Emotions in Climbing
Imagine this - you’re out for a run at a local park on a Saturday. As you crest a hill, you see a sweaty runner rip off their shoes and angrily throw them down the trail in frustration because they ran the course 30 seconds slower than last week. That was weird. As you keep going, you pass a pair of mountain bikers. One rider says to the other “I can’t believe I had to walk the last section of that hill. Ugh, I just suck at mountain biking. If I wasn’t short it would be so much easier. I just hate my body so much it’s unfair. I’m going on a diet to lose 10 pounds. Maybe then I’ll finally be good”. Yikes. That was hard to listen to. Back in town, you step into a coffee shop to grab a drink. As you wait in line, a couple with rolled up yoga mats are in front of you. They’re talking excitedly. One excitedly says to the other, “I can’t believe I smashed that Warrior 3 in class today! Wow, I thought that would never happen”. The other responds, “Babe I know!!!! That was SO SICK!!! You absolutely nailed it”. Yogi One dives into the details: “It was so crazy. First we were in Warrior 2 and I knew I really wanted to go for it, but I wasn’t sure I was ready to commit. As the teacher said to shift forwards I just threw all my caution to the wind and really went for it. All that training has really paid off”.
What the heck is going on here? This town is insane; All of these people sound utterly ridiculous! In reality these scenarios happen all the time at your local climbing gym or crag. Grown adults throw wobblers when they don’t send, people go to extreme measures to find a slight performance edge, and we all stare open mouthed as someone clips the chains, then celebrate their successes jubilantly.
Climbing has the ability to bring out emotional highs and lows unlike any other sport I’ve encountered. The feeling of hard won success that comes from solving problems and pushing personal boundaries can be enormously positive. The relationships made through struggling on the same boulder problem or trusting a partner to catch you as you pump off of a route bolster our sense of connection. I believe the powerful emotional impacts of climbing are a big part of what makes the sport so attractive.
It’s important to be aware that the emotional impacts also have the potential to be powerfully negative in certain situations. Youth competitors and adults who dedicate their lifestyle to climbing are especially vulnerable.
Children start climbing young in life with a naive approach. Can I get on top of the table? Can I climb higher in this tree? Can I reach the top of the auto belay? Their naive approach brings few expectations and limited perceived risk, so the emotional consequences are low. If they fall off, they either try again or move on to something else. When the first ascensionists began scaling mountains and walls, everything was brand new. They climbed out of necessity, to explore and seek resources. They climbed recreationally for the challenge, the thrill, the fame, simply “Because it’s there”. The physical consequences were undoubtedly high, but there was low expectation, since every achievement was being done for the first time. As climbing has developed, expectations and standards have been set. Each time a climber sets out to repeat a route, they test themselves against the standards set by those before them. Each time a youth competitor enters a competition, they sign up to have their performance ranked against other climbers.
We invest hours of time and energy into solving problems on the wall, striving for individual achievement in a social setting. There may be nuanced successes along the way as we make progress while working the climb, but the line between success and failure is stark - either you get to the top or gravity wins. When we lose a competition against inanimate objects, the only thing we can change to affect the outcome is us. This makes the sport inherently personal, more so than other team or lifestyle sports. The social nature of climbing also brings our ego into play. We have pride, self image, and social capital at stake.
For many climbers, the sport is far more than just an activity; it’s an identity and a lifestyle. When faced with the risks and challenges inherent to climbing, we put ourselves in an emotionally vulnerable position. Successes make us feel great, but perceived failures, especially repeated ones, can be emotionally triggering. Falling off a boulder for the 10th time after a bad day at work or school can destabilize our sense of ability and self worth enough to send us home in a bad mood. For climbers who are predisposed to, or dealing with, mental health issues, the perceived outcome on a climb, session, or competition can be especially polarizing. It is critical for coaches, climbers and parents to notice the emotional impacts climbing can have so that we can intervene if the experience becomes unhealthy.
As climbing grows from a fringe endeavor to a mainstream sport, competition has become a main venue, especially for youth climbers. The competition is really two fold - the athletes compete against each other and the climbs themselves. It’s easy to see how this duality puts youth climbers into an especially vulnerable position. The emotional impact of competition can range from neutral, to empowering to devastating.
As the number of youth climbers has grown exponentially in recent years, the competition has intensified dramatically. As the field of competitors grows each year, more and more kids get cut. These strict qualification standards are not uncommon in youth athletics; however, for some, this transition has been impactful. A 14 year old climber may have easily qualified for Regional, Divisional and National events when they were 9 or 10 and competing against half as many kids. Now they have to adjust to an intensified competition scene. For some, even though they are older, more experienced and presumably better, they may no longer qualify to compete at the top levels. They may conclude that they are the problem, especially if they are unaware of the changing demographics. When you combine all of the challenges of competition with year round training and the standard woes of adolescence, the emotional health of young competitors may suffer. It’s crucial that as we are aware of the emotional impacts climbing can have and warning signs of a more serious issue. This article provides an overview of the mental health issues most commonly experienced by athletes.
As a country, we are in the early stages of talking about and destigmatizing mental illness. Conversations around the mental wellbeing of athletes are entering our collective consciousness as we remember professional athletes deal with emotions too. Luckily, this increase in awareness coincides with the growth of rock climbing. Hopefully, through education and dialogue we can capitalize on the positive emotional effects of climbing - community, connection, creativity and challenge - to promote mental wellness. To join the conversation or get more information, visit us at Hidden Crux!
