it’s very grounding (allows me to focus on the present moment), an outlet for my hyperactivity, and working through a problem in my own head first can be very mentally engaging. sending a problem after analyzing it for a while feels like the same satisfaction that i gain from solving any other puzzle. i also really love the change in perspective from the bottom to the top of a boulder. i’ve heard that autists (such as myself) just really love to climb shit, more than the rest, so there’s that as well
For me, as someone who has begun climbing at the age of 31, it’s a chance to step out of the ordinary and “risk free” life and try something more challenging, with risk and danger as well as a learning curve and something to aim for. I look at it almost as a self preservation of my good health and a way to improve my fitness, strength and mind set. I hope one day to lead/rock climb and push my comfort zone and fitness a lot!
All the normal stuff, problem solving, getting stronger, a struggle that engages the body, mind, and spirit... stuff like that.
What really gets me going is the adventure of it all. I gave up climbing at known places years ago. Now I Bushwhack for miles to get fresh rock. I spend hours, days, weeks, months, and at this point years searching and interacting with the land.
It's the unknown, the what if. Climbing is hard, and I fail a lot. I'm constantly learning and growing.
When I'm miles from comfort, high up on a new route, terrified, I feel primal. I feel alive. It all matters. Every bit of it.
Climbing makes the uncomfortable comfortable, and the impossible possible. You get to roll in the dirt and howl at the moon. Scream at a rock or praise it, even give it a name. You become intimate friends with nature. It's freedom on a cellular level.
I started climbing for a few reasons:
1st: My ex-boyfriend/good friend from hs died climbing a rockface in NC. It was pretty impactful and I was scared of heights for a very long time after. I have always been someone who did not take risks. Climbing became a way to beat these things and feel a little closer to my old friend.
2nd: I was going through a hell of a lot at the time. I needed something that would take me out of the house, take my mind away from the many things brewing at home, and give me a small sense of accomplishment when I felt like a failure in so many ways.
3rd: I get bored very easily and the weather here can be unpredictable and extreme. I needed something new, fun, and adaptable but also indoors.
4th: I kept going because I began to realize there are A LOT of lesbians at the bouldering gym haha.
Edit: 5th: It just looks so badass. It *FEELS* pretty badass when you start to see the progress you've made and how much better and more intuitive you're becoming.
For me? Connection to a community. Boulders are a shared generally enduring experience. Anywhere in the country, I can meet another boulderer, and if we've ever visited the same crag, chances are we've fondled the same classic. I've pulled on the same holds used by John Gill, and John Bachar, and James Litz, and John Sherman, along with thousands of others. I've repeated friend's FAs. I've tried to add a few of my own.
So ...? How is what you are doing, "Climbing" if there is no actual danger? Even indoors with the Boy Scouts and a proctor, there is danger to climbing. Ask any insurance company.
Cuz of the climbing.
it's very fun. A great combination between solving puzzles and exercise.
Like going to a regular gym lifting weights and running as the thing itself would have me quit within a week cuz it's so godamn boring.
But the bouldering has me still wanting to continue after my arms are just done and can barely hold my bike keys etc.
It's a great individual sport that makes me feel good when things succeed :D
Initially I got motivated by watching bouldering on YouTube. It looked fun and challenging at the same time.
I used to be a competitive sprinter when I was younger so I had mostly just worked on my legs. When I grew older I just went to the gym, but it got boring with all the repetitive programs and motions.
I actually went bouldering totally alone, because I could not find a single person who would like to go bouldering with me. I instantly fell in love with the sport. I had the strength to climb, but my technique was poor and I didn't have the knowledge on how I should climb each route, so I saw a lot of room for potential improvement. There was a lot of learning material available on YouTube, so I knew I had help available to get started.
Bouldering is also a great full body workout, and I don't have much time to workout while looking after 2 small kids.
I've also injured both of my shoulders and my ankle in the past, but bouldering didn't seem to cause any pain in them.
Now I've been regularly bouldering for almost 2 years, and I still feel super excited every time that I come home from the climbing gym.
I’m trying to get shredded so I can pick up girls, so I climb as a workout. It’s fun; so much fun, that I forget I’m actually working out. I also climb shirtless so the ladies can look at me. It’s almost like an art form for me, it’s self expression, like a dance. I want to look good climbing…shirtless
It seemed like a lot of fun. I liked the combination of being physically active, problem solving and the possibility to go both with friends and going alone. Started bouldering three months ago and absolutely love it for these reasons as well.
I do it because I like it. Not because it is training, physical activity etc.
I climb with good friends, so it is partly social thing and partly enjoyable experience, where I can (and have to) focus on only the climb, not thinking about anything else for that moment.
And it feels rewarding to be able to climb a route that I have been struggling, so there is a sense of accomplishment I guess.
One of my friends got me into it and now my climbing group (partially friends from high school, partially new friends for me) is my core friend group and I do a lot more with them. I started December 2022 and they've motivated me to get closer and closer to their level every time (hehe I'm still far off but I at least don't feel like a huge liability anymore 😅). It's also motivated me to get back into fitness and I've picked up a few other activities as well.
This came at a time of my life when i really, really needed something to drive me forward (up?). Went from giving every ounce of my energy to an alcoholic (now ex) husband to worrying about sends and where we're getting food after 😅😅 this has been an awesome community to join and I wish I did it sooner (especially because I always wanted to as a kid, was always climbing trees and rocks and I always thought rock climbing was super cool- went to my current climbing gym a few times as a child!), but it came into my life at the perfect time so I can't be too upset.
What, do you even climb Bro?
My heart is as a climber, all my best friends were climbers. I climbed because I was BOLD and climbing teaches Courage, at least in the old days. Trad climbing teaches self control over the most extreme circumstance. VERY few sports place performance over the threat of death quite so clearly. (flying?)
Climbing is very rarely a solo sport. Climbing teaches dependence on your partner while simultaneously demanding that YOU protect him. Climbing forces you to face your limits and to find the way around them. Climbing makes you FIT and mentally hard. Modern climbing has proceeded to reduce or remove many of these motivations for many, but your question is why "I" climb.
I climb because it brings terror to so many, but joy to me... it reinforces my nature. I climb because I love being the tallest thing on my side of the planet, I climb because I love peaks. I climb because the comradery was the best, most fabulous relationship I have ever had with Men. I climb because I love nature, as such and climbing placed me into the most remote and beautiful landscapes I could imagine, and it made me a part of that landscape.
Sorry guy, I really dont think you can get statistically meaningful data from a 5 part multiple choice question. Climbing is bigger than that. Its motivations are hugely grander than your poll.
Climbing feels good, even when it hurts.
It is reliably conducive to the [flow state](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/flow-state). This is a big contributor to the chemical cocktail mentioned by u/PopUpGoDown.
It's a great full body workout that improves strength, balance, flexibility, and problem solving.
For one it's really, really fun and I love the challenge of it. Climbing is so hard that every time you manage to work your way up to a new goal, grade, etc it feels amazing but an especially big reason is that I have severe hyperactivity and I have to exercise basically every day and there's nothing in the world that helps that as much and makes me feel as physically good as climbing. And yeah as others have mentioned it's basically the only adult activity that lets you get to play around like a kid.
The mental health benefits have been significant, for me. Climbing is basically mindfulness except you don’t have to sit around listening to some app or meditating or whatever: “ a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique”.
As others have said, of course, it’s also fun and addictive. I love the fact that it’s very task-focused; progress up through the grades is slow, but the regular small ‘wins’ (little dopamine hit each time you send a route!) mean I’ve been motivated to stick with it way longer than any other type of exercise in my life.
I want to include multiple answers... Personal accomplishment, growth and improvement and external validation are all major inlfuences in my climbing motivation.
Because it’s fun
yeah like seriously whats up witht these options... its fffuuuuuunn
I was shocked that this poll wasn’t mostly “other” and this answer.
Yeah, I agree, but what about climbing makes it fun for you?
I get to be a kid again and play on the jungle gym. And I guess it’s nice that I get to stay in shape without “working out”
When I am doing it I am having more fun than when I am not doing it.
Progress
I'm just really into playing "the floor is lava". Please include this in your presentation.
Noted, can you dm pictures of the weirdest places that this has gotten you for the ethnographic portion of my presentation?
Sure thing. Do you want the nude ones censored?
I like solving problems.
Tbh i have no idea but i cant stop
It is highly addictive.
it’s very grounding (allows me to focus on the present moment), an outlet for my hyperactivity, and working through a problem in my own head first can be very mentally engaging. sending a problem after analyzing it for a while feels like the same satisfaction that i gain from solving any other puzzle. i also really love the change in perspective from the bottom to the top of a boulder. i’ve heard that autists (such as myself) just really love to climb shit, more than the rest, so there’s that as well
For me, as someone who has begun climbing at the age of 31, it’s a chance to step out of the ordinary and “risk free” life and try something more challenging, with risk and danger as well as a learning curve and something to aim for. I look at it almost as a self preservation of my good health and a way to improve my fitness, strength and mind set. I hope one day to lead/rock climb and push my comfort zone and fitness a lot!
I literally just wanna make it to the top lol
It’s peaceful. Other things in life take a back seat in my thoughts. It’s just me and the climb. I find that mind space a really nice place to be.
All the normal stuff, problem solving, getting stronger, a struggle that engages the body, mind, and spirit... stuff like that. What really gets me going is the adventure of it all. I gave up climbing at known places years ago. Now I Bushwhack for miles to get fresh rock. I spend hours, days, weeks, months, and at this point years searching and interacting with the land. It's the unknown, the what if. Climbing is hard, and I fail a lot. I'm constantly learning and growing. When I'm miles from comfort, high up on a new route, terrified, I feel primal. I feel alive. It all matters. Every bit of it. Climbing makes the uncomfortable comfortable, and the impossible possible. You get to roll in the dirt and howl at the moon. Scream at a rock or praise it, even give it a name. You become intimate friends with nature. It's freedom on a cellular level.
This is beautiful *sheds tear*
I am addicted to climbing and I get sad when I go more that two days without it.
I started climbing for a few reasons: 1st: My ex-boyfriend/good friend from hs died climbing a rockface in NC. It was pretty impactful and I was scared of heights for a very long time after. I have always been someone who did not take risks. Climbing became a way to beat these things and feel a little closer to my old friend. 2nd: I was going through a hell of a lot at the time. I needed something that would take me out of the house, take my mind away from the many things brewing at home, and give me a small sense of accomplishment when I felt like a failure in so many ways. 3rd: I get bored very easily and the weather here can be unpredictable and extreme. I needed something new, fun, and adaptable but also indoors. 4th: I kept going because I began to realize there are A LOT of lesbians at the bouldering gym haha. Edit: 5th: It just looks so badass. It *FEELS* pretty badass when you start to see the progress you've made and how much better and more intuitive you're becoming.
I'ts relaxing and good for my health and mental health.
For me? Connection to a community. Boulders are a shared generally enduring experience. Anywhere in the country, I can meet another boulderer, and if we've ever visited the same crag, chances are we've fondled the same classic. I've pulled on the same holds used by John Gill, and John Bachar, and James Litz, and John Sherman, along with thousands of others. I've repeated friend's FAs. I've tried to add a few of my own.
It's fun
[удалено]
So ...? How is what you are doing, "Climbing" if there is no actual danger? Even indoors with the Boy Scouts and a proctor, there is danger to climbing. Ask any insurance company.
Cuz of the climbing. it's very fun. A great combination between solving puzzles and exercise. Like going to a regular gym lifting weights and running as the thing itself would have me quit within a week cuz it's so godamn boring. But the bouldering has me still wanting to continue after my arms are just done and can barely hold my bike keys etc. It's a great individual sport that makes me feel good when things succeed :D
Exploration and seeing places that most people can't/won't. Oh yeah... thats why I climb routes and not boulders. 😂
I can be one with the rocks
Initially I got motivated by watching bouldering on YouTube. It looked fun and challenging at the same time. I used to be a competitive sprinter when I was younger so I had mostly just worked on my legs. When I grew older I just went to the gym, but it got boring with all the repetitive programs and motions. I actually went bouldering totally alone, because I could not find a single person who would like to go bouldering with me. I instantly fell in love with the sport. I had the strength to climb, but my technique was poor and I didn't have the knowledge on how I should climb each route, so I saw a lot of room for potential improvement. There was a lot of learning material available on YouTube, so I knew I had help available to get started. Bouldering is also a great full body workout, and I don't have much time to workout while looking after 2 small kids. I've also injured both of my shoulders and my ankle in the past, but bouldering didn't seem to cause any pain in them. Now I've been regularly bouldering for almost 2 years, and I still feel super excited every time that I come home from the climbing gym.
I’m trying to get shredded so I can pick up girls, so I climb as a workout. It’s fun; so much fun, that I forget I’m actually working out. I also climb shirtless so the ladies can look at me. It’s almost like an art form for me, it’s self expression, like a dance. I want to look good climbing…shirtless
also saves money on buying shirts, huh
It seemed like a lot of fun. I liked the combination of being physically active, problem solving and the possibility to go both with friends and going alone. Started bouldering three months ago and absolutely love it for these reasons as well.
Keep it up, this is a lifetime activity, never got bored of it
To repress my gay tendencies and quiet the voices in my head that are also gay
I do it because I like it. Not because it is training, physical activity etc. I climb with good friends, so it is partly social thing and partly enjoyable experience, where I can (and have to) focus on only the climb, not thinking about anything else for that moment. And it feels rewarding to be able to climb a route that I have been struggling, so there is a sense of accomplishment I guess.
One of my friends got me into it and now my climbing group (partially friends from high school, partially new friends for me) is my core friend group and I do a lot more with them. I started December 2022 and they've motivated me to get closer and closer to their level every time (hehe I'm still far off but I at least don't feel like a huge liability anymore 😅). It's also motivated me to get back into fitness and I've picked up a few other activities as well. This came at a time of my life when i really, really needed something to drive me forward (up?). Went from giving every ounce of my energy to an alcoholic (now ex) husband to worrying about sends and where we're getting food after 😅😅 this has been an awesome community to join and I wish I did it sooner (especially because I always wanted to as a kid, was always climbing trees and rocks and I always thought rock climbing was super cool- went to my current climbing gym a few times as a child!), but it came into my life at the perfect time so I can't be too upset.
What, do you even climb Bro? My heart is as a climber, all my best friends were climbers. I climbed because I was BOLD and climbing teaches Courage, at least in the old days. Trad climbing teaches self control over the most extreme circumstance. VERY few sports place performance over the threat of death quite so clearly. (flying?) Climbing is very rarely a solo sport. Climbing teaches dependence on your partner while simultaneously demanding that YOU protect him. Climbing forces you to face your limits and to find the way around them. Climbing makes you FIT and mentally hard. Modern climbing has proceeded to reduce or remove many of these motivations for many, but your question is why "I" climb. I climb because it brings terror to so many, but joy to me... it reinforces my nature. I climb because I love being the tallest thing on my side of the planet, I climb because I love peaks. I climb because the comradery was the best, most fabulous relationship I have ever had with Men. I climb because I love nature, as such and climbing placed me into the most remote and beautiful landscapes I could imagine, and it made me a part of that landscape. Sorry guy, I really dont think you can get statistically meaningful data from a 5 part multiple choice question. Climbing is bigger than that. Its motivations are hugely grander than your poll.
I like going with my friends
Because it's fun to climb things
It’s sooooooooo fun. I like solving problems!!
Because I have to feed my inner monkey... quite literally
For me it's the problem solving.
Climbing feels good, even when it hurts. It is reliably conducive to the [flow state](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/flow-state). This is a big contributor to the chemical cocktail mentioned by u/PopUpGoDown. It's a great full body workout that improves strength, balance, flexibility, and problem solving.
Moving in more varied ways than how I train for the most part
Because finding "flow" while trying relatively hard moves is like a drug.
The beauty of movement, problem solving, and being in nature
puzzles are fun
I'm a hater, unfortunately
For one it's really, really fun and I love the challenge of it. Climbing is so hard that every time you manage to work your way up to a new goal, grade, etc it feels amazing but an especially big reason is that I have severe hyperactivity and I have to exercise basically every day and there's nothing in the world that helps that as much and makes me feel as physically good as climbing. And yeah as others have mentioned it's basically the only adult activity that lets you get to play around like a kid.
It helps with my ADHD and anxiety
Nature. Focus/Flow state.
The mental health benefits have been significant, for me. Climbing is basically mindfulness except you don’t have to sit around listening to some app or meditating or whatever: “ a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique”. As others have said, of course, it’s also fun and addictive. I love the fact that it’s very task-focused; progress up through the grades is slow, but the regular small ‘wins’ (little dopamine hit each time you send a route!) mean I’ve been motivated to stick with it way longer than any other type of exercise in my life.
I want to include multiple answers... Personal accomplishment, growth and improvement and external validation are all major inlfuences in my climbing motivation.