In this episode of A Climber’s Mind, I sit down with Mike Boyd for a very honest conversation about climbing, having a newborn baby, career pressure, identity, stress, relationships, money, and what performance looks like when life changes dramatically.

We use the conversation almost like a live coaching/diagnostic session. Mike initially felt like endurance might be one of the main things holding his climbing back, but as we dug deeper, the bigger bottleneck seemed to be stress, life load, and the effect this can have on the nervous system.

One of the biggest themes in this episode is that a physical symptom does not always mean a physical cause. You might feel pumped, tense or inefficient on the wall, but the deeper issue might be stress, pressure, poor recovery, fear, identity, or simply the reality of trying to perform while life is demanding more from you.

This is a conversation about balancing passion with real life, managing ambition, and learning to diagnose what is actually limiting your performance.

New episodes every Wednesday.

Over the last couple of months, a lot has changed in my life.

I’ve been balancing the start of this podcast alongside a fairly structured training phase, whilst also trying to organise my life and coaching in a much more deliberate way. In the process, I’ve realised how much low-level pressure and friction I’d been carrying around for years without fully noticing it.

In this episode, I speak more openly about where I’m currently at psychologically with climbing, performance, identity and motivation.

I talk about:

• why climbing feels different to me right now
• the relationship between attention and performance
• how organisation changed my mindset more than I expected
• insecurity, pressure and emotional attachment to climbing
• why I no longer feel threatened by stronger climbers
• and where I want to take the podcast moving forwards

This episode is also a transition point for the podcast itself.

The first 10 episodes were a chance for me to explore ideas, learn how to record/edit and slowly find my voice. The next phase will involve more collaborative and exploratory conversations with other climbers - looking deeper into the psychology, identity, fear, obsession and motivations behind performance.

I’m really excited to see where it goes from here.

Fear of falling is often treated like a bravery problem.

Most climbers think they just need to commit harder, take more practice falls, or become mentally tougher.

But in many cases, fear isn’t actually the problem.

It’s the symptom.

In this episode, I break down why fear of falling is often rooted in poor clarity rather than a lack of courage - and why uncertainty, poor decision-making, bad experiences, ego, and a lack of familiarity can all contribute to fear responses on the wall.

I also share my own experiences with fear of falling, from struggling to commit on limestone sport routes in the Peak District… to eventually onsighting serious routes like Dalriada on Ben Arthur.

Topics covered include:

• Why fear is often a symptom of poor clarity
• Rational vs “irrational” fear
• How uncertainty affects climbing performance
• Why projecting can help build confidence
• The difference between onsighting and redpointing
• Fear of falling vs fear of failure
• The importance of good belayers and safe catches
• Ego, identity, and performance pressure
• Fight or flight responses in climbing
• Why confidence is familiarity built over time
• How to systematically expand your comfort zone

Fear isn’t something you need to remove.

You just need to understand it.

If you enjoy the episode, I’d massively appreciate it if you shared it with a friend, left a rating, or posted it on your Instagram story and tagged me.

Thank you for listening.

• Mat Wright A Climber’s Mind

Most climbers think progress comes from doing more.

More sessions.

More effort.

More training.

But the real difference between good climbers and elite climbers isn’t effort. It’s how that effort is applied.

In this episode, I break down:

• Why trying hard isn’t enough
• What it actually means to “try well”
• How mental and physical noise limits your performance
• A simple execution framework you can apply immediately
• And the lessons I learned from projecting Rhapsody

If you’ve ever felt like you’re putting in the work but not getting the results…

This episode will help you understand why.

And more importantly - what to do about it.

If you found this useful, I’d really appreciate you sharing it with someone who might benefit.

And if you’re looking for a more structured, diagnosis-led approach to your climbing…

You can find more about my coaching here: 👉 matwrightcoaching.com

Topics covered: Climbing performance, projecting, mindset, execution, technique, training, focus

Photo Credit: Marsha Balaeva

Comparison is something every climber experiences… but very few people understand how to use it properly.

In this episode, I break down the difference between ego-driven comparison and curiosity-driven comparison - and why one holds you back, while the other can accelerate your progress.

I share my own experiences with comparison throughout my climbing journey, including how it affected me after climbing Hubble, and how a shift in perspective changed the way I approach both climbing and performance.

We explore why comparison isn’t actually the problem - and how it can become one of the most powerful tools you have when used correctly.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why comparison isn’t something you need to avoid
• The difference between ego-driven and curiosity-driven comparison
• How ego can quietly shift you from learning… to proving something
• The signs that comparison is negatively affecting your performance
• How to reset in the moment and return to your process
• Why comparison often reflects something deeper in your mindset or lifestyle
• How to use comparison as a tool to improve your climbing

Key Takeaway:

Comparison isn’t the enemy.

Ego-driven comparison creates pressure and pulls you away from the process.

Curiosity-driven comparison creates clarity and helps you improve.

The goal isn’t to stop comparing - it’s to make sure comparison is working for you, not against you.

Coaching:

If this episode resonates with you and you want a more structured, diagnosis-led approach to your climbing, I offer Integrated Performance Coaching.

We look at your climbing as a whole - physical, technical, tactical, mental, and lifestyle - to identify your real limiter and move performance forward.

Get in touch or apply via: 👉 matwrightcoaching.com

Podcast:

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review or sharing it with someone who would benefit from it.

It really helps the podcast grow and reach more climbers.

Most climbers never actually find their limit.

Not because they’re not strong enough… but because they never fully commit to the process required to discover it.

In this episode, I break down what it really takes to climb at your limit - and why projecting isn’t just something you do, but a skill you need to learn.

I'll cover:

• Why fear of failure quietly holds people back
• The difference between commitment and attachment
• Why many climbers are physically capable of more than they realise
• How projecting exposes your true limitations
• The biggest mistakes people make when working routes
• And how to actually build towards a redpoint with structure and intent

I also share my own experiences projecting routes like Rainshadow and Free at Last - including the frustrations, setbacks, and the reality of spending dozens of sessions on something that may or may not go.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, unsure whether you’re capable of more, or frustrated with your progress outdoors… this episode will help you understand why.

If this episode resonates with you, and you want a more structured and integrated approach to your climbing. I help climbers improve real outdoor performance by looking at the full picture - physical, technical, tactical, mental, and lifestyle - so we can identify what’s actually holding you back.

You can also sign up to the newsletter on my website to get a free copy of The Road Map, where I break down the key areas of climbing performance and how to start making progress with more clarity.

Matwrightcoaching.com

In this episode, I talk about one of the most personal and uncomfortable parts of my climbing journey - what happened after I achieved one of my biggest goals.

For years, I built a huge part of my identity around climbing Hubble. It was a dream that gave me direction, purpose, and structure. But when I finally did it, what I felt wasn’t fulfilment.

It was relief.

What followed was burnout, pressure, confusion, and a loss of direction that I kept quiet about for a long time.

In this episode, I explore the relationship between identity and performance, why ambition can become unhealthy when your self-worth depends on outcomes, and how fear of failure and the need for external validation can quietly shape the way we climb.

I also talk about:

• why motivation naturally fluctuates
• how structure reduces cognitive noise and helps create a clearer head
• how performance anxiety often comes from living too far in the future
• why success doesn’t always give you what you thought it would
• and how changing my relationship with climbing helped me find a healthier path forward

This is the first time I’ve spoken openly about this part of my journey.

If any of this resonates with you, and you feel like your identity has become tangled up in your climbing, this is something I often help clients work through as part of my remote coaching.

If you’d like help finding a clearer path forward, feel free to reach out.

Most climbers know what they need to improve. But they still don’t progress.

In this episode, I break down what actually comes after diagnosis - and why clarity alone isn’t enough.

I talk about:

• How to turn insight into structured progress
• Why spreading your effort leads to plateaus
• The role of lifestyle in performance (and why it’s often ignored)
• Why your goal should expose your limitation
• The problem with being outcome-focused
• And why real progress isn’t always enjoyable

I also share how I’ve used routes like Rainshadow as a tool to develop weaknesses over time - not just as a goal.

If you feel like you understand your climbing but still aren’t improving, this episode will help you bridge that gap.