How to suffer better as a climber

When you do this right you can maximize your success at your target routes or problems.

The idea of the Pain Box comes from Bill Ramsey, the wise climber-plus-professor who sent a 5.14a at the age of 59.

It requires accepting a bit more ownership and hardship we make room for things to go right.

You can think of all the painful parts of climbing as bounded by a box. 

On the right side you have the frustration of things not going right and the other side the pain you endure from going for it (eg painful holds or looking like you’re flailing around in poor style)

Embracing the Right Pain

The point is, the more pain you accept on the go-for-it side of the pain box, the higher your chances of success.

Seize your opportunity

You might not come back to this crag again for months or years.

You might not have the same conditioning next time.

Putting it all out there gives you the greatest opportunity to send!

Choose your hardship

Making sure you choose the pain of putting in maximal effort reduces the opportunity for the pain of failure.

It's not just about reaching the top; it's about how we confront the hardships along the journey.

Ultimately we get to choose what we struggle for and how we suffer. It’s up to you to pick.

* You might also enjoy Why You Need Strength Before Power **