Tunnel Vision

Sometimes that light at the end of the tunnel is a train.   Charles Barkley.

Out climbing today, I was working a 10d, and, falling off, and, getting back on, and falling off, and getting back on, and - well, you get the picture. After spending some time doing this, I lowered off and Doug went up. He did the crux moves differently than me, and suddenly, like a bolt of lightening between the eyes, I realized I had been blinded by tunnel vision.

In my mind, a mantra had been running, left hand in open-handed undercling, right hand on more positive undercling, move right hand up to small horn, go for the top of the horn where the hold is more positive, move feet up on slab below, then reach for left hand side pull. But, every time I moved my right hand off the more positive undercling to reach for the horn, I winged it off the wall.

Doug used the same two underclings, but, moved his left hand up first to the side pull, then feet up on the slab, then the right hand to the horn. A subtle deviation that made all the difference in climbing the route.

Visualizing the sequence of moves needed on a climb is good, but, you don't want to be so fixated on one sequence that you can't see other opportunities. The trick is to know when you've visualized the sequence right and should just go for it, and when you have tunnel vision and your visualization is preventing you from seeing other options.

Just Another Day Out Climbing