Any tips on handling exposure?

[ultimategully]

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?

If you are enjoying yourself on hikes with exposed terrain you will likely keep hiking trails with exposure and the more you hike in these settings the more "used to it" you get. If you are having a good head day, just send it! If not the mountain will be there another day.

[Chicago Transplant]

Some of it is trusting yourself, some of it is trusting the terrain. I actually do better with it in the mountains than I do on manmade objects. I work in architecture and often am climbing on scaffolding to review exteriors 5 or 6 stories up, or walking on roofs (tied in of course). I get far more nervous doing that than I do on a class 4 ridge with solid rock. Loose rock adds to the lack of trust, but I feel safer on a solid exposed ridge in the mountains than on a roof ridge on one of my projects.

There is a great trail off 550 near Ouray to test your exposure tolerance, the Bear Creek trail has some sections that are clearly class 1 but with huge drop offs to the creek below. Maybe finding similar exposure where one side is really exposed might help with the head game for the original poster?

[seeking timberline]

Thanks all, lots of good advice. I'll keep working on it. And I'll definitely be looking for an experienced partner for another attempt at the Wetterhorn. Just talking through things would have helped immensely. Alone, I started having almost that same exact discussion in my head that the woman in the video Gandalf posted was having out loud. FU Patrick! Once you get to that point, you're pretty much screwed.

[Isto11]

As someone who struggles with exposure and climbed Wetterhorn back in July, there are a few things I learned that might help. This was my 10th class 3 and I'm glad I waited to do Wetterhorn until I had the experience from other class 3 peaks. Everyone is different and Wetterhorn would not have been an ideal first class 3 peak for me and my type of exposure sensitivity. After climbing more frequently and working my way through plenty of class 2+ and other class 3 peaks, I felt more comfortable and I had learned one key thing about myself--I'm happy to go for a more exposed line if the rock is solid and the climbing is more straightforward with great holds. In that top gulley section near the summit of Wetterhorn, the route description mentions an easier section on the left side of as you head up. Yes, it is more exposed, but it was a line with a clear options, great holds, more comfortable for a shorter person, and I felt comfortable because I knew I could get right to work on climbing (both on the way up and down) without spinning my wheels and freezing up. I was quite happy to have this option.

[Rainier_Wolfcastle]

That freakin Capitol Video is crazy, caused waaaayyyy more anxiety and sweating than actually climbing the knife edge!

Maybe should be required viewing for first timers….at the very least for people thinking about dragging a “friend” up there.

[mtree]

Listen to folks like Isto11, who actually have issues and work through them. THOSE are the ones who can really relate. Not a bunch of armchair psychologists behind keyboards.

[justiner]

If you really want to get into a deep dive into acrophobia, do some research on the Polyvagal Theory,

https://www.windhorseimh.org/being-poly ... explained/

Polyvagal Theory describes the autonomic nervous system has having three subdivisions that relate to social behavior and connection. The oldest of these subdivisions is the “dorsal vagal,” a part of the parasympathetic nervous system that enables us to shut down, or “freeze” when a situation of danger feels uncontrollable and we are overwhelmed. The second is our sympathetic nervous system, or “fight/flight,” system. And the most evolved and complex of the subdivisions, is our mammalian parasympathetic social communication and social engagement system – the ventral vagus. This is a very complex network of fast, myelinated neural fibers originating in the brainstem that dictates our heart rate, breathing, hearing, facial muscles, and vocalizing.

Polyvagal Theory is hierarchical, meaning that all three of these subdivisions follow a natural order depending on the neuroception of safety or danger in the situation. If the environment is detected as safe, we are free to use the ventral vagal social engagement system, which means we are relatively free be ourselves, express our own feelings, use facial expression easily, and use a modulated voice pattern. Also, our heart rate is relatively calm, we breathe freely, and we filter out human language from background noise. Whereas, if we are not detecting the environment as safe, we fall into a fight or flight, survival mode (this is the aforementioned “sympathetic nervous system” taking over). And if that system fails too, and we continue to feel unsafe, we naturally fall back into the freezing or shutting down dorsal vagal mode. In these more primitive modes, much of the aforementioned capacities are turned off, leaving a person with far less ability to relate to the world socially.

This is a complex cascade of events that happens when we're gripped by a threat (say: falling for thousands of feet off a mountain), and working through this isn't going to be an easy fix . I mean who knows? Perhaps there was a time in ones life where they were not guaranteed safety, and now their mind/body has put up some defensive measures to make sure one doesn't get anywhere close to that sort of threat again. Self preservation is one of the most powerful forces that the mind has and climbing mountains just doesn't always jive with that idea.

And to continue this idea, why take these risks at all? Well, because you learn and grow from taking risks. The summit view is beautiful, you gain a sense of accomplishment. You meet interesting people at the top. I think a lot of us became completely new/improved people once we got the 14er hiking bug.

Anyways, good luck on your journey. Be gentle with yourself.

[JROSKA]

Listen to folks like Isto11, who actually have issues and work through them. THOSE are the ones who can really relate. Not a bunch of armchair psychologists behind keyboards.

So are we not supposed to help someone who asks about exposure then? Not sure what your point is with that last comment.

[mtn_hound]

Listen to folks like Isto11, who actually have issues and work through them. THOSE are the ones who can really relate. Not a bunch of armchair psychologists behind keyboards.

So are we not supposed to help someone who asks about exposure then? Not sure what your point is with that last comment.

It doesn't say you shouldn't offer your opinion, it's advising the OP not to listen to it....

[mtree]

Listen to folks like Isto11, who actually have issues and work through them. THOSE are the ones who can really relate. Not a bunch of armchair psychologists behind keyboards.

So are we not supposed to help someone who asks about exposure then? Not sure what your point is with that last comment.

I think the OP will get it.
I'd just rather listen to someone who's been there rather than someone who's googled it.

[JROSKA]

Listen to folks like Isto11, who actually have issues and work through them. THOSE are the ones who can really relate. Not a bunch of armchair psychologists behind keyboards.

So are we not supposed to help someone who asks about exposure then? Not sure what your point is with that last comment.

It doesn't say you shouldn't offer your opinion, it's advising the OP not to listen to it....

Lol. The forum may have sunk to a new low here.

[mtn_hound]

So are we not supposed to help someone who asks about exposure then? Not sure what your point is with that last comment.

It doesn't say you shouldn't offer your opinion, it's advising the OP not to listen to it....

Lol. The forum may have sunk to a new low here.

It's not all that different from when Tallgrass was giving advice on routes he'd never done. If it's a low, it isn't a new one.