Complete Beginners Guide to Indoor Bouldering

Bouldering, the art of indoor rock climbing, was once a niche form of exercise and training that was regarded as secondary to outdoor rock climbing. In the modern day, though, it's one of the most exciting ways that people are staying fit and having a good time doing so. If you're looking to get in on the action but don't know where to start or what the craze is all about, you're in the right place. 

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A Brief History of Bouldering 

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Bouldering started out as an obscure practice in late 19th century Western Europe, particularly France, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. For decades, it was simply a way to remain in shape for so-called real rock climbing outdoors when weather conditions or travel difficulty postponed the next rock climbing trip.

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Bouldering as we know it starts in Fontainebleau, France, during the 1930s. This is where people first began to appreciate the fun and convenience of indoor rock climbing as exercise, recreation, and sport. It also offered unique opportunities to compose artificial rock paths that served almost as puzzles, engaging the body and mind together like no other activity. From here, bouldering began an enduring boom at the turn of the century alongside a generalized trend of greater interest in healthy living. 

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First Steps in Bouldering

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When you first get interested in bouldering, there are a few things you need first. You shouldn't think of heading to a bouldering gym without the right equipment and a basic idea of how to handle yourself on the wall. From there, the final and most important step is having a thorough grasp of injury prevention. From here, you'll be ready to launch your first bouldering excursion. 

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Necessary Equipment

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There isn't so much equipment that you need to get started bouldering, although you'll need more if you also want to boulder outdoors. For indoor bouldering, get a bag of chalk that's big enough to fit your whole hands inside, a backup supply of chalk, and some tight, well-fitted climbing shoes.

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While these are the basics, you'll also need a mat and some brushes to clean your shoes and brush off excess chalk if you intend to climb outside. It's also worth investing in a simple skin care kit for your hands and feet so you can ward off cracking, blisters, and other skin problems. 

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Know Your Holds

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The different types of grip points on a bouldering wall are called holds, and they each have unique qualities. Some are easy to handle, while others demand precision and well-developed finger strength. Knowing your holds will help you identify at a glance which routes suit your skill and experience level.

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• Jugs are the easiest holds, as they have deep incuts that your hand wraps around like a milk jug. Routes with plenty of jugs are ideal for beginners. 
• Slopers don't have an incut and slope against you, making it more difficult to grasp them. You need to combine the friction of your skin and the leverage of other points to grip them effectively. 
• Pockets have tiny openings that suit a few fingers at best, sometimes just one. These demand finger strength that beginners typically won't have developed yet, and are best left for when you're more experienced. 
• Pinches have two faces that allow you to pinch, either with your palm and fingers or fingers and knuckle. These are fairly challenging holds that suit technical, skilled climbers. 
• Crimps don't even have enough room for a full finger, and only accommodate a knuckle. You need to leverage one or more fingers against the top of your knuckle to manage these holds. 

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Bouldering Problem Rating System 

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Different bouldering gyms might use their own rating system, but most adhere to the "V" or "Huevos" rating system. Under this system, the easiest problems have a V0 rating while the hardest problem completed as of February 2022 is a V16. While the maximum rating will likely go up in the future, that's ultimately not so relevant to a beginner. Stick to the easiest problems and work your way up gradually.

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For the best measurement system of personal growth, track Power and Endurance. Record a daily journal and set weekly goals for how much weight you pull off of a hangboard with the number of fingers, as well as time in the hold. Read more about measuring growth for Power and Endurance.

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Understand Injury Prevention

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Bouldering is great fun, but heading in without proper preparation is a likely way to wake up feeling sore the next morning. That's the best case scenario, as ignoring proper safety measures as well as your body's signals to stop can result in injury just as easily as overdoing it at the gym can. Understand these key concepts for injury prevention to have a safe, fun time at the bouldering gym. 

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Warm Up Properly and Thoroughly

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Bouldering can be tough exercise, even on the simple problems as it demands you move and exert yourself in novel ways. One of the easiest ways to get an injury is by neglecting to warm up all of the muscle groups, or by choosing not to warm up at all. A good warmup routine might consist of about ten minutes of exercise, split fairly evenly between exercises such as:

• Jumping jacks
• Squats
• Push-ups
• Lunges
• Arm circles

After you complete a bouldering session, help your body recover with some static stretching. 

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Take Your Time Building Strength

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Many people make the leap into bouldering while already being in great shape, as it seems like a fun, different form of exercise. While it's always wonderful for the hobby to grow, even extremely fit people need to take an adjustment period. While it's possible to already have built up phenomenal core strength or forearm strength before you begin bouldering, bouldering is still going to engage those and other muscles in new ways.

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One of the most common injuries in bouldering comes from people jumping into problems that their core and forearms can handle, but their fingers can't. This culminates in finger pulley tears that come with a deeply unpleasant popping sound as well as some pain and swelling. If you continue past this point, you can seriously injure yourself. When you're new to bouldering, one of the most important things you need to do is start out with easy problems and stick to them. It might seem physically underwhelming at first, but you'll get to the tough paths in time. 

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Listen to Your Body

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Any time that you feel pain or substantial discomfort, whether from a finger pulley tear or anything else, you need to stop. Rock climbing comes with new challenges compared to other sports and different forms of exercise, so remain aware of your limits and stop when you're feeling sore. 

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Don't Overdo It

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Bouldering is so much fun that you'll likely get hooked and want to do it every day. However, even if you feel relatively okay, your muscles can be more strained than you think. This is especially because of the amount of time that you may spend with your arms extended above your head, which normal exercise won't prepare you for.

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Your shoulder muscles can sustain tears and succumb to the pressure with a partial dislocation, and attempting to push through this can easily result in a full dislocation. No matter how good you feel, don't go bouldering every day when you're just starting out. 

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Moisturize Your Hands and Feet

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Tight climbing shoes and abrasive rocks wearing on your hands can wear on your skin until it begins to dry out. At this point, you'll have a harder time getting a grip and also be more susceptible to cracking skin, blisters, and other problems. Make sure to moisturize in the evenings after a session to help keep your skin healthy and elastic so you can have fun next time you hit the bouldering gym, too. 

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Common Bouldering Problems and How to Solve Them 

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A bouldering route or problem is depicted by shared colors and poses you a unique challenge to solve it. While bouldering requires strength, it also requires you create a plan of attack to use your techniques to progress through the holds successfully. The different types of problems are: 

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• Slabs are nearly-vertical walls that offer the simplest and most accessible step into bouldering. 
• Overhangs lean towards you. This forces you to engage greater forearm and core strength not just to make progress, but also to remain on the wall at all.
• Arete problems entail climbing around a corner; make sure that you get a good look at these routes and make a plan before you hop on.
• Roofs are challenging, completely horizontal routes that force you to hang from the ceiling.

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Your first step to solving a bouldering problem is paying it a close inspection before you begin. Try to visualize progressing through its holds and look out for hidden holds and details you may initially overlook. Likewise, look for larger holds  in the middle of the route that give you more leverage and an easier time holding on; you can catch your breath and recover at these points, instead of trying to blaze ahead the whole time. 

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Bouldering Gym Ethics, Culture, and Language

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Bouldering has a language and culture all its own, with dozens of slang terms and certain expectations. In general, people who are passionate about bouldering are relaxed, easygoing individuals whose intensity belongs to problem-solving. While you might not think of rock climbing as a social sport, bouldering certainly is as it draws people into a shared, indoor space.

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With regard to social expectations, climbers treat each other as they'd like to be treated. No blaring music without your headphones or pressuring someone to quit a problem you want to try. In short, you're expected to respect other people's concentration, space, and experience when you step foot in a bouldering gym.