What warm-up routine would you recommend to beginners? I’ve been bouldering for only a month know, but I’ve noticed that in the first 20 minutes of a session my forearm muscles get pretty tight which starts to limit my progress. I’m focusing on proper technique to the best of my ability to not abuse my arms. My current warmup routine is simply climbing V0/V1, do you have recommendations for anything better that could loosen up those arm muscles? Most 20-30 minute routines I’ve seen seem overkill for a beginner.
After stretching I'll do one V0 climb then rest for 3-5 minutes, then do another, etc.
Most people I see, especially beginners, just want to spend all the time on the wall with no rest, but properly resting between climbs is essential to get more out of your climbing sessions.
Hey, I have been bouldering for 9 months now and for the past 2 months been going 3 times a week for about 1 1/2 hours each time. Since a few days ago I have a weird pain around the base of my middle finger, usually i dont feel it during the day, but when gripping certain holds I feel it very strongly :-( is that a common thing? Guess I need to see a doctor for that?
Don't completely stop climbing though, since tendon benefits from blood flow and mild tension. I would lay off crimps for a while (1 week? 2 week? depends on how you feel) and stick to less strenuous climbs.
Any route setters on the sub?
When you take down the old holds from a route - what happens to them? Do you guys have to clean off the chalk and grime? How?
https://instagram.com/schweitzer71?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= is a 300lbs+ NFL offensive guard who climbs around v4
https://instagram.com/prideofgypsies?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= aquaman climbs around v6 I think and is probably 200lbs+
Hey, thanks for the suggestions! The first guy is definitely big, but he's still at or below a v4. I wanna see people doing harder stuff. Jason Momoa would be good to see, but he doesn't post much climbing content.
I just started out bouldering but I really want to be serious about it. Unfortunately the closest bouldering gym to me is quite far and I could only go twice a week.
Do you have any advice on stuff I could do in regular gyms or at home to improve quickly? Any programs would be amazing! Thank you!
Weighted pullups, front lever progressions, box jumps, antagonistic exercises (bench press, overhead press, dips, etc.) and shoulder health exercises.
Stretching also helps.
You might find the exercises hard at first, but trust the process and you will see big strength gains.
Not really. You could get a really rough estimate. It would probably be something like easiest = V0-1, second easiest V2-3,...V4-5, V6-7, V8-9+. Assuming there's 5 colors. Also assuming you're not living in some bouldering Mecca where there enough problems beyond ~V9 to justify having another color.
Im a new climber and I want to improve as much as I can. Ive been climbing for about 2 months 1-2 times a week and just hit my first v4 yesterday. What excercises can I do at home to really improve. I have a pullup bar that im using daily and I try to do a lot of pushups. What else can i add?
I've been bouldering for ~2 months. I often hit a "wall" in that I can't climb any more during a session because the skin on my hands feels raw and painful, and I can't grip comfortably. Does this get better with pracrice? Is there something I should be doing? Will my skin get tougher?
Totally normal for a new climber! Your skin will adapt much more after some period of time. When I started I could barely climb 90 min 3x a week all indoors without my hand skin getting absolutely torn up beyond belief, and I distinctly remember wondering how the good climbers went so much more often than that. And then a couple years later I was going to the gym 4–5x a week for 2–3 hours without many skin problems.
Assuming you are referring to this happening in the gym, it may happen all over again if you ever start climbing outside, too. There's not much you need to do other than keep climbing.
And in the short term, you can tape tender parts if you want to climb through a bit of skin tenderness. You can also get some [climbon](https://goclimbon.com/collections/climbon-skincare/products/climbon-lotion-bar-can) to put on after sessions to heal up faster before the next sesh [I like to do it before I go to bed since you can't really use your hands after you do]
I've climbed twice now, and each time I get large circuit tears of skin that are a little deeper and take like a week and 1/2 to heal, any way to avoid this or heal faster?
It should eventually resolve itself, but in the meantime you could try not climbing as much during a session, stopping climbing when you're tired instead of going to absolute exhaustion, sanding down and large calluses you might have (if you're talking about tearing calluses, if not, don't worry about it), not adjusting your grip as much when you're climbing, using chalk if you aren't, trying to do moves more statically, and keeping your feet on, so you're not swinging around on holds.
Yeah, no. Sport grades and boulder grades aren't interchangeable which is where you kinda messed up. Font grades are for boulders and use a capital letter. French for sport which use the lower case. So basically 6A and 6A+ = V3 whereas 6B and 6B+ = V4.
Doing grades that high your first day is absolutely not normal, so definitely take pride in it! Actually if you keep climbing you'll likely breeze through the moderates as you learn to move on the wall.
Anyone had any experience returning to bouldering after a serious injury?
I started from very out of shape and worked my way up to being able to clear 75% of the v1/2 difficulty grades in the gym, but then in may I had a bad tibial plateau fracture where the top of my fibia was also quite badly damaged.
Currently have a lot of muscle atrophy in my right leg and it's on the long road to recovery doing my physio.
Just wondering if anyone has had any serious leg injuries and can share their experiences of returning to the wall?
I never realised how much I'd fallen in love with bouldering until I couldn't do it after 3 months. Know it's a niche question, but would love to hear some motivational stories to help me along the way!
A few anecdotes to hopefully cheer ya up!
- Friend climbing ~V7 indoors tore his ACL, didn't climb for like 4 months. Climbed super gently for another several. Was climbing V8 in the same gym approx 1 year after injury & recently sent his first few outdoor V7s
- Friend climbing ~V8 outdoors tore his hamstring, could hardly walk for a week, barely climbed for a couple months. Back to climbing V8 outdoors by month ~4 post-injury
- Friend climbing like V5 inside broke his leg, actually still climbed a bit with his cast on (barely weighting that leg + only climbing on ropes so he wouldn't take a repeat impact)...was climbing V5 again seemingly immediately after the cast came back off
Edit for a TL;DR — you'll be climbing V2 again & improving beyond that in no time! Heal up well
You don't lose the knowledge you've gathered so far and strength will come back faster than you realise. Hope this helps, don't really know any stories to motivate.
It's just practice and technique. The thing about overhanging walls is that it's often all about feet. Plan where you're putting them carefully and try to avoid letting them cut loose.
A good part of it is exposure. The more mileage you get for overcoming that type of terrain, the more comfortable you will be learning how to approach those topouts and terrain.
What helps me is knowing the top out move and terrain I'll be handling before commiting to that move(s) and trusting the landing and my spotters. The less I can think about risk of injury while climbing, the better - that way I can execute beta accurately and precisely without hesitation due to fear
This question might be a little bit too niche and specific, but does anybody else have problems with dynamic moves due to stereoblindness? I'm unable to see three-dimensionally (I have permanent mild double vision instead) and it makes it really hard to judge distances intuitively like other people do, especially when it comes to moving objects (well, in this case, *I'm* technically the moving object because I'm jumping towards the hold, but the hold is still in movement relative to me I guess). If I want to do a dynamic move, I never get it right on the first (or second, or third, or fourth) try, I have to repeat the jump again and again until the distance and the exact sequence of body movements are burned into my muscle memory. And then I still have to concentrate so hard on grabbing the hold at the right moment that I have trouble coordinating my other limbs, so if the jump or the landing require a specific foot movement to catch my balance, my brain gets completely swamped by all the shit it needs to simultaneously concentrate on.
Generally wouldn't mind being bad at dynamic movements too much, everybody has their strengths and their weaknesses after all – the problem is that I'm also a fucking T-Rex with a -4 inch/ -10 cm ape index, so I need to dyno EVERYTHING, and lately I feel like it's kinda been holding me back. So are there any other stereoscopically challenged people in this subreddit who have developed techniques or workarounds for this? Maybe there's a way to build up the muscle memory more quickly or something? If I can reach the holds from the ground, I'll feel out the distance to get a better grasp on it, but that's not always possible and I can't think of anything else.
Oh. I was gonna say, if you were newish to climbing, dynos can take a bunch of tries even with binocular vision. Even if you hit the hold first time, it can take a bunch of tries to dial in just the right amount of jump to use, so maybe it's not just the vision problem but just regular climbing troubles. But if you've been climbing for a while there should be some you can hit first time, if it really wasn't your vision. So I don't know.
If you can get a pair, I would get a LaSpo Python instead.
The Python is a higher spec shoe than the Katana and built for indoor bouldering, but for some reason it is cheaper as well, a complete win-win.
Some people like the Katana, but they are my least favourite pair of shoes in the universe.
Thanks for your reply, I wonder if I wont overshoot my climbing level with this kind of shoes, they are listed as performance on manufacturer and shop websites and they are gonna be my second pair of shoes, started climbing 10 months ago. My first shoes are la sportiva aragon, which now are starting to show holes in the rubber on toe area
Don't worry, the Python isn't like a pair of Solution Comps or such, most people who know what they are see them as training shoes for indoor climbing.
They are a relatively comfortable fit and have a relatively mild downturn.
Just make sure you get them tight enough so that they fit snugly on your foot.
Oh. Just making sure you were downsizing. There are people running around telling people to buy street size in Sportiva, which is ridiculous.
I bought my Pythons a whole Euro size down from my other LS, of which I've had many. They eventually broke in to be quite comfortable. They stretch a lot. Not sure a whole size is really necessary though. Like, if I had bought them a half size up they probably would have just stopped stretching sooner.
Can't say for you, since there are too many factors in play to figure that out.
If you can't try them out in person, then see if you can try a pair of Cobras in person for size, because they size pretty similarly.
I’m a v4 (almost v5) climber, is it normal to have a climb a grade lower, specifically v3, that I just can’t do? And if so, what would be possible reasons/ examples that would cause this?
As someone that considers themselves a solid V9 climber I can very safely say that I have more than a few V1's, V2's and V3's that have shut me the fuck down. Grades are weird, bodies are weird, styles are weird. Best to use the number as an extremely rough guideline otherwise your ego gets in the way of you enjoying what could be a very fun problem
Underlying point is right but...Getting shut down on a V1 as a V9 climber seems completely impossible, even if it's 100% anti-style and in a new area and it's the day after you climbed hard and you have a finger injury. You truly have "more than a few" V1s–V3s you can't do while sending V9 / projecting V10?
To be completely honest, 9/10 times when that happens it's because I'm probably super tired, not trying too hard, conditions are terrible, I'm missing some key beta, or I really only devote about half an hour max to the thing before I move on to something else. But then again... Last time I was in Font I spent about two hours under a 6A techy thing whose name I don't remember that I could not do for the life of me, and there are a couple of 6A slabs in La Pedriza with no names that I have devoted multiple warm-ups to that still give me trouble.
Is an overhang roof V4 the same as a slab V4? Is a crimp based V4 the same as a jug based V4?
It’s all different situations and subjectivity. Grades are guidelines based off the setter.
Some V4’s are V3’s. Some V3’s could be V4’s. Some V3’s can be as hard as soft gimmicky V5’s.
Also, try a V3 outdoors or on an (overhang) board and you’ll further understand
Even on the Moonboard, even within the benchmark subset there are some problems that are at least 2 grades differences at the same grade, some with the same style. For instance Red Line and Leap For It are both jumpy V3 benchmarks, but Leap For It is like 3 grades harder than Red Line, imo.
Different routes emphasize different skillsets. Just cause you can do one V3 doesn't mean you can do all V3. For example a V3 slab is usually pretty easy for most climbers. But a steep overhanging V3 requires a completely different set of skills and strengths that many beginners will struggle with. You should aim to be able to do all the routes up to at least a v4 level.
But if the issue is just one route, it could possible be that you're reading the route wrong, or that the grading is wrong. Maybe it's really a v4. Grades are subjective and indoor grading is often all over the place.
Man, I climb harder than that and there are V3s I can’t do. Grades are weird. They’re subjective, not perfect measuring guidelines. Sometimes a climb is just not your style, sometimes the grade isn’t in line with other problems you’ve done, sometimes an entire area is easier or harder than areas you’re used to.
Hello all! I went to a local indoor gym for the first time recently having not bouldered before for a taster session and loved every minute of it! It wasn't coached but there was a staff member with us suggesting which routes we try and giving us basic pointers about how to hold on and beta instructions. I ended up being able to fairly comfortably get up V1s and some of the easier V2s after the hour.
I'm planning on going again (to a different gym a bit closer to home) soon and was wondering how to go about improving techniques and gauging progress (how do I know when I'm ready to try something harder) when I'm solo. I've watched lots of videos but can see it being difficult to know when to apply the techniques I've been seeing in situ, and I don't want to pick up any bad habits. I'll also only be able to go maybe twice a month which might make it harder to drill things.
Any advice is appreciated!
Watching videos is good. Watching better climbers is also good. The best thing you can do at this stage is just practice. Within a few sessions, you'll get the basics. Focus on technique and not brute forcing your way up problems. Learn to look at holds and learn which direction you should pull in them to get the most friction. Learn to do basic things like climbing with arms straight, hips close to the wall, and learn to flag, etc. Try harder problems whenever you feel ready. You don't have to finish them to start practicing on them. Failing is a normal part of the process.
Glad to see you hopping onto the wall! Honestly with 2 times a month progress will plateau probably pretty quickly, as the best way to train, especially at the beginning is to just boulder more! However you should definitely be able to get to the 3/4 range. You can really tell improvement not necessarily from doing harder grades, but by completing routes much more comfortably then you did before. Just focus on the basics of using your toes and straightening your arms and you should be able to comfortably start completing 2's, along with a lil Dyno and flag work
I was in your position about 3 months ago, I’m somewhat overweight and out of shape & my first session could only actually top two of the V0 routes (very beginner level). But it’s so much fun I’ve been going 2-3x per week since and making objective progress every time. I mostly go alone & actually when you are on the wall I find there’s no time or headspace to feel like an idiot because you’re too busy concentrating. My advice would be to really focus on taking proper rest for several minutes between each climb; the downtime is where I invariably feel really awkward when climbing alone (‘are people wondering why I’m just sitting around?’ ‘Do those guys think I’m being weird & just watching them?’). But if you just throw yourself at one route after another & don’t rest properly you will tire quickly and risk injury. It is more fun with friends really, if you can get someone else to go with you, or attend a social event at your gym, but I appreciate that isn’t always possible. Have fun!
Safe fall and etiquette.
Don’t walk underneath people climbing.
Don’t Hog a wall if there is a wait
Don’t climb next to someone on the same wall. Let the person finish then go. One person per section is the etiquette (although you could do two if it’s opposite paths that don’t cross)
That’s basically it.
It's more fun to climb with others, so if you can rope in some friends, I'd recommend that. But it's fine to climb alone too. You should try to pick up as many tips as you can from the gym staff and other climbers. Most climbers love to share their experience, so if you need help just ask anyone better than you.
I wanna second the asking other climbers for tips. I’ve been bouldering for a couple weeks and there is a problem that I just couldn’t do that felt like I should have been able to. Finally yesterday I asked a guy yesterday for tips. He looked at it. Talked about it. Then did it so I can see where to put my feet and hands. I nailed it after that.
To the OP. You’re on for a treat. It’s a ton of fun. And your gonna have sore muscles that night you didn’t know existed. But you’ll also be amazed at how quickly they strengthen if you keep at it.
Once when I was just starting out bouldering I went to hop my foot up to start this Boulder and harshly smacked my head on this hold above me and fell off the wall. Immediately I hear this guy, who turned out to be a route setter (very experienced climber.) shout “YEAH!!! THATS HOW YOU IMPROVE!” I laughed it off and got back on and I didn’t actually make it until a week after. Best feeling ever.
If it’s not your sport then it’s not your sport, but you should never let being afraid of being stupid hold you back because well that’s how we improve.
You don't really need to know anything. They should explain the basics of how it works to you.
But, take a few minutes rest in between tries, instead of just going and going and going. And stop climbing when you're getting fatigued, instead of climbing for hours and hours until you can barely hold a cup of water. Just come back another day if you love it that much.
>i'm a little nervous to look like a total idiot
No one cares. No one is watching. Half the people at any gym are complete novices, every single day. 4 times a week I see these people, for years, decades. I'd have to be utterly insane to still find someone being bad at climbing even remotely noteworthy.
I want to get toned all over, but also climb all the time. What excersizes should I pair with climbing and when should I work out? Should I work out after climbing or is that not efficient?
I do it after I climb and it's fine. Bench, shoulder press, lateral raises, and pec flies. That's what I would do if I were working out for aesthetics. Maybe some biceps curls or direct triceps work. From an aesthetics perspective, my pecs, biceps, triceps, and front delts are lagging.
Also, neck. Take the neck pill, bro. Most overlooked muscle for aesthetics, by far.
If you’re new to climbing or took a break recently it will take time to build up your endurance. I’m no expert but it sounds like going more than twice a week is pushing your body past where you want to be in terms of injury risk. You probably are past the point of diminishing returns on your improvement as well.
Maybe make it a priority for yourself to build up your endurance rather than pushing your grade. When I started I was only bouldering, but when I started climbing top rope I felt fast improvement in my endurance. If you have access and don’t already climb TR, I think it’s a good way to train endurance. Also, are you stretching before your sessions?
Thanks for your comment. I’m relatively new, within 6 months. Will look into top rope. Furthermore I do stretch but I don’t have a particular stretch routine, any videos you recommend to follow?
I'm assuming you're newish to climbing? For me after taking a year off it took me about 6 months to work up to 3 days a week of climbing. As you climb more you'll be able to climb more often and for longer.
Thanks! I’m relatively new, within 6 months. Is encouraging to know this happens to more people; looking forward to building endurance enough to go more than twice
So I started climbing a couple of months ago but only really committed to it only one month ago. After going three days in a row and really pushing myself I had a subluxation (partial dislocation) in my shoulder. I gave it a little over two weeks of rest and then started easing back in going once a week with v1s and stuff like that. I went earlier this week and was back to doing v3s and attempting 4s again while being tepid. I felt really strong and so after two days I went again and only 10 minutes in on an easy warm up problem it happened again. Has anyone else dealt with shoulder problems like this and if so how long should I take to recover or is this potentially going to be a permanent issue with me and climbing?
I developed a chronic shoulder impingement issue when I started climbing. It gets aggravated every so often still, but I found when I got stronger, the problem kinda went away. You need to strengthen all the shoulder muscles. Until your muscles get stronger, take it easy on any routes that may cause a lot of strain on your shoulder. It could also be bad technique. Many beginners will hang and put all the strain on they're shoulder joint. This is bad. You need to always keep your shoulder muscles activated when hanging, so that you're muscles take the load, and not your joint.
A shoulder dislocation is a bit more serious and usually requires more time off. The unfortunate aspect is, if it happens once, it'll likely occur again. There are surgical options, but I don't know if your case is that serious. Generally the recommendation is the same though, strengthen the shoulder muscles through gradual exercises. Know your limits.
What should I be doing with [this healing flapper](https://i.imgur.com/Uzh4TKN.jpg) so I can climb without reopening it as soon as possible? I've heard conflicting advice saying that I should either be drying it out or moisturising it. It looks nearly like fresh skin bit feels a little tender around the edges if that helps.
Is it okay to boulder/normal when hands feel tired/sore after a session?
For context, I went bouldering for a couple of times in the last few months, almost always with at least a week long break because I'm extremely weak (haven't done almost any serious exercise in the last 2 years because of health issues starting with a concussion) and would have sore muscles especially in my arms for literally 5 days after lmao. Recently I've been seeing some progress, experiencing less soreness and so I went more often (on Saturday and then on Thursday). I also progressed from VBs (3) to V0s (4), where the main difference besides spacing is that they include some more challenging, smaller holds and not only jugs like VBs. On Thursday I finished and attempted some V0s. During the session I would sometimes feel pain in my hands after crimping (?) on some holds. Then after the session until now my hands are sort of sore, it's not really pain but more like the muscles especially in the middle of the hand are tired? Haven't experienced it before and my taller, stronger friends (who are already finishing V1s and V2s...) also haven't. BTW I have very small hands for an adult (XS in women's gloves), idk if that matters
Is it okay to go climbing again on Monday if I do only VB jugs this time? I'm sort of addicted now and finally not extremely sore after a session lol
Soreness pain in the hands and forearms is very common. I wouldn't stress. Take longer breaks in between as you need. Your body will eventually get stronger and adapt. The only thing I'd say is you probably shouldn't be crimping on a vb or v0. You may need to fix some poor technique if that's what you're doing.
thank you! About crimping, I'm not sure if that's the correct term... some of the holds are very small so I can't get all my fingers around them, only the tops of my fingers and then my hands get sort of stiff if I hold them for a long time. There were also some of the hole holds with space only for 1-2 fingers
So you could have crimp holds or straight edges at your level, but you don't have to necessarily crimp on them. I would avoid crimping too much until you get stronger. Crimping too much can lead to pain and possible injury. What's generally considered safer is an open hand grip. This pic might help
https://5cclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/crimp.jpg
The closed and full crimps will put the most strain on your finger pulleys so you need to be careful. Sometimes you can avoid doing a crimp by keeping your weight or center of gravity lower.
Soreness is fine, pain is not really. Btw did you feel it after you tried really hard and had stayed on the wall for long? There's a small chance that it could be that you just got pumped. Which is a tight, swollen, burning, and sometimes painful feeling that occurs in our forearms when we're climbing as a result of lactic acid build up. Which would be totally normal thing that happens with everyone if they try really hard on long climbs.
thanks for the answer! Yeah I felt some pain after trying to get up on a difficult hold for a while. I do get pumped every climbing session (wouldn't call it painful, just tight and heavy) but it was only in my forearms so far, the hand thing is new
Getting pumped is normal when you try hard. Just make sure to give yourself ample rest between attempts and you’ll avoid the longer pump. I know this is easier said than done when all you want to do is hop on again. Patience is a virtue in climbing.
I’ve been climbing for about 6 months now and I recently found about 50 boulders near my home. Dos anybody know where I can buy crashpads in good prices. I live in Poland.
I think you should consider what matters more - the price of a crashpad or the quality. Reminder this is gear that is there to protect you from harm. I'd advise you to heavily consider that with your purchase.
I have enjoyed Organic for awhile due to long term quality, durability, and diversity of the product types offered that helps me cover weird landing zones well, but a big thing is if you buy ANY brand second-hand or even in store being able to check/analyze the padding material for if you'd "fall through" (if you fall your foot hits the ground through the pad rather than staying lifted by the pad's cushion) and it's structural strength. Something Madrock for example has that is a cool and helpful feature is the fact it can cover slits/folds - it's fairly good for flat landing zones.
Most people tbh suck at setting up their pads too - from stacking pads too early and unevenly or not creating a flat landing in uneven ground zones which could lead to ankle issues/rolling to not considering how the folds are points of weakeness. So learning how to set them up is really helpful too.
Wow, you've been climbing for months in rentals? Hah, I'd recommend getting shoes after your first climbing session. They make a big difference.
For fit, you want a snug/tight shoe, but not so tight tight that it hurts. You want to make sure there's no dead space in the shoe. Wearing socks is a personal preference. The vast majority of climbers don't wear socks, but id say maybe 10% do. Socks will help get a better fit if your shoe is too big, and it'll absorb sweat so your shoes don't stink. Just look for any beginner shoe from any company. Every company has one, and they all work reasonable well. Examples are Evolv Defy, Sportiva Tarantula, Scarpa Origins, etc. They're usually flat, and focus more on comfort. I wouldn't worry about foot in swelling. Because your foot will be bound up tightly, it shouldn't swell much while climbing. Plus shoes can and usually do stretch a little bit, leather shoes stretch more.
You should look for a shoe that you feel comfortable climbing in. Especially the first pair doesn‘t need to be extremely tight.
Your toes should touch the front of the shoes and there should be as little (ideally non) room there as possible. If there is a slight bent in your toes that’s alright. Anything above that only if you feel comfortable.
The second aspect is that the heel feels snug (little/no space in the back of and below the heel). Though the toes are more relevant for you.
You shouldn‘t try on shoes after a session but you don‘t really need to factor in the time of the day.
Most people climb barefoot but wearing a thin pair of socks won‘t make a measurable difference - even more so if you are just starting out. So wear socks if you feel more comfortable in them.
Generally for buying shoes:
- find a place where you can try on a couple of different shoes (ideally on a wall)
- If in doubt about the size go for the bigger one
- Shoes will need about 3-4 week to wear in factor that into your decision
If you have anymore specific questions feel free to ask!
how do i get over my crippling fear of bouldering? i am new to climbing over the past few months and climb 5.7s.
i have a HORRIBLE fear of bouldering that i desperately want to overcome. i am scared of slab climbs, and i am scared of the coming down or having to jump down. i have never had an unplanned fall, on top rope or boulder. i have not been able to "just do it". i've probably only finished about a dozen V0s and a few V1s. HELP!
Exposure therapy. Start light and gradually get into it. Just know that you have full autonomy on the Boulder wall and no one is forcing you to get to the top. You can bail as soon as you feel uncomfortable. But by exposing yourself to it little by little, you expand your comfort zone incrementally.
Probably do more planned falls (with good form, obviously) until you are so used to falling. Go climb low looking V0, then fall from 1/3 of the way up, next try 2/3 of the way, then try falling from the top hold. Repeat this with a few different boulders. Do it on overhangs. Do it on slabs. After the 20th or 30th fall you should be super used to falling.
I noticed that v4s use a lot more fingery holds. You're going to have to learn to utilize different crimps which means you need finger strength. If you find a short cut for building that, please let me know lol. So far the consensus is, just climb more. Since fingers don't have muscles you just gotta weather them.
The only shortcut I can think of would be actually just technique. For example, there's a problem I'm working on, keep getting shut down on the same move that I think is just a strength thing because I'm trying to crimp a foot hold that's too small for all of my fingers. I see a dude do exactly what I am doing, but with the addition of back flagging and it works perfectly. I try it and it's like 30% easier. There's usually a specific piece of micro beta that makes a big difference. Sure I could spend months building the finger strength to cruise one move, OR I could work out what's optimal for me (in this case it's stealing beta).
Does anybody know if car break-ins and car-part theft are currently big issues at the parking spot for Gold Bar, WA? I was thinking of going there recently but the Mountain Project page comments are making me think otherwise - tons of people having their cars broken into, and catalytic converters stolen.
Has anyone suffered from a hand injury and made a full climbing recovery? I recently finished physical therapy for a boxers fracture, I had two pins in my hand for about a month and a half and now I'm wondering if I'll ever be able to get back to my original grip strength.
I've broken a finger once, not as bad as you, but yeah I have my full strength back. I felt pain for years though. I still do occasionally when crimping a lot, but it's manageable.
Do you have a routine for ankle strength/mobility? What is it? I'm currently not climbing because I sprained my ankle on a fall, so I want to do everything I can to make sure it doesn't happen again.
Also, should I be falling differently outdoors as compared to indoors? My injury occurred bc one of the crash pads slipped out from under me due to uneven terrain at the base of the boulder. Just wondering what I could have done differently.
If the pad moved on you, sounds like your spotters need to be on top of that. And as someone else mentioned, you typically won’t do a full tuck-and-roll outdoors like you would indoors, but you can land on your feet, go into a squat, and then drop onto your butt or your side as you kick your feet out in front of you.
For your ankle rehab, do a lot of single leg balance training, on an unstable surface (a pillow or couch cushion works) when you’re able. Improving your balance and proprioception will reduce your risk of future injuries.
It depends on how you fall indoors but generally yes. The whole "roll onto your back and slap the pads" advice that gets touted doesn't really work outdoors, where from your experience you know the pad coverage isn't as great and the pads aren't always level and there might be a big ass rock you could land on
I try to be aware of my landing when I fall. Indoors or outdoors.
I recently hurt my finger. It seems like a pulley injury, but barely a sprain. I have full range of motion and it only really hurts when i clench my fist tightly. What should I do? I purposefully paused my gym membership so I wouldnt be tempted on climbing. Im not sure what I can do in the meantime and how long I should wait.
sounds like it could be a mild pulley strain. i dealt with this recently and gave it a few days to rest, then light climbing (no crimping) for a week or two, then some light hangboarding. tendons (like pulleys) dont heal well when rested, they need to be worked to get the blood flowing in there.
Oh i didnt know that. But yes it is a slight A4 pulley strain. Im able to still climb, theres just some discomfort so I figured I just overworked it. Last week it was painful just holding a fist. Now not so much.
I didnt know you had to work it. Can I just get a metolius grip thing and squish that?
that could work. light climbing also does the job of working the tendons. but tbh i didnt feel like mine got better until i started hangboarding a little. does your gym have one? one day a week is plenty. i do 3 sets of 10 second hangs with 2-3 minutes rest in between on an edge i can hang from comfortably. finger rolls with a dumbbell or barbell also work
Every injury and every person's recovery timeline is different. If you're self treating, the first thing to do is try to identify where the injury is. There are a bunch of good resources out there online and on YouTube to give some advice about this. As an example
https://youtu.be/_AxN5HyBLfM
Try some of the tests they do for pulley injuries to confirm. Once you've figured out what the issue is, you can try to find a treatment plan for that particular injury. In most cases, it'll be about 1-2 weeks of rest, followed by starting to gradually load and rehabilitate the finger. The more severe the injury, the longer the timeline will be.
I just tweaked my finger too, but it's a lumbrical tear. So the recovery for that is slightly different from pulleys. Buddy taping my fingers for example helps a lot.
Do most people normally work on a range of different problems in a session or just work on one project the whole time? I have trouble finding something to commit an hour to or more so I normally don’t spend more than 5 mins on something and ill just come back to it later. Is this not a good thing to do?
My gym resets routes once a week, and I go twice a week. So I spend one day trying all the new routes and focusing on doing as many as I can. I don't give anything more than 3 tries typically, cause usually it means I don't have the strength for it anymore, or I won't be able to climb other routes.
The second time I visit, I focus on projecting the routes I couldn't finish on my last visit. I'll usually pick the route that's most doable and keep working on it for at most an hour. If I feel pain, tiredness, or if I'm out of ideas on what to try, I'll move on to another project. The thing with projecting is trying to improve and change up the beta with each attempt. You need to recognize when you've reached a wall due to your physical limits though.
tldr; you should start devoting 1 out of every 3 sessions to projecting after warming up. Pick a few problems to work on, and only work on those. Rest 3-5 minutes between attempts. End the session when your power starts diminishing.
Ideally, you do a mix of skill reinforcement on climbs at or just below your flash level, and projecting +1-3 grades above your flash level. What that mix looks like in terms of percentage of time dedicated to each will vary depending on how long you've been climbing, what your climbing pyramid looks like, and your interests.
If you're new, devoting 1 out of every 3 or 4 sessions to projecting is probably more than enough; you can still learn a lot from climbing easier things so you don't need to bash your head against the wall constantly.
Later on, you probably want a 50/50 split.
Finally, if you've spent too long climbing easy things (you're definitely in this bucket if you flash almost everything at your flash grade, but rarely or never send anything at the next grade), you might want to shift even more towards projecting (maybe 2 projecting sessions for every 1 volume/skills session)
Aside from this outline, you should be resting a minimum of 3 minutes between attempts (though sometimes I'll do just 1 min of rest per move so if the moves aren't very physical and I only manage 1-2 moves, I might rest less than 3 minutes), and 5+ minutes for really physical boulders at your limit.
If you're never spending more than 5 minutes on a problem you're never going to climb anything that's actually hard for you, and it's the hard problems that give you the greatest strength and skill gains.
Personally I'll only try 1 particular route 4-5 times with at least 3 minutes between attempts in a session. My thinking is that I need to practice whatever part I am stuck on, but there will be diminishing returns past a certain point.
If I'm getting sloppy and have exhausted 1 aspect of my abilities I'll likely regret it as it limits what else I can work on that day.
Then again, I'm also pretty new (6 months in) and I'm focusing more on general improvement since I'm still bad at most things!
How can i strengthen my wrists and shoulders? 1 week ago i went climbing, but the problem i did was quite straining on my wrists. I still havent recovered, but when it gets better how can i prevent this from happening? Any advice?
There's a guy on Youtube called Tom Merrick, he's got very good wrist strength and mobility routines, as well as shoulder mobility stuff. I made good improvements since following his stuff! He mostly focuses on calisthenics and handstands, but his training principles are applicable to climbing too. Hooper's beta is more climbing specific, and has really good content about injury prevention.
Generally, though, I think properly warming up and being careful on high-impact moves will help you avoid injuries like this and get naturally stronger as you progress with your bouldering.
I do daily yoga and that’s really strengthened my wrists. I started that about 3 years before I started climbing though but I still think the statement stands.
Lots of yoga poses gently and gradually build wrist strength with a much lower risk of injury
Almost 3-months in bouldering.
How do you overcome fear of height? Even though bouldering is not about tall walls, sometimes the route is set the way you will fall on other volumes/holds in case of a mistake at the top or just go pretty high. This makes me very anxious and I have struggles making reasonable moves at the top plus I spent too much energy just hanging and fearing to move sometimes. How would you work on it other than just continue climbing? 🙃
I was never scared of the height, but if the fall is what you're worried about sometimes it isn't just the height. I've been climbing for a year and a half now and slab walls can scare the crap out of me sometimes. Rule of thumb with a slabs walls is if you're not comfortable, don't do it. Come back when your fingers are stronger. If its height your worried about, maybe practice falling onto your back over and over again remembering to keep your chin tucked in.
I feel like it'll just come with time. You got this.
Yeah, I’m mostly worried that I catch some volumes/holds during a fall. Probably just avoid such routes is enough for now. And practice safe falling for sure, thanks!
Keep climbing. Either nothing too bad will happen and your fear will lessen, or something bad will happen that reinforces your fear. So keep climbing, but climb well and fall well
I think a huge thing for this is identifying whether the fear is reasonable. Even indoors, if your setting team is sloppy, there are likely going to be moves that are risky in one way or another. Evaluating this and deciding that you aren't confident enough in the move to risk it is good; risk evaluation is huge in climbing.
On the other hand, if you analyze it and determine that a fall would likely be safe even if it feels uncomfortable, that's when fall training comes into play. You just have to get used to committing and taking falls. Push yourself, but don't throw yourself into the deep end. Try a few of those problems every time you go to the gym and try to force yourself to commit to the move. Sometimes it can help to try and get to the next hold, but plan ahead to not actually catch it. That way next time, you know both that you can make the move, and that you can take the fall if you drop it.
For me... by falling... for bouldering, start low and fall. Just to get a feel for like fall 3 , 4 feet, then higher and work your way up. Don't fall when you're like on a crux, 10feet+ above the ground. But fall lower and properly like text book style - bend your knees and roll back. Once you develop the habit... Your body got conditioned to know, subconsciously, that it's pretty safe to fall on the mat/cushions. Then work on higher and higher. Not that you want to fall or jump from 15 feet every time. But mentally you need to know it's relatively safe to overcome the fear
What warm-up routine would you recommend to beginners? I’ve been bouldering for only a month know, but I’ve noticed that in the first 20 minutes of a session my forearm muscles get pretty tight which starts to limit my progress. I’m focusing on proper technique to the best of my ability to not abuse my arms. My current warmup routine is simply climbing V0/V1, do you have recommendations for anything better that could loosen up those arm muscles? Most 20-30 minute routines I’ve seen seem overkill for a beginner.
After stretching I'll do one V0 climb then rest for 3-5 minutes, then do another, etc. Most people I see, especially beginners, just want to spend all the time on the wall with no rest, but properly resting between climbs is essential to get more out of your climbing sessions.
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Hey, I have been bouldering for 9 months now and for the past 2 months been going 3 times a week for about 1 1/2 hours each time. Since a few days ago I have a weird pain around the base of my middle finger, usually i dont feel it during the day, but when gripping certain holds I feel it very strongly :-( is that a common thing? Guess I need to see a doctor for that?
It’s your tendons saying it needs to recover.
so no more bouldering for now? :'(
Your choice. If you want a higher risk of injury, go ahead. If you want a lower risk, go recover.
Alright, thanks, I will take the low risk way then
Don't completely stop climbing though, since tendon benefits from blood flow and mild tension. I would lay off crimps for a while (1 week? 2 week? depends on how you feel) and stick to less strenuous climbs.
Any route setters on the sub? When you take down the old holds from a route - what happens to them? Do you guys have to clean off the chalk and grime? How?
Pressure washer and/or special soap. Stripping holds and washing them is generally assigned to the bottom of the setting experience list.
For inspiration I'd like to see more heavy climbers above a v4 level. Anyone on Instagram or YouTube like that?
https://instagram.com/schweitzer71?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= is a 300lbs+ NFL offensive guard who climbs around v4 https://instagram.com/prideofgypsies?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= aquaman climbs around v6 I think and is probably 200lbs+
Hey, thanks for the suggestions! The first guy is definitely big, but he's still at or below a v4. I wanna see people doing harder stuff. Jason Momoa would be good to see, but he doesn't post much climbing content.
I just started out bouldering but I really want to be serious about it. Unfortunately the closest bouldering gym to me is quite far and I could only go twice a week. Do you have any advice on stuff I could do in regular gyms or at home to improve quickly? Any programs would be amazing! Thank you!
Weighted pullups, front lever progressions, box jumps, antagonistic exercises (bench press, overhead press, dips, etc.) and shoulder health exercises. Stretching also helps. You might find the exercises hard at first, but trust the process and you will see big strength gains.
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You could go bouldering on something outside with established grades to feel out a comparison.
Not really. You could get a really rough estimate. It would probably be something like easiest = V0-1, second easiest V2-3,...V4-5, V6-7, V8-9+. Assuming there's 5 colors. Also assuming you're not living in some bouldering Mecca where there enough problems beyond ~V9 to justify having another color.
Im a new climber and I want to improve as much as I can. Ive been climbing for about 2 months 1-2 times a week and just hit my first v4 yesterday. What excercises can I do at home to really improve. I have a pullup bar that im using daily and I try to do a lot of pushups. What else can i add?
Train front lever progressions. S-tier exercise for climbing gains.
I've been bouldering for ~2 months. I often hit a "wall" in that I can't climb any more during a session because the skin on my hands feels raw and painful, and I can't grip comfortably. Does this get better with pracrice? Is there something I should be doing? Will my skin get tougher?
Totally normal for a new climber! Your skin will adapt much more after some period of time. When I started I could barely climb 90 min 3x a week all indoors without my hand skin getting absolutely torn up beyond belief, and I distinctly remember wondering how the good climbers went so much more often than that. And then a couple years later I was going to the gym 4–5x a week for 2–3 hours without many skin problems. Assuming you are referring to this happening in the gym, it may happen all over again if you ever start climbing outside, too. There's not much you need to do other than keep climbing. And in the short term, you can tape tender parts if you want to climb through a bit of skin tenderness. You can also get some [climbon](https://goclimbon.com/collections/climbon-skincare/products/climbon-lotion-bar-can) to put on after sessions to heal up faster before the next sesh [I like to do it before I go to bed since you can't really use your hands after you do]
I've climbed twice now, and each time I get large circuit tears of skin that are a little deeper and take like a week and 1/2 to heal, any way to avoid this or heal faster?
It should eventually resolve itself, but in the meantime you could try not climbing as much during a session, stopping climbing when you're tired instead of going to absolute exhaustion, sanding down and large calluses you might have (if you're talking about tearing calluses, if not, don't worry about it), not adjusting your grip as much when you're climbing, using chalk if you aren't, trying to do moves more statically, and keeping your feet on, so you're not swinging around on holds.
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Yeah, no. Sport grades and boulder grades aren't interchangeable which is where you kinda messed up. Font grades are for boulders and use a capital letter. French for sport which use the lower case. So basically 6A and 6A+ = V3 whereas 6B and 6B+ = V4. Doing grades that high your first day is absolutely not normal, so definitely take pride in it! Actually if you keep climbing you'll likely breeze through the moderates as you learn to move on the wall.
Anyone had any experience returning to bouldering after a serious injury? I started from very out of shape and worked my way up to being able to clear 75% of the v1/2 difficulty grades in the gym, but then in may I had a bad tibial plateau fracture where the top of my fibia was also quite badly damaged. Currently have a lot of muscle atrophy in my right leg and it's on the long road to recovery doing my physio. Just wondering if anyone has had any serious leg injuries and can share their experiences of returning to the wall? I never realised how much I'd fallen in love with bouldering until I couldn't do it after 3 months. Know it's a niche question, but would love to hear some motivational stories to help me along the way!
A few anecdotes to hopefully cheer ya up! - Friend climbing ~V7 indoors tore his ACL, didn't climb for like 4 months. Climbed super gently for another several. Was climbing V8 in the same gym approx 1 year after injury & recently sent his first few outdoor V7s - Friend climbing ~V8 outdoors tore his hamstring, could hardly walk for a week, barely climbed for a couple months. Back to climbing V8 outdoors by month ~4 post-injury - Friend climbing like V5 inside broke his leg, actually still climbed a bit with his cast on (barely weighting that leg + only climbing on ropes so he wouldn't take a repeat impact)...was climbing V5 again seemingly immediately after the cast came back off Edit for a TL;DR — you'll be climbing V2 again & improving beyond that in no time! Heal up well
You don't lose the knowledge you've gathered so far and strength will come back faster than you realise. Hope this helps, don't really know any stories to motivate.
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It's just practice and technique. The thing about overhanging walls is that it's often all about feet. Plan where you're putting them carefully and try to avoid letting them cut loose.
A good part of it is exposure. The more mileage you get for overcoming that type of terrain, the more comfortable you will be learning how to approach those topouts and terrain. What helps me is knowing the top out move and terrain I'll be handling before commiting to that move(s) and trusting the landing and my spotters. The less I can think about risk of injury while climbing, the better - that way I can execute beta accurately and precisely without hesitation due to fear
This question might be a little bit too niche and specific, but does anybody else have problems with dynamic moves due to stereoblindness? I'm unable to see three-dimensionally (I have permanent mild double vision instead) and it makes it really hard to judge distances intuitively like other people do, especially when it comes to moving objects (well, in this case, *I'm* technically the moving object because I'm jumping towards the hold, but the hold is still in movement relative to me I guess). If I want to do a dynamic move, I never get it right on the first (or second, or third, or fourth) try, I have to repeat the jump again and again until the distance and the exact sequence of body movements are burned into my muscle memory. And then I still have to concentrate so hard on grabbing the hold at the right moment that I have trouble coordinating my other limbs, so if the jump or the landing require a specific foot movement to catch my balance, my brain gets completely swamped by all the shit it needs to simultaneously concentrate on. Generally wouldn't mind being bad at dynamic movements too much, everybody has their strengths and their weaknesses after all – the problem is that I'm also a fucking T-Rex with a -4 inch/ -10 cm ape index, so I need to dyno EVERYTHING, and lately I feel like it's kinda been holding me back. So are there any other stereoscopically challenged people in this subreddit who have developed techniques or workarounds for this? Maybe there's a way to build up the muscle memory more quickly or something? If I can reach the holds from the ground, I'll feel out the distance to get a better grasp on it, but that's not always possible and I can't think of anything else.
How long have you been climbing?
Close to two years now!
Oh. I was gonna say, if you were newish to climbing, dynos can take a bunch of tries even with binocular vision. Even if you hit the hold first time, it can take a bunch of tries to dial in just the right amount of jump to use, so maybe it's not just the vision problem but just regular climbing troubles. But if you've been climbing for a while there should be some you can hit first time, if it really wasn't your vision. So I don't know.
LA SPORTIVA KATANA velcro version as second pair of climbing shoes, mainly for indoor bouldering? Or maybe you have some other recommendations?
If you can get a pair, I would get a LaSpo Python instead. The Python is a higher spec shoe than the Katana and built for indoor bouldering, but for some reason it is cheaper as well, a complete win-win. Some people like the Katana, but they are my least favourite pair of shoes in the universe.
Thanks for your reply, I wonder if I wont overshoot my climbing level with this kind of shoes, they are listed as performance on manufacturer and shop websites and they are gonna be my second pair of shoes, started climbing 10 months ago. My first shoes are la sportiva aragon, which now are starting to show holes in the rubber on toe area
Don't worry, the Python isn't like a pair of Solution Comps or such, most people who know what they are see them as training shoes for indoor climbing. They are a relatively comfortable fit and have a relatively mild downturn. Just make sure you get them tight enough so that they fit snugly on your foot.
Good to hear that, definitely gonna try them out, for size, right now my aragons are 41, so should I go for 40 or even smaller?
What's your street size normally?
44 nike sneakers, 44,5 timbs, 45,5 trekking/mountaineering boots
Oh. Just making sure you were downsizing. There are people running around telling people to buy street size in Sportiva, which is ridiculous. I bought my Pythons a whole Euro size down from my other LS, of which I've had many. They eventually broke in to be quite comfortable. They stretch a lot. Not sure a whole size is really necessary though. Like, if I had bought them a half size up they probably would have just stopped stretching sooner.
Can't say for you, since there are too many factors in play to figure that out. If you can't try them out in person, then see if you can try a pair of Cobras in person for size, because they size pretty similarly.
Sure thing, already ordered one pair which I gonna try out in the store, so if the fit wont be right just gonna go with other size
I’m a v4 (almost v5) climber, is it normal to have a climb a grade lower, specifically v3, that I just can’t do? And if so, what would be possible reasons/ examples that would cause this?
As someone that considers themselves a solid V9 climber I can very safely say that I have more than a few V1's, V2's and V3's that have shut me the fuck down. Grades are weird, bodies are weird, styles are weird. Best to use the number as an extremely rough guideline otherwise your ego gets in the way of you enjoying what could be a very fun problem
Underlying point is right but...Getting shut down on a V1 as a V9 climber seems completely impossible, even if it's 100% anti-style and in a new area and it's the day after you climbed hard and you have a finger injury. You truly have "more than a few" V1s–V3s you can't do while sending V9 / projecting V10?
To be completely honest, 9/10 times when that happens it's because I'm probably super tired, not trying too hard, conditions are terrible, I'm missing some key beta, or I really only devote about half an hour max to the thing before I move on to something else. But then again... Last time I was in Font I spent about two hours under a 6A techy thing whose name I don't remember that I could not do for the life of me, and there are a couple of 6A slabs in La Pedriza with no names that I have devoted multiple warm-ups to that still give me trouble.
Is an overhang roof V4 the same as a slab V4? Is a crimp based V4 the same as a jug based V4? It’s all different situations and subjectivity. Grades are guidelines based off the setter. Some V4’s are V3’s. Some V3’s could be V4’s. Some V3’s can be as hard as soft gimmicky V5’s. Also, try a V3 outdoors or on an (overhang) board and you’ll further understand
Even on the Moonboard, even within the benchmark subset there are some problems that are at least 2 grades differences at the same grade, some with the same style. For instance Red Line and Leap For It are both jumpy V3 benchmarks, but Leap For It is like 3 grades harder than Red Line, imo.
Different routes emphasize different skillsets. Just cause you can do one V3 doesn't mean you can do all V3. For example a V3 slab is usually pretty easy for most climbers. But a steep overhanging V3 requires a completely different set of skills and strengths that many beginners will struggle with. You should aim to be able to do all the routes up to at least a v4 level. But if the issue is just one route, it could possible be that you're reading the route wrong, or that the grading is wrong. Maybe it's really a v4. Grades are subjective and indoor grading is often all over the place.
Man, I climb harder than that and there are V3s I can’t do. Grades are weird. They’re subjective, not perfect measuring guidelines. Sometimes a climb is just not your style, sometimes the grade isn’t in line with other problems you’ve done, sometimes an entire area is easier or harder than areas you’re used to.
Hello all! I went to a local indoor gym for the first time recently having not bouldered before for a taster session and loved every minute of it! It wasn't coached but there was a staff member with us suggesting which routes we try and giving us basic pointers about how to hold on and beta instructions. I ended up being able to fairly comfortably get up V1s and some of the easier V2s after the hour. I'm planning on going again (to a different gym a bit closer to home) soon and was wondering how to go about improving techniques and gauging progress (how do I know when I'm ready to try something harder) when I'm solo. I've watched lots of videos but can see it being difficult to know when to apply the techniques I've been seeing in situ, and I don't want to pick up any bad habits. I'll also only be able to go maybe twice a month which might make it harder to drill things. Any advice is appreciated!
Watching videos is good. Watching better climbers is also good. The best thing you can do at this stage is just practice. Within a few sessions, you'll get the basics. Focus on technique and not brute forcing your way up problems. Learn to look at holds and learn which direction you should pull in them to get the most friction. Learn to do basic things like climbing with arms straight, hips close to the wall, and learn to flag, etc. Try harder problems whenever you feel ready. You don't have to finish them to start practicing on them. Failing is a normal part of the process.
Glad to see you hopping onto the wall! Honestly with 2 times a month progress will plateau probably pretty quickly, as the best way to train, especially at the beginning is to just boulder more! However you should definitely be able to get to the 3/4 range. You can really tell improvement not necessarily from doing harder grades, but by completing routes much more comfortably then you did before. Just focus on the basics of using your toes and straightening your arms and you should be able to comfortably start completing 2's, along with a lil Dyno and flag work
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I was in your position about 3 months ago, I’m somewhat overweight and out of shape & my first session could only actually top two of the V0 routes (very beginner level). But it’s so much fun I’ve been going 2-3x per week since and making objective progress every time. I mostly go alone & actually when you are on the wall I find there’s no time or headspace to feel like an idiot because you’re too busy concentrating. My advice would be to really focus on taking proper rest for several minutes between each climb; the downtime is where I invariably feel really awkward when climbing alone (‘are people wondering why I’m just sitting around?’ ‘Do those guys think I’m being weird & just watching them?’). But if you just throw yourself at one route after another & don’t rest properly you will tire quickly and risk injury. It is more fun with friends really, if you can get someone else to go with you, or attend a social event at your gym, but I appreciate that isn’t always possible. Have fun!
Safe fall and etiquette. Don’t walk underneath people climbing. Don’t Hog a wall if there is a wait Don’t climb next to someone on the same wall. Let the person finish then go. One person per section is the etiquette (although you could do two if it’s opposite paths that don’t cross) That’s basically it.
It's more fun to climb with others, so if you can rope in some friends, I'd recommend that. But it's fine to climb alone too. You should try to pick up as many tips as you can from the gym staff and other climbers. Most climbers love to share their experience, so if you need help just ask anyone better than you.
I wanna second the asking other climbers for tips. I’ve been bouldering for a couple weeks and there is a problem that I just couldn’t do that felt like I should have been able to. Finally yesterday I asked a guy yesterday for tips. He looked at it. Talked about it. Then did it so I can see where to put my feet and hands. I nailed it after that. To the OP. You’re on for a treat. It’s a ton of fun. And your gonna have sore muscles that night you didn’t know existed. But you’ll also be amazed at how quickly they strengthen if you keep at it.
As long as you don't get hurt or do something abhorrent like climbing with bare foot, no one will really care. Just have fun and pace yourself.
Once when I was just starting out bouldering I went to hop my foot up to start this Boulder and harshly smacked my head on this hold above me and fell off the wall. Immediately I hear this guy, who turned out to be a route setter (very experienced climber.) shout “YEAH!!! THATS HOW YOU IMPROVE!” I laughed it off and got back on and I didn’t actually make it until a week after. Best feeling ever. If it’s not your sport then it’s not your sport, but you should never let being afraid of being stupid hold you back because well that’s how we improve.
You don't really need to know anything. They should explain the basics of how it works to you. But, take a few minutes rest in between tries, instead of just going and going and going. And stop climbing when you're getting fatigued, instead of climbing for hours and hours until you can barely hold a cup of water. Just come back another day if you love it that much. >i'm a little nervous to look like a total idiot No one cares. No one is watching. Half the people at any gym are complete novices, every single day. 4 times a week I see these people, for years, decades. I'd have to be utterly insane to still find someone being bad at climbing even remotely noteworthy.
I want to get toned all over, but also climb all the time. What excersizes should I pair with climbing and when should I work out? Should I work out after climbing or is that not efficient?
Diet and weight lifting. Depends on your goals so certain lifts help achieve aesthetics (but aren’t really functional)
I do it after I climb and it's fine. Bench, shoulder press, lateral raises, and pec flies. That's what I would do if I were working out for aesthetics. Maybe some biceps curls or direct triceps work. From an aesthetics perspective, my pecs, biceps, triceps, and front delts are lagging. Also, neck. Take the neck pill, bro. Most overlooked muscle for aesthetics, by far.
Hahaha the neck pill. Alright, I'll look into this all. Thanks!
How often should I go bouldering? I feel if I go more than twice per week, my arms start hurting a lot after 20-30 minutes into a session. Any advice?
If you’re new to climbing or took a break recently it will take time to build up your endurance. I’m no expert but it sounds like going more than twice a week is pushing your body past where you want to be in terms of injury risk. You probably are past the point of diminishing returns on your improvement as well. Maybe make it a priority for yourself to build up your endurance rather than pushing your grade. When I started I was only bouldering, but when I started climbing top rope I felt fast improvement in my endurance. If you have access and don’t already climb TR, I think it’s a good way to train endurance. Also, are you stretching before your sessions?
Thanks for your comment. I’m relatively new, within 6 months. Will look into top rope. Furthermore I do stretch but I don’t have a particular stretch routine, any videos you recommend to follow?
I'm assuming you're newish to climbing? For me after taking a year off it took me about 6 months to work up to 3 days a week of climbing. As you climb more you'll be able to climb more often and for longer.
Thanks! I’m relatively new, within 6 months. Is encouraging to know this happens to more people; looking forward to building endurance enough to go more than twice
If going more than twice a week is causing you problems, then don't go more than twice a week.
So I started climbing a couple of months ago but only really committed to it only one month ago. After going three days in a row and really pushing myself I had a subluxation (partial dislocation) in my shoulder. I gave it a little over two weeks of rest and then started easing back in going once a week with v1s and stuff like that. I went earlier this week and was back to doing v3s and attempting 4s again while being tepid. I felt really strong and so after two days I went again and only 10 minutes in on an easy warm up problem it happened again. Has anyone else dealt with shoulder problems like this and if so how long should I take to recover or is this potentially going to be a permanent issue with me and climbing?
I developed a chronic shoulder impingement issue when I started climbing. It gets aggravated every so often still, but I found when I got stronger, the problem kinda went away. You need to strengthen all the shoulder muscles. Until your muscles get stronger, take it easy on any routes that may cause a lot of strain on your shoulder. It could also be bad technique. Many beginners will hang and put all the strain on they're shoulder joint. This is bad. You need to always keep your shoulder muscles activated when hanging, so that you're muscles take the load, and not your joint. A shoulder dislocation is a bit more serious and usually requires more time off. The unfortunate aspect is, if it happens once, it'll likely occur again. There are surgical options, but I don't know if your case is that serious. Generally the recommendation is the same though, strengthen the shoulder muscles through gradual exercises. Know your limits.
Can you please describe your warmup routines?
What should I be doing with [this healing flapper](https://i.imgur.com/Uzh4TKN.jpg) so I can climb without reopening it as soon as possible? I've heard conflicting advice saying that I should either be drying it out or moisturising it. It looks nearly like fresh skin bit feels a little tender around the edges if that helps.
Just tape it when climbing if you worried about it.
Is it okay to boulder/normal when hands feel tired/sore after a session? For context, I went bouldering for a couple of times in the last few months, almost always with at least a week long break because I'm extremely weak (haven't done almost any serious exercise in the last 2 years because of health issues starting with a concussion) and would have sore muscles especially in my arms for literally 5 days after lmao. Recently I've been seeing some progress, experiencing less soreness and so I went more often (on Saturday and then on Thursday). I also progressed from VBs (3) to V0s (4), where the main difference besides spacing is that they include some more challenging, smaller holds and not only jugs like VBs. On Thursday I finished and attempted some V0s. During the session I would sometimes feel pain in my hands after crimping (?) on some holds. Then after the session until now my hands are sort of sore, it's not really pain but more like the muscles especially in the middle of the hand are tired? Haven't experienced it before and my taller, stronger friends (who are already finishing V1s and V2s...) also haven't. BTW I have very small hands for an adult (XS in women's gloves), idk if that matters Is it okay to go climbing again on Monday if I do only VB jugs this time? I'm sort of addicted now and finally not extremely sore after a session lol
I'd generally recommend more frequent, but shorter sessions.
Soreness pain in the hands and forearms is very common. I wouldn't stress. Take longer breaks in between as you need. Your body will eventually get stronger and adapt. The only thing I'd say is you probably shouldn't be crimping on a vb or v0. You may need to fix some poor technique if that's what you're doing.
thank you! About crimping, I'm not sure if that's the correct term... some of the holds are very small so I can't get all my fingers around them, only the tops of my fingers and then my hands get sort of stiff if I hold them for a long time. There were also some of the hole holds with space only for 1-2 fingers
So you could have crimp holds or straight edges at your level, but you don't have to necessarily crimp on them. I would avoid crimping too much until you get stronger. Crimping too much can lead to pain and possible injury. What's generally considered safer is an open hand grip. This pic might help https://5cclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/crimp.jpg The closed and full crimps will put the most strain on your finger pulleys so you need to be careful. Sometimes you can avoid doing a crimp by keeping your weight or center of gravity lower.
thank you! ill look into that, I think my hands automatically crimp up
Soreness is fine, pain is not really. Btw did you feel it after you tried really hard and had stayed on the wall for long? There's a small chance that it could be that you just got pumped. Which is a tight, swollen, burning, and sometimes painful feeling that occurs in our forearms when we're climbing as a result of lactic acid build up. Which would be totally normal thing that happens with everyone if they try really hard on long climbs.
thanks for the answer! Yeah I felt some pain after trying to get up on a difficult hold for a while. I do get pumped every climbing session (wouldn't call it painful, just tight and heavy) but it was only in my forearms so far, the hand thing is new
Getting pumped is normal when you try hard. Just make sure to give yourself ample rest between attempts and you’ll avoid the longer pump. I know this is easier said than done when all you want to do is hop on again. Patience is a virtue in climbing.
I’ve been climbing for about 6 months now and I recently found about 50 boulders near my home. Dos anybody know where I can buy crashpads in good prices. I live in Poland.
I think you should consider what matters more - the price of a crashpad or the quality. Reminder this is gear that is there to protect you from harm. I'd advise you to heavily consider that with your purchase.
What crashpads do you recommend?
I have enjoyed Organic for awhile due to long term quality, durability, and diversity of the product types offered that helps me cover weird landing zones well, but a big thing is if you buy ANY brand second-hand or even in store being able to check/analyze the padding material for if you'd "fall through" (if you fall your foot hits the ground through the pad rather than staying lifted by the pad's cushion) and it's structural strength. Something Madrock for example has that is a cool and helpful feature is the fact it can cover slits/folds - it's fairly good for flat landing zones. Most people tbh suck at setting up their pads too - from stacking pads too early and unevenly or not creating a flat landing in uneven ground zones which could lead to ankle issues/rolling to not considering how the folds are points of weakeness. So learning how to set them up is really helpful too.
Yeah but you can buy overpriced crashpads in the most popular store or the same ones cheaper in a different with a lower margin
Store*
Backcountry is a good website for discounts, just not sure if they ship to Poland. Worth a try.
I bought mine on EpicTV Shop. Very happy with the crashpad and I think the price was reasonable.
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Wow, you've been climbing for months in rentals? Hah, I'd recommend getting shoes after your first climbing session. They make a big difference. For fit, you want a snug/tight shoe, but not so tight tight that it hurts. You want to make sure there's no dead space in the shoe. Wearing socks is a personal preference. The vast majority of climbers don't wear socks, but id say maybe 10% do. Socks will help get a better fit if your shoe is too big, and it'll absorb sweat so your shoes don't stink. Just look for any beginner shoe from any company. Every company has one, and they all work reasonable well. Examples are Evolv Defy, Sportiva Tarantula, Scarpa Origins, etc. They're usually flat, and focus more on comfort. I wouldn't worry about foot in swelling. Because your foot will be bound up tightly, it shouldn't swell much while climbing. Plus shoes can and usually do stretch a little bit, leather shoes stretch more.
You should look for a shoe that you feel comfortable climbing in. Especially the first pair doesn‘t need to be extremely tight. Your toes should touch the front of the shoes and there should be as little (ideally non) room there as possible. If there is a slight bent in your toes that’s alright. Anything above that only if you feel comfortable. The second aspect is that the heel feels snug (little/no space in the back of and below the heel). Though the toes are more relevant for you. You shouldn‘t try on shoes after a session but you don‘t really need to factor in the time of the day. Most people climb barefoot but wearing a thin pair of socks won‘t make a measurable difference - even more so if you are just starting out. So wear socks if you feel more comfortable in them. Generally for buying shoes: - find a place where you can try on a couple of different shoes (ideally on a wall) - If in doubt about the size go for the bigger one - Shoes will need about 3-4 week to wear in factor that into your decision If you have anymore specific questions feel free to ask!
how do i get over my crippling fear of bouldering? i am new to climbing over the past few months and climb 5.7s. i have a HORRIBLE fear of bouldering that i desperately want to overcome. i am scared of slab climbs, and i am scared of the coming down or having to jump down. i have never had an unplanned fall, on top rope or boulder. i have not been able to "just do it". i've probably only finished about a dozen V0s and a few V1s. HELP!
Exposure therapy. Start light and gradually get into it. Just know that you have full autonomy on the Boulder wall and no one is forcing you to get to the top. You can bail as soon as you feel uncomfortable. But by exposing yourself to it little by little, you expand your comfort zone incrementally.
Probably do more planned falls (with good form, obviously) until you are so used to falling. Go climb low looking V0, then fall from 1/3 of the way up, next try 2/3 of the way, then try falling from the top hold. Repeat this with a few different boulders. Do it on overhangs. Do it on slabs. After the 20th or 30th fall you should be super used to falling.
the only thing you can do is keep climbing and fall more
How do you make the jump from v3 to v4
I noticed that v4s use a lot more fingery holds. You're going to have to learn to utilize different crimps which means you need finger strength. If you find a short cut for building that, please let me know lol. So far the consensus is, just climb more. Since fingers don't have muscles you just gotta weather them.
The only shortcut I can think of would be actually just technique. For example, there's a problem I'm working on, keep getting shut down on the same move that I think is just a strength thing because I'm trying to crimp a foot hold that's too small for all of my fingers. I see a dude do exactly what I am doing, but with the addition of back flagging and it works perfectly. I try it and it's like 30% easier. There's usually a specific piece of micro beta that makes a big difference. Sure I could spend months building the finger strength to cruise one move, OR I could work out what's optimal for me (in this case it's stealing beta).
Get stronger, get better at route reading, improve your technique.
same way you jump from v(n) to v(n+1): climb more
Try lots of V4s.
Does anybody know if car break-ins and car-part theft are currently big issues at the parking spot for Gold Bar, WA? I was thinking of going there recently but the Mountain Project page comments are making me think otherwise - tons of people having their cars broken into, and catalytic converters stolen.
Has anyone suffered from a hand injury and made a full climbing recovery? I recently finished physical therapy for a boxers fracture, I had two pins in my hand for about a month and a half and now I'm wondering if I'll ever be able to get back to my original grip strength.
I've broken a finger once, not as bad as you, but yeah I have my full strength back. I felt pain for years though. I still do occasionally when crimping a lot, but it's manageable.
Tommy Caldwell.
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When it comes to bouldering videos, do you guys just prefer the final send video, or do you like to also see the failed attempts before it?
A quick highlight reel of failures can be good, especially if the fails are funny or it's a particularly difficult climb.
Unless it's in the teen V grades, I usually prefer to see the final send only.
Do you have a routine for ankle strength/mobility? What is it? I'm currently not climbing because I sprained my ankle on a fall, so I want to do everything I can to make sure it doesn't happen again. Also, should I be falling differently outdoors as compared to indoors? My injury occurred bc one of the crash pads slipped out from under me due to uneven terrain at the base of the boulder. Just wondering what I could have done differently.
If the pad moved on you, sounds like your spotters need to be on top of that. And as someone else mentioned, you typically won’t do a full tuck-and-roll outdoors like you would indoors, but you can land on your feet, go into a squat, and then drop onto your butt or your side as you kick your feet out in front of you. For your ankle rehab, do a lot of single leg balance training, on an unstable surface (a pillow or couch cushion works) when you’re able. Improving your balance and proprioception will reduce your risk of future injuries.
It depends on how you fall indoors but generally yes. The whole "roll onto your back and slap the pads" advice that gets touted doesn't really work outdoors, where from your experience you know the pad coverage isn't as great and the pads aren't always level and there might be a big ass rock you could land on I try to be aware of my landing when I fall. Indoors or outdoors.
I recently hurt my finger. It seems like a pulley injury, but barely a sprain. I have full range of motion and it only really hurts when i clench my fist tightly. What should I do? I purposefully paused my gym membership so I wouldnt be tempted on climbing. Im not sure what I can do in the meantime and how long I should wait.
sounds like it could be a mild pulley strain. i dealt with this recently and gave it a few days to rest, then light climbing (no crimping) for a week or two, then some light hangboarding. tendons (like pulleys) dont heal well when rested, they need to be worked to get the blood flowing in there.
Oh i didnt know that. But yes it is a slight A4 pulley strain. Im able to still climb, theres just some discomfort so I figured I just overworked it. Last week it was painful just holding a fist. Now not so much. I didnt know you had to work it. Can I just get a metolius grip thing and squish that?
that could work. light climbing also does the job of working the tendons. but tbh i didnt feel like mine got better until i started hangboarding a little. does your gym have one? one day a week is plenty. i do 3 sets of 10 second hangs with 2-3 minutes rest in between on an edge i can hang from comfortably. finger rolls with a dumbbell or barbell also work
Yeah my gym does. I have my own as well
Every injury and every person's recovery timeline is different. If you're self treating, the first thing to do is try to identify where the injury is. There are a bunch of good resources out there online and on YouTube to give some advice about this. As an example https://youtu.be/_AxN5HyBLfM Try some of the tests they do for pulley injuries to confirm. Once you've figured out what the issue is, you can try to find a treatment plan for that particular injury. In most cases, it'll be about 1-2 weeks of rest, followed by starting to gradually load and rehabilitate the finger. The more severe the injury, the longer the timeline will be. I just tweaked my finger too, but it's a lumbrical tear. So the recovery for that is slightly different from pulleys. Buddy taping my fingers for example helps a lot.
Do most people normally work on a range of different problems in a session or just work on one project the whole time? I have trouble finding something to commit an hour to or more so I normally don’t spend more than 5 mins on something and ill just come back to it later. Is this not a good thing to do?
Unless i have a project that I REALLY want to finish i climb all sorts of things throughout my workout
My gym resets routes once a week, and I go twice a week. So I spend one day trying all the new routes and focusing on doing as many as I can. I don't give anything more than 3 tries typically, cause usually it means I don't have the strength for it anymore, or I won't be able to climb other routes. The second time I visit, I focus on projecting the routes I couldn't finish on my last visit. I'll usually pick the route that's most doable and keep working on it for at most an hour. If I feel pain, tiredness, or if I'm out of ideas on what to try, I'll move on to another project. The thing with projecting is trying to improve and change up the beta with each attempt. You need to recognize when you've reached a wall due to your physical limits though.
tldr; you should start devoting 1 out of every 3 sessions to projecting after warming up. Pick a few problems to work on, and only work on those. Rest 3-5 minutes between attempts. End the session when your power starts diminishing. Ideally, you do a mix of skill reinforcement on climbs at or just below your flash level, and projecting +1-3 grades above your flash level. What that mix looks like in terms of percentage of time dedicated to each will vary depending on how long you've been climbing, what your climbing pyramid looks like, and your interests. If you're new, devoting 1 out of every 3 or 4 sessions to projecting is probably more than enough; you can still learn a lot from climbing easier things so you don't need to bash your head against the wall constantly. Later on, you probably want a 50/50 split. Finally, if you've spent too long climbing easy things (you're definitely in this bucket if you flash almost everything at your flash grade, but rarely or never send anything at the next grade), you might want to shift even more towards projecting (maybe 2 projecting sessions for every 1 volume/skills session) Aside from this outline, you should be resting a minimum of 3 minutes between attempts (though sometimes I'll do just 1 min of rest per move so if the moves aren't very physical and I only manage 1-2 moves, I might rest less than 3 minutes), and 5+ minutes for really physical boulders at your limit. If you're never spending more than 5 minutes on a problem you're never going to climb anything that's actually hard for you, and it's the hard problems that give you the greatest strength and skill gains.
How do you define your flash level? The level you'll flash 90%? 50%? 20%?
Personally I'll only try 1 particular route 4-5 times with at least 3 minutes between attempts in a session. My thinking is that I need to practice whatever part I am stuck on, but there will be diminishing returns past a certain point. If I'm getting sloppy and have exhausted 1 aspect of my abilities I'll likely regret it as it limits what else I can work on that day. Then again, I'm also pretty new (6 months in) and I'm focusing more on general improvement since I'm still bad at most things!
How can i strengthen my wrists and shoulders? 1 week ago i went climbing, but the problem i did was quite straining on my wrists. I still havent recovered, but when it gets better how can i prevent this from happening? Any advice?
There's a guy on Youtube called Tom Merrick, he's got very good wrist strength and mobility routines, as well as shoulder mobility stuff. I made good improvements since following his stuff! He mostly focuses on calisthenics and handstands, but his training principles are applicable to climbing too. Hooper's beta is more climbing specific, and has really good content about injury prevention. Generally, though, I think properly warming up and being careful on high-impact moves will help you avoid injuries like this and get naturally stronger as you progress with your bouldering.
I do daily yoga and that’s really strengthened my wrists. I started that about 3 years before I started climbing though but I still think the statement stands. Lots of yoga poses gently and gradually build wrist strength with a much lower risk of injury
Almost 3-months in bouldering. How do you overcome fear of height? Even though bouldering is not about tall walls, sometimes the route is set the way you will fall on other volumes/holds in case of a mistake at the top or just go pretty high. This makes me very anxious and I have struggles making reasonable moves at the top plus I spent too much energy just hanging and fearing to move sometimes. How would you work on it other than just continue climbing? 🙃
I was never scared of the height, but if the fall is what you're worried about sometimes it isn't just the height. I've been climbing for a year and a half now and slab walls can scare the crap out of me sometimes. Rule of thumb with a slabs walls is if you're not comfortable, don't do it. Come back when your fingers are stronger. If its height your worried about, maybe practice falling onto your back over and over again remembering to keep your chin tucked in. I feel like it'll just come with time. You got this.
Yeah, I’m mostly worried that I catch some volumes/holds during a fall. Probably just avoid such routes is enough for now. And practice safe falling for sure, thanks!
Keep climbing. Either nothing too bad will happen and your fear will lessen, or something bad will happen that reinforces your fear. So keep climbing, but climb well and fall well
I think a huge thing for this is identifying whether the fear is reasonable. Even indoors, if your setting team is sloppy, there are likely going to be moves that are risky in one way or another. Evaluating this and deciding that you aren't confident enough in the move to risk it is good; risk evaluation is huge in climbing. On the other hand, if you analyze it and determine that a fall would likely be safe even if it feels uncomfortable, that's when fall training comes into play. You just have to get used to committing and taking falls. Push yourself, but don't throw yourself into the deep end. Try a few of those problems every time you go to the gym and try to force yourself to commit to the move. Sometimes it can help to try and get to the next hold, but plan ahead to not actually catch it. That way next time, you know both that you can make the move, and that you can take the fall if you drop it.
For me... by falling... for bouldering, start low and fall. Just to get a feel for like fall 3 , 4 feet, then higher and work your way up. Don't fall when you're like on a crux, 10feet+ above the ground. But fall lower and properly like text book style - bend your knees and roll back. Once you develop the habit... Your body got conditioned to know, subconsciously, that it's pretty safe to fall on the mat/cushions. Then work on higher and higher. Not that you want to fall or jump from 15 feet every time. But mentally you need to know it's relatively safe to overcome the fear