Climbing Performance was born out of a desire to cultivate a rich and dynamic community with whom to explore all things related to human performance in climbing, from the mental aspects to nutrition to physical development and so on. I am not personally aware of a space that exists dedicated to this purpose. Instead, I have seen many a coach and climber express frustration in regards to finding, sharing, and engaging with relevant, quality content. While information is easy to come by, it can feel like drinking from a firehose. The true challenge comes when attempting to discern from what is rooted in science and what is merely familiar or loud. Worst of all is the open toxicity and humiliation that often manifests if one chooses to inquire or question a certain concept. I do not believe this is remotely conducive to ongoing learning, evolution, and development of people or ideas. 

 

While I have many lofty goals and aspirations for what Climbing Performance might become, my immediate focus is to play a part in carving out a container for us to collaborate. I, too, struggle to cut through the noise, and find myself daunted by the task of weeding through the seemingly exhaustive sources of information (and mis-information). I love to read, to learn, to break concepts down and play with components, to reassemble them in an effort to make sense of what I’ve uncovered. I have found, however, that, like climbing, it’s a lot more fun to fall, get smacked in the face, make a fool of myself, when I can turn around and laugh at a familiar face smiling back at me who can relate to the experience I am having.

 

I don’t know about you, but the online universe drains me. I am so very tired of hiding behind an avatar, an instagram handle, a user name, where I am either quickly dehumanized or am simply a lonely, lurking shadow. I believe a digital universe can be welcoming, nurturing, and compassionate, but I think it also takes a lot of work to build the requisite level of trust that enables that type of atmosphere to flourish. I really hope that, should you choose to join this space, you will remember that we are fellow humans. All of us deserve to be treated with kindness and consideration. Each of us has a distinct communication style, and it will take time to learn how to interpret these differences to reveal the true emotions behind the words. I hope we can practice patience through curiosity and inquisitiveness. I hope we can empower one another to own our unique contributions. I hope through open discussions that we can share insightful ideas that help us expand our peripheral view and explore more options that we might otherwise miss. 

 

I’m excited to watch this space develop. I really believe there is something very, very cool that could come out of the other side. Don’t be guarded with your thoughts and ideas. Throw everything on the table and let’s see what we can make of it together, collaboratively.