[dobbin]

Got to take this shit head on.

 

I know you are both right! I am practicing not being a massive shit house, and I also know you are right about how to get over it. The thing with falling off, is that actually - its quite fun! its just remembering that when you have gotten the willies and are not thinking straight.

[dobbin]

That reminds me of an interesting (well, i thought so anyway) observation from the snowballing days of this winter. Whilst out with Rupert it occurred to me how much we were overgripping stuff that other considerably weaker people were getting up by the skin of their teeth. For instance, big air. Once I had that big hole thing, wild horses wouldnt have pulled me from the wall, yet that problem saw ascents from fat weak guys who had big balls, sketching wildly out of control but still getting to the top. It struck me that you need something of each of us to acheive your potential. There was a man on Shine on sketching and wobbling, and then there was rupert, with the eye of the tiger, terrified and crimping like his life depended on it (it probably did), both got to the top, but imagine what rupert could do, had he the balls of the sketcher!

[tomtom]

So why not get yer ass to the foundry and have a few sessions learning how to fall off..?

Varying heights above the gear and flyyyy.....

[Nibile]

You all are right, but I understand Dob's "fear" very well. I practiced controlled falls a lot, but they are very different from staying there, climbing when right at the edge of a fall. The only time when I could feel more at ease has been when I could climb a lot.

[Three Nine]

Yeah i dont think just 'jumping off' is the way. You need practice sketching. A good way is to do some onsights or first redpoints that are hard for you and just go for broke - no saying 'take'. Its this practice in climbing out of your skin above ur bolt that you need. Oh and taking the biggest falls you can whilst dogging mecca when trying hard links.

[tomtom]

Lore, I understand it very well too... which is why I don't do any sport or trad (that involves a risk of falling off). I am a great big scaredy pants. I also get bored on routes...

[a dense loner]

Can someone read all this back to me pls? I'm only a rope access worker

[abarro81]

Dobbin is a big fat scaredy cat. And a weakling. Think that pretty much sums it up.

[nik at work]

And too old, don't forget that he's too old.

[Nibile]

Oh come on! If you can kneebar you can climb everything.
 

[Moo]

 Actually dobbin spending someone time as a level 1 wold probably help you get over being such a massive fanny by blinding you to terrifying situations through the medium of hard work.

[kingholmesy]

... but imagine what rupert could do, had he the balls of the sketcher!

Or to make the same point a different way, imagine what the sketcher could do if he had the steely crimp strength and diminutive frame of Rupert.

Yeah i dont think just 'jumping off' is the way. You need practice sketching. A good way is to do some onsights or first redpoints that are hard for you and just go for broke - no saying 'take'. Its this practice in climbing out of your skin above ur bolt that you need. Oh and taking the biggest falls you can whilst dogging mecca when trying hard links.

For what it's worth, this is on the money.  You need to get used to pressing on climbing above bolts, desperately fighting to get to the top when you're boxed and think you could be off at any moment.  Jumping off is not the same thing.

[Doylo]

You don't have to skip the last clip anymore cos of the kneebar tho do you?


Do it Dobbin you're a beast!

[kingholmesy]

I just thought I'd add that the only reason I feel qualified to have commented on this thread is that I am the very definition of a fat, weak sketcher.

Looking forward to reading the next blog about Mecca having been crushed to dust ...

[dobbin]

Can someone read all this back to me pls? I'm only a rope access worker

Aren't you a L3? get one of your minions to stop fanning you with palm fronds and feeding you grapes on your bed of £50 notes and precis it for you

Looking forward to reading the next blog about Mecca having been crushed to dust ...

I would love that to be the next one, but there will doubtless be some more offensive ranting before we get to that!

You don't have to skip the last clip anymore cos of the kneebar tho do you?


Do it Dobbin you're a beast!

You can clip it either way, and thanks beast!

I think youre all right by the way - there is a difference between jumping and sketching off. Me and Neddy went to the Foundry and had to work on a 6b on slopers on the left hand side of the main wall - i properly actually fell off that, and not only was it fine, but it sorted me out and made me herro for the rest of that day. But why was it just that day? probably because i need to make it more the norm and not be such a neurotic buffoon!

[Stu Littlefair]

Whilst its true that there's a difference between proper falls and jumping off, it's not night and day. In order for head training to be effective you need to *build up* from things that don't scare you. The key point is to take falls just at the edge of your comfort zone, but push that comfort zone each time. Forcing yourself to take big falls will just freak you out more.

The other point is to keep doing it, which I think you've realised. Don"t think of it as a kind of training that you do once a week, but do a little bit every single time you put a rope on.

[SA Chris]

Don"t think of it as a kind of training that you do once a week, but do a little bit every single time you put a rope on.

Also known as the Shark Oak training plan.

[Three Nine]

i imagine the hardest thing about doing mecca atm is having the patience to stand in the fuckin queue!

[Bonjoy]

I sacked off trying Mecca some years back. I occasionally feel like getting involved again. All in all I’m glad I continue to resist these urges. It’s all very well other folk going ‘yeah you can do it!’. They just want to hear a good news story, it’s not their blood, sweat, tears and time on the line. Sounds like you’ve found a way to enjoy climbing and get stuff done, is it worth sacking this to jump on the seige bus? Do you really want to tie up all your free time for some indeterminate period and become a hostage to fortune again? I continue to think trying Mecca would be a poor use of my time and motivation. Just wanted to give an alternative perspective to the glee crew.
PS I don’t doubt you can do Mecca.

[Johnny Brown]

For the record, I doubt you can do Mecca Dobbin. Will you not show me the video of you not doing it now?

[a dense loner]

I dont think dobbin can do it either

[T_B]

I sacked off trying Mecca some years back. I occasionally feel like getting involved again. All in all I’m glad I continue to resist these urges.

Shirley there's a little knee pad devil whispering in your ear? 

[Three Nine]

I sacked off trying Mecca some years back. I occasionally feel like getting involved again. All in all I’m glad I continue to resist these urges. It’s all very well other folk going ‘yeah you can do it!’. They just want to hear a good news story, it’s not their blood, sweat, tears and time on the line. Sounds like you’ve found a way to enjoy climbing and get stuff done, is it worth sacking this to jump on the seige bus? Do you really want to tie up all your free time for some indeterminate period and become a hostage to fortune again? I continue to think trying Mecca would be a poor use of my time and motivation. Just wanted to give an alternative perspective to the glee crew.
PS I don’t doubt you can do Mecca.

it is if you like doing it, it isn't if you dont. obviously

[Bonjoy]

I sacked off trying Mecca some years back. I occasionally feel like getting involved again. All in all I’m glad I continue to resist these urges.

Shirley there's a little knee pad devil whispering in your ear? 

I've had a play on it with a pad. Seemed a solid grade easier. Call me a grade chaser but this helped to put me off trying it.

I sacked off trying Mecca some years back. I occasionally feel like getting involved again. All in all I’m glad I continue to resist these urges. It’s all very well other folk going ‘yeah you can do it!’. They just want to hear a good news story, it’s not their blood, sweat, tears and time on the line. Sounds like you’ve found a way to enjoy climbing and get stuff done, is it worth sacking this to jump on the seige bus? Do you really want to tie up all your free time for some indeterminate period and become a hostage to fortune again? I continue to think trying Mecca would be a poor use of my time and motivation. Just wanted to give an alternative perspective to the glee crew.
PS I don’t doubt you can do Mecca.

it is if you like doing it, it isn't if you dont. obviously

Yeah doing it would be fun. It's all the not doing it that's less inspiring, especially on the days when this is due to external bollox like bad conditions, belayer shortage, or queues.

[shark]

I have sympathy for Dobs here. My eldest son has a chronic fear of falling and I thought a good few sessions of falling practice down the Foundry would work. It was a painfully frustrating process for both of us and we sacked it off as we made zero progress. He just boulders now and is dead to me.

There is a spectrum but hardly anyone is undistracted by the prospect of falling. Even Steve Mac, who is one of the least distracted I've climbed with, said in an article that he worked hard to be absolutely 100% undistracted.

I don't know what the solution is. Probably a variety of tactics/strategies. Falling practice might be the answer for some. Wanting the route or link badly enough is the main thing that helps me. Be good to know what tactics have worked for others.