This thought has been on my mind recently and it’s a great question to ask yourself as you continue to grow as a climber, partner, human, etc. What are your weaknesses? What can you do to progress this summer season?

This thought has dawned on me lately because over the weekend I spent some time at Rumney which is a mecca of sport climbing here in the Northeast. Sport climbing is a type of climbing where the leader is clipping quickdraws into pre-placed bolts in the rock. It’s a great way to transition to outdoor climbing because it will mimic rock climbing at a gym the best. (Obviously, seek qualified instruction before going from the gym to the crag and know there are more risks climbing outside and please wear a helmet!)

I am not the best sport climber and I do get more scared and, in my head, whenever I’m sport climbing because the odds of falling are much higher and the climbing is usually much harder than that of trad climbs. Also I dislike tiny crimps and overhangs. The reason I’m bringing this up is because in order to become a better climber, person, whatever, I need to be able to notice my flaws and be willing to work on them so I can grow. No excuses. I know this is my weakness and I know it’s something I need to improve to then improve other aspects of my life. Self-awareness can go a long way and I tend to avoid sport climbing because I perceive myself to not be good at it.

Question to ponder to whomever reads this is, what to do next? You could relate this to all aspects of one’s life but for me, I’m going to keep it climbing related. I feel like step one is acknowledging you have a flaw or weakness, then step 2 is figuring out and mapping out a way to work on your flaws and weaknesses. For me, I plan to sport climb at least once a week, lift 3-4 times a week, and hangboard or moonboard at least once a week. My goal at the end of the summer is to become a better sport climber.

All food for thought and I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the work week.

As always, thank you to all whom support WMG and to all for reading this!

-John

(Picture Credit: Adam Glanzman)