Any tips on handling exposure?

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seeking timberline
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Any tips on handling exposure?

Post by seeking timberline »

I'm still fairly new to this mountain climbing thing. I've managed to complete 18 14ers so far, mostly class 1 & 2 hikes. In terms of class 3, I've done Sneffels and a short, unintentional stretch of scrambling on Massive. Looking to increase my skills I set out to do the Wetterhorn a couple of weeks ago. I had studied the route and although I was a little nervous about that final pitch to the summit, I thought I could handle it. Turns out, I could not. I didn't even get that far. Shortly before the rock rib, just below photo #13 in the route description where the climbing starts getting really steep, the exposure began to mess with my head. I found that as long as I was making small moves and didn’t look down, I was fine. But every now and then the climbing required a large step up onto a ledge or a scrambling move up and over a large boulder. These were unnerving. For every foot I climbed I became increasingly aware of another foot of air below my feet and I started to develop a tightening sense of vertigo in my stomach. Eventually, I couldn't go any further and had to pull the plug and head back down. Very disappointing and frankly, surprising.

I think that if I had had a more experienced partner to help with route finding and dealing with the exposure, I could have made it. But attempting it solo was too much. So I was wondering if anyone has any tips for dealing with exposure or is it just a matter of doing more mountains to get used to it?
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JROSKA
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Re: Any tips on handling exposure?

Post by JROSKA »

I’d say first don’t beat yourself up too much. Seems like for that particular day you made the right choice to turn back since the exposure had gotten into your head.

Normally I’d say “just focus on putting one foot in front of the other” (focusing on the task at hand) but it sounds like you tried that approach.

Also I think it’s good to at least be conscious of exposure. I tend to ignore that it’s even there and I’ve determined that is somewhat careless. Some will say, just put it out of your head or don’t dwell on it, I used to be one of them, but then I encountered Capitol’s Knife Edge where it isn’t possible to “ignore” or “put it out of your head”. I used to think I was immune to exposure but my experience there told me otherwise.

It sounds like you may have been solo, and I think it would be very beneficial to have someone with you next time. Just having another person around to talk to can do a lot to relieve anxiety and get you to think about other things. I can share that way back in 2012 I attempted Castle with a coworker, and something on the ridge freaked him out (he detected the exposure), he said he was afraid one of us would die, so we headed down. He shared that exposure really bothered him. Two years later I climbed Wetterhorn with him, and he did just fine. We summited. One key to that was, we talked and communicated the whole time. Constantly. Not necessarily about the exposure, but the route, the NFL, the nice views, whatever. Lots of communication. I’ve had a bunch of climbs like that where just merely having someone there was able to keep my mind off of the exposure. I think that can go a long way toward just enjoying the day and the experience. As opposed to thinking about the exposure.
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-wren-
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Re: Any tips on handling exposure?

Post by -wren- »

before stepping into terrain that pushes my comfort zone I follow more or less the same process: in a comfortable position, breathe deeply, look down and take it all in, fully register it. ask “what are the consequences of a fall here? How far within my abilities are the moves technically speaking? Do I fully accept the consequences of failure, based upon my perceived likelihood of failure? (should be extremely unlikely if you are ropeless obviously) doubting/pushing away the answers that I come up with to these questions has gotten me into scary situations a couple times and each time I’ve leaned more towards always trusting my gut on them.

Then as you climb, keep breathing. move intentionally, keeping 3 points of contact as is possible, and test holds. Keep the exposure in mind, but with the movement as your primary focus. I quite literally “focus” on the rock with my eyes and put the sensory input of the exposure on the back burner, but with the consequences still in mind. IMHO I don’t think “ignoring” it is very safe at all, but also for me it’s not practical to actually take it all in whilst in motion. When you get to a safe and comfortable standing position again, rinse and repeat.

Hope that some of this can help you out a bit!
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JaredJohnson
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Re: Any tips on handling exposure?

Post by JaredJohnson »

seeking timberline wrote: Tue Oct 04, 2022 10:58 pm I think that if I had had a more experienced partner to help with route finding and dealing with the exposure, I could have made it. But attempting it solo was too much.
Subjective and objective confidence that you're in right place and making good choices are definitely a factor for exposure tolerance in my experience. A partner of any sort helps with the subjective bit and an experienced partner helps with the objective but. Alternatively, more solo experience can help with both when solo.

My most experienced partner and I attempted Milwaukee this summer, a class 4 peak and we intended to do the spicy traverse to Pico Asilado after. We've done lots of exposed 5.easy stuff together easily, but I didn't research much; I thought it was going to be class 3, and I selected an approach from cottonwood creek that's no longer the standard and seems to be used very little and either gone or easy to lose in a bunch of places. We had a very long morning getting lost and found on the approach, and acquiring the summit ridge involved some loose stuff. When we reached the ledgy climbing close to the summit pitch, my partner who has a bigger appetite for exposure than me got totally sketched out for the first time. I was doing alright but I was not in a position to tell him we were objectively in the right place or that we definitely did not have a sketchy downclimb still ahead of us. We just turned around within 15-30 minutes of the summit with no regrets. It was easy to find a descent route that avoided the sketchy terrain and my later research confirmed that we had met up with the standard line by the time we got sketched. But with even a little doubt about whether we're being safe, it makes sense for the body to respond with fear and we listened to it. I'm sure we'll do fine when we re-attempt it from Sand Lake.

Also downclimbing routes in the climbing gym on autobelay is nice for getting used to the physical sensations of fear in perfectly safe situations and learning how to respond to it. I also like yoga for what it does to my breathing under stress.
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Conor
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Re: Any tips on handling exposure?

Post by Conor »

exposure messes with people differently. I have a climbing partner (whom I've climbed Rainier and the Eiger with) back off a 5.6 lead high up in red rocks, only to climb a 40', 5.11ish route the next day.

But, for the less experienced at [no offense] really easy scrambling, developing their skill set is the best investment. This means technical climbing. Working on foot placement and movement - which women seem to be more natural at than men - is the ticket. Not trying to hammer away at gym grades. This way, when that person steps out onto a class 3 scramble, they are well within their comfort zone opposed to being outside of it and focusing on a breathing technique that annoys other people around them.
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Gandalf69
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Re: Any tips on handling exposure?

Post by Gandalf69 »



Don't go too big too fast, as this old video from YouTube shows. Go pros DON'T accurately protray exposure, they distort it. I'd only add that this video shows NOT what to do, she has terrible climbing techniques, clearly in over her head, and her climbing partner just leaves her. Get a good partner for sure.
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dan0rama
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Re: Any tips on handling exposure?

Post by dan0rama »

one day soon we will all have jetpacks and exposure will be a non-issue
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mtree
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Re: Any tips on handling exposure?

Post by mtree »

At first I thought this was about wind and cold! So, my snarky comment is void.

Exposure fear for folks is as varied as hiking boots. Everyone is different. You may have just paralyzed yourself with over thinking things. Or you may have issues with exposure and heights. I dunno. Its hard to overcome... so I hear. I don't have that issue so its tough to wrap my head around it. But I do have friends who feel the same and I've taken them on unnerving hikes. Based on that I'd say going with an experienced (and not exposure adverse) partner may help. I've nudged many a hiker over their fears successfully. I've also known when I'm beat and gave up realizing it wasn't going to happen no matter what. But knowing an experience partner CAN help is worth something. Try it. Maybe that's the calming influence and push you need.

As for climbing gyms, eh. I've known alot of people who use them and it hasn't helped. There's a sense of safety in the gym that you don't get hanging on the side of a cliff with no rope. To each their own. More experience and baby steps is probably good, too.
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scvaughn
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Re: Any tips on handling exposure?

Post by scvaughn »

The following is what I have found most helpful, YMMV.

Don't panic, you'll only make the situation worse. This is sometimes easier said than done.

On class 3+, maintain three points of contact at all times.

Test every hold, no matter how good they look.

Maintain an internal dialogue in which your next moves are planned.

Look where you want to go, not where you don't.

If you're with a climbing partner, keep talking to them. It does help.

If you're in over your head, and you know it, save it for another day. The mountains aren't going away any time soon.
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Wimyers
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Re: Any tips on handling exposure?

Post by Wimyers »

OP if you'd like someone to come with you on another run at Wetterhorn feel free to shoot me a message, I really liked that one and would be happy to climb it again with you. This year or next, or something similar like Kelso ridge, too.
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Dave B
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Re: Any tips on handling exposure?

Post by Dave B »

Dealing with exposure is just like lifting weights or running, the more of it you do, the easier it becomes.
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cheechaco
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Re: Any tips on handling exposure?

Post by cheechaco »

There is a huge benefit of going to a climbing gym and even taking a technique class. This will teach you how to move on rock, not how to deal with exposure. Winter is coming and that's the perfect time to spend some time in the gym. Also, start slow. Do a class 2+, maybe even multiple times, each time get a little closer to the exposure. I have done this on Pettingell's east ridge multiple times. I found once I know the route it's easier to focus on the scrambling. Then find easy class 3's and do the same. Other's have given solid advice. Three points of contact is huge, as is testing holds. Sometimes I can feel the exposure trying to pull me in it feels like. So I'll stop in a solid stance, have four points of contact and look the beast in the eyes, take it in for a minute, then continue on. Having a partner is helpful as well!
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