Elite climber Dave MacLeod discusses tactics, mental game, expanding comfort zones, fear of falling, and pushing oneself to do more challenging climbs. He also talks about the next generation of elite climbers, his current projects, outdoor adventures, and a heartfelt message of gratitude and admiration.
Overcoming the fear of falling in climbing requires distinguishing between irrational and rational fears, gaining experience, and gradually pushing boundaries while ensuring safety measures are in place.
To improve as climbers, it's crucial to embrace discomfort and consistently push ourselves out of our comfort zones by engaging in activities that challenge us and expose us to new situations.
Overcoming fear and improving as a climber is a long-term process that requires persistence, repetition, and consistently engaging in activities that take climbers out of their comfort zones for years.
Deep dives
Overcoming fear of falling
One of the main challenges in climbing is the fear of hitting the ground and getting hurt. This fear can hold climbers back, especially in trad climbing where falls can have serious consequences. To overcome this fear, climbers need to distinguish between irrational and rational fears. It's important to pay attention to rational fears and mitigate the danger through proper protection and risk management. Climbers should focus on gaining experience and building confidence, pushing boundaries gradually while ensuring safety measures are in place. By familiarizing themselves with falling and practicing in a controlled environment, climbers can work towards overcoming their fear of falling and expanding their climbing abilities.
Embracing discomfort and pushing boundaries
To improve as climbers, it's crucial to embrace discomfort and push ourselves out of our comfort zones. This can be achieved by regularly engaging in activities that challenge us and expose us to new situations. For example, climbers can try high-ball boulders or short solos where falling is not an option, but they can gradually increase their height or stay at the high point for longer periods to become more comfortable. By continually pushing the limits of their skills and abilities, climbers can increase resilience, confidence, and overall performance.
Long-term process and persistence
Overcoming fear and improving as a climber is a long-term process that requires persistence and repetition. Climbers need to consistently engage in activities that take them out of their comfort zones for years, gradually expanding their limitations and building confidence. This can involve thousands of routes and countless experiences of pushing boundaries. By persistently exposing themselves to discomfort and embracing challenges, climbers can develop the necessary mental fortitude and skills to excel in the sport.
Soloing a Challenging Route
Dave McLeod discusses his decision to solo a highly challenging climbing route. He describes the mental and physical preparation required, including the importance of finding the right conditions and feeling confident in his abilities. McLeod emphasizes that soloing such a route is not to be taken lightly and that it requires careful mindset and risk assessment. He also highlights how previous experiences and achievements, such as soloing an 8c sport climb in Spain, helped build his confidence for the solo ascent.
Tackling Echo Wall and Tactical Approach
McLeod shares his experience climbing Echo Wall, which he considers his most challenging trad climb to date. He explains the tactical approach he took, starting by refining the individual moves and sequence, and then linking sections to identify any potential weaknesses. He highlights the importance of finding efficient positions and pacing, especially during challenging sections and rests. McLeod also discusses the complexities of grading bold trad routes and the need for experience and understanding of route intricacies. He concludes by sharing his passion for writing and creating thoughtful climbing content through his blog, books, and YouTube channel.
Elite climber Dave MacLeod shares his struggles and breakthroughs in Training, Nutrition, Tactics, and Mental Game (Part II)
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In Part II with Dave MacLeod, one of the world's finest and educated climbers, we explore Tactics, Mental Game, and what Dave’s working on outside of his own climbing. And get ready for your palms to sweat a bit as we explore some of Dave’s scariest moments on rock, how he systematically expanded his comfort zone and dealt with a fear of falling, and what we ALL can do to level up our tactics and mental game so that we can progress as climbers and just have a more enjoyable experience on rock and plastic. This is Part II of our very nutrient-dense chat on training and climbing.
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This show is produced and hosted by Ryan Devlin. The Struggle is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective, a diverse group of the best, most impactful podcasts in the outdoor industry.
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The struggle makes us stronger! I hope your training and climbing are going great.
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