the shizzle > diet, training and injuries
How to become a braver boulderer (aka get Wellsy up Crescent Arete)
Fiend:
Firstly make sure you've got the right motivation and right desires fuelling the path to bravery:
Good reasons to become braver:
1. Because there's some bloody amazing boulder problems that could be attainable with a bit more bravery.
2. Because it will make you a more rounded climber and maybe feed back into your GOALZ.
3. Because higher boulder problems can be a great experiences.
4. Because working towards coping with higher stuff can be a fascinating exploration of the challenge.
Bad reasons to become braver:
1. Because you're ashamed of not being brave enough.
2. Because you think you "should".
3. Peer pressure.
4. Grades.
5. Because a born-again soul climber who is an 8A+ beast and an E6 highballer who has transcended mere grades encourages you to do so.
6. Because some cantankerous old ledge shuffler who can do 80m E3s on silt but can't actually climb anything hard encourages you to do so.
7. Anything to do with cross-training for over-chalked, over-eroded, chipped, eliminate, rule-driven send-train bellend "ticks".
Then stack some odds in your favour...
1. Work up SLOWLY and GENTLY. Push yourself bit by bit. Comfort zones need to be stretched gently otherwise they're get injured and harden up.
2. But keep trying with it. Aim to push a little bit each time. Try to habitualise doing "a little brave" stuff, even if it's not very brave, or feeling very progressive at the time, it will get you used to the whole situation of factoring bravery in.
3. If you push too far and it's too scary, ease off. Go back a step and take it gently.
4. Choose higher problems that have sensible, manageable landings, without any extra exposure, weird drops, distracting rocks, etc etc. You can work those factors in in time.
5. Stack the pads well, get used to really optimising the set-up, covering all bases, make the height feel more comfy.
6. DO make sure you're out with people who empathise, understand, and respect your limits (even if their limits are different) and encourage you - you guessed it - gently. Be wary of people who are aiming for peer-pressure pad parties on moderately big boulders, who might not understand your limits (unless you thing that might work and is worth a try). There's nothing wrong with being less brave, there is something wrong with being gung-ho with someone's lack of bravery. Equally, be wary of people who are too timid, too inhibited, and will hold you back with a lack of encouragement and positivity.
7. Don't do too much of the brave stuff overall until you feel more accustomed to it. Mix it in with your comfort zone of normal bouldering or lowball grot or whatever.
8. Choose things that are genuinely inspiring regardless of grade or status and that are going to be genuinely pleasurable experiences along with a frisson of challenge summoning the required bravery. Avoid doing brave stuff for the sake of it or when your heart's not in it (unless you feel determined and ready to "train" bravery that session).
A few gentle semi-local problem ideas to ease into these sort of things:
Mono Slab Left Arete 5+, Stanton In
Probably 4+, Bradley
Three And Four Pence, 6C, Bradley
Witch's Sabbath 6B+, Stanton
Razor Arete? 6A?, Robin Hood's Stride
That slabby thing left of Jerry's Arete, RHS
Brain Dead L/R 6B/C, Cratcliffe
Technical Master 6C, Millstone
Pebble Arete L/R 5+, Stanage
Love Handles 6A, Stanage
WADS 6A, Baslow
The Balls Test 6B, Baslow
The Eagle Stone stuff, Baslow (not fucking Hot Ziggerty)
All Quiet On The Eastern Front 6A+, Burbage
Safe Bet E1 6b, Burbage (only once ready, and the wall right of it)
That arete behind Trackside HVS 5b, Curbar
Curbar Corner 5, Curbar (and the L arete?)
The Big Slab 4, Higgar,
I thought of loads of these in the car today and have forgotten most of them sorry, will add more when I think of them.
User deactivated.:
--- Quote from: Fiend on March 15, 2024, 09:08:27 pm ---5. Because a born-again soul climber who is an 8A+ beast and an E6 highballer who has transcended mere grades encourages you to do so.
--- End quote ---
Twat :lol: :lol:
Do you not think there's any merit in choosing something high ish with a flat landing where falling off is likely, and hopefully you edge a bit higher each attempt? Kinda like the DWS approach where you need to take a plunge before realising it's not that bad and can then climb more freely.
sxrxg:
Dry wit in a wet country at 7a seems to be a perfect candidate. Perfect flat landing l, tricky move at a height I found a bit fluttery into an easier topout.
stone:
I'm thinking back to a few weeks ago when I was too scared to do the (I guess font 1 or something) mantle/step-up last move on the Nose at Burbage West. I had my elbows on the top of the problem. Nick (I think the Nick who posts on here) clambered up to the top to offer kind moral support. I still chickened out and stepped off to the right ;D
Fiend:
--- Quote from: Liamhutch89 on March 15, 2024, 09:27:56 pm ---
--- Quote from: Fiend on March 15, 2024, 09:08:27 pm ---5. Because a born-again soul climber who is an 8A+ beast and an E6 highballer who has transcended mere grades encourages you to do so.
--- End quote ---
Twat :lol: :lol:
Do you not think there's any merit in choosing something high ish with a flat landing where falling off is likely, and hopefully you edge a bit higher each attempt? Kinda like the DWS approach where you need to take a plunge before realising it's not that bad and can then climb more freely.
--- End quote ---
Maybe, but that also depends in one's confidence in landing consistently well - which might not be there. I was looking at the "likely to get scared, unlikely to fall" scenario more which is hopefully the case for the grand example in question. But I did forget to address the physical side and getting used to landing from increasing heights (subject to knees coping etc) so that is something useful to consider.
Dry Wit has a weird-ish landing with the ground dropping a bit underneath, plus might be a bit spookier without a handjam to finish, plus I think it's a bit too close to Wellsy's outdoor max unless the Kilterboard / Lattice edge test gainz are in full effect - I was thinking more of gentler stuff hopefully within the physical comfort zone.
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