Performance Climbing - Tips for Everyday life
Climbing is an unusually complex sport with a high number of variables affecting performance; these variables keep climbing interesting, but also make the task of improving and becoming a more rounded climber more difficult.
In a busy life it is all too easy to get into a rut that stymies climbing improvement and leads to a lack of motivation.
The following may help to stop that happening:
1. After a hard day at work it often feels easier to go home rather than head to the wall. These feeling, despite appearances, are often more psychological than physical and affect us all from time to time. It is often best to just push through the block and head to the gym or crag - most times once the first route/problems are done you will move into a more energetic, positive state.
2. Don't get into a rut. A persistent lack of motivation indicates a general dissatisfaction with your climbing this can be accentuated by hitting a pro-longed performance plateau, an increased feeling of frustration if you fail on your standard circuits or a feeling of constant pressure to perform.
These all tend to be the result of a stagnant climbing routine - climbing the same routes in the same way at the same venue with the same crowd becomes monotonous and boring.
Vary your routine by going to a different wall or crag, push out of your comfort zone and train your weaknesses , set targets and goals - write them down and then work on them. The extra incentive gained from hitting a target will keep the motivation going.
3. Warm up and relax - these two activities will help keep you injury free, get your mind and body ready for climbing and let you climb closer to your limit. There are 3 relaxation exercises that have been shown to help climbers.
a. Exhalation exercise is an introductory psychosomatic relaxation technique. This technique is used to allow clients to learn about basic relaxation and helps in attaining a relaxed state so that affirmations are more effective.
b. Learn how to develop and implement affirmation statements, which are used in the relaxed state to further reduce anxiety. Affirmations can be used in conjunction with relaxation techniques both during the preparation phase of a climb as well as during the climb itself.
c. Sequential relaxation technique is a somatopsychic technique that can be used to slow down and/or shut down an overactive mind. This helps lower experiences of stress and anxiety.
Booking - Performance Climbing in Spain
The full terms and conditions are on the booking page
Rates per person per day
Private instruction:
1 person:180 Euros - 2 people: 95 Euros - 3 people: 85 Euros -
4 people: 75 Euros
Open courses (up to 6 people):
1 person:100 Euros - 2 people: 75 Euros - 3 people: 65 Euros -
4 to 6 people: 60 Euros
Equipment provided by Rock Climbing Company.
We will provide all technical equipment for climbing course - this includes ropes, climbing hardware plus a helmet and harness for each client. This is an advanced course and it is best if you have your own harness - one of the topics we cover is organising your rack logically and consistently so that you can always find that crucial quickdraw -or cam if you are rad climbing- quickly and efficiently when you need it.
Although we can provide hire rock shoes it is also best if you have your own rock shoes - it is crucial that you trust your feet and this only really starts to happen once you get used to a pair of shoes and start to explore their possibilities and limitations.
What you need to provide.
You will need to bring along enough clothing to keep you comfortable in the outdoors bearing in mind that all courses involve a bit of standing still, belay etc. The crags in Spain are exceptionally varied in the height exposure and orientation - thus we can climb all year round and- depending on where we climb the temperature can vary 15 - 20 degrees between days; so bring a bit of everything from sun protection and shorts to duvet, warm trousers and waterproof.
Most of the crag approaches are fairly short and straight forward so stiff trainers or approach shoes are normally suitable.
You will also need a rucksack (40+ litre capacity) and plenty of food and drink for each day of the course.
What is not included.
The prices below include travel to and from the crags.
They do not include accommodation, personal insurance or food.
We can provide accommodation in a newly modernised house - full details are in the Spanish Accommodation section.
Ratios and course sizes.
Performance climbing is best taught at a ratio of 1 to 3 clients to 1 instructor, ideally the ration is 2:1 or 3:1. However small groups - up to a maximum ratio of 4 clients - are also a possibility.
The following page gives more general information on our courses