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belaymebaby
Jan 22, 2003, 4:27 PM
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well i get to feel like an idiot. i'm sort of a beginner, and i'm not familiar with terms, and what EXACTLY is bouldering?
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jorgle
Jan 22, 2003, 4:33 PM
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Boulder Problem - n. Generally a short and powerfull sequence of moves which make up a route on a boulder. May also be found on a route containing a section of hard moves.
Oh yeah, you don't use a rope.
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jtme
Jan 22, 2003, 4:34 PM
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Climbing on a "shortish" rock without someone to "belay-YOU-baby"
sorry couldn't pass on the pun.
Bouldering is without ropes on.......well.....boulders. Typically with someone to "spot" or make sure you don't get hurt when you fall!!
Richard
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redpoint73
Jan 22, 2003, 4:36 PM
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Shorter (15-30 feet) problems that are done with no rope or harness - usually on a boulder (go figure). Usually powerful or tricky moves,compared to what you can do on a longer "roped" route.
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redpoint73
Jan 22, 2003, 4:40 PM
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Oh yeah, you can also buy bouldering pads to cushion your fall when/if you do. And you get your friends to spot you so you don't fall on your head, and to make sure you actually land on the pad.
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mother_sheep
Jan 22, 2003, 4:43 PM
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Don't feel bad. When I first started climbing, a friend of mine offered to take me bouldering. I thought bouldering was simply scrambling over boulders. Once we made it to the rock and we started traversing and the burn set in, I completely understood but I still felt like an idiot.
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jgill
Jan 23, 2003, 4:41 AM
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All the replies so far are good, Lauren. Just thought I'd mention that when the sport was young - 40-45 years ago - when we didn't feel like taking the risk, we would sometimes put on a top rope to do a problem that had a bad landing. No bouldering pads then. Don't know exactly why top ropes have been so shunned in more recent times - there are still problems where pads are inadequate. It has to do with the local history of style, I suppose.
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coldclimb
Jan 23, 2003, 4:50 AM
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But John, you gotta be "cool"
Give me the rope any day. Far better than the landing, I think.
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stevematthys
Jan 23, 2003, 4:56 AM
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john, i think it has more to do with people not wanting to look like wimps in front of their friends and peers, they would rather try to top out on the high ball, then sit there on top rope.
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lox
Jan 23, 2003, 4:42 PM
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Actually, it all has to do with being a lazyfu*k who doesn't want to haul ropes to the bolder and bother with putting up an anchor.
Especially when you can just throw MAD PADS at the bottom and just go.
That's part of the appeal of boldering: instant gratification. You show up at the crag, stretch and do your stuff and then climb as soon as you like, as much as you like (if the area is good)...
If you think I (or most anyone who considers themself a "bolderer") isn't using pads because we want to "look cool in front of our friends" then you are a terrible judge of character.
And another thing.
When you fall boldering, you hit the ground. That is a very real consequence of your failure, even with padding. Not falling because you are scared of the consequence is more kin to the trad ethic most bolderers practise (top out, don't alter the rock and the leader must not fall)... toprope simply takes most, if not all, the objective danger out of the equation.
But hey.. what do I know ?
I mean, when you think about it... climbers took 40 years to figure out to PUT SOMETHING SOFT UNDERNEATH YOU WHEN YOU FALL.
We're kinda dumb anyway...
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belaymebaby
Jan 23, 2003, 4:52 PM
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Grand. Thanks everyone. I got it. There's a boulder (i guess u'd say?) in the gym i go to, most of it's upside down, kind of cave-like, if women use their legs more than arms, how can we do that sort of thing? i'm not particularly strong yet, especially my arms, but i could get on the thing but couldn't take a hand off to make any progress.
and. how can i efficiently strengthen my arms for bouldering, and climbing? the gym's a lil far away.
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doink
Jan 23, 2003, 5:01 PM
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bouldering quite simply is were its at
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lox
Jan 23, 2003, 5:05 PM
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Well.. the first thing you need to do is climb a lot. As you do, you will notice certain techniques make attaining the next hold easier. You can then take these techniques and apply them to the steeper walls to a certain degree of success.
So when you ask what you can do to get on the steeps, the answer invariably is to climb more at EVERY angle.
It really helps if you have instruction into proper technique. So take a class or a workshop and learn to think about how your body interacts with "backstep" in the most efficient fashion...
Other than that, if you feel like you should do somehting to support your climbing when you are not climbing, I recommend core excersizes, cardiovascular conditioning and YOGA.
If you are flexible, fit and have strength through the middle of your body you will be aptly prepared to progress more quickly at climbing.
Is that all pretty informative ?
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belaymebaby
Jan 23, 2003, 10:45 PM
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yeah thanks. i've got the flexibility and the fitness, but i'm not sure about the strength, i've been working on my middle body, and i do yoga, so i guess i'm pretty much on the right track.
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bandycoot
Jan 23, 2003, 10:59 PM
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Who better to answer that post than John Gill? I'm amused..
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belaymebaby
Jan 23, 2003, 11:01 PM
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after i left this forum, i went to another and saw this at the top.
Random Quote: "Boulder /n./ place close to the ground to practice falling. When climbers aren't climbing, they like to sharpen their skills by bouldering on large rocks located in places frequented by impressionable tourists. Because bouldering is done without protection, the rule is never to climb higher than you'd like to fall. That is why so many climbers stand around discussing boulder problems instead of climbing them."
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krustyklimber
Jan 23, 2003, 11:38 PM
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Lauren/belaymebaby,
Welcome!
If you do not have a gym that is close you could think about getting dad to help you build a home wall, or for a whole lot less you could start with a hangboard, like this
You'd mount it above your doorway and hang from it a little at a time (you don't have to do pull-ups) getting stronger and being able to hang longer all the time.
If you are involved in any sports now you probaly have the fitness needed already.
Your feet will be your greatest asset as a climber so strengthening them will be most important... you will not be able to only train your arms, though it will help. You'll either have to travel to the gym or find someone close who has a home wall you can play on.
Best of luck to you!
Jeff
P.S. In case you didn't know the man who answered your question, jgill or John Gill, is the man who basically invented bouldering.
P.P.S. Mr. Gill, I still am known to break out the rope and harness when I boulder, forty years of abusing my ankles has made landing on even a crash pad tough. Besides a guy could get hurt sliding down a V-3! (yes Lox, I said V minus three, it's a joke!)
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orangekyak
Jan 23, 2003, 11:38 PM
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welcome to climbing ... you'll notice that a lot of climbers like to talk sh1t about the kind of climbing others do, more so online than otherwise.
don't be put off, just be one of the climbers who is curious about and open to all types of climbing and climbers, regardless of whether or not you participate in/with them.
you also may notice that a lot of the phanatical boulderers are pretty sicko athletes, gymnasts and climbers. It takes a special kind of physical, mental and spiritual strength to boulder at one's true limit (whether it's V1 or V11).
you also may notice that none of those anti-boulderers will bash bouldering in a thread where jgill has posted.
southwick, mass. note - i bet rebecca lobo would be a good boulderer. hahaha
o.k.
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jgill
Jan 24, 2003, 5:23 AM
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Sorry for the diversion, but there are several boulder problems around here that I did on a top rope 20 years ago and that cannot be protected by pads. I see chalk on nearby problems, but never on these few dynamic ones, where failure to complete the move would probably be disastrous. These are not really "highballs", but rather short, fairly difficult problems where spotting is almost impossible.
I suppose climbers are deferring to someone willing to take the risks associated with not using a top rope. But they miss some fun moves this way. (However, I admit, I'm pretty old-fashioned!)
(edit for clarity)
[ This Message was edited by: jgill on 2003-01-24 13:22 ]
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belaymebaby
Jan 24, 2003, 4:44 PM
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Thanks..
anyone got any good hangboard links? i'm gonna look around.
and rebecca lobo, yeah lol.
jgill, i'm honored.
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