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climberoon
Mar 11, 2013, 10:42 PM
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I am considering bouldering by myself without a mat or a spotter. Will this cause any joint problems in the long run (like when you fall and land on your feet)?
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SE_climber
Mar 11, 2013, 11:12 PM
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You risk serious injury in the long and short term. It all depends on the ground you're landing on and how far you're falling. On uneven, rocky terrain (where most boulders are) you risk sprained or broken ankles, heel or ball contusion/breakage, and low back problems to name a few possibilities. That's if you land on your feet. There's always a chance you won't.
Climbing shoes aren't supportive enough to protect you when you fall. Just get an el cheapo mad rock pad. Your feet will thank you.
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Kartessa
Mar 12, 2013, 12:35 AM
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climberoon wrote: I am considering bouldering by myself without a mat or a spotter. Will this cause any joint problems in the long run (like when you fall and land on your feet)?
Why wouldn't you want a pad?
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maldaly
Mar 12, 2013, 1:00 AM
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What do Mark Wilford, Steve Mammen, Malcolm Daly, Dave Bohn, Jim Holloway, Mike Graham, Rick Accomazzo, John Bachar, Ron Kauk, Jim Bridwell, Doug Robinson, Peter Croft, Billy Westbay, Peter Hahn, Pat Ament, John Gill and many many others have in common?
None of them ever bouldered with a mat.
Any questions?
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climberoon
Mar 12, 2013, 2:06 AM
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How many pads are we talking here? If you're going to boulder for real, you need at least 3 to 5 pads which can be quite pricey.
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crackmeup
Mar 12, 2013, 2:44 AM
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Get one Organic pad and go boulder with other people. It's more fun, and you get spotters and more pads.
If you are the lone wolf type and prefer to boulder by yourself, pick low and/or vertical (straight up) problems with flat landings. Learn how to place your pad. Or, find relatively low traverses where you don't need pads. Or limit yourself to problems where you believe you won't fall. In any case, learn proper falling technique. Usually the quality of the landing is much more important than the height.
If you don't have money for a pad, go to a climbing shop and take a look at Better Bouldering by John Sherman (no need to buy it). He has many old-school tips to avoid injuries. For example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pGy1Iop8M0
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lena_chita
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Mar 12, 2013, 2:49 PM
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climberoon wrote: I am considering bouldering by myself without a mat or a spotter. Will this cause any joint problems in the long run (like when you fall and land on your feet)?
It is very fitting that this kind of bouldering question is posted in the injury forum...
Common sense; you fall, you hit hard rocks, you land badly on uneven ground, you get hurt. Not just sometime in the future, from joints wearing out, but probably much sooner, from broken legs, tailbones, etc.
People who choose to free solo or boulder without pads usually have very keep understanding of the consequences of their actions, and experience to judge the situation accurately. Based on your question, you don't strike me as the person who should be bouldering alone and without spotters
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ironmike
Mar 13, 2013, 12:41 AM
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Go for it. Old school. Just realize you will pay for it w/ your body. Using no pads will keep you honest as you will be more careful, and you will delude yourself that that 25 foot highball that you're on won't kill you if you peel.
Go for it, if that what's motivating you. It's still a free country, and you still have freedom to make your own choice. Pads were created to make money, and there's nothing wrong with that. You don't have to use them.
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shotwell
Mar 13, 2013, 2:49 AM
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ironmike wrote: Go for it. Old school. Just realize you will pay for it w/ your body. Using no pads will keep you honest as you will be more careful, and you will delude yourself that that 25 foot highball that you're on won't kill you if you peel. Go for it, if that what's motivating you. It's still a free country, and you still have freedom to make your own choice. Pads were created to make money, and there's nothing wrong with that. You don't have to use them.
The use of pads does not cause this attitude. Highballing was prevalent in pre pad days as well. Everyone that I know that gets high off the deck is aware of just how little the pads do for them.
In routine, try hard bouldering a pad is now an essential piece of equipment. My legs, back, head, and ass all appreciate the use of multiple pads and a good spotter. Do whatever you want, but the advice that a lack of proper safety equipment will make you a safer climber is...foolish. Of course, experienced climbers frequently go without pads. They already know their limits and are willing to accept the risks. If you're new move forward with caution and protect yourself. The medical bills or insurance co-pay/deductible from one fall are far more than a whole slew of pads.
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ironmike
Mar 13, 2013, 10:16 PM
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Edging skills or hospital bills.
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camhead
Mar 14, 2013, 5:40 PM
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maldaly wrote: What do Mark Wilford, Steve Mammen, Malcolm Daly, Dave Bohn, Jim Holloway, Mike Graham, Rick Accomazzo, John Bachar, Ron Kauk, Jim Bridwell, Doug Robinson, Peter Croft, Billy Westbay, Peter Hahn, Pat Ament, John Gill and many many others have in common? None of them ever bouldered with a mat. Any questions?
This is true, but all of these guys were well-versed in more old school, traditional philosophies that took falls and calculated risks much more seriously.
Furthermore, a lot of old-school boulder problems are very short (2-3 moves, in the case of Holloway's hardest lines), and have great landings. Longer problems were actually put up as topropes, even by luminaries like Gill or Bob Murray. Shit, all the classic v6-8s on the north face of the Mushroom Boulder were originally topropes. Highball solos like The Thimble were NOT the norm even back then.
Most climbers coming out of the gym today are going to take falls less seriously than the names that you mentioned. Most more recently developed bouldering areas and problems (Horsepens, LRC, Joe's Valley, most of Hueco) were put up with the assumption that people repeating problems would have pads and spotters. And finally, toproping (either solo or belayed), is WAY more frowned upon nowadays for boulder problems than it was in the 1970s.
Short version, don't go start bouldering without a pad or spotter just because you think all the mythical heroes of past generations did. If you do, you'll get hurt.
(This post was edited by camhead on Mar 14, 2013, 5:43 PM)
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ironmike
Mar 15, 2013, 11:21 PM
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Duuude! Righteous follow-up
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curt
Mar 16, 2013, 4:17 AM
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cracklover wrote: ironmike wrote: Edging skills or hospital bills. Finger locks or pine box One blunder and it's six feet under GO
Don't forget the original of that genre...
Fire or Retire.
Curt
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brooklynclimber
Mar 26, 2013, 1:19 PM
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"My docs tell me if I get one more concussion, I'm going to turn into a sport climber"
heheh
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