Page 36 - 2013 AMA Winter

A day climbing ice in Cogne with Alice Gartland... a girl who couldn’t be more fun and positive... thank you Alice ! J
around us work hard too. My most rewarding climbing experiences have been achieved with friends who share this positive mind-set, regardless of their technical climbing ability. Negativity and lazi- ness are like virulent weeds that if left unchecked will stifle your performance. So spend your valuable time wisely- surrounded by motivated and positive friends. Some of whom may share similar aspirations and goals but all of whom will want you to succeed.
Powerful practise. What do you need to
improve? Work hard to improve it!
So many studies have shown that it take hours of practise to become an expert at something. But when we practise we often just rehearse what we’re good at rather than working on our weak- nesses. The trouble is that we don’t improve without persistence and determination. I learnt this after my first encounter with an off- width in Yosemite Valley. Initially I hadn’t a clue about how to climb it or what techniques to use and ended up giving up in disgust after some fairly ineffective struggling. Rather than accepting defeat I decided that I had to do something about it. So I started telling everyone that off-widths were my ’speciality’. I made sure that I did as many of them as I could, even though I disliked and feared them. I pretended to be excited when my climbing partners real- ised in relief that I wanted that pitch. I hunted them out and threw myself at them left right and centre.
Many bruises, scrapes, bloodied elbows and aerobic lung-burns later I caught myself saying that I liked off-widths... and realised I was actually telling the truth. Then I overheard someone saying that I was pretty good at off-widths... and I realised that they were speaking with conviction about my ability! Somewhere along the line my appreciation and my ability had shifted. It taught me a great deal about the power of positive, determined practise and how strongly our minds affect our boundaries and our performance.
Move to a good location from which to work
towards making your goal come true.
I currently live in Chamonix. My home town in Chelmsford, Essex could not be further from the mountains; in fact the highest point within the county boundaries is Danbury Hill which stands at a lofty 110m. If you draw a line from Danbury Hill eastwards there is noth- ing higher before you hit the Ural Mountains in Russia. (Small claim to fame for an otherwise very flat county.)
My point is, had I stayed in Essex I would not be working as a Mountain Guide. As a result of some fortunate events in life I moved to the French Alps and became well placed to make the most of every opportunity to climb and ski in the high mountains. There is no escaping the fact that poor locations reduce opportunities and work against you achieving your goal. Good locations work in your favour and accelerate your progression. I have never regretted my move to the Alps. But I have regretted not doing it sooner.
Up close and personal with Generator Crack in Yosemite. Turning a weakness into a strength... bring it on!
Be an eternal student.
It is very important to recognise and accept that we remain stu- dents all of our lives. Often the more you learn about a subject, the more you realise there is to discover about the subject you have chosen. A good coach is able to help the student focus their atten- tion on areas for improvement and guide their learning process efficiently. Taking lessons or going on courses can be expensive, but sometimes professional coaching is invaluable.
Of course it is not impossible for you to teach yourself, but it does take more time. On the flip side, lessons cost money, so develop your skills and apply them rigorously- this will help you identify the areas in which you made need professional guidance.
Don’t get disheartened if the journey is difficult
and try not to let set-backs turn into failure.
Winston Churchill once said “Never, never, never give up!” and in terms of pursuing your dreams I believe that he’s right. I almost gave up.
To be a Mountain Guide you have to reach a high level in a lot of different areas of Mountaineering. Many Guides have an area they specialise in and it isn’t uncommon that they have had to work hard to bring another discipline up to the required level. My nemesis was Scottish Winter climbing. For a while I had a bit of a reputation amongst my friends for bringing mild weather to Scot- land whenever I visited. I allowed myself to become dispirited with the fickle conditions north of the border and moved to Chamonix. Several times I almost gave up on my dream of becoming a guide.
A close friend was instrumental in helping me reconsider, but when I first applied to the Guide scheme I was rejected. The committee felt that I didn’t have enough Scottish winter climbs under my belt. Four years after that rejection I am about to become one of very few women qualified as an IFMGA Mountain Guide.
When my application was rejected I was forced to decide how important my goal was to me and what I was going to do to achieve it. I committed to spending each winter season in Scotland until I passed the exam. In addition I spent countless hours ‘dry-tooling’ in cold, dank, water seeping caves around Chamonix in order to
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