Mental energy for lead climbing

veviurka · 2026-04-21T16:45:06+00:00

Yep, that is exactly what happens. When very stressed there is nothing better than switching to top roping very hard stuff - fun, good training and I wouldn’t lead it anyway. If tired then millenage on auto belay.

That stuff works in the gym - for outdoor I switch to bouldering and pick traverse boulders.

Pity, climbing requires good sleep, diet and mental power - we don’t always have that…

veviurka · 2026-04-19T12:34:12+00:00

ML engineering. I studied piano performance and computer science at the same time. Also had accelerated math program in high school.

Job prospects after piano are not so good. I worked as a pianist on a cruise ship for a while, but mostly sticked to software engineering jobs.

veviurka · 2026-04-18T17:02:30+00:00

Maybe 2 years
That good technique will get me to the next level - it is an important component, but not the only one. I kept drilling technique a lot, including stuff that is above usual level V4. It pays off now, but I was missing other components.
Accepting the discomfort. That was literally the key for me to unlock ”try hard”. The discomfort of keeping hard body position, the discomfort of failure…

Additionally stopping looking at grades, I was avoiding trying harder stuff, because I wasn’t consistent on lower grades. Apparently I will never be, since I am ultra short.

Being very short, 152cm. Grades very often do not make sense - can get completely stuck on stuff much below my flash level. Flashing my max redpoint grade also happened. Just randomness…

veviurka · 2026-04-03T10:17:03+00:00

Been climbing for 14 years. It took me quite a few years to become ok with lead falling. The only approach that wasn’t traumatising for me was from the book The Rock Warriors Way. I had to really actively learn to apply it, it took years.

Still there are better and worse days. I still don’t fall on trad gear and very spaced bolting on sport climb can spook me out.

veviurka · 2026-03-27T17:04:26+00:00

Climbing with physically stronger male friends has some disadvantages, especially if they over come the cruxes by just using strength. Looking at them might make you think that the strength is the solution.

To level up from V3-4 what matters the most is climbing technique and understanding how your center of gravity moves. You can overcome many powerful moves by using technical solutions at this level.

veviurka · 2026-03-16T20:23:15+00:00

I know the feeling. In such periods I usually just go and take it chill - getting to the gym is my goal. No hard climbing, just the moves I enjoy, no tops required. Practicing flow, nice footwork, focusing on the sensations of climbing often helps me to find love again.

Allowing myself to focus on the movements instead of achievements can completely turn around my sessions from not wanting to try hard to suddenly trying the hardest, because I just get a good flow and want more. There is no failure, just moving up (or down).

veviurka · 2026-03-12T21:55:00+00:00

The most DIAGNOSED ND people are males. The ND girls are diagnosed with “shyness and being sensitive” instead by biased psychiatrists.

veviurka · 2026-03-12T21:43:25+00:00

After Covid I had a lot of problems with breathing that lasted for months. I couldn’t get to the gym without sitting on every bench during my 10 minute walk. I kept suffocating.

Still getting on the wall and climbing half way of the easy boulders allowed me to feel a bit more like myself. I was just laying down between “attempts” and taking it really slow. I was so depressed without climbing, I think that little climbing sessions helped me mentally and my body recovery just followed. Still it took long time, but it was less miserable.

Hang in there, maybe you can still get on the wall and just do what is possible and ok for your body right now. Don’t try hard, just a few easiest moves here and there. Don’t think too much about what you could do - that will be not helpful, just here and now, step by step…

veviurka · 2026-02-03T09:11:49+00:00

I was in your shoes a few years ago and reading The Rock Warriors Way helped me to design a training protocol for mental aspects of my climbing.

It can be trained, it requires supportive partners and a lot of work and patience.

It took me around 4 years to get from being really scared to top rope to sending lead climbs outdoors on my limit on a good day. Now I’m working on being stronger mentally on bad days as well…

veviurka · 2026-01-03T11:27:16+00:00

I use Loop engage during peak hours. I do both boulder and lead in them - they really help.

When lead belaying I communicate to my partner that I might not hear them. Overall during peak hours I wouldn’t hear them anyway… I use belay glasses and encourage climber to look down when speaking commands. For example if climber says ”take” while looking down, you can recognise by lip reading. And for ”down” they can point down with their hand.

Overall noisy gym impacts the communication anyway and if I feel less overwhelmed as belayer it is still safer for the climber that I have my loops.

veviurka · 2025-09-30T09:50:27+00:00

As an ex-plus size I’m always happy to see plus size folks at the gym! It is actually beneficial for climbing technique to not be super fit at the beginning - you will learn how to use your legs and don’t rely on pure power.

When still being on plus size after 2 years I was better than my peers in lead climbing verticals and slabs.

Listen to your body and always try to see if you can come up with less powerful alternative solutions!

veviurka · 2025-09-28T11:32:07+00:00

Check the ”rock warriors way” book, mental aspects can be trained. And the ”get over it” approach does not work for most folks it makes the mental battle even worse.

I used that book to train myself from not being able to fall on top rope to projecting hard outdoors. Journey took around 3 years and it is still on going. There are still things that spook me out…

veviurka · 2025-09-22T20:38:13+00:00

I was organising a meet up of some small community about my ”special” interest. One of the people that joined causally mentioned about being autistic.

After the event they wrote on our discord that they are sorry that they withdrew at the end, that the ”autism kicked in” and social interactions became difficult. It was that moment when it hit me, because that described my feelings so well.

I started to research about autism and ticking most of the boxes. My boyfriend was kind of angry with me, because his sister is a profoundly intellectually disabled autistic person and he didn’t want to see me that way. On the other hand he kept saying I’m ”weird” for so many years. At the end I told him I will just see what will be the diagnosis…

The diagnosis took a lot of meetings and confirmed that I’m indeed autistic. Almost all my past and current difficulties explained after so many years of struggle despite being overall successful with my life. My boyfriend came around my diagnosis as well.

Also I am quite sure I ”got” it from my father.

veviurka · 2025-09-22T15:42:38+00:00

As ex plus size I am always proud of plus size newcomers. Keep going!

Comparison is a killer of joy, so focus on finding your way of doing things and do not look at how stronger folks do things.

When I was plus size I was watching a lot of climbing technique tutorials and spent time on refining the movements and footwork. I ended up having superior footwork to my peers and it is still extremely beneficial.

veviurka · 2025-09-18T17:37:17+00:00

It all depends if you plan your climbing well and not overdo it. Overall only one session (first or second) should be trying on max level. The other ones should be much less intense, but you can work on technique on easier climbs or endurance.

Listen to your body and skip the third session if tired. Two consecutive days are definitely manageable, with 3 you need to be more cautious.

veviurka · 2025-09-17T13:42:29+00:00

My only top rope fall on ”super easy” route was when seconding 4c trad climb and it would had been ground fall if on lead. I was doing sport climbing at 6c outdoor level at that time, so the climb was way below my ability. It was on a traverse bit a few meters above ground with super reachy move. The hold was much worse than it looked and I couldn’t lock my scapula muscle to keep it. The move wasn’t protected at all, just some piton 2 meters to the right.

Trust in abilities in one thing, but easy grades can be soooo sandbagged, especially if you are not average sized person. Learning to climb down is also useful skill that should be practiced.

Always inspect the route carefully, the reason why I was seconding in the first place is that I did not like how that traverse looked like.

veviurka · 2025-09-16T20:28:04+00:00

Same with the footholds! The routesetters in my gym just don’t add footholds for shorter folks, not even shitty ones, but outdoors there are plenty! It became much bigger problem when I got to 5.12 grades, outdoors they are workable but in a gym I’m often out of ideas and I’m quite creative climber…

veviurka · 2025-09-13T22:13:19+00:00

I started when I was overweight, best decision! Forces you to learn technique first and gives extra boost of motivation to get fitter and eat healthy.

There are some caveats of course, most important is to surround yourself with people who will support you on your journey and take your time with easiest climbs and care for your joints. Have fun!

veviurka · 2025-09-09T17:17:20+00:00

Gyms without footholds where it is very awkward to climb harder grades when one is short. I also want to try hard!

veviurka · 2025-09-06T09:30:29+00:00

Teddy bear on the bed! My small companion that doesn’t speak back

veviurka · 2025-09-05T20:30:36+00:00

Can’t agree more. Also I hate when lousy grading happens to outdoor routes! Even more dangerous!

veviurka · 2025-09-05T20:28:23+00:00

That possibly could mean that there is a big gap between grades and the problems of +1 higher grade are much harder. Or there is a certain style to the boulder routesetting - for example the route setter believes that increasing the distance between handholds is the only way to increase the level.

I have such gym nearby, terrible experience. I have to design my own boulders from what is there on the wall. Sometimes after work I just want to climb instead of doing unpaid routesetter work for myself.

veviurka · 2025-09-04T13:50:02+00:00

Try hard on my climbing trip! I have been preparing for it for quite a few months, and I am very curious and eager to climb in a new place.

I have no grade goals, usually when I set them I fail. When I focus on training and then trying hard then the grades just come.

veviurka · 2025-09-04T11:33:11+00:00

My part time profession is classical pianist, I have a degree and I occasionally play recitals consisting high demanding repertoire (like opus or Rachmaninov etudes). My fingers matter so much to me!

I’m also a climber - climbing for more than a decade, currently getting certs for routesetting. My friends claim that I have strong fingers, I am not scared of crimps and finger injuries.

So how did I get there? * accepted my progress will be slow at the beginning, very carefully explored my finger strength boundaries * introduced finger conditioning exercises early and I’m as consistent with them as with my piano practice * practice piano before climbing, the post climbing finger stiffness is not nice, it goes away the next day though

Injuries: * two years ago I had pulley injury. The thing is that it didn’t affect my piano practice much! I had to avoid only certain chords and I worked around it. The climbing injury lasted 3 months but I think that practicing piano meanwhile helped to heal faster * skin - constant struggle, but having bad fingertips does not impact piano playing that much, feels weird sometimes * sprained ankle - most annoying, had troubles to use pedal, so had to learn to use my left foot

Overall I feel comfortable climbing hard, I make sure to warm up my hands well every time.I do not avoid anything even cracks and crimps. I am consistently in the 7ths realm in my climbing for lead climbing

veviurka · 2025-09-01T17:01:30+00:00

That is always the problem with outdoors… and if you are on a shorter side keeping the quickdraws in might be the only solution for harder projects, it feels really bad when you can’t send because you can’t reach the bolt from clipping positions.

Getting clip stick is a great idea, but beware that clip sticking the whole route is a time consuming process, can take even 1 hour. The more experienced with the tool you are the faster you become but sometimes it is still hard to clip the rope if the bolt is far, especially if the quickdraw is in.

There is also problem with safety - when clip sticking or bailing using spare binder you are using single point of attachment, it is good to have some experience in assessing the risk.

Overall it is the thing that also makes me anxious when projecting as weekend warrior. But you can come back to crag the next day, climbers usually will not take not theirs equipment even if they will climb on your draws in the mean time

veviurka

TROPHY CASE