A Different Aspect of Rock Climbing - Bouldering
By its nature, climbing requires you to go up. This requires safety equipment, climbing partners and so on, which can turn the process into an event. Bouldering, on the other hand, is a quick and clean way to climb and work on your technique.
Bouldering is not about scaling great heights. Instead, it is about pushing your technique in a low risk environment. You can climb straight up the boulder, but are really better off trying different moves across the face.
Bouldering returns you to the basics of climbing. A climb is basically a problem to be solved. With bouldering, that problem can be defined by you. You can climb straight up the boulder or meander in different directions to try new techniques.
At its outset, climbing boulders was seen as a method for training for bigger climbs. While some stick to this view, many now view bouldering as a sport within itself. An interesting boulder can offer many different routes and be climbed for years.
Once you get into bouldering, there is a tendence to forget about safety. How banged up can you get if you are only 8 feet up? You would be surprised. Broken arms and ankles happen. Always use a crash pad to cush the brunt of falls.
In my opinion, bouldering results in more bruises and strains than any other form of climbing. You really tend to push yourself and your technique with bouldering, so tweaks are natural. Take the time to warm up before jumping on the rock.
Buildering is a form of bouldering that happens in the urban environment. Often around adult beverage establishments. Yes, climbers get enticed with the wall of a building front and just start climbing up and up.
Buildering can be tempting after happy hour, but it isn’t to smart. Falls are very painful given the fact the ground is usually very hard. A twisted ankle will also make it all the harder to run from the police when they show up!
Everyone has their favorite form of climbing. For convenience, learning new techniques and setting your own routes, bouldering is pretty hard to beat.
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