You’ve probably noticed that standout climbing performances happen when you’re in the right mindset. Try this simple gratitude exercise before the next time you climb, and see if it helps you get in the zone.

We can make personal growth through climbing a conscious process by asking a simple question: “What is the rock trying to teach me?”

Our thoughts impact everything in climbing, from what goals we set and what climbs we try to our training strategies and climbing technique. Here are three beginner exercises to help you get started with mental training for climbing.

How do you log your climbing and training so it's easy to see in one place? Remy Franklin shares his rock climbing and training spreadsheet with a template you can modify to create your own.

Focusing on achievement in climbing has a downside: if we’re pushing our limits, most days we won’t succeed. What does it take to embrace and celebrate the joy of accomplishing hard climbs, but not punish ourselves when we don’t? Here are six tips to help you enjoy those “high gravity” days at the crag when everything feels hard.

When I moved to Spain last fall, I faced an interesting new situation. I was surrounded by a lifetime of high-quality sport climbing at every grade, and I wondered: How much time should I spend onsighting vs. projecting? And when I did decide to project, what grades should I aim for? We all have our version of these questions, and I think route pyramids can help.

Happy New Year! As December winds down it’s normal to contemplate the year past and the year to come. What went well? What were the challenges? How do you want to grow in 2022? What do you want to accomplish? Read Remy’s article in TrainingBeta for a step-by-step guide to setting your New Year’s climbing goals.

Most rock climbers hold themselves back by not training their minds. There are many facets of mental training for climbing, from motor pattern brain training to increasing self-awareness. But the most straightforward way to start training our minds for climbing is to develop an awareness of our thought patterns.

Let’s look at five limiting thought patterns that hold most climbers back. As you read, consider: Which of these thoughts does your brain like the most? To what effect?

I often hear conflicting advice from climbing trainers and coaches. On the one hand: “You won’t feel great every day, but sometimes you have to get up and train anyway. That’s how you achieve greatness.” On the other hand, “Listen to your body.” What about those days when you feel exhausted but your training plan still says you should do a workout? How do you know when to go hard and when to take it easy? Here’s a simple rule that will transform your relationship to effort.

Think about something meaningful you’ve accomplished in your life. It could be a professional success, an athletic win, or something in your personal life. On a scale of 1–10, how much effort did that accomplishment require? Were there times when it wasn’t “fun”? Were there times when you wanted to give up? I’m guessing your answer is “yes.”

If you’ve climbed for a while, you’ve probably had what I would call a spiritual experience on the rock: your mind goes quiet, time seems to slow down or stop, and you’re entirely present in the moment you’re currently living. Maybe you’re intensely aware of the beauty around you or so fully in your body that you experience a deep sense of joy. Does this sound familiar? I’ve been lucky enough to experience these moments on the rock several times.

A few weeks ago I went climbing with a new partner who surprised me. At age 21, he has been climbing for just four years, but his climbing skill and accomplishments would suggest at least a decade of experience. He’s redpointed multiple 5.14s, and earlier this season he sent nearly all of El Cap’s Freerider ground up on his first attempt. After a nice day climbing together at a local crag in New Mexico, I couldn’t help but wonder: What allowed this kid to get so good at climbing so fast?!

Do you ever feel like rock climbing is taking over your life? Or that there isn’t enough time to fit climbing in between work and your other commitments? The Climbing Wheel of Life is a simple activity to help climbers pursue rock-life balance.