Lessons from the Library

Embracing something new in climbing can feel a lot like trying to read a book for the first time. There are times when you pick up a book that you should like, all your friends like it and it seems like something you will enjoy, but you can’t get into it. That same book, when given a second chance months or years later when you are in a different place in life or in a different headspace, might reveal itself to be an all-time favorite. 

At some point in climbing, we all experience a moment of finally connecting with a lesson or concept after being presented with it countless times. This might be something that you’ve heard others discuss or something you’ve been directly told you should improve on. You might have been told so many times by friends or climbing partners to try this thing that you’ve gotten sick of hearing it. This could range from learning to use momentum, starting to train, having more confidence on harder grades, or leaning into climbs that challenge you regardless of their grade. Even though this idea isn’t new to you, it’s never been something you connected with until recently.

 (Don’t worry, I’m not here to tell you to admit to your climbing partners that they’ve been right this whole time. Never concede.)

Just like there are endless books to read and a wide breadth of genres to explore, there are an infinite number of lessons to learn within climbing. Even if you know that the lesson in front of you is one that you should learn, it might not be the right time for you. In the same way that you might go through phases of feeling connected to specific book genres like non-fiction, fantasy, or biographies, you can also be most in-tune with certain genres of climbing lessons like movement, mindset, balance, or power. Lean into those times when learning comes naturally regardless of whether it’s the “best” thing for you right now.

Forcing yourself to read a genre that you’re not connecting with rarely leads to a good experience. The same is true in climbing development. Learn to appreciate the phase that you are in right now. You’ll find that learning and progress happen more naturally and the lessons stick better.

Eventually, this current genre of climbing will no longer hold your interest. As that happens, check back into those other genres that “weren’t for you” earlier on and see if it’s their turn now. The more you can make learning resonate with who you are and where you are at, the more enjoyment you’ll get from the process, and the more improvement you’ll see in the long run.