Vertical Mind

Psychological Approaches for Optimal Rock Climbing

By: Don McGrath PhD, Jeff Elison

Narrated by: Don McGrath

Length: 7 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

In Vertical Mind, Don McGrath and Jeff Elison teach rock climbers how to improve their mental game so they can climb better and have more fun. They teach how the latest research in brain science and psychology can help you retrain your mind and body for higher levels of rock climbing performance, while also demonstrating how to train and overcome fears and anxiety that hold you back. Finally, they teach climbing partners how to engage in co-creative coaching and help each other improve as climbers.

With numerous and practical step-by-step drills and exercises, in a simple to follow training framework, your path to harder climbing has never been clearer. If you are a climber who wants to climb harder and have more fun climbing, then Vertical Mind is required reading. Well, what's stopping you? Pick it up and get training today!

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2014 Sharp End Publishing (P)2017 Sharp End Publishing

Awesome mantras

Loved this book! It’s one I will listen to over and over again. Deals with the things that go through every climbers mind we just can’t put a name to it. Have already put into play changing my scripts and it has done wonders for my climbing. The most highly recommend!

Great Book horrible voice

Couldn't listen to this the voice is horrible. Good read though! 👍 just have a real person record it!

very informative

I liked the insight. I identified with several of the concepts expressed. very interesting.

great book for more than just rock climbing

loved it! It's a great book that teaches you how to think differently and from a different perspective. and a lot of what is taught in this book can be applied to almost anything.

better to read physical copy

lots of valuable information, but too many lists and step by steps to be a good audio book. narration was very monotone and kinda dull. again, great info! really better to buy a hard copy, I think.

Terrible voice

The content seems good, but I can not stand the voice. I am so disappointed

Love the narration

Nice book to fall asleep to, some good climbing psychology throughout. Love hearing the OGs mindset.

CBT for climbers, low reading quality

I’m a mental health professional by trade and a climber for fun. I was hoping this book would help me marry the two. I really enjoyed the first 2 chapters or so and really liked how it brought in beliefs and how they are the key to mental training.

I think this book could be improved by spending some of the later chapters reviewing things like the automatic negative beliefs of CBT and how that could apply to climbing. Instead, I feel like they just continue to review the same mental scripts and how to reframe those which felt repetitive after about the fourth time by chapter 7/8.

I also wish the recording / reading quality were better. Expect the readers to fumble over words, read sentences in blocky and incomplete ways with awkward pauses, and a front row seat to swallowing and breathing sounds throughout the recording. LOL

Perhaps if you’re unfamiliar with basic psychology concepts this book would be really helpful! I’d recommend just looking up the automatic negative filters / cognitive distortions of CBT and asking yourself how these apply to your climbing and you’ll likely get the same if not better material than this book. Although the first 2 chapters in the book might be worth the credits as they talk about how the brain functions and the neurobiology of scripts which is informative!

Good luck at the crag!

many ideas how to improve thinkung about cjallenge

very interesting, I think if approached with open mind, following the ideas can contribute to better climbing and having more fun :)

Dry

I was truly excited about this book & the promise of overcoming the mental aspect of climbing. I’ve tried to listen to this book twice now & it’s a bit of a struggle. The narration is monotone & just flat. The info is good, but it’s hard to take it all in. Left feeling underwhelmed & like nothing really stuck. It was a struggle to finish.