Espresso Lessons

The Rock Warrior's Way: Mental Training for Climbers, first published in 2003, outlines the foundation of the Warrior's Way ® material. Espresso Lessons takes the material into practical climbing situations. It is the "how to" application of The Rock Warrior's Way, intended to build upon and complement it.

The Rock Warrior's Way: Mental Training for Climbers, first published in 2003, outlines the foundation of the Warrior's Way ® material. Espresso Lessons takes the material into practical climbing situations. It is the "how to" application of The Rock Warrior's Way, intended to build upon and complement it. - Mental fitness training is simply improving your ability to keep attention in the moment. The most challenging—and interesting— moment in rock climbing is when your mind doubts whether or not you can continue climbing. Knowing when it is appropriate to push through this doubt and when to back off is critical for taking appropriate risks. - Espresso Lessons helps you take appropriate risks. It is an intentional approach to risk-taking that includes very specific processes for gathering information, assessing risks, making risk decisions, and taking effective action. - Many climbers ignore or avoid falling. Espresso Lessons addresses falling head-on, through intentional falling practice. It also includes specific exercises to practice all phases of risk-taking, allowing you to integrate the Warrior's Way ® material in a practical and tangible way.

Arno Ilgner distinguished himself as a pioneering rock climber in the 1970s and '80s, when the top climbs were bold and dangerous first ascents. These personal exploits are the foundation for Ilgner's unique physical and mental training program--The Warrior's Way ®. In 1995, after a thorough search of the literature and practice of mental training and the great warrior traditions, Ilgner formalized his methods, founded the Desiderata Institute, and began teaching his program full time. Since then, he has helped hundreds of students sharpen their awareness, focus attention, and understand their athletic (and life) challenges within a coherent, learning-based philosophy of intelligent risk-taking. Ilgner considers the joy and satisfaction in the effort – the "journey" – intimately linked to successful attainment of goals, the "destination." Alumni of his courses now include some of the nation's most prominent climbers. - Ilgner has run clinics across the U.S. and abroad. He holds a BA in geology, spent several years operating his own geological consulting firm in the Wyoming oil fields, acted as Chief Financial Officer for an industrial tool distribution company, attended the Army Ranger School, and served a non-combat tour of duty in Korea. He currently resides with his family near Nashville, Tennessee.