Bouldering

Bouldering is a type of rock climbing activity. The main difference between this sport and regular rock climbing is that the boulder that you climb typically doesn't go beyond 12 feet high. Many people see climbing rocks as an extreme sport as well as dangerous. Although it's quite safe if you know what you are doing and have good equipment, many people are turned off to climbing in general mainly due to the fear factor. So what do people who love to climb but would rather do something a lot safer do? They go bouldering!

Bouldering is an activity that requires a lot of physical fitness as well as creativity. The aim in this sport is to get from the bottom to the top using a specific route. These routes/paths are referred to as problems. The difficulty level can range from V0 to V16 (current highest). The higher the V goes, the harder the problem or route will be.

Bouldering isn't new. It's actually been around since the late 1800's. Around the 1950's, it was introduced to the United States and since then has slowly grown in popularity. There are competitions all around the world at the moment. Although it's current not an Olympic sport, there are hopes that it will be added into the 2020 Olympics. Once that happens, this sport will be huge. The main reason is that it's fun and anyone can start.

The best place to start bouldering is at an indoor rock climbing gym. Currently, rock climbing is more popular but bouldering is quickly spreading. The ground is padded throughout the entire gym so a fall won't result in any injuries unless if you fall incorrectly. On top of that, there are crash pads that you can use to further cushion your fall. Since the top is no more than about 12 feet high, your legs, when dangling, will only go as high as 12 feet minus your height. This height is just a little higher than a 1 story home by the way.

Bouldering is both for men and women and is also a great way to get into shape. One of the reasons why people who try to lose weight quit before achieving their fitness goal is because they get bored and discouraged. If you workout by doing something that is fun and challenging, something that you can improve upon each week, you will have a much higher chance of sticking to your workout. If you look at long time climbers, you will see that they are in fantastic shape. Many of them don't even go to the regular gym. Their only workout is climbing, which for them is all play.

Another great thing about bouldering is that the people you meet at indoor rock climbing gyms are some of the friendliest people. Many climbers are more than happy to help new people improve and work out problems. The physical aspect to this sport is great but another thing that draws many people to bouldering is the mental challenge.

You will inevitably come across a problem that will be difficult to overcome and will take you days or even weeks to figure out. The challenge of this will test your perseverance and determination. This will also help you in your everyday life. When you are use to facing challenges head on and keep at it until you overcome it, you will achieve more success than the average person.

There should be a rock climbing gym near where you live. You can look online to find locations. Once you get good enough, you can try bouldering outdoors on actual boulders. There are famous bouldering problems throughout the world. Many hardcore climbers travel the world to attempt to ascend these boulders. The feeling of reaching the top of a problem, especially one that you kept failing over and over to do, is a feeling like no other.

Although the concept of bouldering may seem silly to some (climb up a rock the hard way), it's both physically and mentally challenging and that's what makes it so much fun.

The benefits of bouldering are many. This activity is still relatively new since there isn't much media exposure for climbing in general. At the same time, it's one of the most addictive activities available. Once you try it out, you may be hooked for life. So visit your nearest rock climbing gym today and give bouldering a try.