SCIENCE-BACKED ARTICLES
Psychological Insights into the World of Climbing.
Practical science-backed articles for climbers, coaches, and parents.
SELECT A TOPIC
FEATURED / PRO-ATHLETES / COMPETITION / FEAR / INJURY / BODY IMAGE / PROJECTING / COACHING / PARENTS
FEATURED
Do Climbers Have a Typical Personality?
An exploration of the personality patterns often seen in climbers, including challenge-seeking, perfectionism, confidence, and risk.
PRO-ATHLETES
Alex Honnold, Fear, and the Psychology of Free Soloing.
What can Alex Honnold’s climbing teach us about fear, preparation, risk, and control? This insight explores how years of experience can make fear more regulated, informed, and less dominant.
Hannah Schubert: “Why I think Vulnerability Matters”
A guest insight from former professional climber Hannah Schubert on vulnerability, emotional honesty, and why asking for psychological support should never be seen as weakness.
COMPETITION
How to Mentally Prepare for a Climbing Competition.
What effective mental training looks like, how to build routines for consistent performance, and why the same mental preparation used by Olympic climbers can support competitors at every level.
Why You Climb Well in Training but Freeze in Competition.
In this article, we look at why climbers often perform below their ability in competition and what you can learn to handle pressure more effectively.
FEAR
What Happens to Us When We Are Afraid in Climbing?
A clearer look at what fear does to the body, mind, movement, and decision-making of climbers – and how to start working with fear more effectively instead of only fighting it.
INJURY
The Mental Side of Injury Recovery in Climbing.
Injury affects more than the body. It can disrupt identity, confidence, routine, and progress. Recovery is not just physical. It is also about rebuilding trust and returning to climbing with psychological steadiness.
BODY IMAGE
Body Image in Climbing: How to Build a Healthier Relationship With Your Body
A practical guide to building steadier body confidence and shifting attention back to strength, function, and self-trust.
PROJECTING
The Up and Down Sides of Projecting.
Projecting can be one of the most rewarding parts of climbing, but also one of the most mentally demanding. Here is what makes projecting so emotionally intense, and which strategies can help when the pressure builds.
COACHING
Tom Greenall: The Psychology of Coaching Youth Climbers.
A guest insight from Tom Greenall on the psychology of coaching youth climbers, and why strong coaching is never only about physical development.
The Psychology of Motivation in Youth Climbing.
How coaching climate shapes confidence, enjoyment, resilience, and long-term motivation in young climbers.
PARENTS
Strategies for Parents to Cope With Competition Stress.
Practical ways to manage competition-day stress and create a steadier, more supportive environment for your child.
What You Say After Falling Shapes Who Your Child Becomes on the Wall
How praise, language, and the narrative you tell around climbing can quietly build or chip away at your child's confidence and motivation.
Your Presence at the Comp is Part of Your Child’s Performance
How your own emotional state, role clarity, and self-awareness can shape the competitive environment your child experiences, even when you say nothing at all.
OTHER ARTICLES
The Real Value of Motivational Quotes in Climbing.
Motivational quotes can be inspiring, but they rarely solve the real problem on their own. Here is how climbers can use motivation more effectively by turning inspiration into action, reflection, and practical change.
Ready to work on the mental side of your climbing?
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