Fear of Falling - Clip-Drop Technique

The scariest thing in all of climbing is falling. And perhaps the hardest thing to do in all of climbing is to manage the fear of falling. The Clip-Drop technique is a way to train your brain to accept that falling is a part of the game and that in many cases, that falling is perfectly safe.

In a nut-shell, the Clip-Drop technique is simply what it says. You clip a bolt, climb up a bit and fall. You clip the next bolt, climb up a bit and fall again. The idea is that if you do this all the way up a route, you will become accustomed to falling and will be able to get past the fear of it.

The following video from Steep Media and UKclimbing.com illustrates the use of this technique in a climbing gym.

Fear of Falling - clip-drop technique from SteepMedia on Vimeo.

--Jason D. Martin