Uprooting destructive habits

The outdoor season is excitingly close. It's as if I can feel it. It's as if I can feel the transition of my mind and of the world around me. From the isolation and confinement of the cold winter to the free spirited energy that comes with the spring. There is something so revitalizing about that transition, and for me specifically this winter has been very difficult. Over this March-break I have had time to reflect, and create a structured approach for the upcoming season.

Although many of my goals are physical, I am placing an emphasis on reconfiguring my mental approach to climbing. The reason for this is that I have uprooted a self imposed value system which I believe hinders me from progressing as a climber.

This value system has been growing within me for the last two and a half years of my climbing journey. Sneakily it has been dominating the spirit of my climbing experience, suffocating it from the freedom and creativity inherent to it. The foundational concept to this system is style; specifically the style of Onsighting and Flashing a climb.

Climbing style has been a fundamental factor of every ascent since the beginnings of climbing history. In the earliest days style was based on the type of equipment used and the number of days it took. Later it became a question of how little equipment was used and how long that took, and today within the discipline of sport climbing, style is based on how much information you have about the climb and how many failed attempts it took for you to succeed. Climbing a route in a single attempt is defined both as an Onsight and a Flash; what separates them is the amount of information available to the climber. Flashing a climb is an indicator of an athlete’s ability to perform confidently, while Onsighting is an indicator of an athlete’s ability to be creative, to adapt and react, and to be mentally and physically prepared for anything a climb has to offer. Flashing is the silver medal of climbing performance, while Onsighting is the gold.

By assessing every one of my climbing experiences through this schema I considered every attempt after the first to be a failure. And with every failed attempt I was further and further away from gold, even if I was getting closer to climbing the route. The

process of figuring out the moves and learning from the rocks' features was overshadowed by the failure and filled me with frustrated emotions. It felt like I was trapped on the wall, forced to tie the loose ends of something I no longer deemed worthy of my time.

The fact is that there is nothing wrong with attaching such ambitious goals to the climbing experience, but when those goals turn into expectations and failing to meet those expectations leads to a draining of your will and your passion, that is when these goals turn into a disadvantage.

The first step to breaking such destructive habits is always awareness, and after that is strategy. I have come up with a simple strategy for myself, one which both takes advantage of the inherent positive effect of wanting to climb with excellent style, and avoids the frustration which results from failing to accomplish that. The first step is to commit to your goal and simply perform: with absolute precision, dedication and intuition. The moment you fall off the wall and land in your harness you instantly switch characters. From performer to student, the moment you look up at your last chalk marks from below and begin to wonder what happened? That is when you surrender yourself to the route and allow it to teach you. The moment you have learned the necessary lessons that is when it will allow you to ascend and part ways.

With this strategy, I will learn to believe I am a master until proven to be a student and continue on my path of knowledge with a fiery will and an everlasting thirst for style.