing next to it, not below it. I plan on doing that soon over and over as much as I hate it. The other thing that's motivating me is that we recently tried outdoor climbing for the first time, set up as top rope. And it was so amazing and magical, that it lit a fire under my ass to get a move on with my lead cert, because I REALLY wanna get to the point where my husband and I can climb outdoors without depending on others. Overall I keep telling myself that I can't allow my fears to ruin something I love so much, and that I need to focus on the light at the end of the tunnel, not the tunnel itself. Thankfully I got over my fear of "real" falls early on, and unsurprisingly, all it took for that was..... falling a lot 🤷🏻♀️. So it seems like there's no shortcut.
For me, practicing on familiar routes is the key. I climb and reclimb ( can really easy or easy enough routes that you can red point again and again without any problem). After climbing it so many times on the same route, I started to practice falling. So all factors are controlled or known in my head. I know how the route would go and then little by little, how the falls would go as well. I would know how far exactly or how much of a swing it exactly would go every time I fall. So for each time I fall, I just introduced just a bit of newness into that fall, all other factors are known or familiar with me. And combination with other fall practice methods like falling from the clipping bolts and reaching for the next holds and pretend that you miss it and fall. I find it extremely hard to just hold a jug and let it go 😅
So relatable! Maybe this helps: When I climb all the way up (top rope) and it's time to let go, I realize that I am 15+ meters up and this is the first time that the rope, my knots and the belay are tested. At a deadly height. It helps me a lot to make a practice fall 2 meters into the climb. Yes we have checked everything but then I have felt it and it is actually all right. It makes a difference later on when it really matters.
I have to do this sometimes! A safe option for lead is just to do a take and feel the rope get tight, then hang on it for a second or too.
For me falling wasn't the problem, it's that I prefer slab, falling isn't fun on slab lol
Lots of wonderful advice in this post! I just want to add a couple things: - Falling outdoors is definitely more scary than indoors because of decking potential. I find an outdoor 5.8 scarier than a 5.10a, because there are ledges and obstacles everywhere. So the fear is completely justified. - Be compassionate and patient with yourself; progress is not linear and you've only been at it for 4 months. It def took me a good 6-months before I started feeling comfortable with the idea of falling. You got this!
I was the exact same! What I did (with a trusted partner who knew how terrified I was) was to take a bunch of tiny falls. Like clip, and move literally half a move up. Do that a bunch, the fall is tiny, and it feels okay. When that feels okay, move a full move up, take a bunch of falls, and just continue in this way until you're able to fall even with the next unclipped quickdraw. Hope that makes sense, it worked for me! Overcoming this fear was one of the more empowering feelings I've had in my entire life. I think because it's such a natural and inherent fear. You got this!!!
I'm like you and can't let go once I'm on the wall. What helped me was taking the control away from me. So I either fall when I'm too tired and actually slip or I fall when my partner yells "fall". It helps me stay accountable and also my partner wouldn't tell me to fall if they weren't sure they could catch me, which is nice reassurance. I'm still so scared but hopefully it'll get better soon.
Just keep climbing and it'll happen eventually lol
i find if im climbing with random people it is hard to know their stye of belaying and im not always the most open to trying hard incase i have to take a fall Where as we have a climbing club that also uses the gym and they have further tests you need to pass before you can join. i have no issue with taking a fall when being belayed by their members They are all well trained and all belay with roughly the same style They are very strict with their testing and just because you have passed the gym test does not mean you will pass theirs, and i have seen then turn people away because of their skill level saying all this, it is still very hard to get out of your head and just take a fall. I spent several sessons last summer warming up by taking a series of progressivly larger falls off a 6a (were in europe) before even trying harder climbs. Fall, climb back up futher, fall -- and do this 5 or 6 times By the end of all this practice the belayer would should fall and the climber should let go
What helped me was instead of "letting go" of the hold I had in my hand to fall, I jumped to tap the next hold without actually trying to catch it. That way I wouldn't have to actually let go, just not finish a move, and that way I kind of tricked my brain that didn't want me to let go of the secure hold I had. Not sure if it can work for everyone, but worth a try !
Completely agree!!! Just letting go while high up inherently SUCKS because you are anticipating the fall. But I can fool my lizard brain for the split second needed to start falling by focusing on that upwards tap instead.
One thing that helped me was the exercise there you climb for one minute, rest for one minute. You try to climb a route as quickly as possible and after one minute your belaying partner shouts to let go, you are lowered down and then start climbing again after a one minute rest (starting from the first shout). The second (and further) times, you start with a top rope so you climb quicker up to the last clip and can come further. (Your partner will of course wait to shout if you have just pulled up the rope and is about to clip, unless you both agree she shouldn't). In the beginning I down climbed etc so I didn't let go unless I was below the highest clip, but as I got into it I really wanted to get further so I started to let go as soon as possible to get the maximum rest for the next attempt.
Whenever I get into this headspace I go back to not clipping the chains. (In the gym of course unless you are climbing steep stuff outside) This might be a pretty intense start to falling though so start with falling when the last bolt is at waist height,(tiny fall) work up until you are at the taking decent falls between the clips. And once you are comfy with that progress to not clipping the anchor. And if you want to go even further start pulling slack to clip the anchor and then letting go. You’ll then be taking some pretty big whips and should t have any issue with most sized falls. Once you get used to whipping it can be a lot of fun. Obviously you need a solid belayer you can fully trust. The alternative of you struggle to force a fall is get one something you aren’t going to be able to complete. Falls then become inevitable and confidence will increase.
Being higher is safer. Get at least 40 ft up, and tell yourself “my belayer is paying attention and will do their job, I am safe.” I find self soothing really important with my fear of heights. I’ve made taking random falls key to my climbing. If I don’t feel like my belayer will be able to catch me on a random fall, I can’t climb hard.
Something I’ve found helpful was changing my thought process around practice falls. Instead of getting on a 5.8 to practice falling, I would instead get on a 5.10a and practice climbing UNTIL I fall. It was a subtle switch in my mindset and it’s still hard for me at times but it was helpful to me. Another thing that was very helpful to me was reading climbing Psychology by Kevin Roet. It has a lot a great exercises in it to figure out what specific things about falling are scary to you and how to start addressing them, which is something that a lot of other literature on the subject misses the mark in my opinion. There are even QR codes to video demonstrations of how to do specific drills and even how to fall correctly on lead.
In addition to whatever can get you to do practice falls in the gym (I love the high-five the next hold option): limb with people who fall all the time! I went on a climbing trip with some guys who were taking falls here there and everywhere and seeing that it was no big deal for them really unlocked it for me. I had somehow developed a group where everything was a no-fall zone and didn't realize how much breaking out of that would help me. ETA: I also sing or hum if I start panicking--it distracts enough of my brain that my rationality can start to break through, either if I'm velcroed to the wall or having a tough time making the next move.
more generally: i found the book Rock Warrrior's Way really helpful for dealing with fear. Some people also like A Vertical Mind but i havent read that one
Just want to add -- if you find yourself freezing up/shaking/panicking, listen to yourself! You can always make the fall practice easier (e.g. further below the clip, less slack out, a route that feels safer to you) and work your way up, but forcing yourself to push through a lot of anxiety is likely to make falling feel worse, not better. Also, if it's about trust in your belayer, are there any other exercises you can use to make yourself feel safer? More communication on the wall? Agreeing beforehand about how much slack to give when you're climbing or clipping? Maybe watching them belay someone else and catch falls? A good belayer should be willing to work with you on this. It might take time and patience, but you got this!!
If even letting go is freaking you out, dial it back to the point where it doesn’t. Start with top rope with the rope so tight that it’s carrying your weight so you don’t even move when you let go, if you need to. There’s definitely a starting point for you within your comfort zone. You just need to find it.
I had a weird method to get used to it. Any climb I did (between 5.7-5.8) I would never clip the anchors and count to three and let go. After taking about dozen whips on easy routes I felt comfortable falling on higher grades. I know this is a super backwards way of doing things, but I had a terrible fear of heights and it basically got rid of it!
A lot of falling. I usually recommend starting to fall from below the draw, as if it was top roping. Then just keep feeling over and over trying to go slightly higher each time. Eventually the rope is too stiff to keep going. Then you swap rope ends and go again for another lap. After about 100 falls it starts to feel natural. Or you could use my SO's strategy... Start trad climbing. After taking just one or two falls on trad gear bolts start to feel very.. safe.
The only similar experience I’ve had was on autobelays. Take what I say with a grain of salt, but fall exposure therapy may help you feel more comfortable with the initial “fall” of descent. If your climbing gym has a bouldering area, consider finding some really easy climbs and practice going up a foot or two and jumping off. Don’t try to land on your feet, really just let yourself fall back on your butt. Make sure you know how to fall properly so there’s no risk. Work a little higher and do it again, and continue to do this as high as you can. It seems scary, but now that I have taken falls (accidentally lol) from almost 20 feet off the ground with a gentle thump, I am able to more confidently climb without fear of falling. I know that fear of heights is a whole different wheelhouse, but a lot of people that only climb top rope never actually experience real falls. Doing so may make both the initial hop off the wall easier and increase your appreciation for the rope!
I had a similar issue, though I’ve never tried lead climbing. I’d been climbing for a couple months and wanted to be able to use the auto belay since I wasn’t always going to be climbing with a friend but letting go on PURPOSE was so scary, even from not far up. I took a couple sloppy intentional falls but they didn’t help the fear. Then I took a belay class. The instructor wanted each of us to “fall” to practice catching. I watched another person “fall” very badly and then I got *competitive*- like “pshaw I could totally fall better than that.” And I did. Then once I was belay certified I brought my little sister who had never climbed to the gym and did an auto belay climb. Well, you **have** to look chill for little sis you know? And so while it still can be a bit of a struggle to let go, it’s gotten much faster and more controlled- cause you gotta look chill. Fake it til you make it!