In rock climbing, beta refers to the intended way of ascending a route, and specific climbing techniques required to overcome the key challenges. It’s intended to give you a roadmap to a climb – making your life a little easier in outdoor climbing, or challenging you in just the right ways when you train indoors.
Breaking the beta, therefore, means finding an unexpected or creative solution to a climbing problem.
Climbers are a collaborative bunch. They will not leave you hanging (pun not intended) and will show you the beta if they see you struggle. Even in climbing competitions, you will often see athletes discussing the route with each other before they attempt to climb it.
So why would a climber break the beta?
Most often it’s because the intended solution doesn’t work for their physicality. They could be too short, too tall, not good at dynamic moves – or quite the opposite, and able to skip resource-intensive holds to conserve their energy for later.
Basically, you break the beta to play to your strengths rather than the ideas of the route setter of how the route should be climbed, or others – who are not you! – who climbed it before.
I don’t climb, but my son does, and I’ve been inspired by the many climbing conversations we’ve been having lately – and how lessons in rock climbing can be applied to business and creative life.
So often we are told there’s a beta we should follow.
This is how you launch. This is how you get to six figures. This is how to build a strong brand. Do morning pages to be a better artist. Send this many emails to sell a course. Only share the good bits. Follow this trodden path.
Do this, I climbed this route before, this is the beta.
And sure, a lot of it is useful advice. But some of it just doesn’t fit.
Maybe you are too short, too tall, or suck at dynamic moves. Maybe you can’t function at 6am, let along write a morning page – but your creative flow kicks in at midnight. Maybe you’re better at writing than talking to the camera – or vice versa. Maybe your body functions in cycles or sprints rather than linear productivity. Maybe you have a huge support network to lean on – or maybe you have to go at it on your own. Maybe you have a disability, or a differently wired brain. Maybe it’s just not fun for you this way.
What I’m saying is: break the beta.
Find a way to play to your unique strengths.
Listen to advice of those who have done it before, yes. Look at the route, yes. Try it out, for sure. But if it doesn’t work for you, don’t be afraid to try something else.
Antonina x
P.S. As I ran this piece by my teen to make sure I got the lingo right, he said, “you don’t climb because it’s easy – you climb because it’s hard.” After a pause, he added: “And because it’s fun”. And isn’t it a lesson for life?
