  We elaborate on a recently discovered phenomenon where a scalar field close
to big-bang is forced to climb a steep potential by its dynamics. We analyze
the phenomenon in more general terms by writing the leading order equations of
motion near the singularity. We formulate the conditions for climbing to exist
in the case of several scalars and after inclusion of higher-derivative
corrections and we apply our results to some models of moduli stabilization. We
analyze an example with steep stabilizing potential and notice again a related
critical behavior: for a potential steepness above a critical value, going
backwards towards big-bang, the scalar undergoes wilder oscillations, with the
steep potential pushing it back at every passage and not allowing the scalar to
escape to infinity. Whereas it was pointed out earlier that there are possible
implications of the climbing phase to CMB, we point out here another potential
application, to the issue of initial conditions in inflation.
