Years ago, I was a new worker and a new climber at a small gym. The climbing community there was small and tight knit. While everyone was as polite and friendly as you would expect in a Canadian town, it was still very important to get on well with the “in crowd,” since it really was the only crowd.

While I have always been generally friendly and “likeable” (at least in my own mind), at that time I was also still fairly introverted and at times socially awkward. One day I overheard a female member of the gym chatting with a couple of other members of the “Climbing Club” (a term used to describe the dozen or so members who could be considered regulars). She was talking about a young male in the gym about my age who would always rush over to tell her how to complete a climb before she had given it any serious attempts herself.

The woman wasn’t speaking outright disparagingly about the man, but I could still tell she wasn’t happy with the experience. In fact, in describing her exasperation, she used the phrase: “Sometimes I just want to figure the problem out myself!”

After hearing the conversation I was personally mortified. While I know the person she was talking about was not myself, it easily could have been. I wasn’t a “close spotter,” but I definitely took great pride in “helping” others up climbs I had just done myself. I never wanted to annoy anyone, I was just so excited about getting to the top of the problem after considerable effort, that I wanted to share that joy with others!

Until hearing the woman share her experience though, I had not realized that the reason I was so excited about getting to the top, was because I was proud of the fact that I had figured it out. Unfortunately, by prematurely giving advice or “beta” to other climbers I was robbing them of the joy and motor learning that results from figuring out the movements and correct body position for themselves too.

Not too long after this situation, I read a quote by a famous climb) that said, “Figuring out the problem is half the problem.” The climber was most likely Jerry Moffat who picked up the trait from John Bachar (who in turn picked it up from John Gill, the father of American bouldering). I’ve never forgotten that advice since, and it’s the reason why I’m often reluctant to give beta now, even when asked. While at some point the appropriate response may be to offer a small hint to a struggling climber, just remember that too much advice robs the climber of the experience of solving the problem, which stunts his/her long term growth.

While getting to the top of a certain climb can be momentarily exhilarating, the true joy of climbing comes from being able to use an ever expanding library of movements and strategies to solve any problem that comes your way even if no one else is around to help you. To permanently build that knowledge base and become a “good climber,” everyone must be afforded the opportunity to struggle their way to the top on their own. If you do wish to give beta, at least let the other climber exhaust all conceivable methods on their own before you offer any hints. Give your friends the gift of learning this year. Let them struggle (a bit).

If you wish to hear more of my thoughts on this issue, check out this video:

About The Author

David Murray has been coaching climbing for over 17 years. He has helped over 5000 new and experienced climbers become more efficient and have more fun. He is currently a co-owner of The Hangout Climbing Centre in Duncan, Canada.