Definition
In simple terms, bouldering is climbing without ropes on large boulders or rock-like structures. It’s characterized by the freedom of climbing without being burdened by a lot of gear, relying solely on your body weight and technique. Typically, bouldering involves climbing walls up to about 4.5 meters high, with thick mats underneath to cushion falls. Each climbing route, known as a “problem,” varies in difficulty, ranging from large, easy-to-grab holds suitable for all ages to tiny, nearly imperceptible grips that require years of experience to master.
Before You Start
The only essential gear you need to start bouldering is a pair of climbing shoes. Regular training shoes won’t do the job because climbing shoes have a special sole and fit designed for grip and support on small holds. Most bouldering gyms rent climbing shoes, so you can try the sport without buying anything initially. If you’re thinking about purchasing your first pair, check out our guide later in this post.
Where to Try Bouldering?
Bouldering facilities are available in many Danish cities, and even some local gyms have built bouldering walls. A quick Google search can help you find nearby locations, or you can check out these popular spots:
- Aarhus Klatreklub
- Aarhus, Odense, and Copenhagen Boulders
- Aalborg Klatreklub
- Boulder Hulen - Esbjerg
- Herning Klatreklub
- Kolding Klatreklub
For more locations, visit klatresteder.dk
In Aarhus, Odense, and Copenhagen Boulders, you’ll find climbing opportunities for all levels. You don’t need prior experience or a seasoned climber with you. Just drop by one of their gyms, and the staff will get you started. New members can even take advantage of a free 3-week introductory course. While joining a course isn’t necessary, it can be a great way to kickstart your social life in the climbing community. Climbing clubs have a strong social aspect, and you’re likely to experience a unique camaraderie. Many people start solo and quickly find a sense of belonging in the inclusive climbing culture.
What Gear Do You Need for Bouldering?
If you’re just toying with the idea of trying bouldering, you don’t need to spend any money on gear right away. As mentioned above, most bouldering gyms rent climbing shoes for a minimal fee. So, there’s no need to buy a pair of climbing shoes before your first visit.
Let’s say you’ve sorted out your footwear. Beyond this, if you plan to continue bouldering beyond your initial trial, it’s recommended to get some chalk. Chalk comes in various forms: liquid, balls, blocks, or powder. It's a matter of personal preference. For beginners, I found it easiest to start with chalk powder in balls. You just place a chalk ball in a chalk bag that you wear around your waist. Chalk your hands thoroughly before climbing; it helps you get a better grip and prevents your hands from getting sweaty and slippery.
Your First Pair of Climbing Shoes
Choosing your first pair of climbing shoes can feel like navigating a jungle. There’s no single, definitive guide that all climbers agree on. However, since climbing shoes significantly impact your climbing experience, here are some general tips to consider:
- Opt for All-Round Shoes: Your first pair should be versatile.
- Fit Tightly but Comfortably: They should be snug but not painful.
- Look for a Thick Toe and Durable Rubber: A good, thick toe made of sturdy rubber is ideal.
- Ensure Solid Forefoot Support: They should provide good, stiff support in the forefoot.
- Consider Velcro Closures: Velcro makes it easier to put them on and take them off.
How to Get Started with Bouldering
Once you’ve got your gear and found a location, you’re ready to start bouldering. We recommend a thorough warm-up. Bouldering engages muscle groups not typically used, leading to soreness quickly. This can be mitigated with proper warm-up and stretching afterward. Begin by shaking out your arms and legs to get the blood flowing. Rotate your wrists by clasping your hands together. It's also important to stretch larger muscle groups thoroughly. Here are five stretches we recommend for both warming up and cooling down:
- Pigeon Pose: Great for stretching your hip flexors, which can be quite tight. Increase your flexibility by sitting in a cross-legged position and leaning sideways over one leg while stretching the other. Hold for about 30 seconds per leg. You don’t need to perform extreme yoga moves to benefit from this stretch. Here's a video on how to do it correctly.
- Arm Rotations: Crucial for warming up your arms. Stand up and slowly rotate your arms in circles, first clockwise, then counterclockwise. Start with small circles and gradually make them larger. Alternate between thumbs-up and thumbs-down positions.
- Walking Lunges: Start standing straight, then step forward with your right leg, lowering your hips to the floor slowly and in a controlled manner. Both knees should form 90-degree angles. Repeat with the other leg for 10-20 steps each.
- Leg Swings: Loosen your hip flexors and warm up joints and muscles, enhancing your range of motion and mobility. Keep your hips level throughout.
- Sumo Squat with a Twist: Squat as low as possible while keeping your back straight and hips open. Place your hands on your knees and twist your body, pointing one shoulder toward the floor, stretching both your shoulders and thighs simultaneously.
Bouldering Shapes, Colors, and Levels
Now you're ready to climb! The first thing you’ll notice is that the holds come in all sorts of colors. These colors indicate different difficulty levels. Here’s a quick guide to which color corresponds to which level. We recommend sticking to the green holds on your first climb, but you’ll get a better feel for it once you’re on the wall. Don’t aim too high in the beginning – it’s better to have a successful experience on the lower levels. You can always experiment with different levels as you build your strength. When you reach the blue holds, it’s all about technique and your ability to distribute your body weight effectively.
The Hueco Scale and Fontainebleau
Which one, you ask? Yes, in bouldering, we also talk about difficulty levels using these models, which you can see an example of below. As a complete beginner in the bouldering world, you don't need to worry too much about these grading systems and difficulty levels. Instead, focus on learning the basics and having fun while you're at it. You can revisit these scales as you progress in your climbing journey.
What Does the Tape on the Wall Mean?
You might also notice colored tape near the holds. This is called marking tape and is used to indicate routes, starting holds, and finishing holds, both generally and during competitions. It's a good idea to ask the staff for advice on how they have chosen to use the colored tape in relation to different levels. At first glance, it can seem a bit confusing, but there's a pretty simple logic to it. Here you can see an example of a bouldering wall that is divided by levels using colors, with tape also used to define specific routes.
Glowing Bouldering Wall – Say What Now?
You might also come across a bouldering wall equipped with small LEDs, like the one in the picture here, from a wall we've actually built at Gadevang Klatreklub. Typically, you connect to the wall via an app on your phone and adjust settings according to your level. This can be really fun because you can also set the pace, and if there are several of you, a bit of competition can arise! Perhaps you shouldn’t jump straight into this on your very first bouldering day, but it’s something to look forward to.
The 5 Best Tips for Beginner Bouldering
1. Stretch Your Arms and Use Your Back
The first piece of advice I'd give is something I’ve always found most useful myself: don’t rely solely on your arms to climb! Instead, stretch out your arms and focus on activating the large muscles in your back. If you only use your biceps to pull yourself up the wall, you’ll tire your arms out far too quickly and have to give up. Try rotating your back from side to side with your arms extended, so that your arms move back and forth. Incorporate this into your climbing. Think about how you carry heavy bags from the supermarket—with bent arms? No, right? That would make your arms tire too quickly. When you get going with climbing, you’ll activate muscles you didn’t even know you had. Be prepared for your forearms, back, and biceps to become quite sore initially. That’s completely normal.
2. Distribute Your Body Weight
It’s important to think about how you distribute your body weight while climbing. Bouldering is largely about balance, and properly distributing your body weight greatly helps maintain that balance. Additionally, being mindful of your weight distribution can prevent you from tiring out too quickly, especially with your leg work. Don’t put your entire body weight on one leg while figuring out how to move to the next hold. Instead, try to visualize the route before climbing and maintain an overview with a balanced weight distribution.
3. Don’t Forget Your Feet!
It might feel most natural to just climb using your arms, with your feet following along because they’re attached to your body. You’ll need to shift this mentality a bit. Your legs and feet have a lot of strength that should be utilized when climbing. Think about where and how you place your feet on the wall. You’ll also learn over time how to use your feet to support your body weight on the wall—even without holds. There’s a lot of footwork involved in being a good boulderer, but to start, just be mindful of your footwork, and you’re already on the right path.
4. Watch and Learn
When you start climbing, you’ll need to take small breaks. Use these breaks to observe more experienced climbers. How do they move their fingers? What’s their pace? How do they position their feet? You can learn a lot from this! There have been many times when I couldn’t solve a problem, and then some bad-ass boulderer came and solved it while I was sulking on the crash pad. And whoosh! You get an “aha” moment and you’re ready to try again! Just because more experienced climbers make it look easy doesn’t mean it is, but seeing others solve problems can definitely expand your own understanding. If you have questions or need help, I’d venture to say that people are always willing to give good advice and guidance. If you’re uncomfortable watching others or asking for help, there are also tons of YouTube videos with good tips, tricks, and hacks for beginners. You might want to check out this channel that has a playlist with 12 videos on "Climbing 101 – Techniques for Beginners."
5. Don’t Be Afraid to Fail—or Fall
When you start climbing, you might be a bit nervous about making mistakes or falling. But I’ll circle back to the super awesome mentality in climbing clubs. People are generally kind and no one judges or looks down on you. They were beginners once too and can definitely remember what it was like. View difficult problems as challenges and don’t give up until they’re solved. It’s said that a skilled rider needs to fall off the horse 100 times before they can call themselves skilled. It’s similar here, though the number is probably closer to 1,000. It’s perfectly okay to fall, and you’ll see experienced climbers do it too. Just get back up on the horse… or the wall. Besides, you’ve got huge crash pads under you, so you’ll land softly when you fall. When you feel you’re about to fall, try to fall as controlled as possible. Be careful not to fall with straight legs and back, but instead bend your knees when you land or try to roll onto your side.
Remember to Have Fun!
Lastly, I just want to encourage you to have fun with it! Bouldering is both challenging and, if you choose, can demand a lot of technique. Take your time, ask for advice, rest your body when it needs it, fall down, and then get back up again. Bring your friends, your partner, your parents, or your siblings along and share the experience with them. I hope you enjoyed this post and that you now have a better understanding of what bouldering is. If you have any questions about the above, don't hesitate to reach out to us. Enjoy!
