I think it’s safe to say for most of us…that in a lot of ways, both good and bad, 2024 has been a big year. I think it’s always a good feeling to have a goal and something to work towards, whether that’s meeting new people through climbing, projecting a hard route, working on our head game or trying to get outdoors more; but it is also always important to remember that progress takes time and isn’t always linear. It can be hard to not meet the standard that we set out for ourselves but sometimes we have to go backwards to get to where we want to be and as long as we still want it, we’ll get there. There’s always a feeling in the air at this time of year of looking back at where we’ve come from and where we want to go so we’d love to see what everyone has been working on and share how this year has gone for us too!
Here’s what we’re feeling:
Anna: “For me, climbing this year has been a scary thing.”
I’ve not gone outdoors as much as I wanted to and so every time I did, I would always have to get over the fear again before I was able to properly enjoy myself and that did feel pretty defeating sometimes. I’ve worked hard to come to terms with the fact that the fear might always be present for me and I’m not willing to give up doing this thing that I love just because some days, that feels easier.
Climbing has made me so much stronger physically and mentally, bought me so many good times with friends and taken me to so many beautiful places and I can’t wait to gain more confidence on rock in the new year (especially if it takes me back to Kalymnos!)
Michael:
“Parthian is where I learnt to make new friends”.
Hard to believe but haven’t always been the social prince I am now : )
I used to boulder alone and talk to no one. Climbing in groups or with friends is something I watched others enjoy.
The difficulty was starting conversations with new people or even ones I knew. I felt awkward, anxious and unhappy.
My solution was to chat with someone each time I went to the wall. Sometimes I got scared and didn’t complete the challenge but when I did, I felt joyous. The euphoria I got from making new friends was addictive and over the years I overcame these worries.
Sharing the focus of climbing and its movements makes interacting with other humans easy. It can be used as a tool to aid in the process socialising and then can help outside of our little vertical world.
Clara:
I have always struggled with body image issues and have found it hard to like the way my body looks.
I have always struggled with body image issues and have found it hard to like the way my body looks. There are so many expectations about what a “good” body should look like, whether they come from society or from myself – probably both. For me, climbing has changed the focus away from that and taught me to appreciate my body for what it can do and how strong it is. It has carried me to the top of amazing climbs, pulled through hard moves and made it possible for me to see amazing places. For it to be able to do that I have to care for and look after it to keep it strong and healthy.
And, to be able to climb harder climbs and make it to even more amazing places I want my body to continue to become stronger. As a mindset is so much more positive and motivating than working from a place of scarcity and “not good enough”. What is great is that this has carried over into everyday life as well.