Mental Health and Training for Intermediate Climbers

(You are now comfortable leading 5.10 outside, but struggle to lead 5.11 to 5.12.
Bouldering has progressed to allow projecting  V4 to V6)

It’s easy at this level to get caught up in grades and results.  You have probably reminded beginners many times by now, not to get caught up in grades, especially in a gym.  Remember the joy of climbing when you started.  It gives you access to beautiful places; it keeps you challenged, both physically, and intellectually.  Don’t get caught up in continual progression.  Listen to your body.  Seek coaching with plateaus.  Being OVERly focused on goals can lead to frustration or burn out.  Worse, it can lead to cheating when you have a must “win” at any cost attitude.

Check in with loved ones. 
Climbing is extremely time consuming.  It eats up free time and vacations.  Make sure you aren’t losing connections to those most important to you.  Take regular breaks from climbing to put things into perspective, especially when feeling injured, or plateaued.

Continue regular fall practice for safety. 
It’s crucial to bouldering at your limit and leading as well.  I make it part of the warm-up for all of my clients.  See the beginners post on mental health and training for some helpful drills.

A great read for intermediates climbers is “FEAR!” by Roanne Van Voorst.  She interviews tons of pro climbers, especially female athletes to see how they handle this topic.

Be sure to visit our blog next week where we’ll cover mental health and training for advanced climbers. And, be sure to check out last week’s post on mental health for beginning climbers – it includes a few reminders we can all use regardless of climbing level.

Looking to keep yourself accountable as you work on progressing in your climbing? Contact us at ATHENA where we specialize in injury prevention, massage therapy, strength training, climbing assessments, core training, and sports nutrition.