Questions tagged [bouldering]
Bouldering is a style of rock climbing undertaken without a rope and normally limited to very short climbs over a crash pad (called a bouldering mat) so that a fall will not result in serious injuries.
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How are different terrains, defined by their angle, called in climbing?
I started climbing 6 months ago and finally need to understand the climbing nomenclature when it comes to terrain angles. So, I would like to ask the climbers how the following angles would be called. ...
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Bouldering in Font
I will be heading to Font and am beginning to plan specific areas to head to.
I'm bouldering up to 6b but have heard the grades are stiffer over there (compared to the UK) - if there is a difference, ...
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Why are there so few face climbs above V12 on boulders?
It seems like all of the futuristic projects (V15+) we see are on overhung, cave-like features. This makes sense because being overhung automatically adds difficulty since you are working against ...
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Where can I find videos of rock climbing competitions?
I'm working on a school project where I'm trying to analyze rock climbing videos. Does anyone know where I can find a good source of rock climbing videos?
Ideally, I'm looking for videos with as ...
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Historical data about rock climbing / bouldering ascents
I am always interested in the history of rock climbing. Lately, I tried to collect data about male and female first ascents to visualize progression in rock climbing over time (I have a small blog ...
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Earliest in the year one could deep water solo in Majorca?
I'm planning to go deep water soloing in Majorca as soon as weather conditions will allow it, I don't mind cold water as long as it's reasonably warm outside (~20°C).
Since I'll probably be ...
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How to progress to harder graded problems? [duplicate]
I've only just started bouldering, and we have been using the easiest to grades VB-V1. I find V1 are moderately challenging but the next step up, V2, I just entirely struggle with. What can I do to ...
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What to look for in climbing shoes?
Having just completed my Boulding induction at a local rock climbing gym, what requirements should I look for in a pair of my own climbing shoes? Assume here cost is not a primary factor.
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Why is it bad to use your whole foot in rock climbing
I was reading:
“The larger the foot-holds, the more beginners tend to put as much of their shoes onto them. Instead, also when the foot-hold offers more space, we must still use only the forefoot ...
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How to heal a flapper quickly
I've noticed when climbing and bouldering I have a tendency to get occasional flappers on my palm. A flapper being a callus or blister that has peeled back and hangs on like a flap of skin. I trim the ...
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What does 'right-to-left' mean when describing bouldering problems?
I'm relatively new to the world of rock climbing, having been bouldering at a gym for a few months. I'm planning on checking out a natural bouldering area (that is, one made of real naturally ...
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Climbing outdoors makes the skin of my palm red and sensitive
I mostly climb at a rock climbing gym, and I can climb for hours until my forearms run out of gas.
However, when I climb outdoors, usually the reason I have to stop is because the skin of my palms ...
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How to tape torn skin to continue climbing?
I have got this annoying issue when bouldering: a sheared callus on the small finger:
I would like to tape this and continue climbing (with extra caution). I am not an expert in taping, and any tape ...
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What is the minimum grade of the routes set in the IFSC world cups?
I was recently watching the IFSC world cup held in Meiringen. One of the interesting observations that came across (made by the commentators) in the semis was that the routes were much easier for a ...
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Origin of the "bell curve" for rock climbing route setting
When learning how to set climbing routes on artificial walls, setters are often told to set route difficulties according to a "bell curve". An example of this is mentioned on this page.
What is ...
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How do I know if I've made a "first ascent"?
Last night I was walking the dog near area where I climb a lot. Above the quarry where most of the climbing happens there is a really nice natural short crag. Looking at this crag I thought there were ...
user2766
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How to land when jumping off a bouldering problem to minimize injury potential?
A recent question made me wonder: A while ago, there was a nice route in the local bouldering gym with a rather high crux. The repeated jumping-off lead to minor knee pain for a few days. Now, there ...
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Are there any concrete techniques for down climbing?
I mostly boulder and I don't like to jump down from the top of the route, because my ankles/knees/back feels weird when landing. However, when I climb down sometimes my arms feel even more tired than ...
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Are there ways to make the skin on my fingers last longer while climbing/bouldering? [duplicate]
My main problem when bouldering and sometimes while climbing is, that after some time the skin/flesh of my middle and lower phalanges start to hurt and the skin comes off so further climbing becomes ...
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Are my climbing shoes worth repairing?
I'm fairly new to climbing, I've been climbing just over a year.
This is my first pair of shoes. I've worn the soles down, and wondering whether this kind of wear can be repaired or not, or if I ...
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What kind of technique is required for bouldering outdoors?
I've been bouldering in rock climbing gyms for a while and am able to send V2~V3s. I've never bouldered outdoors before and I wonder what are the differences, and are there any outdoor specific ...
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How to progress in rock climbing after grades v4 / 5.11+?
I am wondering what is the best way to progress from being a consistent V4 and on-sight/redpoint 5.11 climber? I seem to have hit a plateau in my progression and it is super frustrating.
Indoors, I ...
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With what specific techniques are various bouldering grades associated? [duplicate]
Some I've noticed:
V0 – hanging by one's arms; shifting weight for balance; pushing with one's legs
V1 – pinching, edging
V2 – laybacking, pockets, backstepping, flagging
V3 – 'more strength'?
'More ...
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How long does it generally take to stop feeling climber's elbow? [closed]
I've been climbing 1-2 times / week (usually once) for about a month. After each time I climb, I feel joint pain in my elbows. From my understanding, this is likely Tennis Elbow.
Slowly but surely, ...
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How high is too high for a spotter while spotting a climber?
What height should a climber consider safe on a boulder such that in case of a fall her/his spotter can guide her/him fall to safely land on feet?
Here, safety is for both of them, and not just the ...
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Correct breathing while bouldering
I seem to often catch myself holding my breath during a difficult crux, which seems quite bad really.
On the other hand, sometimes I actively breathe fast and deep repeatedly before starting a ...
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Techniques for handling pumped arms?
I love rock climbing and I try to go to my local gym and boulder as often as possible (usually 2-3 times a week). But it's really hard for me to climb for any extended period of time because my arms ...
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What are ways to reduce swinging momentum when climbing?
I'm working on a problem in bouldering where the swinging of my feet take the grip away from my fingers and throw me off.
Specifically, I am in a bat-hang, and need to reach an edge hold about 3.5 ft....
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Are there artificial climbing holds that feel like granite?
I have experience in climbing limestone and sandstone. These rocks feel rough - you get much traction (especially with sandstone) and can use it to your advantage when climbing.
I think the feeling ...
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How to learn route setting?
I started setting routes in the small bouldering gym of our climbing club. I'm basically learning by doing this, so my approach is basically to try to think of some interesting moves, put up the holds ...
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How much does an overhang add to the difficulty of a problem?
I am in the process of building a Moonboard or basically a home climbing wall which is used for bouldering training. However, because I am not a fan of overhangs, I have built it vertically (the ...
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Safety precautions for a spotter for his/her own safety
What are the measures to take to ensure the safety of the person who is spotting a climber?
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Bouldering, improving and getting up grades
I have been climbing (lead-climbing/top-roping/bouldering) for less than a year now but after quickly improving for the first couple of months I have now reached a "plateau" as they say and I don't ...
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How do I prevent myself from getting pumped when climbing?
Usually when I climb I take plenty of rest between attempts however, yesterday I decided that I wanted to test myself and climb 25 problems at my local gym. I chose problems that were below my level ...
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When do you need compensation training for bouldering?
Not only, but mainly while bouldering you are likely to push hard moves and strain your body onesided. As a consequence you can pain your muscles, ribbons or tendons. But...
How do I know if the ache ...
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Bouldering beside the freeway
Hello I have a question that I ask myself every morning when I commute to work. I live New England and I take the I-95 south from New Hampshire to Massachusetts every weekday. During my commute I ...
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How do I get my fingers and toes warm before rock climbing at cold temperatures?
I've had now a couple of days when going rock climbing while the temperatures are below the general comfort zone (meaning below 6 °C/ 43 °F).
When starting to climb, my fingers got cold rather fast ...
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How to "spot" someone who is bouldering?
We have discussed a lot and at length about how to climb and other climbing techniques. I haven't come across a single post that talks about Spotting techniques.
What are the duties of a Spotter? ...
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How do you grade a bouldering problem? [duplicate]
How would someone grade a bouldering problem they've created? What would one have to look out for when grading? When bouldering, does a highball mean a more difficult grading?
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How do you get better at static climbing?
Being in control of your body and making controlled movements is a skill I can't seem to get down. Are there any good ways to practice this or any workouts that can contribute to helping me build up ...
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Bouldering vs aid climbing vs free climbing vs free solo climbing
What re the differences between these 4 styles of rock climbing?
Bouldering
Aid Climbing
Free Climbing
Free solo climbing
user2766
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Climbing barefoot/in toe-shoes?
I recently went bouldering for the first time and liked it a lot. One thing I wondered about are the climbing shoes. The mostly form your feet to a very firm, compact package. So the following ...
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Delayed muscle ache after boulder session
The last weeks I observed couple times that I am getting stiffness/muscle ache in the upper arms after a boulder session. What's special about this is that it is very delayed. For example I went to ...
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Shoe sizes for bouldering
When I first started (indoor) bouldering, I wasn't quite sure if I was ready to commit to it, so I went and bought a pair of shoes in the sale that were relatively cheap (or at least cheaper than ...
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When should you start to train with Campus Boards, Hang Boards and Peg Boards?
From which bouldering and climbing grades do you start using Campus Boards, Hang Boards and Peg Boards for training?
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What are the advantages of being short when climbing?
My girlfriend often complains that a route or boulder was created for tall climbers. In my experience that sometimes is true: I easily get a hold, she has to jump. However, Lynn Hill proved that a ...
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How to use legs more effectively to avoid grip stress on overhangs
Overhangs are a weak point in rock climbing for me currently. I think I know the theory: the goal is to use the legs to push yourself up, keep straight arms as much as possible and avoid pulling, and ...
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What are common climbing techniques for strongly overhanging walls and roofs?
What are common climbing techniques for strongly overhanging walls and roofs?
In order to avoid a strength oriented climbing style and focus on technique.
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What are common rock-climbing footwork mistakes and how I can spot them?
(This question is related to How can I improve my footwork while rock-climbing?)
What are common rock-climbing footwork mistakes and how can I spot them?
More specifically: When I started climbing I ...
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How to find climbing shoes for toe and heel hooks?
How can I choose the right climbing shoes especially for toe and heel hooking?
More specifically: I have been using very comfortable beginner shoes for the last two years. When I started to advance ...
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