Variety is the spice of life

Following on from conversations I have had regularly with fellow climbers over the last few months, maintaining motivation can be tricky.  As the weather closes in, and we all head down to the wall, I notice how easy it is to get set into routines - for example, always warming up on the same few routes or problems, climbing with the same partner (!) and so on.  No wonder then that motivation starts to dip.  Whilst routine can be helpful to manage anxieties, and its good to develop a pre-big-climb routine, for training it can be pretty counter productive.

Variety really is key over the winter months, and its important to introduce this at every level.  Climb with different people, go to different indoor venues if you cant get outside, mix up bouldering, and routes, and do not keep doing the same ones over and over.  Even more radically,  try alternating with some other activities such as scrambling, a few gym sessions, runs or winter mountaineering.  How about some yoga or pilates to enhance the mind-body link?  All of these other activities will complement your training and hone your overall fitness and body concentration, and more importantly, prevent your climbing motivation from dipping by mixing things up a little.