Have you recently experienced the thrill of bouldering? Or maybe the excitement around the Olympics sparked your curiosity. Whatever brought you to this page, get ready to find out everything there is to know about bouldering!
Remarkable evolution from early bouldering to modern bouldering
Bouldering is a form of climbing that unlike other types of climbing doesn’t involve using rope or harnesses as a form of protection. However, boulderers do use crash-pads and sometimes they need other climbers to “spot” them (spotters).
Bouldering is about doing athletic moves, sometimes dynamic and similar to parkour on rock formations or artificial walls up to 6 meters in height.
The sport itself relies on body tension and coordination, finger strength, flexibility, and mind control.
Bouldering: from dirtbag sport to an official Olympic Sport
Are you wondering what a dirtbag climber is? Well, at its roots it’s someone who doesn’t want to pursue a standard lifestyle and wants to live simply in nature, for free so they can hike, rock climb, boulder, and do everything one can do without money.
In bouldering, a dirtbag is basically one who falls in love with climbing and aims to spend their entire existence pursuing it.
Even this means living cheaply, not pursuing a career, sleeping in their van or underneath boulders, for weeks, months, or even their entire life.
From being just a dirtbag activity in Yosemite Valley to becoming an Olympic sport in its own right – bouldering went a long way.
Nowadays, we have dedicated climbing gyms, international bouldering competitions, advanced training techniques and styles, and a worldwide community.
But back in the early 1900s mountaineers in Europe also spent days and days in the forest of Fontainebleau.
Having to stay in shape for their expeditions in the Alps, they all went there to train in strength, mental, and technique on boulders.
In more modern times the sport really began to flourish around the year 2010 when climbing gyms exploded.
However, only when bouldering was officially introduced as an Olympic sport at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021 because of COVID-19), it reached a new level of fame.
According to UK Climbing, both editions of the Olympic Games impacted the number of followers Olympians have on Instagram: Paris brought an increase of nearly 30% while Tokyo nearly 20%.
Considering modern bouldering dates from the 19th century, a more than 50% ‘increase on the increase’ – in only 3 years is huge!
Bouldering can be broken down into 3 main types
1. Indoor bouldering
Offers a controlled environment such as climbing gyms with padded floors to protect against falls, where climbers can go alone or accompanied and climb different routes or problems.
Artificial walls offer regular route settings, with climbing holds of different sizes and shapes.
2. Outdoor bouldering
A type of climbing that is performed in a natural uncontrolled environment on natural rock boulders of varying heights, normally around 4m high.
Part of the right climbing ethic is to respect the natural rock shape and texture and try to imagine a boulder problem that you can climb.
- Outdoor bouldering requires portable crash pads such as these that can protect your falls
- Is often highly dependent on weather conditions
- Provides unique challenges and is more complex due to natural rock features and lack of distinguishing colors
3. Highball outdoor bouldering
Is another type of outdoor bouldering really. The big difference is that it is performed on boulders higher than 4m.
Therefore highballing requires having good climbing skills along with a strong mind when it comes to taking risks.
How is modern bouldering different from its beginnings?
In early bouldering, there wasn’t much structure but nowadays we have grading systems that help climbers track progress and non-climbers to understand performance.
The two main grading scales are the V-Scale in the U.S. and the Fontainebleau system in Europe.
The V-Scale ranges from V0 for beginners up to V17, one of the hardest levels in the world, while the Fontainebleau scale goes from 5A to 8B and beyond.
Elite climbers like Will Bosi are reaching these top levels quickly, so it might not be long before we see the world’s V18—a whole new level of difficulty in bouldering.
Purpose and training methods
Initially, bouldering was just a way for mountaineers to train when they couldn’t.
But since it has evolved into what it is today I suspect it was also about fun get-togethers with friends where climbers could refine technique, maintain fitness, and improve finger strength.
In modern days, bouldering doesn’t only have its own climbing culture and dedicated community but it has also become an official Olympic sport.
As the climbing community becomes more and more interested in perfecting the sport, the number of professionals including climbing coaches, specialised physios, and professional climbers is also rapidly growing.
Equipment and safety gear
When it all started, climbers used what they had at hand. Climbers often bouldered barefoot or wearing adapted normal footwear.
Because of handmade crash pads and no other specialised safety equipment, falls were generally riskier and, therefore avoided.
Nowadays, apart from Barefoot Charles and some others we don’t know about, everyone climbing outdoors is using climbing shoes with very sticky rubber, customised aggressive shapes, and a crash pad at the minimum.
Not to mention there are dozens of chalk types, from liquid to dry powder, and brushes to clean your holds after you climb.
Check out our shop, I heard it helps with friction and keeps your holds clean. 😜
Climbing gyms and route-setting grading
We are no longer limited by what nature provides because we built gyms that transform bouldering into an accessible, year-round sport.
Around these facilities, professionals such as route setters are employed to create problems on artificial walls and regularly change them.
The latest biannual survey of The Association of British Climbing Walls reveals that bouldering-only facilities have been on the rise in the UK.
In London alone, the number of climbing gyms has risen from 10 in 2014 to an impressive 35 as of January 2024.
According to ABC, the gross turnover “has increased substantially since 2021,” with 19% of responding facilities now bringing in over £1 million (compared to 3% in 2021). In the US, 96% of bouldering gyms opened in just the past 14 years.
The Europe climbing gym market was valued at US$ 883.3 Mn in 2023. The transparency market search states estimated that it will reach US$ 2.2 Bn by 2034.
How does bouldering impact your life?
Sports are known for having a positive impact on people’s lives. But apart from the obvious reason – health, do you know how immensely beneficial bouldering can be to you?
Let’s go through the mind, body, and social aspects together.
Better health and is adaptive to all levels and ages
Body coordination and balance are two very important must-haves for a normal fulfilling life, especially while growing older.
Since bouldering is often about shifting weight between different holds, you’ll improve your body awareness in space and how to effectively coordinate it while feeling light.
The great news is that you don’t have to be a pro to start bouldering: anyone can do it, at any age.
It increases confidence and resilience
In comparison to other sports, bouldering teaches you to rely on yourself and keep trying until you become the best version of yourself. Over and over.
Learning to channel your strengths and push strong through discomfort, looking to solve challenging problems and deal with setbacks builds character and boosts self-confidence.
It teaches how important sharing and support are
Bouldering can indeed be a lonely sport if you choose so: you can always take your mat and go boulder alone.
However, when you want to send a harder problem you’ll most likely need someone to spot you so they protect your falls.
Bouldering is not just about doing the sport, but it’s also about sharing beta, adjusting tiny details, and supporting each other to dare, try one more move, reach higher, and have a strong mind.
Again and again.
Bouldering is a full-body workout
Little kids are being tricked into eating healthy food by adults who transform their veggies and meals into funny animals with attractive colors.
I find getting fit while bouldering quite similar to that.
Why? Well, many people aspire to be fit and they struggle with the pressure of “having” to be fit.
However, bouldering takes a different approach—it’s all about having fun and solving problems on the climbing wall.
So getting fit is just a natural byproduct of enjoying these fun challenges.
How do I know that? Until I started climbing, sports made no sense to me.
In fact, I dreaded the idea of effort. But once I fell in love with bouldering I also became motivated by being in a better shape for it. I found myself curious about what else I could accomplish through training.
How much harder could I climb? So getting fit, along with a healthier lifestyle came naturally, along with the journey.
Social engagement and community sense of belonging
Bouldering easily brings people together for a shared purpose and it often allows you to strike up nice conversations by the wall without feeling awkward for randomly talking to a total stranger.
Through bouldering, I made a few good friends because I met so many interesting people who enjoyed doing what I loved: climbing.
The sense of belonging to a community you choose to fit in and not one you are born in is priceless.
The secret against stress and the solution to feeling better fast
It’s a known fact physical activity boosts endorphins which further improve your mood and make you feel good about yourself.
Sometimes, going to the gym after a long day of work or an unpleasant event can feel like escaping to a new world.
It can become your own bubble where you can blow off steam and have nothing to do with everyday responsibilities.
Climbing vocabulary: Words everyone who loves bouldering needs to know
Climbers have a way of communicating important matters during climbing while having a beer or occasionally chatting.
Therefore, knowing the right words to describe community aspects that make bouldering such a unique sport is also a way to integrate into the bouldering community to better understand it.
Bouldering basics
Problem – the term we use for a bouldering route or sequence of moves to reach the top
Send – When we complete or “solve” a problem from start to finish without falling
Flash – When we send a problem on the first attempt, with prior knowledge or watching others
Onsight – When we send a problem on the first attempt, without prior information
Beta – Advice on how to use holds and approach a specific boulder problem
Holds and climbing moves
Crimp – A small, thin, and sometimes sharp hold that requires strong finger-gripping
Jug – A large, comfortable hold that’s easy to grip with the whole hand
Sloper – A rounded hold with minimal grip; requires compression and body tension
Pinch – A hold that’s gripped by squeezing with fingers and thumb
Pocket – A specific type of hold where you can fit only one or two fingers
Undercling – A hold faced downward, that requires you to pull up and use core strength to stay in place.
Heel Hook – When you place the heel on a hold for added stability, leverage, or progression
Toe Hook – Hooking onto a hold with the top of your foot, often for balance or counter-pressure
Dyno – A dynamic move or jump to reach a far hold
Mantle – Lifting yourself on a ledge or topping out by pushing down with your hands
Climbing techniques
Smearing – Using the friction of your climbing shoe against the wall when there is no hold for your foot
Flagging – Extending a leg to the side to counterbalance and stabilise yourself
Drop Knee – Turning one knee inward to lower your center of gravity and progress
Rock Over – Shifting your weight onto a high foothold to progress in the route
Barn Door – When your body swings out sideways because of a lack of balance or foothold
Climbing styles
Slab – A wall or rock face that is ‘off-angle’ and not fully vertical and requires good balance and careful footwork
Overhang – A wall or rock face that leans back at an angle of over 90 degrees, demanding strength and body tension
Highball – Found exclusively in the outdoors, it’s a type of bouldering where a fall from the top is riskier due to height (above 5m)
Projecting – When a climber finds a challenging boulder problem that is above what they can onsight and decides to try it multiple sessions
Safety and Equipment
Crash Pad – A portable, padded mat used to protect against falls when bouldering outdoors
Spotter – A person, usually another climber who stops or guides the climber’s fall toward the crash pad
Chalk – Magnesium carbonate in liquid or powder form, usually white, that climbers use to have a better grip on holds
Community common expressions
Pumped – When your muscles get tired during climbing which makes it hard to keep squeezing holds
Foot slip – When a climber’s foot unexpectedly pops off a foothold
Redpoint – Successfully completing a problem after projecting it
Choss – Loose, crumbly, or unstable rock
Spray Beta – When someone intrusively gives you unsolicited advice on how to solve a problem
Sandbag – A problem that feels much harder than the given grade suggests
Sending Train – When multiple climbers take turns to complete a problem quickly.
Bouldering incubation period for common people
So after you read all about everything there is to know about bouldering, you are wondering how addictive bouldering really is?
Watch out, bouldering is highly addictive and to some, life-changing!
From our experience, it can affect people of all fitness levels, particularly if they’ve never tried it before.
The problem is that the bouldering virus is very strong and rarely leaves the mind once you get infected.
At first, you’ll experience physical symptoms like back aches when you wake up the day after, and a desire to go back for more.
In the long term, and the more you train the better you’ll start feeling better. The second stage is sweating palms when thinking about a boulder problem.
If you happen to have any of these symptoms I invite you to discover the origins and evolution of this amazing sport.
In this Boulderflash guide, you’ll learn about pioneers such as Pierre Allain (Fr), John Gill (US), and Jerry Moffatt (UK).
Elite pushing limits in bouldering by sending the world’s hardest problems
There are a handful of V17 boulder problems and even fewer climbers that can climb such an elite level.
Amongst them are Will Bosi, Aidan Roberts, Shawn Raboutou, Simon Lorenzi, Dave Graham, Daniel Woods, Dai Koyamada, and Emil Abrahamson.
But don’t believe us!
Read more about which are the hardest outside boulders in the world and who was able to push the limits in bouldering that far.
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