Jumpscare: the fear of falling

Fear of falling is something every climber comes across at some point in their climbing life; the feeling that cuts into your gut and leaves you weak. One woman tells the story of her fight with height and why she still never stopped loving the rocks.
A film by Leon Buchholz.
Awarded MOST WATCHED FILM at the BMC TV Women In Adventure film competition 2018.
#climbing
Find out more about the competition: www.thebmc.co.uk/waf
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[@l33dek]

Till now it's the best description of I'm going through - paralizing fear in my head, the fear of falling, even when I'm not climbing but visualizing the route. Good to know that there's a way to overcome even such a difficult problem as mine. Great movie - thanks for sharing it :)

[@robjeezy5000]

This is one of the best films I've seen that handles the psychology of climbing. It's a topic that is covered in many climbing films but is brushed over and not given as much weight as this film covered.

[@korbendallas1210]

"Free, powerful and happy". That is what we all climb for. Fear keeps us sober and focused. As my coach said once - everyone has a fear of falling and we should be afraid of people who claim they don't.

[@adicus21291]

This is great! I just took my lead climb certification test (in a gym) and forced myself to take a few short falls to prepare. It left me shakey with the surge of adrenaline. Even though the fear is still there, I know I’ll just have to climb though it. I’ll be trying the “no take” rule from now on, thanks for the awesome film and inspiration to climb hard!

[@cathyputzeys8298]

Thank you so much for sharing this magnificent video. It has made me feel so hopeful that I will be able to face my fears myself some day and finally find that 'zone' too. I have been waiting for a long time for someone to highlight exactly those anxieties and concerns mentioned in the video and I feel relieved to know that I am not the only one struggling with it. I feel like the whole topic of fear of falling is extremely little talked about in the climbing community. Therefore, thank you again for this !

[@Vicentecarmonagonza]

I can’t agree more with your experience. Thank you for sharing your story. It is exactly what I have felt sooooo many times 👍👍👏👏👏

[@daas3465]

What a fantastic film. Thank you for creating this :)

[@erinsloan8087]

This is so motivating and shows emotion through my favourite sport, thank you

[@Tormentor]

Thanks for filimg this and putting it on KZbin. Generally I am not afraid of falling, but my psyche kicks in when leading through a roof, no matter how good the holds and easy the grade. That will be my thing to work on. Thank you.

[@ColinSenner]

Beautiful, thank you for the inspiration.

[@vinnaren2086]

Beautiful film. It captures the essence of climbing, Fear comes and goes, it is hard to plan for. Like you say, it dissapears without explanation and when it does the feeling is hard to beat.

[@derballermann]

Nice to see the Swabian Alp (and the Danube valley) and the Tuebingen climbing gym supporting a story around fear of falling. Way to go!

[@wickedgneissclimbing3359]

Great film! Thanks for sharing :)

[@IanPlumlee]

Inspiring!! It's an amazing and intimate thing to face your fears and come out on top.

[@Mari00ooo]

Stunning Film! Thanks

[@LeonBuchholz]

thanks ;) nice to hear that you enjoyed the film ;)

[@MarcelloBarile]

truly inspiring, beautiful!

[@mattdooda2401]

Great film for anyone that is going through the fear. Never give up....

[@languagefreeassangeteacher5338]

Beautiful inspiration! Thank You!

[@DSDNT_]

This video helped me so much. Thanks for sharing

[@HatchiOo]

amazing film!

[@markkusnir1448]

Great video. Thanks for sharing.

[@hazinfinitotulimite2054]

So beautiful and inspiring!

[@ninasoler6070]

Beautiful vid!

[@andre.a.b.c]

thank you for making this, I'm crying like a baby, yesterday I went climbing and decided to get down from a route because the move I needed to make was uncomfortable and I was so scared... but I will keep trying.

[@Diplonomads]

I love this film, I can relate so much to it!

[@sethgilbertson2474]

That was beautiful. Truly beautiful.

[@Imthedragonreborn]

"Buy yourself your favourite food each time you take a fall"...one day you'll be so heavy you won't even leave the ground. Problem solved.

[@erikwoods8651]

What a punk was thing to say troll on haters always think they are something until someone else makes them jealous enough to become trolls

[@YL_AmericadoSul]

keep'em coming

[@maxzhu56]

Beautiful story.

[@michaelarmstrong5301]

good video...but aye, a lids a good idea, i've had rock wiz right past my head on two occasions and its scary, protect your dome man....progress, stay safe.

[@gienkihittheroad7841]

This is my favourite film about overcome fear of flying:) I love it

[@PantsB4Squares]

This is my story exactly. And climbing is how i chose to break the fear of heights. I no longer have vertigo. It was difficult to break the fear, battling on for about a year. 1000+ ft multipitch was the cure

[@SagarVasoya2015]

Great work

[@francoismanne8079]

Excellent

[@NorrenDursu]

Thanks for this incredible moment. I am always scared. But I still climb.

[@chiaradina]

What a beautiful movie! Namasté!

[@paulmitchell5349]

Bolt protected routes usually mean you don't hit the floor.However,you can still fall upside down and pendulum. Helmets are light these days.Best wear one,even on routes with loads of gear. People can get hurt because they push on up when they should spend a little longer placing solid gear. I have been climbing over 40 years and I still practice placing trad gear at the base of cliffs when I am not leading. You can get a false sense of security by climbing high grades indoors.They rarely correlate to the experience of getting pumped while placing gear on a ''lower grade'' route outdoors.

[@seanheadrick]

That was beautiful!

[@UkSapyy]

I feel the same, i tend to stick to blouder problems and outdoor routes that are blouders. Climbing with rope there always that point you meet a move you can't pull or slowly passby and the fear hits. Although i want to travel and find awesome places to climb too. I'll push past the fear in time.

[@danielr.7137]

Beautiful. Absolut..

[@MastaQ1000]

beautiful

[@mthudon]

Very nice.

[@ChileThailandtravel]

Amazing

[@robertomarreiros6239]

Great Great movie

[@ryanmarshall96]

loved this, i have a similar issue

[@JayBeBerg]

Helmets in mountaineering came about from the need to protect oneself against falling rocks (not that they do much). In sport climbing there usually isn't as much loose debris on top of the cliffs since it's all been kicked down already. I suppose that is why many people don't wear helmets when sport climbing, even though the helmets have become more fall-specific.

[@marcschiesser1855]

Wow!

[@vixeno]

thank you for sharing. Many of us are living through this process. With courage and will , we will get through this. And I like the concept of fly :)

[@nedreiter3869]

A courageous film. Not surprised it took a woman to make it: too many men won't talk about fear because ...well, because they are afraid to, in case they are ridiculed! Fear can be friend or foe: as a friend, it warns us of danger, but does not freeze us, so that we can find the appropriate response to the situation. As foe, it can paralyse and disempower us, can persuade us that we cannot overcome obstacles, that the outcome of our endeavour will inevitably be failure. The task is to find the middle way, to notice fear, to listen to what it is teaching us, but not to be mastered by it. It looks like you are travelling well upon that path: "Usually we think that brave people have no fear. The truth is that they are intimate with fear".(Pema Chodron).

[@marcosjuan3142]

Is some sequences maybe filmed in Croatia?

[@diegofjedi]

i love moment when we can see her scarpa shoes, and after that la sportiva takes the control haha

[@hellsangel2005]

It's like you've lived my situation/life. My marriage with climbing is exactly the same. Although ive never been scared to fall from a boulder

[@pasopschrikdraad]

Nice vid, Is any one able to tell me which area they we're climbing?

[@LeonBuchholz]

thanks man! Leon here, the videographer of the film - The film was shot in the Donautal in southern Germany!

[@matthieubiferi4707]

and i am like climbing 7b-c boulders but can't climb a 6b route outdoor because i m scared😅😫😫😫 i guess i spended to much time bouldering......

[@horstzwei]

This is called day conditioning. Some days are good some are bad. There is no everyday feeling. Except and get passed it! Don´t think that you have to fight one of the strongest and evolutionally oldest fears of humanity. Falling! It´s normal and almost everybody have this fear.

[@vincegordon6830]

👏👏👏

[@AndrewHelgeCox]

Every climbing wall makes you sign a waiver acknowledging that climbing represents a risk of serious injury and death. Not being scared of that is irrational.

[@bas5984]

So what exactly helped you (or everyone who reads this) the most to overcome your fear? I wish the part what exactly helped you was bigger in this video. It's like before you talk about how you are afraid and after it you say how good it feels. But the main question still remains for me: how? You said one day you just wanted to try to give it your all and that you didn't have fear. Did it just make click? Or did something help you with it?

[@valentynsabulis2858]

Right, rock&fall)

[@dudley0007]

👍

[@LostBoy4989]

No brain bucket? Scary.

[@TLbozeland]

There's a more science-based approach than what this film or most of the commenters have presented so far... Fall training can be VERY counterproductive if you are reinforcing a falling = fear neural pathway. Fall training needs to be done correctly to rewire that neural pathway rather than reinforce it. Take the time to search out training advice that takes this approach.

[@cheznikos]

Falling in any routes graded below 5.11 is pretty scary. I wouldn't want to be in that situation. Better not fall until you can climb 5.11+ imo... but respect!

[@terraflow__bryanburdo4547]

You are very much on the right track. The goal of every serious climber should be to quickly get to grades where climbs are steep enough and clean enough to make falling but a nuisance, not really a danger. I need not fear when after I clip the third bolt of a climb on a 45 degree overhanging wall :) I simply do not take falls on 5.10.

[@pilorom]

Probably a helmet could help overcome the fear of falling...at least I feel safer with them..

[@asan7515]

I just saw this video quoted in a webpage related to climbing tips and so. I think it is a huge irresponsibility to promote this on the Internet as a training video without using a helmet.

[@AlexS-vz7od]

I would add that climbing when a person is not psychologically ready is probably dangerous. Better to get into the rid mindset first and work on your psychology. When you've worked out your emotions, then go out and climb. Otherwise, you may be taking a big risk and you may not know it until it's too late.

[@patrickhudson9861]

a helmet always helps

[@StewartWilner]

i don't get why people don't wear a helmet on the wall.

[@boosomentity]

this may seem poetic and brave but in truth it's irresponsible sophistry that will eventually get you killed; the day I no longer fear climbing is the day that I'll quit; fear matters just as the courage to claw through it; fear keeps you sharp and ultimately keeps you from making stupid mistakes; don't seek fear's absence simply make it your best friend

[@educandoelfisico1]

And of course, wear a helmet!!!

[@mateopalevody2601]

Why are they not wearing helmets?

[@stefankuenz2413]

😍❤️👍

[@yomchadash]

You fail to make the distinction between falling on bolts and trad climbing. I would expect the bmc to do a better job at explaining the difference in actual danger...

[@teamBMCTV]

Hi. Thanks for your comments. This film is an entry for our 2018 Women in Adventure Film competition, not a BMC produced film.

[@davidsalvador8591]

Todo el vídeo es una obviedadridícula. ¿Qué mierda es esta? ¿Dónde está el aprendizaje sobre el miedo y cómo lo combatió?

[@Colorado_Ronin]

Yet you don’t wear a helmet

[@andrewharrison7164]

self indulgent bollox

[@raulsuarez5421]

nice helmet.

[@messingwitheverything]

Narrating is a little bit dull.

[@paulmitchell5349]

It ain't Disney.It's cautionary.

[@stewarthughes346]

Ridiculous! that much anxiety and no helmet! BMC what are you thinking? someone with that much fear and lack of confidence is massively increasing their chance of a bad fall. this is a terrible and naive presentation of the dangers involved. you might look the part with all the other gear, but when that stuff is covered in blood from head trauma, you're going to realise that the basics start with a helmet. Irresponsible on the BMC's part.

[@teamBMCTV]

Hi Stewart. Thanks for your comments. This film is an entry for our 2018 Women in Adventure Film competition, not a BMC produced film.

[@mattmakescovers]

I understand that mindset, but I just had a fall last weekend where I (unluckily) flipped upside down because my foot caught a small ledge and I smacked my shoulder and the back of my head. Without my helmet, I likely wouldn't have walked out of there on my own. Helmets save lives, and likely saved me serious injury two days ago. I used to never wear a helmet sport climbing, and after my last experience falling- i'm thinking otherwise from now on.

[@danielfry8097]

At the end of the day it's the climbers choice to wear a helmet or not. For me when I trad climb i wear a helmet but not when sport climbing. Of course there's a risk of being flipped up and hitting your head, I've seen it happen, but everyone decides for themselves how much risk they are willing to take on. Of course there's no blanket rule as well, at some crags I will wear a helmet sport climbing and sometimes not when trad climbing... For me it depends on my assessment of the routes and the rock quality.

[@telkmx]

You can get rock yourself while leading. It's pretty stupid to not wear a helmet. Some people broke it while leading and falling. It's ok if you want yourself to not wear one but in such a video it's stupid

[@portlandbill987]

youre an idiot, go back to reading the daily mail

[@ijontichy8577]

Buy a helmet.

[@leoingson]

Bit much drama queening for my taste. She's not really scared as you can see on her body language while falling. No helmet seems ok in this terrain.

[@lagrandefille]

Bla Blum drama queen should be exactly the contrary of what you say, and she obviously made the film after, so its logical

[@hansgans658]

Your voice is way too tired and slow to listen to.

[@johnswaddle5805]

What the fuck was this? Fear is normal in life as in any sport, it means you're pushing yourself and stepping out of your comfort zone. Apart from attempting to justify failure, I fail to see the point in this video.

[@UkSapyy]

john swaddle It showing that you can overcome the fear of falling and heights. Fear is normal but your lucky if you never hit that point of OH FUCK and your deepest fears run through your head, your a very lucky person. Fear of falling is that OH FUCK feeling everytime your too pumped or hit the crux, overcoming it feels impossible but very much possible. Just a mind game you need to fight with.

[@alpinejonny]

It's meant to help and inspire others. What's your problem?