Bouldering is a style of climbing without ropes on shorter, bouldery walls covered with thick mats to provide a safe landing should you fall. It is a great way to start climbing as it is easy to learn and requires very little in the way of equipment.
Book and Register First
Induction before you climb: Most gyms require a membership form and/or a waiver to be signed before you start climbing. Some gyms also have an induction process to show you how to use the facilities safely. It is best to complete your online membership form and/or sign your online waiver before you arrive at the wall. This will save you time when you arrive as you will not have to fill in any paperwork at the desk and you will be able to get changed and on the wall for your first session as soon as possible.
Hire Shoes for Your First Visit
Climbing shoes make a huge difference in climbing, and they are usually very expensive – around £50 – so hiring them for your first session at the wall is a great idea. As with normal shoes, climbing shoes come in different sizes, and it is very important that they are not too tight (as this can be very painful) but snug enough to be of use.
Warm Up Before You Climb
Warm up with a 10 minute warm up before starting off on the boulders. This can include walking around, rotating your shoulders and wrists and doing a few easy pulls on low holds. This will stop your fingers from going cold and your shoulders from getting stiff, which can lead to slips and minor strains when trying problems.
Start on the Easiest Grades
Most bouldering walls use colour to denote the grade of problems. Start on the yellow or green problems even if they look easy to you. These problems will help you to establish the appropriate footwork for the type of moves found on more difficult problems.
Rest Between Attempts
Bouldering is very demanding for your fingers and your forearms, so try to allow 2-3 minutes between attempts on a problem. This will allow your muscles to recover from the previous attempt and allow you to go back to the problem with focus and go at it stronger.
Learn to Fall Safely
The main thing to bear in mind when falling is to try and land on both feet and to do so bending your knees as you hit the ground. This will help to distribute the force of the impact and is much better than landing on one foot and then putting your hands out behind you – this is especially likely to cause damage to your hands and wrists. If you are looking for Bouldering Birmingham, see https://www.270climbing.com/bouldering/birmingham/.
By mastering the basics on your first visit you will find subsequent sessions so much more enjoyable.
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