Bouldering - climbing for those who are afraid of heights

What is bouldering

Boulder is a type of rock climbing in which you do not have to go too far from the ground. The height of boulders can reach five meters (in this case, belaying is required), but many training tracks are located at a height of 1.5–2 meters from the ground.

On straight and sloping walls, hooks are located - special protrusions of various sizes and shapes that you cling to. There are also so-called reliefs - rough surfaces that imitate the bulges of a real boulder.

On the track, there is a bonus - a hold for which the athlete receives additional points, and a top hold, located at the top, which must be grasped with both hands, and then the track will be considered passed. There are soft mats on the floor, which reduce the risk of injury from a fall.

Trails come in different difficulty levels. For example, the holds can be far apart, small and uncomfortable. The track can be located on an inclined surface or generally "on the ceiling".

How the difficulty of the tracks is measured

To assess the difficulty level of bouldering tracks in Russia, the French Font scale is used: the higher the number, the more difficult the track. The scale also contains letters (the further down the alphabet, the harder it is) and the + sign, which indicates the increased complexity of the track.

The V scale is also used in the world, in which the easiest track for beginners is V0. As the difficulty increases, the numbers grow: V1, V2, V3. + Or - signs can be used to indicate slightly increased or decreased difficulty.

Both Font and V scales are open. This means that there is no ultimate complexity of the track: with the development of the sport, something more difficult can always appear.

In the video below, Daniel Woods runs a challenging course at the 2010 Bouldering World Cup.

And the steepest boulders train in natural conditions: they climb natural reliefs, clinging to cracks and uneven boulders. In the video, boulder Thomas Blaabjerg runs the 8B + track.

Bouldering benefits

1. Provides cardio workout

Your heart rate increases during climbing, and if you take a short rest between attempts, it stays elevated throughout the workout. So bouldering can be a great cardio exercise that has a ton of health benefits.

2. Increases strength

Without strong shoulders, forearms, wrists, and fingers, you won't be able to tackle difficult trails. Yes, the correct technique will make it easier to climb, but weak muscles will prevent you from holding onto the holds.

This works in two directions: you increase muscle strength during the passage of the trails and additionally exercise on the horizontal bar in order to pump your back, shoulders and wrists and, finally, go through a difficult route that is not given in any way.

3. Burns calories

It will be very difficult for an overweight person to climb: the weak muscles of the hands and fingers will not be able to support a lot of weight. However, if the excess weight is not that significant (body mass index is normal), bouldering will help you burn calories and lose weight.

The Harvard Medical School publication Calories burned in 30 minutes for people of three different weights indicates that a person weighing 70 kilograms in 30 minutes of climbing will burn about 355 kilocalories. Of course, you can't climb for the full 30 minutes without a break, so you can think of spending that amount of calories in an hour of training.

4. Improves flexibility

Some trails cannot be traversed without sufficient flexibility. In one place you need to throw your leg higher, in another - put it on the same toe where the hand is, in the third - bend strongly or reach the toe, which is quite far away. Thus, you stretch the muscles already during the workout, and your flexibility gradually increases.

5. Boosts coordination

If you try to pass the track with one muscle strength, then most likely you will not succeed. In bouldering, as in other types of rock climbing, it is very important to feel your body, to shift the center of gravity, to intuitively understand how much effort you need to apply when jumping on the toe in order not to fall off it.

Passing the tracks, you learn to better feel and control your body, which will be useful to you in everyday life: a pumped-up balance will save you from injury, and your movements will become more precise and verified.

6. Ability to plan

It is very difficult to go through an unfamiliar route without any plan, where you put your hand, where and how you will intercept. Gradually, you learn to plan the passage even before you take the first hold, and thought work continues in the process. Beginners grab onto anything, while experienced boulders first think about where to place their foot or arm so that they can reach the next toe more comfortably. Thus, unlike many other sports, in bouldering, physical activity is accompanied by mental work.

What you need for training

For convenience and comfort during training, special equipment is needed. And the first necessity is climbing shoes, or climbing shoes.

Skalniki

You can come to the first lesson in sneakers or trainers, but for further training you need to buy shoes (or rent them in your gym). When you put on your climbing shoes after your sneakers, you will find that they are much more comfortable to walk in them.

The firm sole makes it easy for you to stand on any toe shape, and thanks to the narrow toe and good grip of the sole with the toes, you can resist even on small bumps.

Climbing shoes are sold in sports stores at a price of 3 thousand rubles. Flat-soled shoes are best for beginners. A hard bend, or "beak", is preferable for professionals, but for a beginner, it can cause a lot of discomfort.

Magnesia

This is especially important if your palms are sweating: without magnesium, you will slide off even from large and comfortable holds. You can buy magnesia in a plastic jar or take a special bag that clings to your belt and allows you to periodically dip your hands in magnesia right on the track.

Comfortable clothes

You can work out in any sportswear. The main thing is that it is comfortable and does not restrict movement in any way.

Water

Even if rock climbing does not seem to you difficult and at least somewhat energy-consuming activity, believe me, you will change your mind after the first route. You will be tired and sweaty, so be sure to bring a bottle of water with you.

What you need to know before the first lesson

Warm up is very important

It is important to warm up your body well before exercising, especially your arms and shoulders. After the joint warm-up, you can do general cardio to warm up your whole body. Running or a few simple exercises will do: squats, push-ups, jumping rope.

Also, as a warm-up, they first perform a traverse: they simply climb on large holds without going through a specific route. This will help warm up exactly the muscles that will work.

During training, try not to take long pauses between runs: the muscles will cool down, and you can get injured if, for example, you suddenly hang on one arm.

The first lesson won't be easy

When you look at experienced climbers, it seems very easy to climb the trails. You will immediately be convinced of the opposite as soon as you try. Even if you have strong arms and shoulders and do 10 pull-ups in a row and handstand push-ups, the first session will not be easy. An unusual load will make the arm muscles beg for mercy after the first run.

The main thing is not strength, but technique

No matter how strong your arms are, they will not be able to hold your weight for long. A common mistake for beginners is climbing with bent, tense arms. Muscles quickly get tired and clogged, so that a person can no longer physically hold himself on the toe and falls down.

When you watch how thin-armed girls and guys "take off" up the hooks, you understand that strength is far from the main thing here.

Therefore, from the very first lesson, train with an instructor. He will explain to you the peculiarities of the technique, show you how you can rearrange your arms and legs, how to maintain balance, so that in two or three sessions you will easily pass the route, which at the first training session seemed to you the path of superhumans.

Hands and fingers will hurt

After the first workout, your arm muscles, shoulder girdle, fingers will ache - this is inevitable. How long and how long depends on your preparation. In a person who is not on friendly terms with physical activity, his arms may "fall off" even on the third day after an intense workout.

In addition, on the same day, you may feel discomfort in your fingers: the delicate skin is rubbed off by the hooks, and you may develop calluses. However, over time, this problem will disappear - along with fingerprints, erased on the toes. So if you want to get a biometric passport, do it before intense bouldering training (just kidding).

Why is bouldering so cool?

As a child, did you like to climb trees and abandoned construction sites, to climb the canopy of an entrance? Probably everyone loved it. Bouldering is a safe alternative for adults.

It's hard to describe the feeling when, from 50th try, you finally pass the track and cling to the top - it's a real delight. All this time you are in close contact with your sensations and your body, you feel it as never before, because it depends on it whether you pass the track or fall down like an overripe pear.

You have the opportunity to feel like a real ninja, climbing "on the ceiling", and all this time to be in a wonderful state of flow, when you are all - an action without extraneous thoughts and distractions.

If you haven't found your sport yet (and if you have found it), be sure to try bouldering. Perhaps you will fall in love with him from the first track.