Falling into Fears: Exploring Virtual Reality as a Fear-Reduction Training Tool for Climbers

Remy Rey, Florian Müller, Francesco Chiossi, Andrii Matviienko

2025

Proceedings of the First Annual Conference on Human-Computer Interaction and Sports

TL;DR

What we did: We conducted an exploratory study to investigate the effectiveness of Virtual Reality as a fear-reduction training tool for climbers, involving 20 participants who performed multiple falls from a height of 5 meters with and without a VR headset.

What we found: We found that while Virtual Reality shows promise for reducing fear responses during climbing falls, the scaling of fall height did not significantly enhance the perceived exposure due to participant feedback about the lack of reference in the virtual environment.

Takeaway: Our research suggests that integrating Virtual Reality into climbing training could offer new methods for managing fear of falling, though further longitudinal studies are needed to assess its long-term impact.

Abstract

Fear of falling limits climbers’ performance and progression, particularly for beginners who must develop trust in their safety equipment and falling techniques. Traditional methods of overcoming this fear through repeated practice are time-consuming and stressful. In this paper, we explore the potential of using Virtual Reality (VR) to assist climbers’ training. We conducted an exploratory experiment in which 20 climbers performed multiple falls from a height of 5 meters both with and without a VR headset, experiencing 1-2 meters of free fall. We collected qualitative data through interviews conducted before, after, and following each fall. Our findings suggest that VR is a promising tool for reducing the fear of falling, though the exact mechanisms and effectiveness require further investigation through longitudinal studies. This study opens new possibilities for using VR as a training tool in climbing education, potentially accelerating the process of overcoming the fear of falling.