The Climbing Company

Mental Training for Trad Climbing

An innovative course combining practical skills and mental techniques to help you push your trad climbing to the next level. Learn to manage fear, make better decisions, and climb with confidence.

Master your mind, master the climb

What is Mental Training for Trad Climbing?

Mental training for trad climbing combines psychological techniques with practical skills to help climbers perform at their best. Unlike sport climbing, trad climbing requires not just physical prowess but exceptional mental control – you need to stay calm while selecting and placing gear, managing rope systems, and making critical safety decisions, often in exposed positions.

Why is it Needed?

Trad climbing presents unique mental challenges that can affect both safety and performance. Many climbers coming from a sport background find themselves climbing far below their true ability due to these extra variables. Fear management becomes essential for both safety and performance.

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Whack your details here and we\’ll coordinate together to choose dates that suit you.

What will we cover?

Practical Skills Foundation:

  • Practicing with trad gear (ensuring correct placement techniques)
  • Understanding gear limitations and testing placements
  • Aid climbing practice to build placement confidence
  • How to choose routes suitable for your current level
  • Creating detailed route maps (rest points, crux zones, gear placements) 
    Mental Skills Development:
  • Fear management techniques specific to trad climbing
  • Decision-making frameworks for route selection
  • Visualisation techniques for route planning
  • Building confidence through progressive challenges
  • Techniques for maintaining focus during long routes 
    Creating Security:
  • How to make a “nest” or secure point before crux sections
  • Managing the relationship between mental and physical aspects
  • Building resilience through controlled exposure
  • Partner communication and trust building
  • Developing personal risk assessment skills

Prerequisites

  • Lead climbing experience (sport or trad)
  • Basic understanding of trad gear placement
  • Willingness to engage in self-reflection and mental training exercises

Location

This course is held at an outdoor location chosen to provide appropriate scenarios for trad climbing.

Duration

Two full days (12 hours total):

  • Day 1: Foundation skills and mental training introduction
  • Day 2: Practical application and advanced concepts

What do we need to bring?

Climbing Equipment:

  • Harness suitable for trad climbing
  • Helmet
  • Rock shoes
  • Any trad gear you own (additional gear will be provided)
  • Belay device and locking carabiners
    Personal Items:
  • Notebook for mental training exercises
  • Comfortable clothing suitable for climbing
  • Water and food for full days
    The Climbing Company will provide:
  • All necessary additional trad gear
  • Training materials
  • Safety equipment

Expected Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will have improved your ability to manage fear and anxiety while climbing. We aim to leave you with practical tools for continuing your own mental training development.

5 Over 59 Reviews
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Cameron Scates 3 months ago
Had Aaron teach me and three others over two days. Very informative and answers any questions you have with climbing with confidence. Over all great person and teacher
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duncan wakes-miller 4 weeks ago
Great course location and instructors. Really helpful in preparation for my trip to the Himalayas
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Mike Wilson 1 month ago
As an unskilled an inexperienced alpine trekker, I was looking for course to give the me basic knowledge I needed, ideally in a fun and safe environment – and got that and more. Pauli was a highly experienced, very passionate, safety conscious guide with a great energy and sense of humour. He and Hamid adjusted plans and arranged course content specific to our needs … and then patiently helped a bunch of beginners go from confusion, to some understanding, and then to enjoyment.

Thanks for a great weekend. Highly recommended.
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Junge Zhang 1 month ago
Amazing trad course taught by Aaron himself and it couldn’t have been better👍.
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Martin Aylward 1 month ago
Huge shout out to Hamid and Pauly I have just completed both alpine 1 and alpine 2 courses and they were sick, I learnt heaps from basic walking techniques to complex rope systems with crevasse rescue to self arrests I would highly recommend these courses I went in as a complete beginner and now I can’t wait to get back out there despite getting absolutely drenched today I still had the best time these guys know there stuff and are great at teaching it. Yew cheers guys
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A 1 month ago
Excellent course and very enjoyable delivery. Thank you for a brilliant weekend – perfect preparation for our upcoming Himalayan trip
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Alejandro Gaete 1 month ago
I would say that Hamid is an excellent teacher and a very professional one. Hamid was always there to reassure and mentor me even though I had no prior experience. Hamid was always kind and willing to assist me, even though I probably needed more help than anyone else. The course was great , there was structure and safe rails that enable us to test our confidence. Thank you Hamid. I anticipate returning for Alpine 2 next year, in the meantime I will put the lessons into practice.
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Ben M 1 month ago
Couldn’t be more full of praise for this course. Hamid was a fantastic instructor, very safe, managed to keep a broad age group of participants ranging from 12-50+ happy and at levels that suited each individual’s skills. We finished with a solid understanding of basic alpine skills, which sets a platform for future adventures. We will definitely be coming back for other courses run by The Climbing Company. Highly recommended.
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