Bouldering

Bouldering is a style of rock climbing undertaken without a rope and normally limited to very short climbs so that a fall will not result in serious injury. It is typically practiced on large boulders or artificial man-made boulders. However, it may also be practiced at the base of larger rock faces, or even on buildings or public architecture (see buildering).

Bouldering Basics

A climber with chalked-up hands and a crash pad on the ground. (Black Mountain, Idyllwild, California, U.S.)

Bouldering is a style of climbing emphasizing power, strength, and dynamics. Its focus is on individual moves or short sequences of moves, unlike traditional climbing or sport climbing, which generally demand more endurance over longer stretches of rock where the difficulty of individual moves is not as great. Boulder routes are commonly referred to as problems (a British appellation) because the nature of the climb is often short, curious, and much like problem solving. Sometimes these problems are eliminates, meaning certain artificial restrictions are imposed.

To reduce the risk of injury from a fall, climbers rarely go higher than 3-5 meters above the ground. Anything over 7 meters is generally considered to be free-soloing (or simply 'soloing' in the United Kingdom), although such climbs might also be termed high-ball bouldering problems. For further protection, climbers typically put a bouldering mat (crash pad) on the ground to break their fall. Lastly, climbers often have one or more spotters, who work to direct the climber's body toward the crash pad during a fall, while protecting the climber's head from hazards.

Bouldering is increasing in popularity; bouldering areas are common in indoor climbing gyms and some climbing gyms are dedicated solely to bouldering. Children are joining the sport now as well as adults. In fact, studies have found that young climbers develop better skills as adults from their experience with youthful disadvantages such as height and strength.

Equipment

One of the major appeals of bouldering is its relatively scant equipment requirements. It is not uncommon to see people bouldering with shoes, a chalkbag, and a small mat to wipe their feet on. Although nothing is actually required, common equipment includes:

• Loose, powdered chalk as a hand drying agent while climbing.
• A mattress-like object called a crash pad. These are generally thick, rectangular foam pads with a heavy-duty fabric shell. They are opened and placed at the base of a boulder to cover irregularities in the landing and provide some cushion if the climber falls.
• Climbing shoes, for better traction and edging capabilities.
• A brush, or several brushes of differing sizes, typically with nylon bristles but sometimes coarse animal hair, is used to clean holds and is often mounted on a telescopic pole to allow greater reach.
• Sports tape is useful for covering cuts or blisters, as well as providing support for joints that may have been strained.
• Clothing usually include a sleeveless shirt and shorts, though anything that's comfortable and flexible enough will generally work.

Ratings

Main article: Grade (bouldering)

As in other types of climbing, bouldering has developed its own grading systems for comparing the difficulty of problems, mainly because buoldering problems can be much harder than traditional rock climbing routes. The most commonly used grading systems are the Fontainebleau system which ranges from 1 to 8c+, and the John Sherman V-grade system, beginning at V0 and increasing by integers to a current top grade of V16 (The Wheel of Life by Dai Koyamada in the Grampians, Australia). Both scales are open-ended at the top, and thus the upper grade of these systems is always increasing as boulderers ascend more difficult problems.

History

Bouldering's documented origins may be found in the United Kingdom, France, and Italy in the last quarter of the 19th century . The British coined the words bouldering and problem at that time. The first documented bouldering advocate may have been Oscar Eckenstein, a British engineer and innovative climber who wrote about bouldering, and in the 1890s conducted an informal bouldering competition for natives in Kashmir . For many years, bouldering was commonly viewed as a playful training activity for climbers, although in the 1930s and late 1940s Pierre Allain and his companions enjoyed bouldering for its own sake in Fontainebleau, considered by many to be the Mecca of bouldering. The first climber to actually make bouldering his primary specialty (in the mid 1950s) and to advocate its acceptance as a legitimate sport not restricted to a particular area was John Gill, a mathematician and amateur gymnast who found the challenge and movement of bouldering enjoyable.

Terminology

Bouldering in Saint Just, département of Cantal, France

Adjusting (v.)

Refining the hand or foot positions after the first catch or step to improve balance and power consumption, or just to make place for second arm or foot.

Arete (n.)

An edge of a rock.

Beached Whale (v.)

A very poor way of topping out, which involves the climber flopping back and forth to try and get on top of the rock. This action looks much like a beached whale trying to get back into the sea, as the name implies.

Beta (n.)

Any helpful tips, solutions to problems, guides, tricks, etc that one climber passes on to another, usually about a particular problem (as opposed to tips about bouldering in general, though there is obviously some overlap).

Boulderer (n.)

Any person participating in bouldering; usually synonymous in context with the more general term 'climber'.

Crash pad (n.)

A pad, usually made of foam, placed at the bottom of a boulder problem onto which a climber can land if they fall, reducing the likelihood of some injuries. (A green crash pad is pictured at right under the climber.)

Crimp (n. v.)

A type of hold used when the climber can fit only their fingertips on the hold. A crimp may be 'closed,' in which the thumb is pressed over the index finger to strengthen one's grip, or the crimp may be 'open', where the thumb does not touch the fingers. Closed crimps, while stronger, put more stress on the hand and are generally regarded as posing a higher risk of injury.

Crux (n.)

The most difficult move or series of moves in a problem. There may be also multiple cruxes in single boulder, like hard sit start in combination with easy middle and hard top out, or hard crimping and later mono section.

Dab (v.)

Touching anything other than the climbing surface in any way, whether intentional or not; it is grounds for immediate termination of a 'send' attempt.

Deathball (n.)

Similar to a highball, but high enough that if one would fall, death is a possibility.

Dyno (n.)

Shortened form of dynamic movement. Essentially any movement that requires the climber to jump or to swing from one hold to another. Technically, a dyno is a move that, if not completed successfully (by catching the next hold), will result in a fall. Some consider the definition of the dyno as every dynamic movement that cannot be reversed, e.g. to be not able to return to the previous position after doing that kind of move.

Eliminate (n. v.) (a.k.a. Elimination)

Any problem that eliminates some of the holds on a natural way up the boulder, maximizing the total number of climbs in a limited space. The removed holds or rock parts can be removed for feet, hands or both.

First Ascent (n.) (a.k.a. FA)

As it sounds - to climb a project for a first time.

First Go (n.)

This is the case when the climber has climbed some sections of the boulder already and then climbs the whole boulder on his first try. This can happen when the boulderer wanted to check out the crux section just to see if it is possible for him to do the boulder or when he already has climbed part of the boulder, which is a variaton of the current one or belongs to other line.

Flag (v.)

Extending a leg as a counter-balance without placing your foot on a hold.

Flash (n.)

Completing a problem on the first try with no falls, but with beta. The climber can also check the holds but not to hang on them or put his feet on the boulder.

Free (v.)

To FA a problem usually refers when the project was available for a long time and was opened for all (which in climbing ethics means that everyone may try the problem and take the FA).

Gaston (n.)

A hand hold, when gripped, turns the climbers hand inwards (thumbs down). A left hand Gaston, if used by the right hand, becomes a right hand Side-Pull.

Grade (n.)

Boulder problems are ranked by difficulty using a graded system.

Spotters at Rat Rock in Central Park, NYC. Photo by joshunojoshu

Highball (n.)

A term for a boulder that is so high, falling when close to the top could cause serious injury. Some highballs have anchor bolts at the top to allow for protected top-rope climbing.

Hold (n.)

Any rock feature that a climber can use to ascend the problem. These can be cracks, crimps, jugs, places to smear, etc, that can be used in any useful way by the hands or the feet.

Jam (v. n.)

Placing a foot or a hand, usually in a crack, and rotating or loading it so that it can fully support the climber.

Jug (n.)

A hold that is large enough to allow the climber to reach their entire hand around (or inside of), making it a good low-impact hold, usually with low possibility of injury. In hard boulders jugs are well beloved for resting (shaking hands or even no hand rests).

Mantle (v.)

A manoeuver whereby the climber initially pulls down on a hold (usually matched) with enough force to propel them upwards, and then rapidly changes the pulling motion into a downward pushing motion.

Matching (v.)

Matching implies that both climber's feet or hands are on the same hold.

Offwidth (n. adj.)

An awkward crack that is too wide to jam a hand in, yet not wide enough to back and foot. These typically require a combination of several different methods to achieve a good hold.

Onsight (v.)

To send a problem on the first try without falling and with no beta. Usually onsighting for boulders is not so widely accepted, because on most boulders the beta is pretty obvios due to chalked holds, which are not so far above the climbers view point. That makes applying the onsight rule possible in rare cases and normally the ascent goes to the flash category.

Overhang (n.)

A rock face which creates an acute angle with the ground.

Pinch (n. v.)

A hold or movement that has the boulderer pinch a hold.

Problem (n.)

A sequence of moves leading to the top of a boulder, or an indoor bouldering wall. Boulder problems are to bouldering as 'routes' are to traditional or sport climbing.

Project (n.)

A problem never done before. In climbing ethics there are usually two types of projects - opened (may be climbed by everyone) and closed (only the founder, may climb them). In climbing usually projects are marked with small rope knot on the first bolt that the projects are closed but in bouldering this cannot be done as no bolts exist, so usually the community should know if some boulder should be climbed or not (in parallel to bolting a route in climbing, we have "brushing" or "cleaning" a boulder in bouldering).

Prow (n.)

As it sounds (like an overhanging arete).

Redpoint (v.)

This term is generally used in sport and traditional climbing. To redpoint a route means that the climber completed the route, but after multiple tries.

Roof (n.)

A section of the rock face that is or nearly horizontal, with the climber climbing on the underside.

Send (v.)

To successfully climb a problem (e.g. from the start to the end without falling somewhere, also regarding the given first ascender restrictions, if such exist).

Sequence (n.)

The combination of movements to climb a single part or the whole boulder. Usually every climber has his own sequence for every problem according to his height, weight, power, technique, etc.

Shep (v.)

To run at a problem in an attempt to run up the start to where better holds may be. Not orthodox, but it works.

Side-Pull (n. v.)

A hold or movement in which the climber holds himself on the rock by hanging off the side of a hold. A left hand Side-Pull gripped with the right hand becomes a right hand Gaston.

Sit Start (n.) (a.k.a. sds, assis)

A start to a problem beginning with the boulderer sitting on either the ground or on a crash pad, at the lowest point of a route. Typically, starting from a sit start increases the difficulty of a route.

Slab (n.)

A rock face that is tilted less than vertical.

Sloper (n.)

A hold that tends to slope, or is round (very little positive surface). Sometimes very difficult to grasp.

Smear (v.)

Pushing with the ball of the foot where there is no hold.

Spot (v.), Spotting (n.)

The act of being a spotter: this may include duties such as moving the crash pad, removing dangerous objects in the fall zone, and physically cushioning or modifying the trajectory of the climber in the event of a fall.

Spotter (n.)

A person who tends to the safety of the climber, who 'spots'.

Thumb Catch (n.)

A hold where the thumb finds a place to grip, typically a small indentation or protrusion in/on the rock.

Traverse (v. n.)

Generally a horizontal climb that involves traversing across a face or overhang, or sometimes around a boulder, occasionally finishing off at an arête in order to top out.

Top out (v.)

To complete a problem by getting to the top of the boulder where one can stand upright.

Undercling (n. v.)

A hold or movement where the climber grabs the bottom of the hold and pulls upwards, using his/her legs to apply tension and keep him/her on the rock.

Famous Bouldering Areas

The region around Fontainebleau near Paris is particularly famous for its beautiful and concentrated bouldering areas. Well-known areas include Stanage (UK), Hueco Tanks (Texas), Castle Hill (New Zealand), Bishop (California), Yosemite (California), Rocktown (Georgia), Rocklands (South Africa), Kjugekull (Sweden), Hampi (India) Horse Pens 40 (Alabama) and Horseshoe Canyon Ranch (Arkansas) amongst others.

Places to Boulder

• Fontainebleau - biggest and most developed bouldering area in the world located in the Fontainebleau forrest. From there comes also the Fb bouldering grade.
• List of New York bouldering sites
• List of New Jersey bouldering sites
• List of Utah bouldering sites

See also

• Buildering
• Glossary of climbing terms
• Ice Climbing
• Le Parkour
• Rock Climbing
• Tree climbing