The Rock Warrior's Way: Mental Training For Climbers

Critical Acclaim for The Rock Warrior’s Way
    “When I was at the peak of my climbing career I didn’t fully understand why I was successful. I wasn’t stronger physically than other climbers but I knew a passion drove me. Now I know what some of the elements of my success were that I couldn’t articulate. Warrior’s Way has given me some ideas on how to improve my climbing and my life today. I’ve read the book twice now and it will be a frequent resource for the future.”
    —Henry Barber
    “This is the first book I’ve seen that addresses, in depth, the inner game of climbing, and it’s about time. In a growing climbing community of specialization, this book gives a new look at climbing and healthy self analysis for almost everyone involved in the sport.”
    —Jim Bridwell
    “As a devoted rock climber, I am always looking for tools to make me more successful. But rarely do I come across a tool as powerful as The Rock Warrior’s Way . The principles in Arno’s book drastically raised my awareness and helped solidify a goal I’ve been working on for three years— Flex Luthor .”
    —Tommy Caldwell
    “Reading The Rock Warrior’s Way reminds me of my past. This book is full of the tools that I learned to trust during my competition career. I believe this book will help climbers raise their level of power without any additional training.”
    —Robyn Erbesfield-Raboutou, four-time World Cup sport-climbing champion
    “The Rock Warrior’s Way is an excellent treatise on recognizing and overcoming psychological barriers to reaching one’s full climbing potential. Borrowing from a variety of sources, Ilgner has designed a program he calls ‘the Seven Processes,’ having as its underlying premise the impeccable use of attention. Carlos Castaneda’s books about the Indian sorcerer don Juan Matus have long attracted the attention and praise of climbers, and the author has seamlessly woven into his program many of the salient principles taught by this mystical character. Perceiving a climb as a journey, set in motion by intent, is a powerful stimulus for success, as this reviewer can personally attest.”
    —John Gill
    “Warrior’s Way identifies and names weaknesses within our intuitive selves. Once a problem is recognized, it becomes a solvable challenge. All climbers will recognize patterns from their own lives within the text.”
    —Lisa Gnade
    “When I first climbed with Arno some 20 years ago, I admired his poise on the rock, his boldness on the lead, and his calm in the face of all obstacles. After reading The Rock Warrior’s Way , I understand the depth of thinking behind his composure, the inner quiet that frees his mind for pure climbing. He seems to have mastered all the mental demons that hold one back on rock and ice, and this book tells me how to slay them in myself. Now I have a plan: to reread this book and let it transform my climbing from within. Then I’ll give it to my partners.”
    —John Harlin III, Editor , American Alpine Journal
    “Climbing performance evolves from the inside out and Arno Ilgner beautifully dissects this nebulous subject in The Rock Warrior’s Way . Drawing on his 30 years of climbing experience as well as a wealth of timeless wisdom, Ilgner presents a compelling seven-step process to becoming a master of your internal mental environment. Consistent, disciplined application of this book’s many strategies will not only enhance the quality of your climbing, but it will make you a more skilled risk taker in all aspects of your life.”
    —Eric J. Hörst, personal trainer, author of Training for Climbing
    “I have long held confidence in the theories this book describes.”
    —Leo Houlding
    “The Rock Warrior’s Way is a timely contribution to raise our awareness. Arno makes a bold move with a humble approach that reaches for a higher level of life on the rock.”
    —Ron Kauk
    “If you can master even a few of the many concepts that Arno Ilgner promotes in The Rock Warrior’s Way , your climbing may be transformed. The most memorable point to me was Arno’s lesson about improving your climbing by learning to deal with falling. This reminded me of Jorge Visser learning the same lesson at the Virgin River Gorge. The last 30-foot section of Captain Fantastic (5.13c) is a run-out to the anchors with a subtle but kind of scary finish. (We call that ‘salsa.’) It is a dramatic, final place to fail with the 13c already well below. Jorge logged a