Skip to content
The Warriors Way
  • Home
  • Find Training & Coaching
  • Community
  • Products
  • About
    • About
    • Trainers
    • Training Locations
    • History of Warrior’s Way
  • Blog
    • Arno’s Blog
    • Español
    • Português
    • Français
    • In the Media
  • Contact
Menu Close
  • Home
  • Find Training & Coaching
  • Community
  • Products
  • About
    • About
    • Trainers
    • Training Locations
    • History of Warrior’s Way
  • Blog
    • Arno’s Blog
    • Español
    • Português
    • Français
    • In the Media
  • Contact

Primary Decisions

Primary Decisions

  • Arno
  • August 7, 2011
  • 6:00 pm
We make a foundational decision to climb because climbing gives us something we can’t fully explain. This decision determines why we climb, even though we cannot answer it specifically. Now, as we go deeper into climbing itself, we make primary decisions about what we climb. If we didn’t make the foundational decision well, then we’ll make poor primary decisions about what we climb.
–
A primary decision is a choice we make to accomplish a major goal for its own sake. That goal may be a mixed ascent of the Nose of El Cap, Everest without supplemental oxygen, or a redpoint ascent of The Prow on Cathedral Ledge, New Hampshire. These are not ascents you do as steppingstones to other goals. Rather, you decide to climb the route as an end in itself.
Primary decisions address macro goals that are clearly defined, such as a redpoint ascent of The Prow. You decide to redpoint the route, not on-sight it or climb it in a mixed aid/free fashion. This distinction, that you’ll redpoint the route, creates a clear image of the outcome and also determines how you’ll make secondary decisions. Since you’re going to redpoint it, your initial efforts on the route allow you to freely hang on protection to figure out sequences, rests, falls, and protection possibilities. This is a very different set of actions than if you decided to on-sight the route or climb it in a mixed aid/free fashion.

184_8446-w900-h700We make a foundational decision to climb because climbing gives us something we can’t fully explain. This decision determines why we climb, even though we cannot answer it specifically. Now, as we go deeper into climbing itself, we make primary decisions about what we climb. If we didn’t make the foundational decision well, then we’ll make poor primary decisions about what we climb.

–

A primary decision is a choice we make to accomplish a major goal for its own sake. That goal may be a mixed ascent of the Nose of El Cap, Everest without supplemental oxygen, or a redpoint ascent of The Prow on Cathedral Ledge, New Hampshire. These are not ascents you do as steppingstones to other goals. Rather, you decide to climb the route as an end in itself.

–

Primary decisions address macro goals that are clearly defined, such as a redpoint ascent of The Prow. You decide to redpoint the route, not on-sight it or climb it in a mixed aid/free fashion. This distinction, that you’ll redpoint the route, creates a clear image of the outcome and also determines how you’ll make secondary decisions. Since you’re going to redpoint it, your initial efforts on the route allow you to freely hang on protection to figure out sequences, rests, falls, and protection possibilities. This is a very different set of actions than if you decided to on-sight the route or climb it in a mixed aid/free fashion.

This Post Has One Comment

  1. kali August 9, 2011 Reply

    Arno,
    It is amazing that your latest post is on the issue of primary decisions.
    I’ve been obsessed for the past few weeks with the thought of my possibilities of climbing a specific route [Le Guerre Sainte] in Wadi Rum, Jordan. Till now I never thought it fesible; bold run out pitches of 6b,c & 7a,b and me a 51 year old, 6c max climber with 30 years of experience and 15 years of wadi Rum climbing under my belt. I’m definitely first and foremost a on-sight trad. climber, hardly ever work on routes, not much difference between my sport and trad. abilities. So when a friend and top Israeli sport climber offered we join forces for the route, my immediate answer was: I’m not up to it. Then I thought: I can start training now for a winter bid . But even though I’ve set my mind to what I will climb, I’m not being myself at all in believing how I can climb it. For me doing a climb has always been about leading and doing it free and in impecable style and here I am saying to myself: you’ll give Ofer the hard pitches and get up them “French-free”. If I’m not gonna lead the harder pitches, at least I want to 2nd them well! What I think I”ll do is get to know the bottom four 6b & c pitches and work on redpointing them in Oct. or Nov. as preparation for our bid for the full 12 pitches in Jan or Feb. Yeehaa! Kali

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

PrevPreviousLas Decisiones Primarias
NextSecondary DecisionsNext

Fear of Falling Course

Purchase Today

Redpointing Course

Purchase Today

The Rock Warrior's Way Book

the-rock-warriors-way-book
BUY NOW

Online Mental Training Course

DISCOVER MORE

Personalized Coaching

Free Consultation Call

Upcoming Events

Denver Mountain Guiding – Clear Creek Canyon – Falling & Commitment – Sport Camp

Denver Mountain Guiding – Eldorado Canyon – Falling & Commitment – Trad Camp

Denver Mountain Guiding – Clear Creek Canyon – Falling & Commitment – Sport Camp

Denver Mountain Guiding – Clear Creek Canyon – Falling & Commitment – Sport Camp

Denver Mountain Guiding – Clear Creek Canyon – Falling & Commitment – Sport Camp

Join The Warrior's Way Community

Our goal is to create an engaging mental training community that empowers, supports, and challenges our participants to learn new ways to meet life’s challenges.

Learn More

Recent Posts

The Rock Warrior’s Way Book

Espresso Lessons Book

Action Card

Book Translations

Seeking

Featured In
Logo_Climbing Magazine
Logo_Rock-and-Ice
Logo_Gripped
Logo_Training Beta
Logo_Enormocast
Logo_Klettern Mag-2
Logo_Escalando-mag
Logo_Desnivel-1
Logo_Versante Sud-1
Logo_KVCU Radio
Logo_Senders Game Podcast-1
Logo_Vertical Life mag-1
Recent Posts

Thinking About Thinking

Frustration Dissected

The Two Sides of Self Compassion

Connect
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Join Our eList
Email
  • info@warriorsway.com
  • arno@warriorsway.com
  • orders@warriorsway.com
Phone
  • 615-406-3404
Copyright 2023 – The Warrior’s Way