Teaching Jay the psychology of soloing while hanging from a rope! Judgement day?

Working a 6c with Jay at the Ormes (Photo: Owen Jones)

Owen and I had an intense session at the Ormes with Jay yesterday, where we rigged up as system to allow me to coach Jay on route as he climbed on real rock outside.

Trying work out what was best for Jay in terms of instruction from what distance whilst trying to add as much value to his climbing experience was tricky. But on the third session, it happened and it had nothing to do with ropes and holds. It was about working out what it felt like to be Jay on that steep wall above the sea in an alien environment whilst trying to tame his urgency and un stoppable will to try hard.

I realized what it was and he went from falling off nearly every move to managing the whole route with one small slip low down. There is this urgency when on a route to get the fuck off it, it's a very natural feeling especially in the beginning of a climbing career but it is obviously what we manage down so we can keep climbing up.

Explaining to Jay that he would have to stay on this wall for at least 10 minutes to successfully complete the red point, resting and shaking out and just concentrating on small sections then managing his breathing down before attacking the next section with gusto was what worked for us.

Being free of ropes and giving in to climbing only 'up' when ready was what soloing was for me as a boy and it was this that created a space for Jay to accept the slower pace of climbing to assist in the completing of the route versus rushing into moves without consequence.

Jay's efforts are unbelievable some days and for me to learn what he sees and feels whilst climbing needs to match. We are getting there! It was the best coaching experience I have had to date.

We had a laugh while he was resting in the cave below the final crux and was 3ft away being a dope on a rope. We both hate being judged and I used this to fire him up to rip down on the crimps like his life depended on it. (well, it does!)

The real goal is much bigger than any wall or any grade. It's about using climbing to make Jay's journey to a more independent living real and achievable.The big solo...

Soloing Shibboleth... Judgement day!

Coaching with Jay : 5 weeks on...

Working with Jamie now for over 5 weeks and the journey has been amazing and very progressive (for both of us). His first attempt at leading a 4c was filled with frustration (his) and fear (mine) as I allowed him to begin lead climbing very early on (maybe our 2nd session I think?). The danger was that the combination of difficulty in clipping the the rope safely through the quickdraw and the sometimes overwhelming fear of being in a lead fall situation too early on could have been very regressive, but we took our chance. The quickdraws were clipped using both his hands while he bridged his feet in the corner! Some were clipped correctly and some were ‘back clipped’ but I made the decision to let him continue as we were going to have to take some risks in this journey, calculated but there none the less. If I had stopped him in that moment then he would not have succeeded a few sessions later on his first 6a lead up the main overhanging wall that demanded smooth clips with one hand whilst hanging on with the other in strenuous positions on the overhanging wall. From 6a we quickly moved onto a hard 6b project, which will take us longer but will act as a false barrier for harder routes I think, because it is not the grade that is the challenge but the style and sustained nature of the climb. When this one falls to Jay, then 6c will come quicker than this 6b. (I think!). Increasing Jay’s flexibility has been a focus and completely changing his climbing style so that we can slow everything down to a manageable climbing pace for him to cope with a higher level of difficulty (both physically and mentally). Jay's strength is not a problem at the moment but finding ways to positively change Jay’s climbing style has required much thought and experimentation. But the change has begun and he is moving differently now on the routes with a much more focused coordination and use of tactics that we have developed to wind our way round the standard challenges of lead climbing. It is difficult to understand just how hard Jay will climb, and yet, if I allow us to set any specific long term goals, then I suspect I will let us down with that strategy. So we must concentrate on only believing in the unbelievable and simply focus on a wider objective…

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dhGnOsdTXmXfl5_IK1p78p5znTJb7J7FG6cnRIv_M4k/pub

http://www.justgiving.com/MarkMcGowan01

Inspiration... A Coaching Journey with Jay 'stomping' Owen.

Young Jay trying harder at his climbing and his life... Inspiring.

  "Hi my name Jamie 24 years old who has dyspraxia aspergers d.a.m.p also in progress getting re diagnosed now as Adult since i understand more stuff now as Adult rather than when i was a child not understanding anything atall with reading before when i was Little couldnt read or understand books or didnt no how to socialize with peers but i have come along way through battleing its not been easy for me more case i cant write to save my life , am allways in strict routine with doing things and if am not doing them activites i have a Bad day and just shut everyone out like whole world but what has changed my life is Climbing with helping me with my coordination confidence working my brain more just everything .. anything to do with Extreme sports i love and outdoors same as Music Films.. found it very hard to fit in with others peers when i was Little went away at age 12 years old to boarding school witch times were hard, but changed my life from haveing the Help down there , since the teachers at mainstream school didnt no how to deal with me plus 1 to 1 help connects in more ways with the teacher they get to understand you more than a mainstream Teacher an my Achievements been able to play Ice Hockey Roller Hockey , tryed playing football but was all over the place couldnt get on with any my team mates cause they were just Judgemental peers .. always struggled with everything but now that i got older its better to talk about things rather than keep it all in express what you feel to others such as parents doctors about lows and your highs , still get good days bad days , but wont let it define me as person , so to all that are struggling with things you have Gift at the end of day try new things no matter what the outcome is , battle on through , Each goal you do is Achievement even if you dont see it at 1st , just wanted to share this with you all .. it might not make sense but i wrote it out in best possible way i could , to try explain my Story p.s Jamie"

Jay working his 6a project at Beacon

Coaching and climbing with Jay has possibly been the most inspiring climbing journey that I have been on for a while. Watching him face the difficulties of climbing combined with the other challenge that is in his life has been humbling.

In between, climbing sessions where he works hard at learning how to be calm clipping a quick draw on lead and not get frustrated, when he is learning not to think about the confusions of right and left and to try to slow everything down when everything is telling him to hurry, in between this we had a great chat about his life and mine.

To sit down and hear a young man with autism be open about the challenges it has caused him to just live and the methods he uses to manage the best life for himself and his awareness of his own bravery and that it has ultimately been about how he has chosen to face his autism and how the world looks at him as he looks back at it was amazing and has left me feeling pretty humbled about my own difficult childhood and challenges I faced.

He lead his strong ass up the steep wall of the Beacon today fighting every difficult clip with such determination and bravery when he had only just learned how to find a solution for managing the magnified frustration of clipping a rope through the quick draw whilst under the weird sensation of being on the lead was just inspiring for me. Well done Jay 'stomping' Owen!

Jay: leading his first route on main steep wall at Beacon