Feeding Time at the Zoo: psychological aspects of a serious rock climbing accident

Abstract

Rock-climbing has become very popular adventure sport across the globe. Researchers have begun to investigate how adventure sport athletes perform in a manner that reduces the likelihood of serious mishap, injury or even death. In this paper, we utilize a collaborative autoethnographic approach to explicate a serious traditional rock-climbing accident to better understand the accident experience and consider how this event might be useful to enhance effective performance. Findings suggest that effective performance and training for effective performance in traditional rock-climbing (and potentially all adventure sports) requires in-depth environmental and self-knowledge factors and the ability to tune into and adapt to moment-by-moment alterations in internal states and the physical environment. The impacts of these findings include the recognition that effective climbing is not determined solely by personality factors or a winners mentality, as reflected in traditional sport contexts, but on the reinforcement of humility and self-awareness.