The Zen of Climbing

by Francis Sanzaro

"Outstandingly good … It may be the single most insightful book about climbing ever written."  Paul Sagar, Climber, writer, thinker What do Zen masters, sixteenth-century Samurai, and the world’s elite climbers have in  common? They have perfected the of awareness, of being in the moment, of trusting the process. Climbing is a sport of perception, and our successes and failures are matters of mind as much as body. Written by philosopher, essayist, and lifelong climber Francis Sanzaro, The Zen of  Climbing explores the fundamentals of successful climbing, delving into sports psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, and Taoism. Awareness, he argues, is the alchemy of climbing, allowing us to merge mental and physical attributes in one embodied whole. This compact volume puts the climber’s mind at the forefront of practice.

Genres: Climbing, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Psychology, Sports

224 pages, Paperback

Published August 8, 2023

About the author

Francis Sanzaro (Ph.D., Religion), is the author of three books whose genres range from sexuality to technology to athletics, and he is currently hard at work on a thriller. He has appeared on BBC World News, and in their international podcast series, BBC Radio. His essays, poetry and fiction have appeared in The New York Times Sunday Review, The Scotsman, Huffington Post, The Baltimore Post Examiner, Continental Philosophy Review, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, among a dozen others. His books are The Infantile Grotesque: Pathology, Sexuality and a Theory of Religion, (2016); The Boulder: A Philosophy for Bouldering (2013); and Society Elsewhere: Why the Gravest Threat to Humanity Will Come From Within (2018). He is Editor of Rock and Ice and Ascent magazines. More at Fsanzaro.com

Reviews

[Ben Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to this audiobook on the way to several climbing days and either this guy doesn’t know what he’s talking about or I’ve been climbing wrong this whole time. I think it’s him bc I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to hate the climb the entire time you’re doing it.

Some cool take aways I’ve found myself quoting in the gym but good lord this could have been condensed a bit. Would have benefited from some editing down and perhaps a narrative structure

[sarah gabriella torres · Rating 4 out of 5]

sometimes a bit repetitive but overall a wonderful read! i actually do notice a difference in my approach to climbing. i feel like this book has made me conscious of clearing my mind during sessions and made me be more intentional with my movements. there is a lot of peace, presence, and patience in this sport and i love it for that 🫶🏼

[Jethro Caayupan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty eye-opening read on the mindset for climbing. Something that is rarely discussed, the art of paying attention, is such a fitting topic especially in an attention economy at this day & age.

Also funny, I was able to send one of my hardest projects after reading this. Might be a coincidence, but this read opened my eyes to a lot of pitfalls on my mindset & the way I approach climbing. 4/5.

Some of my notes as I was reading this book:

- The art of paying attention.
- Letting your ego go when it comes to climbing.
- Focusing on the moves rather than the outcome.
- “Hungry Ghosts” - if we’re constantly grade chasing, there’s no use. We will never find (long-term) fulfillment in sending the next best thing. We must love the act of climbing alone.
- Loving the act of climbing in itself is enough.
- Top athletes are focused on getting better at the game. Not about being better than the other, but just improving & mastering their craft.
- The problem with projecting, is projecting. (Projecting your ego/self worth on a climb, validity on your self worth).
- Art of paying attention is so important.

[Dylan Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were parts that I really enjoyed and annotated (especially the sections on nerves), but there were also tons of parts that felt were pretentiously nitpicky or repetitive. I learned that to climb well I should be not be confident, but I should also be poised and somewhat confident, and I should care not overly care and overthink my climbing but also be present and analyze while on the rock… I mean it just kinda seems impossibly selective at times. Idk but still worth the read for sure, there were tons of awesome parts but also plenty I’ll be skipping if I re read

[Liv · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not a climber and still loved this, especially the audiobook. Love the application of zen principles to climbing. I have had my most profound moments while physically struggling hiking. In these moments, and as Sanzaro shows in his climbing experience, you are able to access ways of thinking that you either don't or won't in every day life

[Nadya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had great insights as well as things I’ve intuitively felt, but couldn’t name within my climbing. It clearly breaks down concepts that have been passed around within the climbing community for years with the clarity I wish I had when I was competing as a teenager. It brings new mental frameworks around the approach to climbing - and life- that takes so much pressure off that we end up putting on ourselves time and again, getting in our own way.

[Adam Bowen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing of course

[Matt Riczo · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Does it matter if you fail? If it does, why?"

[ica]

a truly great copyeditor could distill this down to 60–80 airtight pages and it would be a lifelong reread, a manifesto about the spiritual necessity of somatic practice crammed to the gills with dazzling insights. as for what has happened instead … alas. inside this book is a shorter book neglecting its responsibilities fR.

[Brittney Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

The overall messaging of the book really helped me get out of my own head. Just within the span of reading the book, I went from being scared of 5.9 and 5.10a outdoors to projecting a 10c with no fear.

[Alicia Marinache · Rating 5 out of 5]

More towards a 4.5, mostly due to the fact that for a book that talks about "removing until it's perfect", it feels it could have been a bit more condensed :D

This aside, it is almost perfect and, as with any good Zen book, its principles are transcending their application in the climbing field and good be adjusted to absolutely every moment of one's life. I've read it twice (audiobook) already, it is flowing easily, and I expect I'll return to it often.

[Logan Fortenberry · Rating 4 out of 5]

bounced around a lot but i think there were some good lessons occasionally

[Topherjaynes · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely and thought-provoking book. Disclaimer: I am not a climber, but I still got a lot out of this book. Sanzaro focuses more on the Zen principles of movement and performance, often referring to other sports. He clearly explained many concepts I as familiar with but needed to have a better perception of. Zen isn't chill... It's highly focused and pairs with the movement of sports. He hits this many times, and I believe I am starting to understand.


...Zen is one of the most misunderstood philosophical systems in the world. For instance, it's common to say, " you gotta be Zen about it," insinuating that you need to be detached and not give a shit, a statement which is almost in the Zen spirit, except not at all. Zen isn't uncaring about emotions or reactions. The Zen mind is sharpened by emotions and reactions, and it needs them... Enlightenment simply means you are awake to what is going on within and without with no delusions, no fantasies. This applies to climbing as much as it does to relationships, hiking in the mountains or driving to a concert.


I will probably need a few re-reads. Luckily, there are smaller sections that allow you to pick up and read a few self-contained concepts easily.

[Shane Haynes · Rating 4 out of 5]

His understanding of Zen is deep and the connection to climbing is generally well thought out. This aspect of the book is 5 stars. Unfortunately, it is brought down by not completely thought through arguments that are occasionally with holes. The reader is able to fill in these arguments with the required material most of the time so not much meaning is lost but at the same time I wish he would have spent more time nailing his many points made throughout this book. This aspect is maybe 2/3 stars. Other readers critiques seem to be focused on this point. For example, his supposed repetition is not so in meaning - there are subtle nuances that are real between all of his arguments. But he does not do a good job at choosing a rich vocabulary with clear claims to illustrate the differences. So one is left to infer the nuanced differences on contextual clues. Overall, the book ends at maybe 3.5 which rounds to 4 rating.

Nonetheless, Francis really deserves credit for extending philosophical insights to the endeavor of climbing: an activity rife with philosophical implications and uses.

[Valentina · Rating 3 out of 5]

some good tidbits but mostly repetitive and anecdotal — i really expected more scientific and neurological bases of calming your mind to climb and perform when your output is high. i felt like a lot of the same things were being said over and over again, and though I enjoyed some of the points made and quotes from prominent athletes, there was a lot that just seemed superfluous. like yes, it was said that michael phelps was depressed multiple times, but very superficially and without digging too deep into the underlying causes. i would’ve enjoyed a deeper exploration into buddhist thinking and integrated that with modern neuroscience, but a lot of this book was just a cumulation of quotes from sports psychologists. the section on nerves was cool, but besides that too repetitive for my liking — couldve been half the length and still retained its original meaning. if you’re super into climbing then maybe i’d recommend skimming this, but besides that other books on the intersection of buddhism and neuroscience could probably give you the same outcome

[Kayla Painter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to rate this book as everyone picking it up is going to have a slightly different set of experiences they’re using to understand the book by.

Most points are beautifully written and some of the points discussed were very useful for me personally.

Other chapters I felt there was little to be gained. But that’s due to the differences in approach and journeys from each individual I’m sure.

One thing I would say to others - I read it cover to cover but I actually think it is a much better companion to climbing if you just pick up once a week maybe over a drink at the climbing wall for half an hour, re read bits and put it into practice then and there. There’s a lot to digest in it and I don’t think you get the most out of it reading it the way I did.

[W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks @Ikki. Some really good stuff. Achieves an impressive balance between Zen & Climbing in a way that teaches you relatively deep principles about each. Where it comes up short is the structure; organized as a bunch of random 1-5 page essays, that felt a bit like the edited collection of the author’s random notes. Still, some of those notes were quite good.

In general, it has a strong bias towards writing for someone who intends/hopes to become a high-performance athlete. If there’s one pervading message, it is that training the mind is as important as training the body, especially in climbing, and that Zen principles are essential for that sort of training.

I read ~90% of this exclusively in the sauna at climbing gym, which is why it took me so damn long.

[Adam Banks · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pleasant read broken into a bunch of 2-3 page bite sized chunks, often with good tidbits of information. However, I felt a little thrown around topic to topic, as there was no thread connecting any of the chunks, which made it hard to really take away any of the information. Likewise, the ideas had a short delivery and in many cases could have been much further developed. Also, did not feel like I learned as much about Zen as I was hoping too; Buddhism was sold a little short in my opinion.

There were portions that I will bring my own climbing, and I am still curious about the art of bouldering book, I appreciate that so much though has been put into the practice.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is worth a reread. All too often in climbing (and life) we're focused on grades, performance, getting to the next level, and so on. That fixation actually ends up hindering performance in climbing. If you want to climb well, the best way is by enjoying the movement and remembering to love what you're doing. Our thoughts and emotions can easily get in the way and prevent us both from being great climbers and from having fun along the way. I really liked the way the author presented the mindset of climbing -- very different from most climbing books which focus only on training strategies.

[abding · Rating 5 out of 5]

very insightful.

key learnings for climbing:
-eliminate expectations
-climb to climb
-stop multitasking when you climb

misc learnings for climbing and life:
-don’t push too hard when climbing
-master the easy moves
-get rid of all your baggage when you climb
-climbing better won’t solve problems in other domains of your life
-go where the fear takes you
-stop trying to be a control freak
-wu wei all the ay
-much much more…

key quotes soon…

[Sofie Berg · Rating 1 out of 5]

it took me a frustrating amount of time to finish this. I found the language really definitive, which doesn’t exactly go with a lot of zen thinking. It was written really coldly, which at times made it come off as almost condescending to the reader. It was about a really niche topic, so therefore relatable to a niche group of people. What makes a good author, however, is making specificity and niche things relatable to anyone. Missed the mark for me.

[Liz]

DNF. I think had I not read Rock Warriors Way, this may have felt more impactful, but I personally liked Arno’s approach to ultimately the same principles.

I also get minor irritation when climbing books frame grades like 5.12 as “easy” and then also talk about grades being really moot on the grand scale of what we climb.

[Shayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this will absolutely help me become a better climber. It put into words some things I haven't quite been able to express on my own, and also gave me some new things to think about. Only thing I didn't like was that it felt like the content could have been organized better to reduce repetition of certain ideas.

[Chris]

Not sure what I think of it (so I haven't rated it)
For some of the time I thought it was just dull sports psychology, at other points it was self-contradictory, at other points it was brilliant and I was too much in small mind to appreciate it
Not sure. Might be rubbish, might be really good. But definitely not perfect

[Heather Bode · Rating 4 out of 5]

While it can get a bit repetitive, as a climber who deals with anxiety and constantly getting in ruts, I found it very helpful.

The lessons within this book go beyond climbing into life, which I find valuable, and it was well presented with many real-life examples.

Solid source for any climber, athlete, or one looking to lead a more Zen lifestyle.

[C · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got this book as a gift from ex-colleagues, presumably because they somehow found out I like bouldering.

Terrible, pretentious and boring. A long anecdotal rant vaguely related to Buddhist principles and vaguely associated with climbing. I HATE the bro-y tone. It's repetitive and uninteresting. Should've just read the research it was loosely based on.

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book thoroughly. It dives into wanting perfection in your climbing, and how we often hold ourselves to unobtainable standards inside and out of the gym. There is a lot of zen to find in climbing that I haven’t yet looked for. I enjoyed the following quote, "Climbing is equal parts jazz, improv, gymnastics, chess, weightlifting, and ballet.”

[Alfie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! My two favourite things in the world in one book.

Great insights and already can feel a deeper appreciation for the beauty of climbing. Being present and being immersed in the movement of climbing is a wonderful thing, regardless if it ends in a send or not.

[Vaclav Kocian · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a nice little book about, well, Zen and climbing. In the end, climbing is an equally physical and mental endeavor, and this book brings a lot of thought-provoking ideas. It's a great read, not just for climbers.

[Theoklitos Amvrosiadis · Rating 2 out of 5]

As someone who's VERY interested in both climbing and Zen, I was excited to read this. Unfortunately, I found it deeply disappointing. A lot of rambling from the author.. Not enough Zen. I believe it would have benefited from some closer editing.