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Comfort-zone ladder

8 tries on one move that scares you a little: go one small step further each try, never a big one.

Slot
On the wall
Focus
Mental
Time
15 min
Intensity
Moderate
Injury risk
Moderate
Intervals
8 rounds, 1:00 rest
Equipment
Boulders

How to do it

Choose one move or boulder that makes you slightly uncomfortable but where a fall is safe: a high top-out, a committing slab move, a dyno, a start that feels out of control. Not a bad landing; that's a place to back off, not to practise. On the first try, go only as far as feels fine, then step or drop off. On each of the next tries, go a little further: one hold higher, one more move, a bit more speed. If a try feels more than slightly scary, repeat the previous step instead of pushing on. 8 tries with about a minute of rest between. Finish on a step you'd gladly do again.

Who it’s for

Climbers who back off moves they could do: the high top-out, the committing slab step, the dyno they never quite go for. It works on fear in small steps, without asking you to throw yourself at the scary bit.

Common mistakes

  • Taking a big step because the last try felt fine. One small step each try. A jump in scariness undoes what the easier tries built.
  • Choosing a bad landing. If a fall there could hurt you, it’s the wrong move for this drill. Pick somewhere a fall is safe.
  • Pushing through a try that felt too scary. Go back to the previous step and repeat it. That’s part of the drill.
  • Ending on the scariest try. Finish on a step you’d happily do again, so that’s what you remember.

How to progress

Come back to the same move next session and start one step further along. Once it feels ordinary, pick a new move that scares you a little in a different way.

When it fits

The training periods this exercise fits into in Blok Sessions.

  • Base Lots of easy climbing, good movement and aerobic fitness.
  • Endurance Climb longer before you pump out, by moving efficiently.
  • Performance Peak for a trip or a comp: focus, reading problems, trying hard.
  • Deload Train less, let your fingers recover, keep moving.

Start with a ready-made block

A six-week strength plan with a deload, as a file for the app, and seven short emails on how to run it.