So you’re new to climbing, first of all welcome!

We know that it can be a bit of a daunting place (we were all new to it once).

Often people at the gym/crag use language you’ve never heard, wearing brands you don’t know and achieving things that just don’t look possible. 

So, let’s look at 5 ways you can mentally prepare yourself to crush your next session and have fun doing it.

1. Confidence 

Without many big climbing achievements behind you, it can be hard to commit a large amount of effort or time to things at first. 

Try not to think about what you haven’t done, think about how far you have come and where you want to be…

Having a positive mindset is crucial, no matter what grade you’re climbing, and remember, that everyone has to start somewhere. 

2. Intimidation/Embarrassment

The thought that everyone is watching you and thinking about how you might be seen or perceived in comparison to more experienced climbers, is often cited as a barrier when starting out. 

In reality, most people are too busy thinking about their own climbing to worry about yours. 

Remember your thoughts are just thoughts, they aren’t necessarily truths. Take a deep breath and focus on number 1. 

3. Belonging

Another issue that climbers tend to face is having the self-image that you don’t belong to the group of ‘hard climbers’.

However, even the pro’s and really high level athletes suffer from this one! 

Our best advice is to just get in there and take up the space that you want. You belong here just as much as the next person. 

4. Belief 

Another issue that plagues climbers is the belief that you are not ‘good enough’ to try a climb in the next grade circuit. 

Ultimately, you will never know until you try, try and keep trying!

You have to keep trying hard if you want to progress, but try to focus less on the grade and more on giving it your all and finding routes that challenge you and that you enjoy. 

5. Fear of Falling/Fear of Failing

This can be really frightening for some and again even the pro’s suffer here, so you are not alone. 

This takes time and practice to overcome. There are lots of resources out there to help you overcome this, such as paid courses, or even free advice on YouTube and blog articles. 

If you don’t know where to start, head to our YouTube channel and select the playlist ‘Beginners Guide to Climbing and Training‘.

For tips on everything from fall practice to picking the right shoe, foot drills to writing your first training plan! 

Just starting out and have a question? Drop us a comment below…

Not new to climbing and have some advice for getting started? Help your fellow climbers out and let them know in the comments.

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