| The physiological and psychological effects on a rock | | | | If the heat does not begin to wear the climber down |
| climber are more extreme on the body and the mind, | | | | the cold will. The consequences of being caught in |
| then most activities. The mental and physical aspects | | | | bad weather are the psychological effects that it will |
| of climbing can be affected in many different ways. | | | | pose. |
| Many things can change radically to repress the | | | | The cold slowly begins to chip away at the climbers |
| progress of a climber, yet some how they manage | | | | "morale [which] will rapidly drop until the point [where |
| to progress forward. By providing the relationship of | | | | the climber loses] all interest in the route, [his or her] |
| the psycho physiology of a climber as well as the | | | | partner or life itself, often leading to a total loss of |
| effects that they feel while facing great | | | | interest in the climb" (Kirkpatrick). |
| disadvantages will prove the sever reality, which rock | | | | Becoming cold also allows the climber to be aware of |
| climbers face. | | | | his or her own vulnerability. Once a climber begins to |
| When climbing one is competing against gravity, time, | | | | believe that he is vulnerable, doubts begin to set inn. |
| fatigue, and the mind. Everything is against those | | | | Once doubt is set in place, the climber begins to lose |
| who wish to master stone. Yet that is one thing, | | | | faith in his own personal judgment and his own |
| which separates climbers mentally from the rest of | | | | strengths. When the climber has fallen to deep, in |
| us. They wish to master the stone, not destroy or | | | | thought he becomes frozen (figuratively speaking). |
| mane it. Not taking destroy and mane too literally; | | | | A deep frozen body and mind does not operate |
| the rest of us, want to win. | | | | properly, this can often lead to errors in judgment, |
| Athletes and those who compete in everyday life | | | | such as failing to navigate correctly, belay safely or |
| have egos, which must be satisfied. By wanting this | | | | thinking problems through properly. |
| satisfaction, one might use "aggression which can be | | | | Another psychological aspect that can affect a |
| misused to injure an opponent just to win a game or | | | | climber is the thought of fear. When climbing, the |
| better oneself in life" (DeVincenzi 16). Athletes and | | | | climber has everything to worry about; the thought |
| others can be seen as ego-oriented as just | | | | of the rope breaking, the last anchor placement, the |
| described, where as climbers are task-oriented. This | | | | height, and a fall occurring runs through most minds. |
| means that climbers climb "to intrinsically increase their | | | | The trick for climbers is the self-congratulatory |
| level of physical competence through task mastery. | | | | method. |
| Task mastery is accomplished through individual | | | | The use of this creates a mental state, which allows |
| practice" (DeVincenzi 16), with this practice comes | | | | them to power through. When completing a "dicey" |
| the physical and mental battles that climbers must | | | | section, it has been said that climbers will talk to |
| over come. | | | | themselves. |
| Rock climbers from the average to the elite carry | | | | In away, creating there own mental audience, which |
| certain physiological traits, which help propel them | | | | never taunts or belittles when a mistake is made. |
| against the factors trying to hold them back. These | | | | Instead, the self-appraisal encourages and produces |
| key traits being, "energy expenditure, isometric | | | | cleaner technique. |
| muscular contractions" (Bil lat et al. 22), muscular | | | | The idea that a motivational climate will maximize the |
| strength and capacity, as well as balance. | | | | teaching of a skill is completely true. This method has |
| The factors that pose a front for climbers are the | | | | been said to "increase self esteem, mental |
| sustained contractions of the forearms in addition to | | | | competitiveness against the body, perfectionism, life |
| other muscles, as well as the elevation of the arms | | | | satisfaction, sensation seeking" (Yosemite Wildlife |
| above the head. Other elements that can directly | | | | Preservation 6), and a "feeling of competence" |
| affect are the weather and altitude. | | | | (DeVincenzi 16). |
| By breaking down these key traits into deeper | | | | This has also proven to help climbers in a Pre-climb |
| analysis, they will show how they aid the climber, yet | | | | sate of mind where they have been found to have |
| slowly deteriorate the climber. For example, isometric | | | | low anxiety levels. This is found before, during, after |
| muscular contraction when defined means, "Muscle | | | | a climb and in every day life. They are found to be |
| contraction without movement at the joint" (May | | | | more laid back, yet have a tendency to under |
| 378). This would occur during a biceps curl, when | | | | estimate risk due to there sensation seeking state of |
| movement is stopped and held. | | | | mind. |
| The contracted muscles would be in a sustained | | | | The high risk factor is one of the main reasons why |
| position, just as it happens while climbing. When | | | | people rock climb. The climbers enjoy and love the |
| grasping a hold, the arm muscles contract and the | | | | rush they get when putting their life on the line. |
| joints become stationary. The downside of this is the | | | | All the things, which could possibly go wrong, are a |
| constant contraction, which causes fatigue. The same | | | | thrill to them. They find fear attractive in a sense. |
| occurs with balance. | | | | When world-renowned climber John Middendorf was |
| A climber must maintain a somewhat squatted | | | | asked about fear he said, "In general fear can be |
| position while making his or her way up the stone. | | | | manipulated, to either stifle a person, or allow that |
| The climber must constantly maintain muscle control | | | | person to channel the fear into different strengths |
| of the abdominal, pectorals, quadriceps, obliques, | | | | (like kicking in the adrenal glands) (Pei)." The adrenalin |
| biceps, as well as the other six-hundred skeletal | | | | high that climbers get, can be compared to lifting |
| muscles. The balance needed is much like the | | | | weights. |
| isometric muscle contraction because it requires slow | | | | Weight lifters enjoy the burning sensation, where as |
| movement, which can replicate an almost stationary | | | | the climber enjoys the adrenal rush. The unique part |
| joint. | | | | of climbers is that they can control the adrenalin |
| These movements almost double the rate of fatigue | | | | expenditures by maintaining a collective mindset. |
| because the whole body must perform, not just one | | | | This is accomplished through staying focused on only |
| muscular area. | | | | what is in front, remaining calm and trusting personal |
| An equally important trait of rock climbers is the | | | | ability. This allows the climber to go longer without |
| ability to control the energy, which they use while | | | | fatiguing, but once the mind shifts to far, it becomes |
| climbing. The control that climbers carry may be due | | | | a physiological battle all the way to the top. |
| to the "Task-oriented" trait, which sets them apart | | | | The physical battle, which climbers will face, is the |
| from the rest. The need for climbers to "intrinsically | | | | body itself. Once a climber has allowed the mind to |
| increase their level of physical competence" | | | | become too afraid, the body opens the adrenal |
| (DeVincenzi 16) may directly affect there mental | | | | glands to pull a climber through the rough. |
| state. By effecting there state of mind to become | | | | The problem with this is the body becomes |
| better at the task at hand, they in away have | | | | extremely weary after the use of all the adrenalin. |
| ultimate control of there body. | | | | Once this happens, the climber begins to breath |
| For example, if one was playing football, a | | | | quicker and with shorter breaths. Another |
| canebrake's job is to defend the receiver at all costs. | | | | disadvantage of climbers is most are at high altitudes, |
| This means when the ball is thrown; the corner back | | | | which forces them to breath even faster. |
| must follow the receiver. The corner back has no | | | | This is happening because the body is trying to |
| choice, but too run. | | | | supplement the heart with enough oxygen. While the |
| What this forces among the comeback is a lack of | | | | lungs try to supply the heart, the heart is trying to |
| control of the energy, which must be used. Where as | | | | pump arterial blood through the body. The main area |
| a climber is performing for self-congratulation, they | | | | where this oxygenated blood is being absorbed is in |
| have the ability to decide how much energy they | | | | the high stressed muscles. A problem that starts to |
| wish to use, as well as the ability to slow down or | | | | occur in these muscles is lactic acid begins to form. |
| speed up there pace of motion. | | | | This is due to the lack of oxygen that the muscles |
| Although rock climbers have the ability to choose | | | | should be receiving from the arterial blood. In return, |
| how they spend there energy and at what pace | | | | this causes the heart rate of the climber to rise, for |
| they wish to climb, one thing they cannot control is | | | | the heart is trying to compensate for low levels of |
| the weather. | | | | oxygen. While the body continues through its cycle, |
| The weather and its freak conditions cannot only | | | | the blood that is carried away from the muscles is |
| physical harm a climber but mentally it can tear one | | | | now blood lactate. |
| down. Extreme cold can lead to diminished muscular | | | | The downside of this is that blood lactate has trace |
| performance, but the combination of heat and | | | | amounts of lactic acid. |
| dehydration poses a more significant risk. The body is | | | | This process ultimately starts poisoning the body and |
| about sixty percent water. | | | | fatiguing it rapidly. What can occur is lactic acidosis, |
| This fluid acts a lubricant for all joints in the skeletal | | | | which is "high levels of lactic acid in the blood, which is |
| makeup. The cartilage in the body, which is also | | | | potentially fatal" (Fan deck et al. 403). |
| including the joints, is composed mainly of water. "As | | | | Now that the heart rate is high and the muscles are |
| cartilage surfaces glide over one another, some | | | | beginning to absorb lactic acid instead of oxygen, the |
| exposed cells become worn and peel away. New | | | | climber will find he is worried, tired and extremely |
| cartilage normally is produced to replace the damaged | | | | soar. Often times this can lead to a severe fall or |
| cells. [But] due to the lack of blood vessels in | | | | causing the body as well as the mind to completely |
| cartilage, water is needed to transport the nutrients | | | | give up and fold. Once this occurs, the only choice is |
| required for maintenance and repair" (Batmanghelidj). | | | | retreat. |
| Ultimately what dehydration can cause is damage and | | | | Climbers must endure many feats. They must power |
| a delay in repair, resulting in joint pain. This joint pain | | | | through the unpredictable situations of weather. They |
| poses just as great of a threat as muscular fatigue | | | | must control there physical abilities as well as there |
| for it effects the isometric muscular contractions. | | | | mental battles for they will overcome the climber. |