Why competition pressure can make climbing less fun — and what to do about it

(Free 10-minute talk at BOFF, Saturday 7th March 2026, Flashpoint in Bristol)

Competition climbing is meant to be fun.

But anyone who’s competed — from recreational climbers to elite athletes — knows that competitions can come with pressure to perform. That pressure can reduce enjoyment, increase anxiety, and sometimes even make us perform worse.

Interestingly, pressure itself isn’t always the problem. How we interpret and manage it often determines whether it helps or hinders performance. One powerful way sport psychologists help athletes work with pressure is through goal setting.

I’ll be sharing a short talk at BOFF on how climbers can set goals that improve both performance and enjoyment — without needing to climb harder or train more.

The problem with most competition goals

Most climbers naturally set performance goals:

• Make finals

• Podium

• Don’t come last

• Finish top 20

These can be motivating. But they’re also largely outside your control.

You can’t control:

• Who turns up

• What problems are set

• How others perform

• Where you place on the day

You can prepare well, but in the moment the outcome isn’t yours to control. When our goals depend on uncontrollable outcomes, pressure increases and enjoyment often drops.

A different approach: focus on what you control

Instead of focusing only on outcomes, athletes can set process goals — goals about how they perform rather than what result they get.

Process goals focus on:

• behaviours

• effort

• learning

• decisions

• actions between attempts

These are fully within your control.

Where the biggest opportunity exists in competitions

One of the most overlooked moments in competition climbing is what happens between attempts.

During rests, climbers often:

• worry about ranking

• compare themselves to others

• replay mistakes

• spiral into self-criticism

  
  

None of these help performance — and none are controllable.

But this time can instead be used intentionally to support learning, focus, and connection.

At BOFF I’ll share practical ways climbers can use rest periods to:

• reflect constructively rather than ruminate

• make clear plans for next attempts

• learn from others’ beta

• connect with other climbers

• track meaningful process goals

  
  

Why this matters for every climber

This isn’t just for elite competitors. The same principles apply whether you’re competing internationally, regionally, or just trying your first comp.

When goals focus on process:

• pressure reduces

• learning increases

• enjoyment improves

• performance often follows

And importantly, competitions become richer experiences than simply “did I send or not?”.

Want the practical framework?

My free 10-minute talk at BOFF will cover:

✓ how to choose effective process goals for competitions✓ examples specific to bouldering comps✓ simple ways to track and reflect on goals✓ how to balance performance goals with enjoyment

Saturday 7th March 2026 — BOFF, Bristol. Free to attend.

Come along if you want competitions to feel more focused, more enjoyable, and more within your control.