[ghisino]

On my two latest sport trips i suffered some form of redpoint anxiety, and wonder if smeone else has the same or knows a strategy to work around it.

It happens on routes that are hard at the start, followed by a rest and an "easier but not trivial" last section.
On early redpoint attempts, there is a high probability that i start thinking too much about the outcome while resting ("hey look, I'm sending it!"), and end up messing it up with some silly mistake (a foot slips where it never slipped on hangdogs) or parasite thoughts (sudden realization that I'm far above the last draw, my foot is behind the rope etc etc...)

On subsequent attempts the issue is usually self-fixed. It is not unusual that i eventually redpoint being more tired/pumped that on the earlier "messed up" go.

[Three Nine]

Remember that you're climbing a bit of rock, and if you onsight 9b, you've still only climbed a bit of rock.

[bendavison]

This might be useful: http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,25693.0.html

My top tip would be to stop thinking about doing it or not. If the climbing isn't trivial, then focus on the climbing! And more redpoint experience probably helps (I don't know how much redpointing you've done, but I found I got the same anxiety in the past, but didn't last time I went redpointing).

[Luke Owens]

I get the negative thoughts creeping in from time to time, usually when I'm at a non-local crag. It usually happens if I have time to rest/relax after the crux. I just ask myself how much I want to do the route and to just enjoy it because the route isn't going anywhere and I have the rest of my life to climb it.

I've never had problems with being above bolts but I have friends that do and I think the best cure is to just take falls on purpose or keep going for it when pumped and don't shout take. Onsighting helps this mindset a lot because you're forced into the unknown, if you try hard enough you'll find yourself run out, pumped and falling off more. Good for the soul!

[ghisino]

(I don't know how much redpointing you've done, but I found I got the same anxiety in the past, but didn't last time I went redpointing).

quite a bit, often more than my average climbing partners, but not a lot daily practice in the recent past! i've been living in the paris region for the last 7 years. Since then, all my sport cragging has been mostly three or four 1 week trips a year, plus occasional day trips to saussois or similar.

the interesting bit of this situation is finding out how to get better at something when you can't train and test yourself directly at it.

i don't have this kind of problem when the route's rhythm is more similar to a gym route or a long boulder problem: sustained and intense/short enough that there's no room to think about anything else than holding on.
I also tend not to get it if i've been working the route a lot and falling higher and higher over several days, it is more likely to happen when i've had a good beta check and my 2nd or 3rd go is unexpectedly good.

in comparison, i also function better in situations that many others find difficult (competitive vibe, objectively dangerous situations, etc). This makes me even more pissed about puntering in seemingly easier situations (route "in the bag", friendly vibe, etc).

[bendavison]

Sounds like you struggle when you expect to do something. Maybe try and remind yourself that the route is a 'worthy enemy' and that you're gonna have to try really freakin hard. For the 'easier' sections I guess just make sure that you know them inside out.

Good luck in Tarn!

[ghisino]

Good luck in Tarn!

thanks, but i'm already back home and i've been lucky enough (despite mixed weather, climbed four days straight and had quite good conditions when needed, including a last minute rematch on the puntered route)

[Sasquatch]

I had almost exactly this on a couple of different routes.  What helped me was defining the rest as x seconds of rest and start counting and shaking appropriately.  No looking ahead to the rest of the route.  Just focus on breathing, shaking, and keeping my head focused on the resting, not on the anchors.  Once my mind stayed in the "now" it was much easier to stay focused on the rest of the routes. 

[bendavison]

I had almost exactly this on a couple of different routes.  What helped me was defining the rest as x seconds of rest and start counting and shaking appropriately.  No looking ahead to the rest of the route.  Just focus on breathing, shaking, and keeping my head focused on the resting, not on the anchors.  Once my mind stayed in the "now" it was much easier to stay focused on the rest of the routes.

I met a guy who had success with a similar method. He took a stopwatch up with him (mainly to make him rest longer actually) and said he was so focused on the stopwatch that he forgot about the climbing above till he set off.

[TheTwig]

Remember that you're climbing a bit of rock, and if you onsight 9b, you've still only climbed a bit of rock.

Dave Grahams quote on rock climbing is my favourite. To paraphrase: "no matter how cool you think you are, just remember you're climbing rocks in the woods with the bugs' ha ha : )

[Moo]

[TobyD]

On my two latest sport trips i suffered some form of redpoint anxiety, and wonder if smeone else has the same or knows a strategy to work around it.

Remember that falling off on a redpoint is at least 1000% better than golf or diy or shopping or one of the million other activities that people do, who haven't realised that pulling on the worst holds you can is the best thing you can do with your time.

Alternatively, pretend you are headpointing and if you fall, you'll die. No 'redpoint angst' then.