DEALING WITH YOUR FEAR OF FALLING

Your heart rate picks up, beating loud enough for you to hear. Your limbs start shaking - first your hands, then your legs. You can’t hold on any longer, but also you’re too afraid to let go! And before you know it, you’re off the wall…falling! 

No matter how you feel about falling, there’s no denying that it is an integral part of climbing. We climb and we fall - it’s just how it goes! But there is fear and anxiety attached to this that we all have to work through at some point or another. 

The fear of falling can hinder us from truly enjoying our climb, especially on lead climbing when you will likely experience a bigger fall (i.e. falling a greater amount) compared to bouldering and top rope climbing. 

While it is completely natural to experience this nerve-wrecking sensation when we are on the walls, we know it can be tackled with some training.

Here are three training tips you can start with to help conquer your fear of falling:

1. Find a supportive and trusted belay partner 
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​Find a belay partner that isn’t looking to just belay you, but also support and encourage you in your fear. We know that communicating belay commands is a best practice in climbing, but so is having honest conversations about where you are at in your own climbing journey.
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Sharing that you are hesitating on a move because you are afraid to fall or that you need a break on the wall to rest your pumped arms are all things that can help you feel safer when fear starts to creep in. The right “belaytionship” can make a difference in how you feel on those walls. 

2. Practice Control Falling:
 
Get into a position on the wall where you are ready to let go, and then do just that - let go! This is also a great practice in trusting your belayer to catch you! You need to see for yourself that the fall isn’t going to hurt you! 
 
Falling in a controlled setting (no matter how small the fall) is an incredibly effective way to manage your fears and how you have built-up the idea of falling in your own head. 

3. Normalize your fear 
 
Even professional climbers get scared too! Remind yourself that being scared is normal and repeat this to yourself when you’re on those walls. Fear is a natural part of any learning process. And we all know that the more we do something, the less the fear and nerves take over. So keep practicing - you got this! 

4. Trust your climbing 
 
Your falling concerns can also be partially alleviated by trusting your climbing skills. Regardless of your climbing level, if you are prioritizing technique, you can take that with you even on those high walls and when your anxiety starts to kick in. 
 
Simply put, technique is the best defense against sloppy climbing, which results in less falls! One technique to prioritize - footwork! You’re less likely to slip off the wall if you  have secure placement on those tiny footholds! 

Bonus tip: Build confidence in your grip strength. This comes with practice and training, but we are stronger than we think we are! It’s easy to forget what our body is capable of in the midst of fear. We hesitate to make certain moves because we are afraid to fall on a reach up to the next hold. The chance of us successfully grabbing that hold is pretty high in any other situation, but the fear casts doubts. 

Recognizing that climbing is both a mental and physical game, we hope these tips help you in alleviating your fears. 

Understanding alone means nothing, so implementation is key! So save this article so you can apply these tips practically on our walls when we open again. 

See you on those (high) walls!