Bouldering is one of the most popular sports today. In addition to being fun, it’s excellent for your shoulders, back, core, and fingers. As much as it may look easy when you’re looking up from the bottom of problem, it will certainly become challenging after you start climbing. Bouldering can be done indoors or outdoors, but between the two, which one is easier? Is outdoor bouldering harder than indoor bouldering? Let’s delve further into this topic to help you understand better.

So, is outdoor bouldering harder than indoor bouldering? Overall, outdoor bouldering is harder and more challenging than indoor bouldering. Outdoor bouldering can be dangerous and intimidating for beginners. You may have tried indoor climbing, either once, twice, or even regularly, however it doesn’t matter how many times you’ve bouldered indoors; your first time outdoors will come with lots of challenges and surprises you did not anticipate. For example, the fear of falling is much larger outdoors than indoor because the floor isn’t covered in very spongy crash mats – instead there’s likely to be a few, less comfy crash pads.

Page Jumps

• The Main Differences between Indoor and Outdoor Bouldering
• Indoor vs. Outdoor Bouldering Grades
• Injuries You are More Likely to Sustain from Indoor Bouldering
• Injuries You are More Likely to Sustain from Outdoor Bouldering
• Is Indoor or Outdoor Bouldering Safer?
• Transitioning from Indoor to Outdoor Bouldering

The Main Differences between Indoor and Outdoor Bouldering

Indoor bouldering is very different from outdoor bouldering in many ways. If you like climbing in a gym environment with the cool gym vibe around you, indoor bouldering will be great for you. However, if you are in love with adventure and being out in nature, and aren’t afraid of falling on a stiff crash pad, outdoor bouldering will be fun. Below are the most common differences between indoor and outdoor bouldering.

• Landing – Indoor bouldering uses foam mats and flat floors as landing pads. This gives boulders soft landings that are safe since no gym owner wants to you injuring yourself badly on their premises. On the other hand, outdoor bouldering has a rocky, uneven ground, which is very hard and risky if you happen to miss a crash pad and land wrong. Outdoor bouldering landings are rarely flat and sometimes require certain landing techniques to keep you safe.
• Weather – Indoor bouldering has air conditioning, nice lighting, and heat-regulated rooms that create a conducive environment for climbers. Contrarily, outdoor bouldering tests the climber’s ability to overcome unexpected climbing challenges. One of these unexpected challenges is facing harsh weather unexpectedly. You could face wind, rain and/or extreme sun. The sun might shine directly onto your bouldering rock, or the wind might create a wild sense of exposure. The anticipation of these weather challenges is what makes outdoor bouldering exciting. However, one needs a proper plan of action in mind in the event the weather conditions become severe.
• Safety – Indoor climbing gives the climber an opportunity to enjoy bouldering within the confines of a regulated environment. This environment has a lot of safety equipment, e.g., sufficient padding on the landing level and mats below each boulder. Bouldering outdoors has less control over the falls, the falling surface, and the direction of falls. Outdoor climbers are supposed to be more careful since there is less padding below them if they happen to fall. Climbers can still get injured when bouldering indoors, but they won’t be as significant as injuries sustained during outdoor activities.
• Noise – There is a noticeable difference between the background noises when bouldering indoors versus bouldering outdoors. Most Indoor bouldering centers will often have background music, and the noise produced by the climbers is trapped within the confines of the bouldering gym. When bouldering outdoors, you will hear and interact with peaceful sounds of nature, including birds chirping, wind, and even wild animals. In outdoor bouldering, sometimes, you may need to shout to communicate with your fellow climbers.
• Gear – There is also a huge difference in the type, quantity, and quality of gear used for indoor climbing versus outdoor climbing. When bouldering indoors, you only really need chalk and shoes to get going. The type of gear used when bouldering outdoors depends on what you are climbing and where. That is why you need an experienced climber when going outdoor bouldering for the first time. The experienced climber will give you a list of what you need and when you will need it. You won’t need your own crash pads when bouldering indoors, but if you’re bouldering outdoors, crash pads are a must-have accessory. You may realize that you need more gear than expected when going bouldering outdoors for the first time.

Indoor vs. Outdoor Bouldering Grades

Unfortunately, most bouldering gyms like to make climbers feel good about themselves by exaggerating the difficulty of the climbing grades. They do this to give climbers a sense of progress, making them want to come back for more bouldering lessons. As much as encouraging climbers is a good thing, climbers will need to be prepared for the worst when going to boulder outdoor for the first time. There is a high probability that most of them will not be able to climb boulder grades as high as they normally do in the gym.

Most gyms rarely set problems harder than V10, as the majority of climbers can’t go beyond this grade – plus it’s hard to find someone who knows how to set beyond that grade. In outdoor bouldering, grades can extend up to V17. If you are not able to comfortably tackle every problem in bouldering local gym, you better start training harder instead of worrying about when you’ll climb outside the facility.

Also, don’t allow the challenging outdoor bouldering grades to scare you. It takes several climbing sessions to adapt to the holds, texture, and movements on real rock. If you want to adapt quickly, get into your first outdoor bouldering challenge with an open mind. Your main goal should be enjoying nature while having fun instead of trying to attain your hardest V-grade. Soon you will realize that you are bouldering harder outside than when bouldering in the gym but you aren’t climbing as high grades. This experience will make you realize that there’s more fun to bouldering than pulling and climbing plastic in a chalk-covered subscription facility.

Injuries You are More Likely to Sustain from Indoor Bouldering

Indoor bouldering is indeed the simplest and the most enjoyable sport. One does not need ropes and carabineers to try; all that’s needed is chalk and nice shoes. The lack of safety gear means that when you fall, you will nearly always hit the mat. The common injuries in indoor bouldering include pulled tendons, sprained wrists, sprained ankles, climber’s knee, and climber’s elbow. These injuries can interrupt your daily life; that’s why you should always listen to your body and stop whenever it’s telling you and stop.

Injuries You are More Likely to Sustain from Outdoor Bouldering

Outdoor bouldering can be hard and unforgiving. Even without any falls, you can get a couple of nasty wounds during your outdoor bouldering session. On top of the injuries from indoor bouldering, you can also get scratches, bruises, and even more severe wounds. Different types of rocks can do different types of harm to your skin. You can also get injured after swinging sideways into a rock, flipping upside down and falling, or even hitting the edge. To avoid outdoor bouldering injuries, start small, and slowly work your way up to bouldering bigger rocks.

Is Indoor or Outdoor Bouldering Safer?

Indoor bouldering is not only safer than outdoor bouldering, but also the least dangerous. Falling heights in indoor bouldering are lower than in outdoor bouldering, and the surfaces have shock-absorbent mats that take a huge percentage of the fall energy. Outdoor bouldering is more dangerous than indoor bouldering, with a high risk of light to medium injuries. Outdoor bouldering can sometimes have a high risk of severe injuries (depending on how much care is taken) since the surface has less landing gear to reduce the landing impact in case of a fall.

Transitioning from Indoor to Outdoor Bouldering

Most climbers eventually get tired and bored of bouldering indoors and set sight on a new exciting challenge of transitioning to outdoor bouldering. Just because you climb well in the bouldering gym does not mean you are ready to do the same in the wild. Bouldering outdoors requires different types of gear, an advanced skill set, and a strong head.

As a beginner, you should approach outdoor climbing with lots of respect, a willing mentality to practice new techniques, and don’t expect to get the same climbing levels you were used to when climbing in the bouldering gym. Most importantly, get an experienced mentor, and let them guide you appropriately on how to transition from indoor to outdoor bouldering.

If you want to transition faster from indoor to outdoor climbing, it is good to learn from someone who is better than you. An experienced outdoor bouldering expert will give you useful amounts of information that will help you progress very quickly while minimizing the risk of injuries.

You will also learn different ways to enhance your climbing experience using a circuit and training board, gym routines, hang boards, and other bouldering exercises. If you have any outdoor bouldering questions, you can always get clarifications from them. Never rush from indoor to outdoor bouldering, lest you risk injuring yourself.

If you have been looking for a new form of exercise that is both mentally and physically stimulating, then perhaps you should give bouldering a try. This form of rock climbing does not rely on ropes or harnesses, which highlights focus, strategic thinking, and physical strength. In addition, bouldering can also be done in groups or with your family. This article will explain in detail the benefits you can hope to gain from bouldering as a form of exercise. I will include links to peer-reviewed scientific studies where applicable.

So, is bouldering good for you? Bouldering is a popular form of rock climbing that has a lot of mental and physical benefits. It is used as a treatment for depression and has been known to have positive psycho-physical connections as well. This full-body workout gives your cardiovascular system a full workout. Science has shown that there are multiple ways bouldering can improve your health, including improving memory, problem-solving, and concentration.

Continue reading for more information on how bouldering can help your overall mental and physical health.

Page Jumps

1. Bouldering Can Treat Depression
2. Bouldering has Significant Psycho-Physical Benefits
3. Bouldering is Beneficial to the Body, Mind, and Your Social Life
4. Bouldering is a Great Cardiovascular Workout
5. Bouldering is Good for Problem Solving, Memory, and Concentration
6. Bouldering is a Full-Body Workout
7. Conclusion

1.     Bouldering Can Treat Depression

It has been proven that bouldering is healthier for you than other more common forms of exercise like walking. Researchers in Germany found evidence that bouldering psychotherapy is not only effective in alleviating depressive symptoms but even goes beyond the effect of mere physical exercise. They recommend using bouldering as a way to cope with depression as a way to enhance the results of traditional therapies.

The great news is that the same positive responses were seen even in people who were already taking anti-depressants and attending therapy. A study by the Department of Psychology at the University of Arizona was able to prove that even short term use of bouldering as a therapeutic device showed significant benefits for people suffering from depression. These findings mean that if you are already taking medications and engaging in therapy to treat your depression, taking on bouldering will still give you a form of relief from the symptoms.

Although there is currently a need for more research in this area, what scientists have learned so far is hopeful. Indoor bouldering is an easy and accessible alternative, which makes it ideal for people who are not able to or comfortable with, going out into nature to climb a real boulder, and studies have shown it produces the same results. Assigning physical exercises to alleviate mental disorder symptoms has been a treatment option for a long time, and now there is proof that bouldering should be added as a commonplace treatment option for depression.

2.     Bouldering has Significant Psycho-Physical Benefits

Psycho-Physical therapies are meant to bridge the gap between your internal and external health. Combining the two can significantly help with lessening the impact of somatic and psychosomatic symptoms for people suffering from stress or related mental or physical disorders. If you find yourself often moody or feeling out of sorts, then bouldering could be precisely the thing to help you rein in those overwhelming emotions.

The Department of Movement at the University of Rome conducted research to see if there was any significant difference in the psychophysical responses to participants when comparing bouldering to traditional full-body workout routines. They followed changes in physical fitness, anxiety, and overall moods. The results showed that anxiety significantly decreased after each single training session while both physical fitness and positive moods increased. This means that you can trade in a boring training for a quick weekly indoor bouldering routine and still get the same advantages.

Anxiety and stress are some of the leading causes of psychosomatic disorders. Employing a mixture of traditional therapy, medication, and bouldering, you can decrease both of those significantly, leading to a better quality of life. The effects can be seen even after as little as one indoor rock climbing session. That is a pretty good argument for adding this activity to your routine if you are someone who experiences excessive amounts of anxiety in their day to day life.

3.     Bouldering is Beneficial to the Body, Mind, and Your Social Life

Medical professionals in Italy, Germany, and Switzerland came together to produce a paper outlining the ways in which rock climbing can help you. They shared an understanding that climbing is known to be beneficial for both the musculoskeletal system and the mind. It is used in physical therapy, behavioral training, and similar social integrational activities. There is even proof that children as young as elementary school-age can profit from this past time. That makes this an excellent workout for families that want to improve their overall health.

The bouldering community is also very social, and it is not uncommon for strangers to enjoy conversations and cheer each other on as they ascend and descend the rock walls. If you have found yourself wanting to be more social but are not sure where to start, then this activity is a great ice breaker.

It is a known fact that workouts that focus on spatial orientation, muscle coordination, and overall balance have positive effects on the human brain. These are all highly involved in the practice of rock climbing either indoors or outdoors. The main mental advantage is an increase in memory. The holistic health rewards involved with bouldering are proven and easy to maintain.

4.     Bouldering is a Great Cardiovascular Workout

Heart conditions are one of the leading causes of death and disability around the world. There are medications to help manage symptoms and lifestyle changes that can be adapted to help regain a healthy life after a cardiovascular injury such as a heart attack. However, avoiding something like that happening entirely is preferable and cardiovascular workouts are the ideal way to keep your heart in tip-top shape.

The University of British Columbia conducted a study on the physical changes that take place while a person is rock climbing, and they found that “during climbing, there are increases in oxygen consumption and heart rate, suggesting that it requires utilization of a significant portion of whole body aerobic capacity.” The way climbing increases oxygen, and your heart rate means that your entire cardiovascular system is getting a healthy workout while bouldering, which could potentially add years to your lifespan.

Whole body workouts and physical exercises designed for the cardiovascular system, in particular, are known to improve overall health. Examples of these are walking, running, and swimming. As previously mentioned in the section on the treatment of depression, bouldering has been shown to actually be more productive than these other forms of exercise when it comes to overall health benefits.

5.     Bouldering is Good for Problem Solving, Memory, and Concentration

Concentration and memory obviously play a significant part in any rock climbing pursuit since you need to not only focus on what your body is doing but what you need it to do after the next handhold and the one after that. The need to be aware of yourself and your surroundings at all times is a good workout for your brain. Stretching your mental muscles will keep you thinking faster and problem-solving better, which can then translate to physical improvements.

Drs. Ross and Tracy Alloway conducted a study that showed a considerable increase in active memory for participants after they climbed various structures and objects. The results of this study showed a phenomenal increase after just a short test. What they considered influential factors in the increased memory capabilities was the need to be aware of posture while strategizing next moves and using body muscle groups to move around or lift small objects.

It really is no wonder that indoor climbing centers and bouldering are becoming popular mainstays in almost every city in America. This new form of natural cross-fit training has a lot of advantages over traditional workouts. It is widely known that activities that strengthen memory and problem-solving skills will also stop some forms of age-related mental decline, including dementia. They can also decrease the effects of Alzheimer’s in certain situations.

6.     Bouldering is a Full-Body Workout

Bouldering is a full-body workout that uses muscular contractions to propel your body upward while various muscle groups control your body’s movement direction and speed. This total physical and mental focus works out every part of your body and increases stamina and strength.

As you can see from the studies and results provided in this article, the question “is bouldering good for your health?” has a straightforward answer. Yes! It not only increases your mental and physical health but also gives you a social boost while helping to combat the more persistent symptoms of common forms of mental illness. There is no reason not to try this form of therapeutic exercise.

Conclusion

This article has provided many studies to back up the claims that bouldering is good for you mentally and physically. Not only can it reduce symptoms of depression, it can also increase the function of the brain and cardiovascular system.

So what now? Are you ready to undertake your bouldering journey? Take a look at my bouldering basics article to get you started.

Before starting any new physically demanded activity, it is always a good idea to get the opinion of your doctor. If you intend to use it as a way to decrease stress or help with other mental issues, then consulting your therapist or a mental health professional is also an excellent idea so that you can have a better idea of how to focus your thoughts while climbing.

Rock climbing is an excellent sport both for fitness and enjoyment. You gain strength, balance, and reap the rewards of views usually reserved for birdlife along with the contentment of having defeated a mighty structure. But does that mean you should climb any day and at any time? No! While it may be fun, rock climbing comes various risks as well. One risk factor is the weather. If you climb during unsuitable weather, you may put your life in danger due to the risk of falling.

So, what is the best weather for rock climbing? The weather associated with fall (aka Autumn) is best for general rock climbing. It shouldn’t be rainy; the weather should be sunny or cloudy. Rain can make the rocks slippery and hinder the process of climbing, no matter your experience. However, sunny doesn’t mean extremely hot temperatures. If it’s too hot, you’ll sweat a lot and your hands won’t be able to grip effectively. The temperatures should be cooler if possible, typically below 70°F, to minimize sweating and increase friction between the hands and the rocks.

Page Jumps

• The Best Weather for Rock Climbing With Ropes
• The Best Weather and Temperature for Bouldering
• The Best Weather and Temperature for Ice Climbing
• Best Weather and Temperature for Mountaineering/Alpinism
• How to Boulder or Rock Climb Safely in Any Weather
• Is It Bad to Climb in Weather That’s Too Hot?
• Is It Bad to Climb in Weather That’s Too Cold?
• What Equipment to Take with you if You’re Bouldering in Winter
• Rock Climbing Techniques for Different Weather Conditions

The Best Weather for Rock Climbing With Ropes

The best weather for rock climbing with ropes (sport climbing, top rope climbing and trad climbing) is determined by the following factors: whether the cliff in the shade or sun, whether the area humid or dry or whether its summer or winter? Low temperatures are suitable for rock climbing using ropes. Rock climbers often covet low temperatures since there’s more friction in the cold, which gives them a better grip on the ropes and shoes compared to warm temperatures. Your body will also lose less water, reducing the need to rehydrate as frequently. Also, you won’t get sunburnt during lower temperatures. The best temperature for rock climbing with ropes is between 32°F and 80°F, which makes fall and some parts of spring the best time.

The Best Weather and Temperature for Bouldering

For maximum fun and potential when bouldering, you need lots of friction. This means that you need cold rock and the least amount of moisture, sweat, and hand grease on your hands. Bouldering is not ideal during the hot summer sun because, again, you’ll be sweating a lot, and the surface will be very slippery. The hot summer sun also increases the rate of exhaustion and dehydration. Fall is the best time for bouldering, and spring coming in as the best alternative weather to fall. The best temperature for bouldering is generally cooler than roped climbing. This is because lower and intermediate grades when roped climbing do not require as much friction considered to bouldering. Temperatures between 32°F and 50°F are the most ideal when bouldering, however anything up to 80°F shouldn’t affect you too much.

If you want to know more about bouldering, I’ve included pretty much everything in my bouldering 101 article.

The Best Weather and Temperature for Ice Climbing

Any weather with freezing temperatures is ideal for ice climbing. Ice climbing in temperatures closer to 30°F or more is precarious because of the melting and unstable icefalls. When it comes to ice climbing, it’s best to climb in temperatures lower than 2°F, but you’ll need lots of layers to keep you warm. Also, remember that too many layers restrict mobility and add weight. Most ice climbers prefer climbing in the dead of winter. This is when icefalls have completely solidified and thickened, reducing the probability of breakage.

I’ve written a very detailed article about ice climbing, including what is it, the basics, where you can practise it and what gear you’ll need.

Best Weather and Temperature for Mountaineering/Alpinism

Just like ice climbing, practicing alpinism when temperatures are above freezing point exposes you to dripping ice and other dangerous conditions. That’s why alpinism is generally practiced in freezing temperatures. Alpinism needs temperatures that are stable enough to hold the ice in place so that you don’t fall accidentally. However, it shouldn’t be too cold to prevent the risk of hypothermia. According to a study published on NCBI, weather, especially extremely cold weather, is a crucial factor in mortality rates. Climbers are prone to die from hypothermia if they don’t take the right safety measures.

Therefore, for your own safety, mountaineering needs temperatures sustainable by the human body. The best weather for mountaineering is during summer when the weather is friendly, and the temperatures are not extreme. And if you feel the weather isn’t that friendly, take the necessary precautions.

How to Boulder or Rock Climb Safely in Any Weather

Staying safe when rock climbing is crucial and climbing safety depends on your own judgment. Sometimes, weather conditions will be against your expectations, that’s why understanding the severity of the weather condition and making the correct decision is vital. According to ScienceDirect, when the weather gets bad, climbers start rushing and hurrying. This is more likely to cause accidents than the weather itself. Therefore, being aware of changing weather can mean a lot to your safety – you won’t need to rush to get away from the stormy weather.

Another thing is that you wear appropriate clothes and equipment before venturing on any climbing expedition. And don’t forget to prepare for your climb in advance, and have tips on how to deal with unexpected bad weather. Just like exposure, recognizing symptoms of hypothermia means the difference between staying alive and dying on the rocks or ice. Falling rocks have caused a significant number of injuries and deaths and, even though they can’t be predicted, you can avoid them by staying away from hazardous terrains.

As a climber, you should also pay attention to the wind speed, the probability of rain or snow, and the forecasted lows and highs before planning any rock climbing adventure. If you adhere to these tips, you’ll be more likely to return home safe and sound.

Is It Bad to Climb in Weather That’s Too Hot?

The challenges of running, climbing, and hillwalking in severe summer conditions are undeniable. Climbing in weather that’s too hot exposes you to many risks. These include sunburns, dehydration, heat exhaustion, and even heat stroke. Mild dehydration is very common, but in severe cases, dehydration can result in brain damage, seizures, or even death.

Heatstroke is another severe threat of climbing in scorching weather. Heatstroke occurs when your body is no longer able to cool itself. Once your body temperature goes beyond 40°C, the cells are damaged, and your body organs suffer. Climbing in weather that’s too hot impairs your eyesight, and performance, and you won’t know when it’s safe to push harder or when to stop and throttle back.

Is It Bad to Climb in Weather That’s Too Cold?

Cold weather opens the door to the best climbing experiences. As a climber, exploring your climbing adventures during the cold weather gives you many advantages. However, climbing in extremely cold conditions is very risky. If the weather is too cold, you cannot comfortably cling on your rope or hang on the rock.

The rubber in your shoes will be harder, making it more difficult to mold to the shape of the rock you’re stepping on. Even if you’re wearing clothes that keep you warm enough, the rope will numb your hands, which will make climbing very challenging and risky. You’ll also need to wear lots of clothes and gear to keep you warm; these will not only make you heavy but also reduce your range of mobility.

What Equipment to Take with you if You’re Bouldering in Winter

We’ve discussed the advantages of bouldering in winter, but what’s needed to keep you warm during this period? Don’t forget, bouldering is about having fun. Having better equipment means more fun and harder sends.

Bouldering doesn’t rely on ropes for protection. Instead, it relies on crash pads to protect climbers when falling. Think of packing climbing shoes, a climbing brush, chalk and a chalk bag/bucket, high-quality crash pads, at least two t-shirts, a vest, an insulated jacket, gloves/mitts, and warm socks. Ensure that your clothes absorb sweat, give you the right level of warmth, and are well ventilated. Avoid wearing cotton clothes as they become cold and heavy when wet.

You’ll also need a flask for keeping hot drinks, and some extra food. Sunglasses and trekking poles are also recommended for amateurs. If you’re planning to carry your smartphone or any other electronic gadget, ensure that you carry re-sealable plastic bags to keep your equipment dry.

Rock Climbing Techniques for Different Weather Conditions

Experienced climbers don’t use loads of energy to power their way up rocks. Instead, they use different moves and techniques to overcome various types of challenges. When you have the right skills and technical ability, moves will start clicking, and you’ll eventually find yourself on top of the most challenging terrains. Below are some techniques to help you when rock climbing with ropes in any weather.

• Keep your arms straight – When hanging using your rope, keep your body weight on your skeleton rather than trying to flex them. This will help your arm muscles rest rather than being engaged throughout the climbing period.
• Climb using your feet – Despite being the most important skill, most beginners overlook this technique when rock climbing. The lower body is usually stronger than the upper body; that’s why you should always keep your weight on your feet when rock.
• Resting – Having enough rest is perhaps as useful as any other skill in climbing. When doing long routes, you can occasionally rest by dropping one or both arms. You can also use the opportunity to relax your muscles by stretching and shaking your hands.
• Maintain quiet feet – Occasionally, climbers get scared, which makes them hurry. This makes them scrap around and waste lots of energy while trying to find holds. Attempt climbing rocks while keeping your feet are quiet as you can to reduce tension and anxiety.
• Engage your core – You need a strong core to achieve the best stability and balance on rocks. Work on strengthening your core since its good for rock climbing.
• Positive self-talk – A positive self-talk is a vital mental component when rock climbing using ropes. Pay attention to your thoughts when climbing. If you identify fear as a significant factor, learn to think positively about your safety and achievements at the end of the day. Rock climbing can teach you lots of life lessons if you’re willing to learn.
• Breathe – Always take deep breathes when taking each step to avoid instances of making your body shake when climbing. Trembling and anxiety are also caused by insufficient oxygen in your body. Breathing regularly also calms the mind and keeps you focused.

If you were wondering about the best weather for bouldering, rock climbing, ice climbing, mountaineering, I hope this article has given you enough information. Remember, being aware of how various weather conditions impact rock climbing will not only make the activity fun, but also ensure your safety.

There are few things in life better than rock climbing. It’s got it all: it’s a great workout, a fun activity, it has an amazing community of people, and can be a life-long pursuit. Unfortunately, rock climbing can be complex when first starting out – and beginners can find themselves making quite a few mistakes.

Luckily for you there’s a few more experienced climbers, like myself, who understand the mistakes they’ve made as a beginner. If you’re afraid you might be doing something wrong, fear not! I’ve listed 10 crucial mistakes beginner rock climbers make, both in terms of safety and progress, so you can see what you shouldn’t be doing – and if you are doing something wrong, you can learn how to fix it!

Here’s the 10 mistakes that beginners make when indoor bouldering:

1. Bad footwork – if you’re using your feet at all.
2. Don’t rush. Trying to send a climb without focusing on technique
3. Not resting properly – either too much rest or too little rest
4. Don’t jump down after you’ve sent a climb – climb down instead
5. Not knowing the rules and etiquette of indoor rock climbing
6. Being overly-excited and buying the wrong type of shoes
7. Sacrificing technique because your muscles can’t take it – especially your forearms
8. Not caring about finger injuries
9. Using a hangboard too early instead of waiting until you’re ready
10. Focusing on sending climbs instead of developing technique

Read on to learn more about each individual mistake.

1. Bad footwork – if you’re using your feet at all.

Most novices make this same mistake when rock climbing; it’s something that’s happened to most of us. We primarily use our hands, arms and upper back to climb. On one side that’s great – it gets those muscles fired up and going! However it has a major downside.

We slowly learn how to use our upper body strength to climb – but what we don’t realize is that we are forgetting about 50% of the human body. We don’t focus on how to use our feet and legs at all. At least, not correctly anyway.

After a while, we realize we should’ve been using our entire body to rock climb, and it seems we become better overnight. Most people have no idea how to employ proper footwork to rock climb. Who can blame them? At first, we don’t use our feet at all! And when we start using them, we don’t know what to do!

So, here’s the thing. Because we don’t want to overcomplicate things, we’ll keep this one simple: stop using the middle of your foot to climb on footholds. You’re not walking, you’re climbing! Use both your feet as if they were hands and grab onto holds using your toes, or the outside and inside of your foot. Once you advance you’ll also learn how to toe hook and heel hook.

Try using your these parts of your feet next time you’re rock climbing, it’ll be a game-changer!

2. Don’t rush: Trying to send a climb without focusing on technique

Besides lower body issues, there’s a second problem most beginners rock climbers will face, no matter who they are. They rush too much. I’ve seen this more true for men than women (I have no idea why).

Most beginners treat rock climbing like a sprint. Instead of taking time to learn and slowly develop their technique, they throw caution out of the window and try to make it to the top as fast as they can.

There’s nothing wrong with showing off every once in a while. And we’ve a lot of us have raced our friends once or twice before. But the thing is, when you are starting out, you need to focus on developing your technique.

Try to be mindful of each movement: pay close attention to your hands and feet – how are you grabbing, reaching, and transitioning. It’s a conscious effort. Eventually, it will come naturally, and rushing will be a thing of the past.

The Instagram video below is me sending a tricky V5 which required slow transitions to avoid barn dooring on multiple occassions.

3. Not resting properly – either too much rest or too little rest

This isn’t a “beginners-only” mistake, it’s is a common one. But it’s good to keep it in mind next time you are rock climbing. Apparently, most rock climbers think there are two ways to rest between each turn: taking barely any time to rest or taking too long to rest and forgetting to warm their muscles back up once they return to the wall.

If you think you are above and beyond resting, think again. You aren’t doing any favors for yourself by not taking the right time to regain your strength back. Instead, it’s detrimental: you can cause long term and short term injuries by climbing without rest and forcing yourself to climb through muscle fatigue.

This is especially true for beginners who lack the muscle endurance required for climbing. I’ve written a whole article on how to improve muscular endurance for climbing which you can find here.

On the other hand, by resting too much, you are not doing any better especially if you don’t warm up again. If you lose track of time and spend 20-30 minutes chatting between climbs, you will also be prone to injuries. You warm-up before starting a bouldering session for a reason: you need your muscles ready for explosive and persistent movements. By resting too much, you’ll cool down and then you’ll need to warm up again.

4. Don’t jump down after you’ve sent a climb – climb down instead

The superhero landing looks cool. You reach the top and jump down as if you were in a movie. But this is real-life – and doing this has real-life consequences. Instead of looking cool, keep it safe. That way you’ll be able to climb when you’re old.

Why is jumping down from a bouldering wall unsafe? Because your body is not made for taking that much stress when you land! You compress the vertebrae in your spine which puts stress on the lumbar region of your back. It also puts a lot of stress on your knees, feet and hips. You’re asking for a long-term injury by doing this. I’d also advise you to learn how to fall (and how not to fall) off a bouldering wall, this is essential for the safety of your body over time.

You might think you’re body is tougher than your average climber because you have been jumping down for a long time now without any injuries. Well, think again… these kinds of injuries build over time – and one day you could find yourself with terrible knee or back pain you can’t shake. It’s not worth it! WHERE POSSIBLE, climb down rather than jump.

5. Not knowing the rules and etiquette of indoor rock climbing

Nearly every sport or activity has rules and etiquette of their own and rock climbing is no different. Most people learn them over time and, every once in a while, you discover a new rule. They are all intuitive. But, sometimes, that’s not the case.

To keep everyone on board, here are a couple of unspoken rules of rock climbing:

• Don’t shout or yell constantly. Rock climbing can be a frustrating at times, and you can take out a little of that frustration by voicing your issues. Doing this all the time, however is a big no-no. Don’t make it annoying for everybody else.
• Don’t hog the wall. Share. We’re all there to climb, so take turns and keep it civilized.
• When it comes to giving advice, give none unless somebody asks first. This is called “beta spray”. Just because you know the beta (the right way to send the climb) does not mean people want you to tell them. Some want to find out on their own.
• If you want beta advice then just ask a more experienced climber. They’ll usually say yes, but make sure you do it at the right time. Wait until people are done with their own problem first.
• When in doubt, ask “Is this wall taken?” or “Is somebody going next?” It’ll save you a lot of trouble.

6. Being overly-excited and buying the wrong type of shoes

When we begin our rock climbing journey, we learn there are all sorts of things we can buy to make our experience better. You might think the higher the price, the better the shoe. Well, before you get your credit card out, take a breather.

Make sure you know what you are getting into before you buy anything. Learn about it online, ask the veterans at your gym as well. Try and buy something that will suit your needs and budget.

I’ve spent years trying out different shoes, finding the best ones that work for me in particular types of climbing – whether they’re shoes specific to beginners, bouldering, sport climbing or just as an all-round shoe. I’ve always tried to focus on getting the best value for my money while increasing my performance. If you want to take a look at a list I’ve made of my recommended climbing shoes then you can take a look here.

7. Sacrificing technique because your muscles can’t take it – especially your forearms

Bouldering will tax a lot of muscles in your body. Without proper technique, you’ll start using some muscles more than others. You’ll do alright at first – but, eventually, you’ll find yourself either stagnating or injured.

Hang with straight arms where possible when you’re climbing. Beginners tend to have weak forearms and therefore use their biceps to keep their body up when hanging. This is wrong technique. It’ll be incredibly hard and your forearms will be in a lot of pain at first, but it’s the best way to learn proper technique and develop strength and endurance – especially when you’re a beginner. After you have a little bit of experience you can try more advanced techniques.

Check out this video of me using the straight arm technique on this V4-V5:

8. Not caring about finger injuries

Most beginner climbers are quick to fear back injuries. Knee injuries are also a big worrying matter. What beginners seem to ignore are finger injuries. There might be a slight sharp pain in your finger flexor, or even your forearm flexor… but that’s no reason to stop, right? Wrong!

Your fingers are a key element when you’re rock climbing and they can damage very easily, especially for beginners. If you’ve just started climbing then your fingers have not gone through this much of a workout in… probably ever! So, pay close attention to fingers at all times. If you feel something different, even a very small but sharp pain, stop climbing and ice them when possible.

9. Using a hangboard too early instead of waiting until you’re ready

Rock climbing is a world of its own. And like every other sport out there, there are specific ways to become better. One unique thing about climbing is the use of a hangboard. It’s a weird-looking board that’s used to train your finger strength and grip. Be advised, though, you should only use it to train when you are advanced enough.

The hangboard is a fantastic tool if you can handle it, but beginners do not have the forearm and finger strength to use a one safely. Hangboards can damage your finger flexor tendons if used too early. You can usually start using a hangboard safely once you’ve been climbing for around 6 to 12 months. Here are my recommendations of the best hangboards to buy. If you’re a beginner, plain old climbing will have to do for a while before you can jump onto the hangboard.

10. Focusing on sending climbs instead of developing technique

How can you measure your progress if not by checking how much you have accomplished? Well, you can see how good your technique is getting overtime. This should be number one on your priority list! Technique comes first; sending routes (aka finishing a climb) is a distant second!

Of course, one comes with the other. If you develop good technique, you’ll send more climbs. If you are completing more routes, you could say you have a better technique, right? Well, not so much. Sometimes, we manage to finish routes because of other factors – like pure, brute strength. And we don’t want to rely on strength; we want to be technical rock climbers! While strength does have its advantages, it decreases over time when you use it. Plus, if you’re younger you won’t have as much strength as you get older. If you focus on technique everything else will happen in due time.

Bouldering is often used as a dating activity, however whether you’re an experienced climber taking a beginner on a bouldering date, or an inexperienced climber who’s been invited on a bouldering date, you may have some questions regarding whether it’s a good idea or how to go about it. In this article I’ll be covering everything you need to know about going bouldering on a date as an inexperienced or an experienced climber.

So, is bouldering a good activity for a date? Bouldering is a great activity to find out the personality traits of a person because it shows how they react to challenges. It’s also less expensive than your traditional date. If the date isn’t going well then you can always focus on climbing rather than the date itself. It isn’t advised to go bouldering on a first date unless you have prior knowledge that your date is athletic and/or adventurous.

Let’s break down going bouldering as a date into different sections.

Page Jumps

• Is Bouldering a Good Activity for a Date?
• Is Bouldering Good as a First Date?
• Taking a Beginner Bouldering on a Date
• What to do if You’re a Beginner Bouldering on a Date

Is Bouldering a Good Activity for a Date?

Bouldering is an activity that can be very fun for both parties if you’re going on a date. The object of a date is to get to know another person, find out if they’re a good match for you and hopefully have fun at the same time. It’s very common that some people feel awkward on dates because they’re not the biggest talker, however it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re a bad match for the other person, they might just be bad at certain dates depending on the setting.

It’s a Personality Tester

So you think your date’s hot, but what kind of person are they and will they suit your personality? Bouldering is a great way to see how your date approaches a challenge, whether they’re experienced or inexperienced at it. Are they a confident climber, or will they approach the wall with caution? What they do after they fail at sending a route will also show you parts of their personality too. Do they give up easily and act childish about their failure, or do they pick themselves up and try again? You’ve also got to think about how they act when you’re climbing, for example are they supportive and is that what you want in a partner? Are you fine with your date making jokes about your climbing style or the way you approach failure? This all comes with bouldering.

It’s Not Expensive

Bouldering is also quite cheap, cheaper than your average dinner date anyway. If you’re a beginner climber all you’ll need to do is rent some shoes and a day pass, buy a chalk ball, and bring a water bottle, then you’re good to go! It costs a maximum of $20. Did he/she offer to pay for you? Or did he/she want you to pay for them? Did that put you off or not?

There’s Time to Chat

When you’re both resting there’s always time for a little chat to get to know them a bit more. What’s good about using a physical activity such as bouldering as a date is that when the conversation gets a little awkward there’s always climbing to be done! If you’ve run out of things to say you can always talk about the last route you/they climbed. Try to help them or get them to help you. Encourage team work in the routes you both climb.

If it’s Awkward then Focus on Bouldering

It’s no secret as I’ve already mentioned that dates can become awkward fast depending on whether two people click or not, and this is why bouldering is a good activity for a date. If the date DOES become awkward then you can just focus on your climbing and not worry too much about what’s going on with the other person.

Exercise Releases Endorphins

If this isn’t your first date and you’re trying to get a bit more chemistry going with the other person then bouldering is a good idea. Not only can it be sexy to see the other person work out in their exercising clothes but exercise also releases endorphins which help to increase libido. You may also want to start introducing non-creepy and appropriate touching, for example helping your partner start a climb or picking them up when they fall. Even a hug in certain situations after they’ve sent a hard problem can release oxytocin in their brain. Oxytocin is a hormone that is known as the “love hormone” – it releases when people bond socially, cuddle, kiss etc and is responsible for creating a bond between two people.

You Decide the Time Commitment

Unlike a lot of physical activities, bouldering is one of those that can be a whole day session, or it can be a 45 minute session. Therefore it’s up to you to decide how long you want the date to last. If the date’s going well then you may want to keep bouldering for a few hours – obviously make sure it’s ok with your date because they may not feel the same way or have plans for the rest of the day. If your date’s not going well then you might call it a day when you’ve had enough time to realize that it’s not going to work out between the two of you.

Is Bouldering Good as a First Date?

Unless you have prior knowledge that your date is an athletic or adventurous person it’s probably not a good idea to go on bouldering with them on a first date. You may not understand it yourself but some people don’t like to climb up a 4 meter wall, get to the top and then have to come down again – crazy right?! But on a serious note, some people might have a fear of falling or a fear of heights, or the idea of climbing just isn’t their cup of tea. It’s best you go on a traditional first date with someone beforehand, find out their personality and hobbies, and if the first date went well then you can try bouldering for a second or third date. Better yet, if the date’s gone well, mention it to them near the end of the first date and see how they react. Try not to put them under pressure, though.

Taking a Beginner Bouldering on a Date

Make them Feel Comfortable

As the more advanced climber, your date is probably going to rely on you to show them the ropes and tell them how this bouldering stuff works. They might feel quite uncomfortable at first – this is something completely new to them – but it’s your job to help them relax and learn. If you do this, not only will your climbing session be a lot better because there won’t be any awkwardness, but your date will also consider you to be quite caring and easy going. If you can make them feel comfortable around you in a bouldering gym then they’ll feel comfortable around you in general.

Don’t Show Off In a Cocky Way

If you haven’t done a V7 before then why try now? If you’re a V6 climber then you should climb your usual grade. Not only will you make a fool out of yourself, but your date might also think you’re a bit cocky, which isn’t a good trait to have. Now I’m not saying don’t show off full stop. It’s quite nice to show your talents to your date, and they’ll probably be impressed if you do it in a non-arrogant way. Climb your usual grade and if you send a climb act then try and act modest. Being modest is a characteristic that’s very appealing to most people of the opposite sex.

Ask Your Date If They Want Help

Some people don’t actually want help even as a beginner. Ask your date if they want help first and be supportive when they’re on the wall. If your date does want help then that’s great because it’s a good idea for them to become better at a faster rate. They’ll start to enjoy the activity more and they’ll subconsciously thank you for helping their success.

What to do if You’re a Beginner Bouldering on a Date

Safety First

If you’re going bouldering for the first time, whether you’re on a date or not, then you need to be as safe as possible. There’s something called bouldering etiquette which needs to be followed when you’re in a bouldering gym. The following rules have been taken from my Bouldering 101 article (click link to view) which explains Bouldering etiquette along with everything you’ll need to know regarding bouldering as a beginner.

“Bouldering etiquette is the climbing code all boulderers should follow for safety purposes and as a way of general politeness. It’s a few (usually unspoken) rules. These are:

• Be aware of your surroundings. If someone falls on you it’s your fault! If there’s an area in the gym that someone can fall on your or your belongings then move yourself and your gear.
• If someone’s on the wall before you then make sure your climbing route does not intersect their climbing route.
• Don’t give out advice unless someone actually wants it. When you’re on a climbing wall you’re trying to solve a problem – that’s half the fun of the climb! Don’t ruin another person’s fun unless they ask you for advice.
• Take turns on the wall with other climbers. Don’t hog it all for yourself.
• Don’t jump on the wall after someone’s just brushed a hold. They’re brushing the hold so that excess chalk isn’t impeding their climb. If you go on the wall you’ve literally just added excess chalk to that hold which means they’re going to have to brush it again!
• Don’t yell or shout in frustration. If you’re going to do it every now and again then fair enough but don’t make it an ongoing thing. It’s annoying.
• If you’re not sure about something, just ask a more experienced climber. Climbers are usually very helpful with beginners – whether it’s a technical question about bouldering or a general question about the rules of the gym.
• Make sure any children you’re with stick to you at all times and follow the same rules listed above.”

What to Bring and What to Wear

You’ll need to bring a water bottle, but you might find that the bouldering gym doesn’t allow you to bring the bottle onto the mat so you’ll have to keep it in your bag. All you need to wear is a pair of exercise pants such as shorts, jogging bottoms or yoga pants, and an t-shirt or top suitable for exercising. Try not to wear jewellery such as a necklace as it can catch on to holds. Be aware that when you arrive at the gym you’ll need to rent or buy climbing shoes. If your date won’t let you use their chalk (which they should I mean it’s not that expensive), then just buy a chalk ball or liquid chalk for now.

Climb Down, Don’t Jump

It’s a good idea to climb down instead of jumping to save your back. Every time you jump off a climb and land on your feet, the vertebrae in your spine is going to compress. This isn’t a good thing long term.

I decided to write this article to help anyone in need of any and all information related to bouldering. This is a very long article, so if you’re looking for something specific then please use the Page Jumps below to navigate to the subheading that suits your needs.

Currently, bouldering is and has also been my favorite form of rock climbing. It’s the type of climbing I practise 99% of the time. Because of this I have decided to write an article covering the whole topic which will hopefully answer any questions on the topic.

I’ve also linked a few more internal and external articles and/or videos here relating to the subheadings that I hope you will also find helpful. But anyway, let’s get on with it shall we?

Page Jumps

• Bouldering Basics
• More Bouldering Tips
• Bouldering Etiquette and Safety
• The Best Bouldering Gear
• Bouldering for Kids and Toddlers
• Bouldering Grades

Bouldering Basics

Before you undertake any sport it’s best to understand the basics so you can learn faster. I’ve thought of a list of bouldering basics which I wish I’d have learnt when I first started bouldering. These have been taken directly from my Bouldering Basics article.

Warm up/Cool down and stretch

Warming up is essential for any climber to avoid injury because we are putting a lot of load onto our muscles, tendons and ligaments that we may not use normally in everyday life. Cooling down also avoids the feeling of being stiff for the next few days. Do not skip this part of your session whether indoor or outdoor. If you’re bouldering in a cold environment it is even more crucial that you warm up to avoid pulling your muscles, ligaments, and/or tendons. There are many different ways to warm up, but the most common ways of warming up when climbing are:

• Using lighter weights to heat up the muscles making them more flexible
• Practising slow pull ups
• Climbing lower graded climbs slowly with controlled technique
• Doing easy, full body and/or dynamic exercises such as star jumps and burpees

These exercises can also be used to cool down at the end of a session. Most casual climbers don’t take warming up too seriously. They’ll generally do the exercises mentioned above and a lot of them will become injured every now and again when injury could’ve been avoided by completing a set warm up routine. Warm up routines increase blood flow to the muscles, help the body become flexible and therefore decrease the risk of injury.

Let’s go through a warm up routine that uses full body exercises, stretching and controlled climbing.

1. First off let’s get our muscles warm by increasing the blood flow. We can do this in a number of ways. If you’ve cycled to the climbing gym, you could use that as a part of your warm up. Otherwise you may want to complete these aerobic exercises: run on the spot for 60 seconds, then go straight into 10 star jumps, and then do 5 burpees, and then 20 squats. This should get the heart going. If this is too much for you then you can half the number of reps in the exercises and repeat it after a minutes rest.
2. Once you’ve done that you’ll need to stretch your muscles. Dynamic stretching is the best way to stretch before you climb as it prepares your joints for high intensity by releasing synovial fluid into them providing lubrication. Here’s a dynamic full body stretching routine:
3. We’re going to first stretch the neck by sitting or standing with good posture then, slowly, look left 90 degrees and look right 90 degrees. Let your neck act like there’s a spring of some sort on each side slowly pulling it away from the other. Do this 5 times on each side (Note: if you have a facet injury in the neck then you may want to avoid this).
4. Windmill your arms forward 10 reps and backwards 10 reps to warm up your shoulders. Again, do this slowly, don’t rush as this can cause injuries.
5. Complete 5 lunges on each side to stretch your hamstrings, glutes, and quads.
6. Sit down in a cross legged position, now uncross your legs and put the bottom of your feet together and butterfly your legs. This stretches your groin.
7. Climb slowly on the climbing wall. With every jug you grab you should allow your body to drop a bit – you’ll usually feel a stretch on your forearms, shoulders, back and maybe even your pectorals. Do this for 5 controlled climbs.
8. Once you’ve stretched yourself out on the wall it’s time to warm up by climbing. Your fingers need warming up properly before you start climbing on harder grades so you need to climb slowly, with controlled technique on a grade you find very easy. Do this for at least 5 climbs. You can usually tell if you’re warmed up enough. If you’re a beginner and you don’t find anything easy then you can do 1 of 2 things. Either find the circuit board or training board and traverse (climb sideways) for a short time before you feel your arms becoming “pumped”, or you can find a place on the wall to do this if there’s no option to use a training board.

A cool down can also be done at the end of every session. Climbing on lower grades, slowly with controlled technique is one way to cool down. You should also add the majority of the dynamic stretch routine to your cool down.

You should know your bouldering terrain

Outdoor vs Indoor

Knowing the difference between outdoor and indoor climbing is crucial when climbing outside for the first time. When climbing outdoors there’s one main difference that becomes obvious quite quickly: climbing on brightly colored holds is a lot easier than finding a route on rock that isn’t obvious to the climber. When you have the guiding pathway that these colored holds give you, it becomes so much simpler than climbing a route which offers no real guidance.

When outdoor climbing you may find that you’re feeling around for holds a lot more or feeling how good a hold is than you are actually climbing. With indoor climbing this doesn’t usually happen as much.

Outdoor climbing is very peaceful and usually there aren’t as many people around causing fall hazards. Don’t forget, when climbing on outdoor rock you’re much more likely to get scratches and scrapes than you are on an artificial wall.

Outdoor rock may be covered in dirt or sand and can therefore be more slippery and confusing for the climber than holds that are used in a gym – climbing gyms don’t often replicate muck and dirt particles on their climbing holds. A lot of outdoor climbing holds can also be more polished than the majority of indoor holds which increases the chance of slipping.

Outdoor bouldering is also considered harder in terms of grades. A V2 in a gym is considered a V0 outside.

Climbing on Different Types of Rock

Rock types differ in their ease and feel when climbing on them. Limestone is considered one of the hardest rocks to climb on due to it usually having a more polished nature. Sandstone is considered easier, however you should not climb on sandstone within 24 hours of rain as the rock can absorb the moisture. If you climb on sandstone while it contains water then you have more chance of breaking it off the wall and therefore ruining the climb while also wasting your time trekking your way out to a crag. It has been said that granite is one of two things: a dream to climb on or very sharp causing pain, flappers and cuts on the hands. For a detailed article on the different types of rock climbers find outside click here.

Join in with a group of more advanced climbers

If you want to progress faster it’s a good idea to learn from someone who’s better than you. When I started climbing I went with my friend Dan. Dan knew someone who was climbing in the same gym and was around a V7 climber so we ended up joining in with their group. The amount of information we got over a few sessions with them was so useful that it helped me progress very quickly. Dan and I became V3-4 climbers in around 1 and a half months. We also understood different ways to enhance our climbing experience including gym routines, using the circuit and training boards, using hangboards, and other exercises. If we had any questions related to experience all we had to do was ask them.

I’m not saying you won’t progress if you’re climbing on your own. However, it’s proven that having a coach helps you learn faster. These more advanced climbers can act as your coach free of charge.

Watch more advanced climbers

Watching other people climb sounds simple but what I truly mean by this is you have to SEE what someone is doing and try to understand why they are doing it. I understand that watching people that are better than me with a close eye helps me with my own climbing. For example, when I first started climbing I noticed better climbers sag on certain parts of a climb. It always looked uncomfortable to me however I tried it myself eventually and was shocked when it seemed to work. This led me onto using more movements that I noticed others using on harder climbs. I had a hard time with foot swapping at first, but by studying foot swaps from those with more experience this helped me become a lot better at them. Study the moves individually that more advanced climbers use to transition from hold to hold. If you want you can even try a specific part of a harder climb to practise that move or transition. This will be useful for you in the future on other problems.

Some things, however, can’t be taught. You can’t be taught confidence on a slab when you’re full of fear, for instance. You can watch climbers complete problems like this all day but it’s your own mental hang-ups that are affecting your success in these departments. If you’re having trouble with a fear of heights or fear or falling you can check out an article I’ve written by clicking here.

Use a hangboard (aka a fingerboard)

A hangboard is a piece of equipment usually made of wood or a plastic resin that helps to strengthen your fingers. It contains multiple gaps to place each hand which you can use to widen your grips or put your hands next to each other to train different muscles. Generally, hangboards will have different size gaps that make the hang easier or harder. This is because your fingers can either grip more or less which can then cause more or less stress on the finger flexors. If your grip strength isn’t very good then you’ll probably have trouble on the smaller grips.

There are different exercises you can do on hangboards to help increase your grip strength which can be done at the start or end of a session. One simple exercise is to hang from a matching couple of holds for 10-15 seconds – if you can hang for more than 15 seconds then use smaller holds. Rest for a minute between each hang. After four hangs rest 5 minutes. Repeat this process another 2 times hanging for a total of 16 times and resting for a total of 27 minutes.

Eventually you may be able to do one handed hangs using the hangboard. This comes with a lot of practise. Using the same method above on each hand can also help increase grip strength once you seem to have a lot already.

Hangboards are available to buy so that you can place them in your home or garage. You can find more info about hangboards and my opinion on the best hangboards by clicking here.

All climbers find their feet

There is a saying that good climbers climb with their feet. You need to find your footholds before you transition. This is because without a base you’re a lot more likely to fall off. Most beginners will focus solely on the hands and forget every now and then about their foot placement. This puts too much pressure on the upper body and takes away from technique, meaning you learn less and have more chance of becoming injured.

Of course, the solution here is to focus on your foot placement before you make a movement. If the foot placement isn’t obvious, for example if there isn’t a definite foot hold nearby, then you may need to smear on the wall or apply some other technique to complete the transition. If the base of your body is stable, it is near impossible for you to fall, whereas your arms will eventually tire if they are the only two points of contact on the wall. Your legs are a lot stronger than your arms.

This is why foot placement is so critical when climbing. Find your feet in some way or other first before transitioning onto the next hold.

Don’t rush

You should think about your next move before you rush into it. Bouldering outdoors or in an indoor gym has no time limit so climb slowly if you can. You’ll notice that climbing slower helps you keep your balance and use controlled technique. By rushing you show that you have improper technical climbing ability. Make sure your hand and foot placements are correctly positioned and focus on any transitions. If you don’t you’re not practising correct technique, you’re practising incorrect technique that can then turn into a habit. Bad habits breed bad luck.

Don’t get annoyed

If things don’t go your way don’t get annoyed because this will just make you climb worse. This is something I think really does affect some climbers. Sometimes there’s that one problem that really annoys you which, unfortunately, affects you for the rest of the session and therefore ruins your climb. If you start to get annoyed move away from a climb and forget about it. Leave it for another session.

I also find that it’s easy to get annoyed if you don’t seem to be on your game, or you can’t complete any climbs. If this ever happens I realise it’s best to get a win under my belt, so I climb something that’s a bit easier that I’m sure I can complete. Sometimes I need a few wins under my belt to feel a bit better, and then I’ll carry on with the harder climbs, confidence intact.

Anger is the worst emotion to put into a sport like this. It makes you lose focus, causes your body to shake due to your internal rage, and also stresses you out. Climbing is a sport that requires concentration, a stable body and mindful movements.

Safety first

Make sure you don’t endanger yourself or any others around you. Bouldering indoors is much different to bouldering outdoors. When bouldering outdoors you are less likely to have someone fall on you unless you only boulder inside at times when no one’s around. You must make sure that you aren’t likely to be fallen on, or that you can fall on anyone, or that you or someone else can fall on any equipment that may cause injury.

When bouldering outdoors, you are more likely to fall on rock if you have misplaced your crash pad. Indoor bouldering usually has a safety mat throughout the whole gym so the only way you can really hurt yourself from falling is by falling on someone else, on part of the wall or on equipment.

It is advised for safety purposes that you are well aware of your surroundings, make sure there’s no equipment in fall zones, don’t climb underneath anyone else or start a route that crosses theirs, and if you are a guardian of someone else you should be aware of where they are at all times.

Try bouldering outdoors

If you haven’t already tried it, outdoor bouldering is a really good experience. Bouldering outdoors is so much more peaceful than indoor bouldering – there’s usually no manmade noise pollution so you only hear the sweet noises of nature; the tweeting of the birds, the breeze moving the trees around you, sometimes you even hear the rush of a river or a stream in the surrounding area. It’s so calming that it really helps you focus. I find it to be a form of meditation while you exercise. If you’re thinking about bouldering alone whether outdoors or indoors, I’ve written a detailed article with tips to help you which you can read by clicking here.

The rock you’re climbing on is usually a lot harder to grip than most indoor holds. Outdoor climbs are generally more difficult than indoor climbs because the holds can be more slippery, covered in muck or debris, or more painful/sharp on the hands. By bouldering outdoors you’re adding something more to your game. Until you’ve tried it you won’t understand how much different it is to indoor bouldering. You have to actually workout the foot and handholds yourself because they aren’t a dedicated color to a particular climb and therefore it takes a lot more focus. Once you boulder outdoors you’ll realise how much easier it is to boulder indoors.

There are pros and cons to each experience. Bouldering indoors offers a massive safety mat all the way through the gym, and usually includes a café and shop inside. You don’t need to bring a lot of gear other than climbing shoes, a change of clothes, chalk and chalk bag, and water. When bouldering outdoors you’ll need to bring a massive rucksack full off food, water, equipment and crash pads.

Outdoor bouldering requires good weather. Now, when I say good weather I don’t mean hot, sunny weather because this means it’s going to be quite sweaty on the hands. Sweat is not what we want when we’re climbing because we’re more likely to slip and fall off each hold. That’s why we use chalk, to absorb the moisture on our hands making it easier to grip onto each handhold. But there’s only so much that chalk can accomplish – if it’s a very hot day then no matter how much chalk you use, your hands will be sweaty. A dry, mild day is considered the best kind of day to boulder in; something not too hot or not too cold and without rain to affect the rock wall.

Get a good brush

A good brush for use on chalky holds is definitely needed. There are many different size brushes that you can buy from toothbrush size all the way up to dust pan and brush size. Personally I have 2 brushes, one for very small crevices – a tooth brush sized one – and one for bigger holds that require a bit more pressure. My bigger brush has a little dip on the neck that’s designed for you to put pressure down with your index finger meaning you can build more power as you clean the hand holds that are full of chalk.

For the first few months of my climbing journey I was LITERALLY using a tooth brush to clean the holds. To be honest, it really does work for those hard to get to crevices, but for the bigger holds that require more momentum it was useless. This was when I started researching into the best climbing brushes. I thought about just buying a generic one from the gym shop but someone advised me against that and told me about the Sublime Slimline brush and it’s design feature (the dip on the neck) and how useful it is. So I went for it and have been very pleased ever since. Just note that after a bit of use you will need a new brush.

If you buy climbing shoes, make sure they suit your needs

When buying climbing shoes there are a number of factors that you should consider. Some people buy rock climbing shoes based on what they’ve heard from other climbers or from shop assistants. The truth is not everyone knows your climbing situation. For example, there are a few questions you should consider:

• Do you purely boulder or do you lead climb as well?
• How often do you climb overhangs compared to slabs?
• How wide are your feet?
• What’s your budget?
• Would you consider yourself a beginner, intermediate, or advanced?
• On average, how long does your usual climbing session last?
• How durable should your shoes be?

If you lead climb or do any other type of climbing than bouldering then you may want to consider buying climbing shoes that are known to be quite versatile. If you buy versatile shoes such as the La Sportiva Miura when you only boulder, it’s slightly pointless when you could get better shoes suited for your specific type of rock climbing for the same price.

If you don’t climb overhangs all that often and aren’t considering venturing into them any time soon then there’s not much point buying shoes that are well-known for their toe hooking advantages such as the Scarpa Instinct VS or the Five Ten Anasazi Pro. If you climb overhangs then you’re going to be toe hooking a lot so you should consider this as a factor.

If you’ve got wide feet then you need to find a pair that suit your needs. You can usually do this by trying on the shoes at a local store.  I have wide feet myself – apparently I have developed small tailor’s bunions on each foot which I’ve had since I was a child. The climbing shoes I use for wide feet when bouldering are the Scarpa Instinct VS.

If you’re on a budget then there’s no need to worry, there are still some good shoes out there for less money including the Scarpa Velocity V which I found was a good shoe when bouldering for the price. However, you’ll have to decide on the other factors mentioned here as well.

If you’re a beginner you should be looking into shoes that will suit your needs. What’s the point buying an aggressively arched climbing shoe if you have no real need for it? Not only are you hurting your feet, you’re also wasting your money when it could have been spend on better shoes for your situation. For more advanced climbers you probably shouldn’t waste your time on shoes aimed for beginners unless it’s specifically because you want more comfortable shoes.

If your climbing sessions usually last a long time then you’ll probably want a pair that aren’t going to make your feet feel numb after an hour of using them. Therefore you’ll want a neutral arch on the sole. An aggressive arch is advised for people who are willing to endure an uncomfortable climb for a short amount of time. Climbing many hours at a time requires more comfortable shoes.

If you’re looking for durable shoes you have to be aware that the rubber is harder and therefore less sensitive on your feet, therefore you lose other benefits. Would you be interested in sacrificing precision or other advantages that the climbing shoes may offer for more durability?

More Bouldering Tips

Clench your foot like a monkey on slippery holds

This seriously helps to grip onto holds that have you slipping off.

Work on your strengths AND weaknesses

Don’t just advance on types of climbs you’re good at, work on your weaknesses too.

Find someone around your level and compete with them

By bringing in a competitive edge, you will want to get better faster and will push yourself more.

Use the circuit board

Using the circuit board helps to improve your climbing technical ability, endurance and strength.

Bouldering Etiquette and Safety

Bouldering can be a very dangerous sport. Over 70% of injuries in climbing are because of bouldering rather than other types such as lead climbing. This is why you need to really focus on your safety before and while you’re bouldering. Let’s talk about what we can do to ensure you have the safest experience possible while bouldering indoors and outdoors.

Bouldering Etiquette

Bouldering etiquette is the climbing code all boulderers should follow for safety purposes and as a way of general politeness. It’s a few (usually unspoken) rules. These are:

• Be aware of your surroundings. If someone falls on you it’s your fault! If there’s an area in the gym that someone can fall on your or your belongings then move yourself and your gear.
• If someone’s on the wall before you then make sure your climbing route does not intersect their climbing route.
• Don’t give out advice unless someone actually wants it. When you’re on a climbing wall you’re trying to solve a problem – that’s half the fun of the climb! Don’t ruin another person’s fun unless they ask you for advice.
• Take turns on the wall with other climbers. Don’t hog it all for yourself.
• Don’t jump on the wall after someone’s just brushed a hold. They’re brushing the hold so that excess chalk isn’t impeding their climb. If you go on the wall you’ve literally just added excess chalk to that hold which means they’re going to have to brush it again!
• Don’t yell or shout in frustration. If you’re going to do it every now and again then fair enough but don’t make it an ongoing thing. It’s annoying.
• If you’re not sure about something, just ask a more experienced climber. Climbers are usually very helpful with beginners – whether it’s a technical question about bouldering or a general question about the rules of the gym.
• Make sure any children you’re with stick to you at all times and follow the same rules listed above.

Bouldering Outdoors

Climbing Crash pads

These are the most essential part of your kit when it comes to your safety when bouldering outdoors. If you fall when you’re bouldering, which is very likely to happen you’re probably going to want to fall on something that is going to cushion your body/head. It sounds simple right? You’d be surprised at how many people climb a few months and decide to start climbing a rock outdoors while they’re with their mates in the countryside when they haven’t got any mats (or the right gear in general). Don’t be silly, buy a few crash pads and use them.

Climb in a Spot with Cell Phone Reception

Imagine you injure yourself badly and need medical assistance. It’s up to you but if you really want to be safe you should find a spot with cell reception and keep your phone close to you. If you fall you want to know where EXACTLY you are so you can ring for an ambulance and give them any information. Therefore I’d advise finding your coordinates on Google Maps.

Bring a First Aid Kit

Do I really have to explain this one? It’s better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. Plasters, antiseptic wipes, bandages, and safety pins are just a few things you’ll need to bring with you. If you’re around other people they’ll be there to help you use the first aid kit if something does go wrong.

If you’re thinking about bouldering outdoors on your own I’ve written an article about this which you can find by clicking here.

The Best Bouldering Gear

Climbing Shoes

My favorite climbing shoe is the Scarpa Instinct VS. It’s the shoe I wear most because, in my opinion, it’s the perfect bouldering shoe! Don’t get me wrong, there are more precise shoes out there for short, steep routes. But the Scarpa Instinct VS is so comfy that I’d rather sacrifice a slight bit of precision to be able to climb an extra hour or two.

The upper material is made of microfiber, which is lighter but slightly less durable than leather. The Scarpa Instinct VS has been shown overall to have quite a bit of durability. This, unfortunately sacrifices a bit of precision. However, it’s not enough for me to warrant buying more precise shoes and spending more money or losing too much comfort.

The shoes are comfortable, however when your feet swell up due to heat you can really feel it as the shoes don’t seem as stretchy as your typical beginner shoes. The Velcro straps on the shoe help make it easier to take the shoes on and off in between problems if the shoes get too uncomfortable.

If you’re looking for a sensitive or precise shoe then you will get one here, it isn’t the absolute best but for me it’s precise enough alongside the durability and comfort of the shoe as well.

For more info on my top climbing shoes click here.

Crash Pads

The Metolius Session II Crash Pad is the best value for money crash pad on the market out there. There’s a flap closure system which makes the pad easier to load, and it then reverses to cover up the shoulder straps while you’re bouldering. Once it’s unfolded there’s 2 drag handles so you can position it a lot easier. The fabric on the outside is durable so if you’re using it regularly it should last you a long time. You even have a place to wipe your shoes clean on the carpeted logo. The shoulder straps mentioned earlier are padded, making it as comfortable as possible to carry when you’re aren’t climbing. The waist belt is also included. It’s also a lot cheaper than most other crash pads.

Hangboards

This Metolius Wood Grips II Climbing Board is my favorite hangboard. I just prefer wooden hangboards. They’re smoother on the skin, better for the environment, and stronger. Plus Metolius always make quality gear. For more info on hangboards click here.

Chalk Bags and Chalk Buckets

My favorite chalk bucket is the Psychi Abyss Bouldering Bucket. I am actually amazed at how cheap this bucket is to say how durable, versatile and convenient it is. It can be bought on its own or as a starter kit which is perfect for beginners and includes finger tape, a 100g bag of chalk, a double sided plastic chalk brush and a wooden boar chalk brush.

The base is very wide and padded to keep it stable. There is nothing worse than knocking over your climbing bucket and losing half of your chalk. There’s a handle at the back for ease of transportation and it has a zipped pocket for your valuables. The front can carry any brushes in the looped handle. The bucket has a LOT of storage for brushes, finger tape and anything else you need to store.

The opening is very wide for large hands, but it can be shut tight due to its secure popper-stud closer, making sure for spill-free climbing sessions. The interior material is a soft, fleece lining for a comfortable chalking up experience. This bag is very popular because of it’s value for money. It comes in 5 different colors.

For more info on my favorite chalk bags click here.

Bouldering for Kids and Toddlers

I’ve actually written a whole article about bouldering for kids and toddlers including safety, rules, bouldering games and tips which you can find by clicking here. For now let’s just go over the safety.

I’ve got a 2 year old son and I’ve been thinking about bringing him along with me to a bouldering session. When he’s a bit older I’m hoping that I can make it a hobby of his to promote his dexterity, hand eye coordination, and problem solving skills. However, I understand that bringing a toddler along with me to a climbing gym can be quite a risk to them and the climbers around. Therefore I’ve thought of 8 rules for a kid to abide by (if they can understand) and 8 rules for the parent/guardian. The child should follow these rules:

1. No running around
2. They must follow your instructions at ALL times
3. They must not start a climb without your permission
4. They must stick by your side at all times as climbers can fall from above onto them
5. They must not climb above or below anyone else
6. No screaming or yelling unless it’s an emergency
7. No barefoot climbing
8. Do not touch anyone else’s equipment (such as chalk)

And the parent/guardian should follow these rules:

1. Keep your child at an arm’s reach distance
2. Do not walk (with or without your child) underneath other climbers
3. When your child is climbing, make sure you spot them correctly
4. Do not let your child into over 18 only areas
5. Know the actual climbing gym rules
6. If the climbing gym is packed, think about not coming in with your toddler
7. Spot any risks before they pose a threat
8. Do not let your child bring food or drink onto the climbing mats

Bouldering Grades

Bouldering has five different grading systems:

1. The V scale aka The Hueco Scale is the most used system in North America which includes gradings from V0-V17.
2. The B system is used in North America and uses only three grades; B1, B2, B3. B3 being the hardest.
3. The Fontainebleau system founded in France and is most widely used in Europe.
4. The UK Technical grading system is used in the United Kingdom for trad climbs and was once used for bouldering.
5. The Dankyu System which is used throughout Japan. The name originates from martial arts. The system is split into two – Kyu and Dan. The easiest Kyu grade is 7-Kyu and the hardest Kyu grade is 1-Kyu. The next hardest grade is 1-Dan. The Dan scale then ascends as the climbs become harder. The hardest ever recorded Dan was a 6 Dan. People often shorten the grades when typing or texting, e.g.: 3Q will mean 3-Kyu, and 1D will mean 1-Dan.

The most well known are the V scale, the Fontainebleau system, and the Dankyu system.

I was lying in bed one night thinking to myself, what would I have told myself to do or not do when I first started bouldering, or even a couple of months ago that would enhance my bouldering experience. After a while of mulling things over in my head and thinking about the lessons I’ve learnt in all my time climbing, I eventually typed out 16 tips on the notepad of my phone and went to sleep. These 16 tips are bouldering basics, what you should know when you go bouldering to help you have the best experience while you’re there and to show you what you need to do to quickly progress. I’ve thought about each of these tips more and realised there’s quite a bit of detail to add to each tip. To get the best bouldering experience possible you’ll have to at least be quite familiar with the bouldering basics.

So, what are the bouldering basics? The basics of bouldering are:

1. Warm up/Cool down and stretch – Do this before you climb and afterwards.
2. You should know your bouldering terrain – are you indoor or outdoor? What kinds of holds do you have to handle?
3. Join in with a group of more advanced climbers – If you want to progress faster it’s better to learn from someone who’s better than you.
4. Watch other people climb – If they’re better than you then watch them to check out the techniques they use.
5. Use a hangboard (aka a fingerboard) – Using this just once a week will improve your finger strength massively.
6. All climbers find their feet – If your feet aren’t on the wall it’s a lot harder. A lot of people neglect to use their feet in certain situations.
7. Clench your foot like a monkey on slippery holds – This seriously helps to grip onto holds that have you slipping off.
8. Don’t rush – You should think about your next move before you rush into it. Bouldering outdoors or in an indoor gym has no time limit so climb slowly if you can.
9. Work on your strengths AND weaknesses – Don’t just advance on types of climbs you’re good at, work on your weaknesses too.
10. Don’t get annoyed – If things don’t go your way don’t get annoyed because this will just make you climb worse.
11. Safety first – Make sure you don’t endanger yourself or any others around you.
12. Use the circuit board – Using the circuit board helps to improve your climbing technical ability, endurance and strength.
13. Try bouldering outdoors – If you haven’t already tried it, outdoor bouldering is a really good experience.
14. Get a good brush – A good brush for use on chalky holds is definitely needed.
15. Find someone around your level and compete with them – By bringing in a competitive edge, you will want to get better faster and will push yourself.
16. If you buy climbing shoes, make sure they suit your needs – Buying the wrong climbing shoes is a waste of money.

Click on any of the links in the list below to jump to a more detailed overview of that tip. I go into detail about each of these tips below. Keep reading if you want to find out more.

Page Jumps

1. Warm up/Cool down and stretch
2. You should know your bouldering terrain
3. Join in with a group of more advanced climbers
4. Watch other people climb
5. Use a hangboard
6. All climbers find their feet
7. Clench your foot like a monkey on slippery holds
8. Don’t rush
9. Work on your strengths AND weaknesses
10. Don’t get annoyed
11. Safety first
12. Use the circuit board
13. Try bouldering outdoors
14. Get a good brush
15. Find someone around your level and compete with them
16. If you buy climbing shoes, make sure they suit your needs

1. Warm up/Cool Down and Stretch

It’s probably not a surprise to most of you when you find out that warming up and cooling down (especially warming up) are vital parts of your climbing session. For me, a climbing session can be completely ruined by even the smallest of injuries. Imagine snapping a tendon in your finger from having stiff hands because you hadn’t warmed up properly – not only would your climbing session be ruined, healing the injury requires that you do not climb (or do any other activity involving that finger) for around 3-6 months. It is imperative that you warm up your muscles before you start your climbing session.

Warming up can be done in a few different ways: by doing physical activity and stretching in the gym area, or you can climb lower grades, slowly, with 100% proper technique. As rock climbing is a full body workout, try to involve your whole body in your warm up and stretching routine; however the main muscles used are the back muscles, finger/forearm muscles, and the core.

Cooling down is also quite vital as it has been proposed that it benefits you by:

• Cooling your body temperature after a warm, sweaty session
• Bring your heart rate back to normal
• Relaxing your muscles so they can heal faster
• Bringing your breathing rate back to normal
• Returning the body to homeostasis

2. You Should Know Your Bouldering Terrain

If an army is going into battle, the strategists on each side will want to know as much about the other army as possible. So when you’re climbing you should want to know more about the terrain you’re climbing and the types of holds you’re using before you step on the wall.

First of all, is it indoor or outdoor? If you’re climbing outside then you’ll need to think about the weather – how hot or cold is it, and what will you need to while you’re there? The type of rock you’re climbing is also a big factor – is the rock made of limestone, granite, sandstone, basalt, or quartzite?

If you’re climbing inside and you’re about to start something that’s difficult for you, then you should check out the types of holds you’ll be using in the climb. Are they all slopers, or is there a nice big jug for you to hang on to?

3. Join in with a Group of More Advanced Climbers

This is definitely something I recommend. When I first started climbing I joined in with a group of people that had been climbing for years. I did this by being friendly at first, plus I enjoyed climbing with them. I progressed so fast!

By joining in with a group of people who are more advanced climbers than you, you pay more attention to the techniques they use as they climb up the wall which helps you learn. You can also ask them for help you with your climb if you’re stuck which may give you a chance to learn some new techniques if they decide to show you how to do the climb. As you pick up these techniques faster, you’ll get better a lot faster.

4. Watch Other People Climb

When you watch other people climb it helps you to understand why they did a certain technique at one point and succeeded or what made them fail and fall off the wall. Most of the time you should be watching more advanced climbers and learn to mirror their movements when it comes to your time on the wall. Take note of how they use weight distribution or what technique they use to transition from one part of the wall to another; foot swaps, sagging, and dynamic movements are all advanced techniques that you can learn from watching better climbers.

5. Use a Hangboard (aka a Fingerboard)

One of the main muscles groups used in climbing are your forearms and fingers. You’ll need to have really good grip strength if you want to be able to climb well, and it just so happens that your fingers can become so strong over time that you may eventually be able to do a 1 finger pull up… but to do that you have to practice!

Using a hangboard, which is also known as a fingerboard, will help to increase your grip strength and therefore increase your climbing ability. If you’re ever injured and you don’t want to lose your grip strength, [if hangboards don’t affect your injury] they provide a great way to not only keep yourself from losing strength in your fingers but also gain it while you recover. You can buy hangboards to use at home, and you can find my recommended hangboards at this link.

6. All Climbers Find their Feet

It’s now a rule of mine to always focus on my foot position before I attempt to move onto another part of the wall. Some climbers are surprised when they find out that your foot position means so much. If you’re struggling on a climb, it may be because you haven’t used a foot hold or you haven’t used it correctly – you may need to use a heel hook rather than a toe. It’s pretty simple really, find your feet and it’ll help you advance much more quickly.

7. Clench Your Foot Like a Monkey On Slippery Holds

This is one tip I wish I’d have learnt sooner. Have you ever had trouble starting a climb because the toe hold is too slippery? This is quite common and COULD be fixed with one simple trick: clench your toes like a monkey does when they climb. Use your foot as if it were a hand trying to grab onto the foot hold below. On smaller foot holds this may not work; however on bigger, slippery holds this may be the perfect technique that helps you start the climb. Ever better it may help you end a tricky one.

8. Don’t Rush the Climb

One of my the main problems I had when I first started climbing (and even for a few months after) was how aggressive I was on every climb that I tried, mainly because I wanted to get through it as fast as possible and finish it. This was especially true if I was stuck on a particular part and wanted to get it done.

Rushing a climb can result in injuries due to tension in muscles and overall lack of control. For the most part, climbing is about control of your current position and the transition thereafter. When you rush a climb, you aren’t usually in control of your body. You also burn out a lot quicker because your muscles are working too hard, too fast. If you’re rushing a climb then you aren’t focusing on your technique and therefore you aren’t going to progress as fast. It is paramount that you focus on using proper technique if you wish to advance onto higher grades. It is detrimental to your climbing ability if you climb too aggressively and/or too quickly.

9. Work on Your Strengths AND Weaknesses

Personally, I’m really bad at overhangs. However, vertical climbs and slabs seem to be where I shine. Whenever there’s a high grade climb that’s just been set out on a slab or a vertical wall that I know I’m good at, I’ll go for it and a lot of the time I’ll succeed. This is how I progress in my strengths. However, a lot of people seem to only climb their strengths because they want that sense of accomplishment they get when they complete a high grade climb.

I try to work in at least one climb per session on an overhang because I know I’m not good at them. I don’t climb something that’s easy and takes hardly any effort – I climb an overhang that’s a lower grade than the slabs I can climb, however it has to give me a bit of trouble. I want to better my technical skills on overhangs (my weakness) and the best way to do this is by climbing an overhang that gives me a little bit of grief.

10. Don’t Get Annoyed

Having a positive mindset about the wall in front of you really is a big deal when it comes to climbing. If you start becoming negative about a certain position or transition on a climb, take yourself away from it and try something else. Don’t let it ruin your session – climbing is a recreational sport practiced for fun and getting annoyed won’t help you progress in any way nor will you finish your session in a happy mood.

11. Safety First

You should cause as little danger to yourself and other climbers as possible. There are a few simple rules you should follow to be as safe as possible when you’re bouldering. Following these rules will not only decrease the risk of you endangering yourself or others, but it will also improve your climbing etiquette. The rules are:

• Learn how to fall: push yourself away from the wall, engage your neck muscles, land on your feet and bend your knees, roll back. For more information on this click this link.
• The climber already on the wall has priority, don’t climb under them when they’ve already started climbing.
• Stay alert of what’s happening close to and above you. People could be climbing above you without your knowledge if you aren’t paying attention.
• Any equipment (chalk bags, brushes, bottles) left in an area where a climber (such as yourself) may fall should be moved to decrease risk of injury.
• Climb down the bouldering wall after you’ve completed a climb, don’t jump from quite a height. Every time you jump, no matter which way you land, you’re affecting the vertebrae in your spine. Don’t like bad backs? Then climb down whenever possible.

12. Use the Circuit Board

Bouldering on the circuit board is a fantastic way to improve your technical skills, your forearm and finger strength, and your overall climbing endurance. This is one trick I missed until recently. I’ve found it really helps your overall climbing ability when you use the circuit board and I wish I’d have found it earlier.

13. Try Bouldering Outdoors

Bouldering outdoors gives you a new perspective on bouldering or even climbing as a whole. It’s just so much more peaceful. It’s climbing in a real life environment rather than an artificial wall with holds attached that have been set up by a person. Bouldering in nature not only gives you a real life climbing feel, but it’s also very calming. The holds feel a lot different to the plastic ones you find at indoor gyms. You can also make it a social activity by including a few friends on your trip.  If you’re considering outdoor bouldering on your own, you can check out my article on solo bouldering by clicking here.

14. Get a Good Brush

I must have used a toothbrush to clean all my climbing holds until around 6 months into my climbing career. Once I actually bought a brush that could sufficiently clean hand holds of excess chalk, I was pleasantly surprised at how much of a difference it makes. They really aren’t much money so you should probably invest in one as they are worth it. Check this link for the Sublime Slimline Climbing Brush which is perfect for cleaning bouldering holds.

15. Find Someone around Your Level and Compete with them

Me and my friend Dan go climbing together once a week and we’re around about the same climbing level, some would say I’m even better… ha! We started climbing near enough at the same time as each other. Whenever we train with each other we want the other person to do their best and improve, but we also want our own ability to improve as well. To do this we know that a great method is to compete with each other while helping each other. We want the other person to do well because it means WE have to do well. This makes us a better climber! We try harder! The better the other one is, the better we have to become. It’s something I would highly recommend trying out.

16. If you Buy Climbing Shoes, Make Sure they Suit your Needs

Some people buy climbing shoes that are completely wrong for their type of climbing. Some climbing shoes are made for specific reasons, however I know a few people who buy climbing shoes without even considering what the shoe does. They’ll buy slip-on shoes or ones with Velcro straps when they would probably have been better offer with laces; or they’ll buy La Sportiva Miuras when they would have been more suited to Scarpa Instincts or Scarpa Booster S climbing shoes. The truth is, buying a pair of climbing shoes depends on how you climb, what you climb and what type of climbing you’re doing. If you only boulder you’ll want a bouldering shoe like the Scarpa Instinct, but if you want versatility because you lead climb and boulder then you’ll want the La Sportiva Miura. Check this article out that I wrote to read up on my personal opinion regarding the best climbing shoes for versatility, bouldering, when you’re on a budget, sport climbing, beginners, and comfort.

Most women seem to believe that once they become pregnant they will have to stop bouldering or rock climbing in general until they’ve had their baby and recovered from the labour. This isn’t entirely true. Although there are a few things you should watch out for, bouldering while pregnant is possible. Some women boulder throughout their whole pregnancy, and understand the risks they take. Most of these women have done prior research, however, which enables them to have the safest possible climb for them and their unborn child.

So, is bouldering while pregnant ok? You need to understand that bouldering and top rope climbing are different – if you fall when you’re bouldering then you’re going to slam down on the mat which is much more likely to cause problems for your unborn foetus  than dangling from a rope. The general scientific consensus is that any high impact exercise for the first 12 weeks increases the chance of miscarriage, so if you’re going to boulder make sure you climb with low intensity while focusing on technique. If you think you might fall, climb down and don’t risk anything.

Bouldering in the first trimester is usually ok; however falling can still cause a miscarriage. Therefore it is advised that you climb easier routes and lower grades because there’s less risk of falling. After around 10-12 weeks, some women decide to stop bouldering completely due to the increased risk that falling has on their unborn baby. There are also many women that continue bouldering throughout most of their pregnancy; however this goes against scientific advice, so it really depends on how comfortable you feel about being on a bouldering wall as you advance further in your pregnancy.

It is not only important that we think about the safety of the foetus, but also mention that pregnancy may cause shortness of breath, nausea, loose joints and other physical symptoms to a woman’s body which could affect her ability to climb and therefore cause her to fall more often than normal.

Keep on reading for more information regarding bouldering and rock climbing when pregnant.

Page Jumps

• The Risk of Falling when You’re Pregnant
• What does Science Say about Climbing and Exercise When Pregnant?
• Setting Limits and Boundaries on Yourself when You Climb Pregnant
• Physical Symptoms Caused by Pregnancy which can Affect Your Climbing Session
• Climbing Activities and Exercises for Pregnant Women
• Returning to Climbing After You’ve Had a Baby
• Related Questions

The Risk of Falling when You’re Pregnant

Falling when pregnant can cause miscarriage, so it’s really important that you take all necessary precautions before you climb. The risk of miscarriage from falling depends on the stage of pregnancy you’re actually in. It also depends how much trauma you have inflicted onto your unborn baby. Falling from a small height of 2 meters onto a spongy mat may not even affect your baby at all.

Believe it or not, a woman’s body is actually made to withstand a certain amount of impact to the uterus when pregnant. Unfortunately, there are certain incidences that can cause a miscarriage or a still birth.

The First Trimester

In the first trimester you have less chance of having a miscarriage due to falling. This is why pregnant women tend to climb for the first 10-12 weeks without worrying too much. The first trimester is when the uterus is quite low and the pelvic bones are protecting it. Because of this, the uterus and embryo is unlikely to be damaged if a fall occurs during this time unless the trauma is quite large. For example, if your uterus were to collide with a large climbing hold at high velocity, a miscarriage may occur.

The Second and Third Trimester

The risk of miscarriage due to falling is increased within the second and third trimester. As the weeks go by when you’re pregnant, the risk of losing your baby increases if you were to fall off the bouldering wall. After the first twelve weeks of pregnancy, the uterus grows noticeably larger over time which causes the likelihood of trauma to the foetus or placenta from falling to rise significantly. If the placenta is damaged, that means the baby may not be able to get valuable nutrients which may cause a miscarriage.

Although there is more risk of damage due to falling when bouldering after the first trimester, you have to realise that the foetus is still well protected by the amniotic sac and other parts of the mother’s body. The amniotic sac is there to protect the baby from shock, such as a fall. Not only does the amniotic fluid help protect the baby; there are also different parts of the mother’s body such as muscles, fat and certain bones that are involved in its safety.

The problem that you have to realise with climbing during pregnancy is that you actually release a hormone known as relaxin during pregnancy which can make you a bit wobbly and unstable. This obviously can affect your climbing ability and therefore increase your risk of falling. Although relaxin has its negative effects as mentioned above, it’s actually there to loosen your pelvic muscles and joints to prepare your body to grow the baby and help you deliver it when the time comes.

If you do fall off the climbing wall and feel like you may have fallen quite hard or affected your baby, it is advised you see a doctor or midwife as soon as possible so they can assess if there has been any damage caused.

What does Science Say about Climbing and Exercise When Pregnant?

We’re going to have a look at some scientific studies about climbing and other types of exercise to give you an idea of how/if you should boulder while you’re pregnant. I’ll write the overview of each study and conclude at the end what it all means as a whole.

Contact sports as well as sports associated with a risk of falling should be avoided when pregnant

A study published in 2012 says that aerobic and strength-conditioning exercise in pregnancy and the postpartum period has demonstrated many health benefits. However it goes on to say “it is prudent to adjust exercise regimes where necessary to avoid potential harm. Contact sports as well as sports associated with a risk of falling should be avoided”. This obviously puts bouldering in a bad light through pregnancy.

Although many women are practising bouldering, this study suggests they shouldn’t be. There is less chance of falling properly when top rope or lead climbing due to the chance you’ll be kept up by ropes. Beth Rodden, a professional climber who climbed throughout her pregnancy, recommends the Petzl 8003 full body harness after 18 weeks of pregnancy.

The study suggests different types of aerobic exercise that are recommended through pregnancy. These are brisk walking, stationary cycling, and swimming. Swimming is a great full body workout that relates to climbing because of the similar muscles worked. However, if you want to return to bouldering after pregnancy then you’ll need to keep up your finger strength throughout.

Climbing doesn’t seem to affect fetal growth

A study published in 1997 examined how standing, lifting, climbing, and long hours of work affected fetal growth. It found that climbing doesn’t affect fetal growth, which is obviously a plus for anyone who wants to continue bouldering while pregnant.

As a side note, the study does go on to say that long hours of work reduced fetal growth. So if you’re trying to keep your baby healthy, think about reduce your hours at work from full time to part time – especially if it’s a physically demanding job.

High‐impact exercise in early pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of miscarriage

A study published in 2007 was done to “examine the association between leisure time physical exercise during pregnancy and the risk of miscarriage” on over 92000 pregnant women in Denmark over the course of 6 years.

This study showed that high‐impact exercise, 7 hours+ per week in early pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of miscarriage. Early pregnancy is considered to be up to 18 weeks. After 18 weeks of gestation there did not seem to be any association with general exercise and miscarriage.

If you are going to boulder in early pregnancy, make sure you’re only using low intensity or you increase the risk of having a miscarriage.

Regular physical activity during early pregnancy can reduce the chance of preeclampsia

A study published in 2003 concluded that “Women who engaged in any regular physical activity during early pregnancy, compared with inactive women, experienced a 35% reduced risk of preeclampsia”. Pre-eclampsia is a condition during pregnancy and after the baby is born that causes high blood pressure and can be very serious if it isn’t treated.

Bouldering can be a great way to raise your heart rate and get a full body workout, and judging by this study it will also help you reduce your chance of developing preeclampsia.

Physical activity in early pregnancy is associated with lower risk of developing Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

A study published in 2011 examined how physical activity practised before and after pregnancy related to Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM). GDM is a condition where a mother develops diabetes-like symptoms during pregnancy which, if left untreated, can cause serious problems for both the mother and child.

It was concluded that higher levels of physical activity before pregnancy or in early pregnancy are associated with a significantly lower risk of developing GDM.

Therefore, this suggests that bouldering would be a good thing to do if you wanted to reduce your risk of developing GDM.

Exercise effort increase is especially evident when climbing in late pregnancy

A study published in 1985 was done to examine maternal and fetal responses when exercising during pregnancy. It pretty much states the obvious that during late pregnancy when the foetus is quite large, it is a lot more effort for a woman to exercise when climbing, walking or jogging due to the weight.

Scientific Studies Conclusion

It is wise to exercise during early pregnancy for your own health and your unborn baby’s health. However, you need to take precautions – there should be no high impact exercise practised during early pregnancy, and you may want to think about lead/top rope climbing or taking up some other sort of exercise other than bouldering.

The risk of falling when bouldering can lead to miscarriage, and if you’re anything like me, there isn’t one bouldering gym session where I don’t fall.

Setting Limits and Boundaries on Yourself when You Climb Pregnant

If you decide you want to climb when you’re pregnant, then you should set yourself some limits for each trimester. This, of course, depends on if you want to climb in all three trimesters. As I’ve said, the first trimester is the safest time for you and your baby and as time goes on, the risks will increase.

First Trimester

If you decide to climb through the first trimester, you should start on lower grades and see how you feel. You may find that you are unaffected by your pregnancy and can climb your normal grades without falling too much or without feeling like you’re going to affect your baby. If not you can, obviously, lower your grades and climb easier climbs. At 10-12 weeks some women choose to stop climbing to avoid falling and therefore damaging their unborn baby.

Second and Third Trimester

Around the second trimester is the time when some women decide to limit their climbing. If you have considered your options and still want to climb then there are many boundaries you can set yourself to reduce the risk of damage to your baby. These are:

• Climb lower grades. Climbing lower grades decreases the chance of falling due to the fact these climbs will be easier for you to handle. The upside is that you can keep your form and actually improve it if you climb technically. Many advanced climbers climb lower grades with perfect technique to improve without worrying about finishing the climb for the feeling of accomplishment. This will also decrease the risk of injury due to your joints being looser because of pregnancy.
• Climb with more technique and less strength. If you find yourself on a climb that you seem to be using more strength than technique, this can put stress on your baby. This rule should be followed especially for climbs that seem to use your core strength more due to the abdominal muscles having a higher chance of tearing during pregnancy.
• Consider lead climbing instead. Although you may not find it as fun and there are still risks involved, lead climbing is safer because there is less risk of falling to the ground. However, the normal harness used is not usually suitable for pregnant women. There are lead climbing harnesses you can buy especially for women who are pregnant. These are full body harnesses which give you more support than a normal lead harness. There are still risks involved in lead climbing when you are pregnant.
• Listen to your body. If you body doesn’t feel right or you don’t feel like you should be climbing on a certain day due to fatigue, then you should listen. Don’t go climbing just because you feel like you should. That could be the worst thing for you and your baby.

Physical Symptoms Caused by Pregnancy which can Affect Your Climbing Session

Loose Joints

As mentioned in a sub-heading above, a hormone called relaxin (and others involved in pregnancy) causes the joints to loosen. This means that the harder the route you climb, the more stress you put on your joints.

Nausea

Nausea can get worse as you climb higher, but it can also happen at any point throughout the day. This can affect your motivation and how you feel about training. When you feel nausea you may just want to stay at home and rest – and that’s OK! Don’t push yourself if you don’t feel well.

Shortness of Breath

Believe it or not, climbing works the cardiovascular system and pregnancy affects your breathing. Therefore, you may find it hard to breathe when you’re up on the wall. You may also start to get dizzy which is a definite sign you should climb down from your attempt. You should consider coming off the wall before you feel light-headed in most cases.

Swollen Feet

In warmer weather, you’ve probably experienced swollen feet in climbing shoes, and let’s be honest here – it’s painful. Now imagine this for many months in pregnancy. Your feet will swell up and you may feel a lot of pain with your current climbing shoes. You can either ignore it and climb through the pain, or there’s another option: you can buy a pair of comfy climbing shoes specifically to be used during your pregnancy. They don’t have to be anything expensive, and I they should probably have a neutral sole, such as the La Sportiva Mythos – known throughout the climbing world specifically because of their exceptional comfort.

Fatigue

Fatigue can hit you at any point through pregnancy. You just want to lie down and shut the world away while you either have a sleep or watch endless amounts of TV to get through the day. You may feel unmotivated to climb, and that’s fine. There’s obviously a reason why a pregnant woman would feel tired through pregnancy: the energy expenditure of having a child inside her. Therefore, it isn’t really advisable to climb while you’re feeling like this. But of course, it’s your call.

Increase in Weight

Your weight will increase as time passes throughout your pregnancy and you probably won’t be used to it when you’re on the climbing wall. When you climb usually you’re used to your own body weight, you know how to use it and you know where your center of gravity is. Once you become pregnant this all changes and you probably won’t be used to the new weight you’re carrying. Therefore you’re more susceptible to falling.

Hormone Release

As discussed earlier, the hormone called relaxin loosens your joints and makes you unsteady on your feet. Other hormones released may make you feel less motivated, happier or more upset etc. Your hormones will affect your mood in general and you may not want to climb due to them anyway.

Size Increase

Now that you’ve got a baby in your uterus, you may find it’s a lot harder to slide up the wall to certain holds because your belly keeps on hitting holds of a different grade. It’s annoying when this happens anyway with other body parts, but you may find it’s more annoying now you’re pregnant. Size increase is similar to increase in weight – although not the same. You aren’t used to your new size, so your climbing ability may be affected.

Climbing Activities and Exercises for Pregnant Women

If you decide you don’t want to keep climbing after a certain time, there are ways to keep up your grip strength and technical ability on the climbing wall without actually climbing. They’re very low risk and if you’re planning on bouldering after you’ve had your baby then they’ll help you out for your return. All methods mentioned below may not be suitable for some women who are experiencing exceptionally loose joints.

Hanging on a fingerboard

Hanging on a fingerboard may be a little more difficult when you’re pregnant than it was previously because you may be a lot heavier. But it’s a great way to keep your finger strength and your shoulder/back muscles ready for your return to climbing. For more information on fingerboards/hangboards you can click this link.

Circuit board training

Use the lowest part of the circuit board to make up fun climbs for yourself without actually being that far off the ground, therefore minimizing the risk of harming your baby if you do fall off the wall. Remember to not climb too high if you think it’s unsafe.

Pull-ups

Be careful doing these as you don’t want to injure yourself. Pull ups can help you when you return because they’re good for increasing muscle mass in your back and shoulders. Both of these are used in climbing. You may find these hard when you aren’t pregnant, so doing pull-ups when you’re pregnant may seem impossible, and that’s fine – it may not be the exercise for you. You can buy pull up bars that fit over your door mantle and are easily removed. Check out this one on Amazon. I use my pull up bar often to keep myself climb-fit, especially when I can’t climb for a while due to something like an injury.

Returning to Climbing After You’ve Had a Baby

According to a survey produced by Beth Rodden of RockAndIce.com in which 339 women participated in, most women return to climbing at around 3.5 months after they’ve had a baby.

Depending on your situation after you’ve given birth, you may find it easy or hard to get back into climbing. This could be due to problems such as post-natal depression, breastfeeding infections also known as mastitis, lack of motivation etc.

If your body or mind isn’t ready to climb after giving birth due to a particular problem, then don’t rush yourself. You don’t want to hurt yourself by returning to climbing or any other kind of exercise too quickly. Your joints may remain loose for months or even over a year after pregnancy, so this is another reason why you shouldn’t rush back into climbing too fast.

Hanging on a fingerboard is a great way to get yourself ready for a climbing return, while also feeling how ready your joints and muscles are. This will strengthen your fingers and forearms, and activate your shoulders and back muscles.

Related Questions

When do most women usually stop climbing while pregnant? Most pregnant women stop climbing at around 31 weeks of pregnancy. This may be different specifically for bouldering, however.

Can climbing cause a miscarriage? Climbing can cause a miscarriage if you fall at a height to reach a velocity that causes enough trauma on the foetus once you hit the mat below. Miscarriage due to climbing is usually more of a risk in the second and third trimesters.

The fear of falling when bouldering can be embarrassing for some people, but it can also be the only thing holding them back from reaching the next level. I have struggled from the fear of falling myself, and still do on particularly high or daunting climbs. I took steps to overcome my fear by reading up on the psychology behind the fear of falling (aka basophobia) and the fear of heights (aka acrophobia). I also read up on what I should do to improve my confidence on the climbing wall.

When I was at the climbing gym yesterday something happened which spurred me on to write this article. I was standing on a very busy bouldering mat while resting from my last climb. I watched as a group of college students in their early 20s were looking on at their friend who was climbing on a particular part of the wall. At around 2 meters up the girl climbing didn’t want to climb any higher, but a couple of seconds later she also realised she didn’t know how to get down, nor did she want to jump because she was too afraid. Some people thought this was funny, but I didn’t. You can imagine this exact scenario happening in a bad dream: being half way up a bouldering wall as your supposed friends laugh at you because you fear the drop below. The fear of falling is normal for many people, but if you want to start climbing you’re going to have to learn to conquer that fear. There are some people who I know that STARTED climbing to conquer their fear of falling.

So, how do you overcome the fear of falling when you’re bouldering? It’s a cliché but to overcome a phobia, you have put yourself in the situation you fear. If you fear being too high up, you need to experience that feeling and learn how to fall (and how not to fall) from that high up onto a climbing mat. You should, however, do this in baby steps, don’t climb as high as possible straight away. You will never grow as a climber if you don’t become comfortable in uncomfortable situations. The higher you climb and fall, the more confident you will be about climbing higher and higher.

Read on for more detailed information and steps to overcome your fear of falling from a climbing wall, and to help your confidence grow as you climb up a bouldering wall.

Page Jumps

• Method to Overcome Your Fear of Falling when Bouldering
• The Psychology Behind the Fear of Falling
• How to Fall Off a Climbing Wall
• How NOT to Fall Off a Climbing Wall
• Common Injuries Caused by Falling Off a Climbing Wall When Bouldering
• Related Questions

Method to Overcome Your Fear of Falling when Bouldering

In your mind you’re going to want to stay away from that climbing wall as much as possible if it means you might you’re going to be on average around 3 meters higher than the floor. But that’s not what you should do! According to the best psychologists, introducing yourself into the presence of your phobia is the best thing to do, however they also say this should be done in baby steps. It can actually be a hindrance on your phobia if you go too hard too soon. The method I’ve used may or may not work for you – it may not totally rid you of your fear but may help in some way.

So the way I got through my fear was by using a method that introduced me into the environment in small steps. You can overcome the fear of falling when bouldering by following these steps:

• Learn how to fall off a climbing wall from one of the sub-headings below. You should try to practice the method of “How to Fall Off a Climbing Wall” below many times before you attempt to conquer your fear of falling with the method mentioned here.
• Climb up the wall until the first point that you feel that you’re slightly afraid. It should be below 3 meters.
• Fall from that height using the fall method in one of the sub-headings below (don’t forget to read to keep reading after that as well for a sub-heading that includes what you shouldn’t do when falling).
• Hopefully you’ll feel a bit better about falling from that height. Repeat this process again and if you still become afraid in the same spot you were afraid of before, keep falling from there until you feel more confident.
• Keep doing this until you reach a maximum of around 3 meters. You don’t really want to fall from a height above that over and over again.

Using this method you should be able to acquire this amount of confidence, because you’ll slowly establish a subconscious connection with yourself that falling from a certain height onto a climbing mat isn’t actually that bad.

The Psychology Behind the Fear of Falling

It’s perfectly normal for a human being to be scared of falling from a large height. It’s instinct to be afraid of falling due to the risk it imposes on our bodies, however it’s quite obvious that compared to falling from a great height onto concrete that falling from a climbing wall onto a soft mat isn’t that dangerous. But still there are people (including myself at one point) that have an internal battle about how safe it is to be 4 meters above ground on a climbing wall. This is usually due to two things: lack of confidence, or an experience that’s happened in the past to do with heights. For me it was a lack of confidence. Although there were padded mats underneath, I felt quite scared of the fall below.

Some people can get panic attacks just thinking about being at a certain height off a wall because they have an extreme fear of heights that is quite irrational in reality. If this is you, you might have the right idea by trying out bouldering because it could be the perfect thing to help you overcome this problem. Panic attacks, sweating, heart rate increase, shortness of breath, shaking and cottonmouth can all happen if you’re afraid of being high up the climbing wall and you’re about to start climbing. This is due to your fight or flight response which is a reaction cause by your sympathetic nervous system. The best way to overcome this is to prove to your mind that there’s nothing to worry about.

How to Fall Off a Climbing Wall

Falling off a climbing wall can be dangerous and cause injuries if you don’t fall off it in a correct fashion to protect yourself. Beginners are usually the biggest culprits for this because they haven’t fallen enough to get an experience of how to land and fall. When you fall there are certain things that you should do to lower the possibility of an injury. You should try to practice the method of “How to Fall Off a Climbing Wall” below many times before you attempt to conquer your fear of falling with the method mentioned above.

Push yourself away from the wall

If you’re on a vertical climb or a slab, you don’t want to pull yourself in when you fall because you might hit your arms, legs, body or even head onto the wall and cause yourself an injury. It’s rare you hit yourself in the head, but I’ve definitely hit my elbow or knee from falling on the climb wall as I drop. By pushing yourself away slightly as you fall, you decrease the chance of this.

Look down

You need to know what you’re going to land on to see if there’s anything you can possibly avoid if you can move as you fall. This also improves the control of yourself as you fall because you are focused on landing, not on falling.

Engage your neck muscles

By tucking your chin into your chest, you engage your neck muscles which means you are less likely to receive whiplash from your fall. Again this is uncommon, but we are trying to decrease the possibility of any injury.

Bend your knees and roll back

When you fall you should try to land on your feet, bend your knees and elbows, retract your arms and absorb the impact with your legs. Then you should roll back and tuck the chin.

Break fall

 When I used to do Brazilian Jiu Jitsu we used to learn a technique called a break fall, which took the impact of the fall into your arms and hands instead of your spine. To do this you need to slap your arms backwards while cupping your hands to make an air pocket. Slap your arms at around a 45 degree angle from your body as you land on your back after rolling backwards.

Falling from a horizontal overhang

If you’re on an overhang that’s almost horizontal, you should keep your hands up as you fall from the wall and use the break fall method in the previous section to take most of the impact on your back instead of on your feet, knees or arms.

How NOT to Fall Off a Climbing Wall

Of course when you’re falling there is a method of what to do, and what not to do when you fall. When you’re falling you might actually CAUSE yourself an injury because of something you’ve done as you drop. There are several things you should stop yourself from doing at once.

Don’t stick the landing

We’re not winning any gymnast points by sticking the landing – bend the knees and roll backwards to decrease impact. Don’t land with straight or stiff legs because you’re fighting the momentum of the fall which isn’t in your best interests.

Don’t roll forwards if possible

At the end of your landing, you’ll want to roll backwards whenever possible instead of forwards. By doing this you avoid a face plant.

Don’t try to stop yourself with outstretched arms or hands

This seems quite obvious but if you try to decrease the impact of the fall by stretching out your arms to take the fall, you might be looking at a broken arm, maybe a sprained wrist, something like that. Avoid this by using the method in the previous sub-heading.

Don’t land on your heels, toes or the side of your foot

Land squarely on the bottom of your feet before you roll backwards unless you want a twisted ankle, or broken toe.

Common Injuries Caused by Falling Off a Climbing Wall When Bouldering

If you’ve used the method to fall when bouldering incorrectly, you may experience an injury. You may even experience one if you’ve used the method correctly and you’re just unlucky. There are a few more common injuries we experience when we fall off the climbing wall onto the mat below.

Sprain or Broken Ankle

If you land on the side of your foot or onto the heel of your foot then you may experience a sprain or broken ankle. You should be landing with your feet square to avoid your foot moving in a weird way that may cause injury.

Grade 1 ankle sprains take 5-14 days to heal and 4-6 weeks for grade 2 ankle sprains. They can be quite painful; mild sprains can usually be walked on however more severe sprains may need crutches. Sprains are torn or stretched ligaments in a particular area.

Broken ankles typically take at least 6 weeks to fully heal the bones. Usually the doctor would advise for you to walk with crutches to take weight off the injury. At this time you will most probably wear a cast or splint.

Broken Toe

Broken toes can be caused by landing on your toes after falling rather than landing squarely on your feet. This can happen due to a large amount of impact on the floor immediately after falling or by repetitive force on the toes over time. This can be because the climber is landing on their toes the majority of times when they fall.

The heal time for a broken toe is around six weeks. If the injury is still a problem at 6 weeks, a doctor will usually re-examine and may advise an X-ray. Treatment for a broken toe can be done by “buddy taping”. Buddy taping is when you tape the injured toe with the toe next to it which creates a splint. Using ice wrapped in a thin towel will help manage with pain and recovery. Painkillers can also be taken.

Twisted Knee/Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injury

If you land on your feet without using the correct falling method, you can twist your knee and cause an injury such as an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. By landing with square feet and bent knees and then rolling back you will decrease the risk of this. Usually, if you land with a straight leg you can cause an ACL or damage other ligaments by twisting the knee.

ACL injuries typically take 2-6 months to heal after surgery. Surgery is usually required for the best outcome. The whole rehabilitation generally takes 6-9 months depending on age, other circumstances etc.

Whiplash

Whiplash is often caused by falling without tensing your neck muscles. When your neck muscles are loose in a collision they are prone to damage. Tensing your neck muscles by tucking your chin allows your muscles to withstand impact.

It usually takes three months to heal fully from whiplash, and long-term complications are rare. Only use a neck brace if your doctor recommends it. Sometimes neck braces actually make neck injuries worse than better due to the fact it makes them stiff. Go to the doctor and get a diagnosis before using a neck brace. Using ice on a whiplash injury will reduce the swelling and numb pain. Over the counter painkillers such as paracetamol can help. Do as your doctor recommends.

Sprain or Broken Wrist

Sprained and broken wrists can occur when a climber puts their arms out onto the mat to stop a fall and the impact bends back or forward their wrists. Never land on the mat with your arms straight out when falling from the climbing wall. If you’re landing forward try to roll out of the fall, or fold into a ball.

Sprained wrists may take up to 3 months to heal fully, but major symptoms will usually improve in two to three days. Use ice to treat the injury and a cast or splint if the doctor recommends.

The time it takes for broken wrists to heal can be up to 8 weeks, but it might take up to 6 months with more severe injuries. A cast or splint can be worn to help restrict the movement in the wrist and promote proper healing.

Grazes and Bruises

Bruising and grazing yourself on holds is quite common when climbing, it’s probably the most common injury. Cuts on your hands, and grazes/bruises generally on your knees and elbows. This can happen by falling without pushing yourself away from the wall after you first drop. By pushing yourself away from the wall initially as you drop, you decrease the possibility of a body part hitting a hold on the way down. Treat them both with ice and they should be as good as gold after a few days or up to a week depending on how bad the injury is.

Related Questions

What is the technical name for the fear of falling? Basophobia or basiphobia is the technical name for the fear of falling.

What is the technical name for the fear of heights? Acrophobia is the term given to those with an irrational fear of heights.

What is the average height of a bouldering wall? The average height of a bouldering wall is about 10 feet (or 3 meters).

What is the maximum height of a bouldering wall? The maximum height of a bouldering wall is 15 feet. Anything above 15 feet (or 4.572 meters) is classed as highballing. Anything above 40 feet (or 12.192 meters) is classed as free-soloing.

If we could rewind the clock and I was going to start bouldering for the first time in a climbing gym again there would be a few things I would’ve wanted to be told to help my progress. These are things I would use to avoid making mistakes and generally help me on my climbing journey. The reason you’ve clicked on this article is probably because you’re feeling intimidated or anxious at the thought of your first time bouldering indoors. Either that or you’re just looking to learn quickly and/or perform better than a friend you’re going with. If it’s any of these reasons you’ve come to the right place. I’m going to share with you all the things I wish I knew before I started bouldering.

So what will help you when it’s your first time bouldering indoors? I’ve got many tips for beginner climbers to help them feel a bit more comfortable when stepping into their climbing gym:

• You should know the price and facilities. Do they have a café, a gym, free parking and how much is it to hire out shoes?
• I wish I’d have been told not to burn myself out so easily. When you’re climbing you need a different type of forearm and finger strength than nearly any other activity and because of this, beginners seem to fatigue in these areas very quickly.
• Another thing to note is that when you wear climbing shoes they’re supposed to be tight – this is so you can feel the holds with your feet and grip on them easier. Usually if you’re a size 10 in normal shoes, you’ll probably be around 1 size below in climbing shoes.
• Climbing etiquette is something that you should definitely understand before entering the mats – this is what you should and should not to do to annoy other climbers.
• “Find your feet” is something I say to any beginners that ask for help – climbers really more on their feet than their hands in terms of balance and staying on the wall… usually.
• Don’t jump off the wall from the top of a climb. It can causes injuries and back problems.
• Ask other people for advice if you can’t complete a problem and need help. You’d be surprised at how many climbers are happy to show you their skills on a problem.
• There are all sorts of different climbs – if you aren’t very good at slabs then don’t be put off because you might crush it on overhangs (or vice versa).
• If you want to progress fast, find a friend on your level with as much motivation and compete against each other in a friendly manner.
• Try to avoid the busier times in a climbing gym; it can get very frustrating otherwise.
• Go in there with the sole purpose to have fun.

I’m going to expand on each of these points in this article. If you’d like to jump to a section of this article, use the page jump links below.

Page Jumps

• Indoor Climbing Price and Facilities
• Climbing Requires a Different Kind of Forearm and Finger Strength
• Bouldering in Tight Climbing Shoes
• Rock Climbing Etiquette
• “Find Your Feet” – Make Sure You Use the Climbing Foot Holds
• Climb Down the Holds, Don’t Jump
• Try All Types of Climbs
• Compete Against a Friend on a Similar Level
• Avoid Busy Climbing Gyms
• Have Fun Rock Climbing
• Related Questions

Indoor Climbing Price and Facilities

If you’re going indoor climbing for the first time you’re going to want to know what facilities they have and how much everything costs. Do they have monthly or yearly memberships? You should try to research this beforehand or ask someone you know who’s already been to that particular climbing gym. You’ve also got to consider the fact that you’ll either have to rent or buy climbing shoes.

When I’m climbing I like to have a fresh espresso beforehand because caffeine is known as an ergogenic aid, which is a drug that increases performance as a result of the physiological effects it has on the body. Therefore having a café in the climbing gym is a must for me. If you’re a coffee addict like me you’ll probably want to find out if there’s a café in your climbing gym.

This comes without saying really, but having a changing room is a must and I don’t know of any climbing gym that doesn’t have one, but not all of them have lockers. If they do have lockers, there might not be many and they may cost money to use. So if you’re one that cares about your valuables you should probably find out if the gym you’re going to has lockers and how much they cost to rent for a session.

My regular indoor climbing gym has two other sections for physical and technical improvement. They are:

• A weights room with two pull up bars, benches, gym balls, and finger boards which are very useful for overall climbing strength.
• A training area with campus boards, a 30 degree training board which helps overall technique.

Does the climbing gym have a shop for all your basic climbing needs including chalk and climbing shoes? If not you’re going to want to rent out the climbing shoes or buy some beforehand, and buy some chalk from somewhere else as well.

If you are commuting to the gym in your car you should inquire about free off-road parking.

Climbing Requires a Different Kind of Forearm and Finger Strength

When I first started climbing I heard that it was pretty hard on the forearms and fingers but I didn’t really take it that seriously. So I tried a few climbs and hardly did any resting between them. After around 15 minutes my forearm muscles felt like they were going to drop off because they were so sore and full of lactic acid. For the next few days afterwards my forearms and fingers were in agony because of how tender my muscles were. Looking back, I regret nothing. However, at the time I can honestly say I wish someone had have really drilled it into me about how much resting and recuperating your forearms and fingers in between climbs will really help you especially when you’re a beginner. So my advice to you is: rest after each climb and massage your forearms and fingers for the few days after you’ve climbed to reduce inflammation and promote healing/muscle growth.

Bouldering in Tight Climbing Shoes

What some people don’t realise when they first start climbing is that they’ll need to rent out or buy climbing shoes that are quite tight on their feet. You don’t want them so tight that it’s very painful, but you don’t want them to feel absolutely comfortable. If you’re wearing climbing shoes that are so tight that you’re in pain, not only will they have a negative impact on the structure of your feet but it also won’t benefit your climbing because you won’t want to put your foot on the wall. However, you do want them as tight as possible without them causing you pain. This is because the tighter your climbing shoes are, the easier it is to grip on smaller foot holds on the climbing wall. If you’re a size 10 in normal shoes, you’ll probably be a size 9 or less in climbing shoes.

Rock Climbing Etiquette

Rock climbing etiquette is the climbing code all climbers and boulderers should follow. It’s a few (usually unspoken) rules that includes:

• Be aware of your surroundings. If someone falls on you it’s your fault! If there’s an area in the gym that someone can fall on your or your belongings then move yourself and your gear.
• If someone’s on the wall before you then make sure your climbing route does not intersect their climbing route.
• Don’t give out advice unless someone actually wants it. When you’re on a climbing wall you’re trying to solve a problem – that’s half the fun of the climb! Don’t ruin another person’s fun unless they ask you for advice.
• Take turns on the wall with other climbers. Don’t hog it all for yourself.
• Don’t jump on the wall after someone’s just brushed a hold. They’re brushing the hold so that excess chalk isn’t impeding their climb. If you go on the wall you’ve literally just added excess chalk to that hold which means they’re going to have to brush it again!
• Don’t yell or shout in frustration. If you’re going to do it every now and again then fair enough but don’t make it an ongoing thing. It’s annoying.
• If you’re not sure about something, just ask a more experienced climber. Climbers are usually very helpful with beginners – whether it’s a technical question about bouldering or a general question about the rules of the gym.

“Find Your Feet” – Make Sure You Use the Climbing Foot Holds

Using the foot holds was something I had to get used to. As a beginner I relied solely on my upper body strength rather than technique to get me to the top of climbs. As I progressed I realised that “finding your feet” (a term I coined) was imperative for improvement in climbing. Unless you’re campusing (climbing without using your feet), climbing with the use of your feet will definitely benefit you. A good climber will always find their next foot hold before they move up the wall.

Climb Down the Holds, Don’t Jump

When you’ve finished a climb or you want to get down, try not to jump. I’ve seen (and had) many injuries from jumping down from a climb. Usually it’s something to do with the ankle or knee, but not many people know that jumping from the top of a climb and landing on your feet – although on a soft mat – is very bad for your spine. It collapses the vertebrae in your spinal column and increases the chance of back problems in the future.

Try All Types of Climbs

There are three main types of climbs: slabs, vertical climbs, and overhangs. A slab is a rock face or climbing wall that is angled LESS than 90 degrees. This is known as an incline. A vertical climb is a 90 degree climb, straight up. Vertical climbs are similar to slabs as they require you to use your feet a lot. An overhang is a climbing wall or rock face that is angled MORE than 90 degrees. This is known as a decline. You then have different types of slabs and overhangs because of the variance in degrees. For example, an overhang at 100 degrees is very different to an overhang at 120 degrees.

Compete Against a Friend on a Similar Level

If you’re competitive and can find someone who enjoys climbing, is motivated to progress, is very competitive and will come with you a few times a week then you’ll progress very fast. When I started climbing with my friend Dan we’d compete against each other every time we went and we progressed really fast. We’d make it our mission to complete climbs and do it before the other one did. We still do it to this day when we climb together. We also found a group of more advanced climbers to hang around with and made mental notes on the harder climbs they were doing which helped us with our climbs. When you are around people who are good at something, you’ll start to improve a lot faster.

Avoid Busy Climbing Gyms

If you want to learn fast then I’d avoid climbing gyms in the busiest periods. There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to climb on a wall with around 4 or 5 other people queuing up for the same wall as you. You’ll lose your momentum and motivation. If this happens it may just be better to do a bit of finger strength training or something else to help you progress.

Have Fun Rock Climbing

When you are bouldering or climbing of any kind, the main mission is to actually have fun. There’s no point going otherwise. If you aren’t having fun you’ll consider it a chore. Yes, you should push yourself to limit, even if that means doing things you don’t like. But don’t think of it as “something you don’t like”, think of it as something that’s going to help you have more fun in the future because you’ll be progressing faster to complete more advanced climbs.

Related Questions

How often should you climb as a beginner? You should climb around 2-3 times per week to improve. Once isn’t good enough for improvement.

What do you wear for indoor bouldering? All you’ll need is a t-shirt or vest, jogging bottoms or shorts, and climbing shoes. You can also buy wearable chalk bags. That’s all you’ll need!