Why Climb: Motivations and Setting up for Success.

Understanding our true motivations to climb outside, is perhaps one of the hardest things to get to the root of. We’re often bamboozled by goals and objectives, which lead us away from really practicing climbing for the reasons we originally did. When I think back to my start in climbing, there is an event which even now I use to calibrate and check that motivations are still in the same place as they were then. Sure, things have changed over the years, but do I feel the same when having a climbing session? Do I get the same buzz? Mostly, the answer is a resounding yes.  

So back in 2010 when I started climbing, my friend and mentor at the time took me on a 5 day climbing trip to Snowdonia in North Wales. The climbing we were doing was easy multi pitch climbing in the hills. We checked out Cadair Idris, Milestone Buttress and the routes up in Cwm Idwal. We had perfect weather, amazing days out and some brilliant laughs. But on one of the days, it rained intensely, as it does in Wales. So instead of having a rest day, we went to the old Beacon climbing centre to do some indoor lead and bouldering. That day's climbing (my first ever in an indoor wall) captivated me more than any day out we had. The movement of actually climbing on rock, route reading, fighting the pump, understanding how to move. I was hooked instantly on movement, and when I look back to the trip, that was the thing I enjoyed the most.  

Fast forward to 2025, and what gets me most motivated still are climbing  experiences with friends in new places, and the movement of fun rock climbs. The aims are the same, it’s just the arena and the level that’s changed. I still enjoy a hard board session, and I still enjoy a day out at the crag not climbing or just taking photos or video.  

So how do we assess what really matters to us in bouldering? And reconnect to the movement that hooked us in the first place? 

Taking a Pause

The first thing I try to do when in the depths of a project, or when climbing isn’t going so well, is remind myself that the movement is what I love about actual climbing. Yes, travel and friends and places and world class boulders are all a big part of it, but the movement on rock is what sparked things, and it’s what we experience every time we set foot on the wall. When things are getting stressful, frustrating or you’re feeling the pressure, remind yourself to enjoy the movement, and facilitate that enjoyment. Change to a more fun sequence, or avoid a really painful hold or move. Try and climb the moves in as aesthetic a way as possible just to feel it feel effortless. If that necessitates dropping the grade for a period, then do that. Many times the joy of movement goes when we do too little of it, and try too hard to climb at a level that really isn’t benefitting us. But for more information on this topic, check out our course (Mastering Stone).  

Reflection 

It’s important to reflect on your positive and negative experiences within climbing. Ask yourself why you had a negative or frustrating experience. What led to it, and how can you avoid it in future? Maybe you put too much pressure on yourself. Maybe your expectations were too high. Be honest with yourself in what you thought you were capable of, and maybe what you were actually capable of. Many times I’ve gone into trips with realistic goals on paper, but delusions of grandeur swimming through my brain. Imagining flashing X and doing Y in a session etc. What’s going on in your head is more your reality than what’s written down, so control those thoughts. Think about what you were thinking about prior to a trip, and whether your expectations and goals were misaligned.  

But reflect on your best experiences, and ask yourself what happened to make them so special? Was it the group you were with? Was it some pressure you controlled and managed to squeak out a send at the end of a trip? Was it a day where you got an early send in which just boosted your confidence? My best  ever climbing day and one of the most special for me was a day where I climbed two boulders at 8A+, before going onto a ‘project’. Normally this would leave me tired and struggling to do moves, but that day the confidence and abundance I was already feeling from the day was enough to set me up for success and remove all pressure and anxiety. So ask yourself what situation can you put yourself in to give you the chance to succeed! It’s not always what you think.

So in summary, it’s often just about taking a step back from the rock, to see the  boulders, if you get my meaning. We need to look at the big picture a bit more,  assess what it is that we really enjoy about climbing, and prioritise that. Find the movement again, it’s the most powerful thing we have. Use a reflective process to look back on failure or success and set yourself up to have a positive experience in future.  

Ultimately, remember why you love it,

Eliot.