How to Boulder
Get the right equipment., Be aware of safety., Decide whether you want to boulder indoors or outdoors., Warm up and stretch., Understand how the difficulty levels work.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Get the right equipment.
If climbing outdoors, you will need a helmet.
Purchase a good pair of climbing shoes from a local outdoor sporting goods store.
Ask a knowledgeable sales assistant to help you, good fitting shoes are extremely important so ask someone who knows what they are doing.
A pair of these can range from $40 to $200.
As a rule of thumb they should be very snug.
Almost too snug.
As you progress you will want them tighter and tighter to give yourself more toe control while climbing.
Grab yourself some Climber's chalk (magnesium carbonate) on the way out.
This will help you dry the sweat on your hands when you climb and keep you from slipping.
You can get all different types and colors but you really only need to stick to whatever is cheapest for right now.
It's usually about $1.50-2.00 for a block. -
Step 2: Be aware of safety.
Bouldering is done at heights below four meters and involves the use of a crash pad.
However, this can develop a false sense of security.
A four meter jump can incur severe ankle fractures.
In addition, you can hit your knees on protruding rock as you fall.
This runs the risk of kneecap dislocation.
These injuries can take months to heal.
You do not want to jump down.
Instead, down climb using both hands and feet.
Bouldering does not involve the use of a rope, so you can expect to fall a lot when practicing difficult problems.
Even though you are not falling from a great height, you will often fall suddenly or awkwardly, so it's important to have a crash pad beneath you at all times.
If you absolutely must jump down, land in an upright position with your knees bent (to absorb impact), rolling to the side if necessary.
Remove any rings or jewelry before you climb and always have someone to spot you
-- that is, someone who is ready to break your fall, guide you onto the crash pad and protect your head from injury. , Bouldering can be done outdoors on any kind of rock or cliff face, or indoors at a rock climbing gym.
Both provide a fun, engaging climbing experience
-- so which one you choose is a matter of personal preference.
Outdoor bouldering has the benefit of being out in the fresh air and provides a more natural climbing experience, which some people prefer.
However, it is dependent on good weather conditions and requires you to have your own equipment
-- such as a helmet, shoes, and a crash pad.
You must wear a helmet when climbing outdoors.
Rocks can fall without warning off the cliff, tumbling onto the climber and partner below.
As a climber, if you see a rock or piece of equipment falling, yell, "Rock!" loudly to warn your partner of incoming objects.
Indoor bouldering is a good choice for beginners who want to try their hand at something new without investing in gear (shoes can be rented and crash pads are provided) and for experienced climbers who wish to hone their bouldering skills further.
The problems are laid out on colorful walls and can be adjusted to mimic an outdoor climbing experience, across a wide range of difficulties.
Indoor bouldering is unaffected by weather, but space is usually limited and the walls can get crowded. , Bouldering is an intense physical activity, which requires power and flexibility.
And like any physical activity, it's important to warm up and stretch before you get started, to help you avoid injury.
Get the blood flowing by doing a few minutes of cardio before you boulder
-- this warns the body that it's about to climb.
Try jogging or cycling for ten minutes or doing five minutes of skipping.
If you're climbing outdoors, the walk or hike to the bouldering spot will probably do the trick! Next do some stretches to loosen your muscles, joints and tendons.
Concentrate on your upper body by stretching your fingers, wrists, elbows, shoulders, neck and back, but also remember to stretch your legs, hips and ankles.
Finally, start out climbing by picking some easy problems that you are confident that you can complete
-- this gets your body used to the movements and helps you to slowly ease into the climbing session. , Most climbing locations
-- both indoors and outdoors
-- use the same grading system for marking the difficulty of each problem (this is the bouldering term for route, in case you didn't know!) This grading system is known as the v-scale, and helps climbers to identify problems suited to their level of ability.
The v-scale runs from V0 (the easiest) to V15 (the hardest).
In addition, each grade can have a minus, normal or plus value, which indicates difficulty level within each grade.
For example, a V0- is the very easiest problem a climber can do, while a V17 is the very hardest.
To help you follow the correct route, all of the holds in a problem are marked with the same colored tape, or in some cases the holds themselves will be coordinated by color.
While bouldering, you are not supposed to use any holds that are not part of your chosen problem
-- the color system is there to help you avoid doing this. -
Step 3: Decide whether you want to boulder indoors or outdoors.
-
Step 4: Warm up and stretch.
-
Step 5: Understand how the difficulty levels work.
Detailed Guide
If climbing outdoors, you will need a helmet.
Purchase a good pair of climbing shoes from a local outdoor sporting goods store.
Ask a knowledgeable sales assistant to help you, good fitting shoes are extremely important so ask someone who knows what they are doing.
A pair of these can range from $40 to $200.
As a rule of thumb they should be very snug.
Almost too snug.
As you progress you will want them tighter and tighter to give yourself more toe control while climbing.
Grab yourself some Climber's chalk (magnesium carbonate) on the way out.
This will help you dry the sweat on your hands when you climb and keep you from slipping.
You can get all different types and colors but you really only need to stick to whatever is cheapest for right now.
It's usually about $1.50-2.00 for a block.
Bouldering is done at heights below four meters and involves the use of a crash pad.
However, this can develop a false sense of security.
A four meter jump can incur severe ankle fractures.
In addition, you can hit your knees on protruding rock as you fall.
This runs the risk of kneecap dislocation.
These injuries can take months to heal.
You do not want to jump down.
Instead, down climb using both hands and feet.
Bouldering does not involve the use of a rope, so you can expect to fall a lot when practicing difficult problems.
Even though you are not falling from a great height, you will often fall suddenly or awkwardly, so it's important to have a crash pad beneath you at all times.
If you absolutely must jump down, land in an upright position with your knees bent (to absorb impact), rolling to the side if necessary.
Remove any rings or jewelry before you climb and always have someone to spot you
-- that is, someone who is ready to break your fall, guide you onto the crash pad and protect your head from injury. , Bouldering can be done outdoors on any kind of rock or cliff face, or indoors at a rock climbing gym.
Both provide a fun, engaging climbing experience
-- so which one you choose is a matter of personal preference.
Outdoor bouldering has the benefit of being out in the fresh air and provides a more natural climbing experience, which some people prefer.
However, it is dependent on good weather conditions and requires you to have your own equipment
-- such as a helmet, shoes, and a crash pad.
You must wear a helmet when climbing outdoors.
Rocks can fall without warning off the cliff, tumbling onto the climber and partner below.
As a climber, if you see a rock or piece of equipment falling, yell, "Rock!" loudly to warn your partner of incoming objects.
Indoor bouldering is a good choice for beginners who want to try their hand at something new without investing in gear (shoes can be rented and crash pads are provided) and for experienced climbers who wish to hone their bouldering skills further.
The problems are laid out on colorful walls and can be adjusted to mimic an outdoor climbing experience, across a wide range of difficulties.
Indoor bouldering is unaffected by weather, but space is usually limited and the walls can get crowded. , Bouldering is an intense physical activity, which requires power and flexibility.
And like any physical activity, it's important to warm up and stretch before you get started, to help you avoid injury.
Get the blood flowing by doing a few minutes of cardio before you boulder
-- this warns the body that it's about to climb.
Try jogging or cycling for ten minutes or doing five minutes of skipping.
If you're climbing outdoors, the walk or hike to the bouldering spot will probably do the trick! Next do some stretches to loosen your muscles, joints and tendons.
Concentrate on your upper body by stretching your fingers, wrists, elbows, shoulders, neck and back, but also remember to stretch your legs, hips and ankles.
Finally, start out climbing by picking some easy problems that you are confident that you can complete
-- this gets your body used to the movements and helps you to slowly ease into the climbing session. , Most climbing locations
-- both indoors and outdoors
-- use the same grading system for marking the difficulty of each problem (this is the bouldering term for route, in case you didn't know!) This grading system is known as the v-scale, and helps climbers to identify problems suited to their level of ability.
The v-scale runs from V0 (the easiest) to V15 (the hardest).
In addition, each grade can have a minus, normal or plus value, which indicates difficulty level within each grade.
For example, a V0- is the very easiest problem a climber can do, while a V17 is the very hardest.
To help you follow the correct route, all of the holds in a problem are marked with the same colored tape, or in some cases the holds themselves will be coordinated by color.
While bouldering, you are not supposed to use any holds that are not part of your chosen problem
-- the color system is there to help you avoid doing this.
About the Author
Ashley Martinez
Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in pet care and beyond.
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