E75: James Pearson - There and back again, the online and physical dangers of trying to push Trad climbing
Dec 6, 2023
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James Pearson, an experienced climber, discusses the community kickback he faced for pushing trad climbing and how he learned from the experience. Topics include the challenges of inflated grading, the importance of enjoying climbing, the appeal and risks of bold trad climbing routes, and the investment and rewards of climbing Bon Voyage.
The speaker reflects on the relationship between grades, risk-taking, and proving oneself as a professional climber.
The influence of media and perception in the climbing community is discussed, emphasizing the importance of personal context when assessing climbs.
Lessons learned from the climbing journey include the importance of proper preparation, balancing risk-taking with skill development, and sharing experiences within the climbing community.
A transformative shift in mindset reignited the speaker's passion for climbing, focusing on enjoyment and experience rather than solely on performance and reputation.
Finding joy in climbing and not worrying about performance or impressing others is emphasized, influenced by the speaker becoming a dad and valuing limited time and family responsibilities.
Deep dives
Personal Journey in Trad Climbing
The speaker discusses his personal journey in trad climbing, starting from his introduction to climbing on gritstone and developing his skills. He highlights his focus on headpointing and the risks associated with climbing dangerous trad routes. He reflects on the relationship between grades, risk-taking, and his own journey to prove himself as a professional climber.
The Walk of Life and Bon Voyage
The speaker shares his experience climbing The Walk of Life, the world's first proposed E12 route, and the challenges and fears he faced during that time. He also mentions his recent route Bon Voyage and how it brought back memories of his past climbing experiences. He reflects on the significance and controversy surrounding his grading of these routes.
The Influence of Media and Perception
The speaker discusses the influence of media and perception in the climbing community, particularly in relation to his grading of routes and the backlash he faced. He shares his realization that individual experiences and capabilities shape perceptions of difficulty, and emphasizes the importance of personal context when assessing climbs.
Risks and Lessons Learned
The speaker reflects on the risks and lessons learned from his climbing journey, including the importance of proper preparation, the balance between risk-taking and skill development, and the significance of sharing experiences within the climbing community. He acknowledges the evolution in his mindset and approach to climbing as he gained more experience and faced challenges.
Rediscovering the Love for Climbing
After a period of feeling disheartened and losing confidence in his climbing abilities, the speaker recounts a transformative shift in mindset while bouldering with his wife, which reignited his passion for the sport. He reflects on how focusing on enjoyment and the experience of climbing, rather than solely on performance and reputation, allowed him to fully appreciate the beauty of bouldering and push himself to new limits. This newfound love for bouldering opened doors for him in trad climbing, and he describes how returning to the sport with a different approach and improved fitness enabled him to conquer challenging routes, including his recent climb of Bon Voyage.
The Journey to Bon Voyage
The speaker shares his journey of finding and climbing Bon Voyage, a challenging trad route. He highlights how the time spent in the climbing community in Anot and working on the route was enjoyable and helped him appreciate the present moment. He emphasizes the importance of savoring every climbing experience and cherishing the process rather than solely focusing on the end goal. By staying positive and embracing the challenges, the speaker experienced tremendous growth and satisfaction, culminating in his successful ascent of Bon Voyage.
The Aftermath and Reflection
The speaker discusses the aftermath of climbing Bon Voyage, including the reactions from the climbing community and the decision to keep the grade undisclosed. He describes the journey as a deeply personal one, where he had to grapple with self-doubt and reconcile his desire to push his limits while accepting the potential impact of sharing the grade. Despite these uncertainties, he finds reassurance in the process, the hard work he invested, and the joy that climbing brings. Additionally, he mentions the positive influence of witnessing others attempting the route and the growing interest and appreciation for the area.
Rediscovering the Joy of Climbing
James speaks about his journey of rediscovering the joy of climbing after experiencing a sense of rejection from the climbing community. He initially felt the need to impress others and prove himself, pushing his limits on challenging trad routes. However, he eventually realized that he couldn't control other people's opinions and that it was more important to focus on what he enjoyed and what mattered to him. Becoming a dad played a significant role in changing his perspective, as he realized that climbing became more precious and exciting due to limited time and the need to balance family responsibilities. He emphasized the importance of finding joy in climbing and not worrying about performance or impressing others.
Overcoming Performance Anxiety and Grade Pressures
James discusses his struggles with performance anxiety and the pressure associated with grading climbs, particularly in the trad climbing discipline. He reflects on how he used to prioritize external validation and sought to justify his personal climbing choices based on their perceived difficulty or danger. However, he recognizes that these pressures often overshadowed the pure enjoyment of climbing. James now focuses on finding a balance between taking risks and being a responsible family man, acknowledging that he may never fully eliminate the traumas from past experiences. He also addresses the controversial topic of e-grades and the varied perspectives within the climbing community, encouraging climbers to respect different viewpoints and personal approaches to the sport.
A fantastic story, and one the climbing community would do well to learn from. James Pearson joins us this week to tell us about how he tried to push trad climbing, and how severe a community kickback can be even over something as trivial as slightly inflated grading. We hear about what James learnt from the experience, and how he improved himself as a climber to be ready to be in more or less the exact same situation many years later...
Glossary Headpoint - The art of practicing a climb on a top rope before attempting a conventional lead or solo.
Equilibrium - An E10 (and I believe the first E10) in the peak district first ascented by Neil Bentley in 2000
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