Tuesday, May 18, 2021

Top Ten Tips for Beginner Bouldering

We don't really spend much time on bouldering on this blog. Our focus tends to be bigger climbs, alpine routes and ski objectives. But bouldering shouldn't be shunned. It can really help you improve as a climber.

With that said, the following video from Boulderning Bobat provides you with some thoughts on how to start bouldering indoors and how to improve. Check it out:



1) Use Your Toes - This will increase your efficiency of movement. Standing on a hold midsole will restrict your movement. With the toe on the hold, it's easier to pivot.

2) Use Your Legs - These are big muscles and they don't wear out as quickly as your arms.

3) Climb with Straight Arms - Hang on your skeleton. Use your legs to push yourself up and out, instead of pulling down and burning muscle.

4) Read Your Route - Preplan your movement before you get on the route.

5) Don't Use Too Much Chalk - If you use too much, it can have a detrimental impact on your ability to grip the holds. Liquid chalk can take too long to dry for it to work well. Too much loose chalk can make it feel like you're climbing up sloping holds with tiny marbles under your fingers...

6) Don't be Afraid to Fail - Falling is a good thing. It means that you're trying hard. If you never fall, you never improve.

7) Climb with as Many Different People as Possible - When you watch others work routes, you can learn from both their successes and failures. Indeed, there is great value to watching how someone with a different body type takes on a problem. And there's always value in climbing with people who are better than you.

8) Beginner Climbers Shouldn't Worry about Muscle Specific Training - New climbers should just get time on the rock. This will help them improve more than anything else.

9) Invest in a Pair of Shoes that Fit Well - They shouldn't be too small so their painful, and they shouldn't be too big so they don't provide precision.

10) Have Fun! - Alex Lowe famously said that the best climber is the one that is having the most fun.

--Jason D. Martin

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