Bouldering: Much More than Just Climbing
Dominic Matteoni showcases bouldering, a form of free climbing increasingly popular with college students, including himself. This type of climbing is performed on small rock formations or artificial rock walls without using ropes or harnesses.
Bouldering is becoming an increasingly popular form of physical activity among college students. Not only does it provide a great workout, it’s one of those activities that doesn’t show you how sore you are until you’re done.
In my own pursuit, I’ve begun to treat each route like a puzzle. As they get harder, they require more thought as well as physical strength. It gets to a point where not only do your hands and feet need to be in the proper spots, but the position of your body is incredibly important. “It gets to a point where there’s really only one way to do it,” says climber Timmy Damon. “It can be as specific as how your fingers are positioned on a hold.”
While a lot of the sport is trusting yourself, there are a few techniques to keep in mind when on the wall. The #1 tip to remember is to move your feet with your arms. Being fully extended and trying to grab the next hold is a lot harder than trying to keep your legs bent. Another important aspect to climbing is like I said earlier, trust yourself. There comes a point in your climb when you feel like your arms are about to fall off, but chances are, you’ve got a little bit left in the tank. I always hurt way less after I’ve reached the final hold.
To a first time climber, knowing what all the numbers (or grades) mean can be confusing. Also, indoor bouldering is graded differently than outdoor. Outdoor routes tend to be two levels harder than that same level indoor. Climbing routes are usually graded V0-V17 (So an indoor V9 is an outdoor V7).
“It works muscles you never even knew you had,” says Bryce Foster, another climber. I can vividly remember barely being able to hold a pen the day after my first time. But, I could see improvement right from the beginning, so I fell in love immediately. Along with physical growth, I have found rock climbing to be a great form of stress relief. I often use it as a break between assignments and have found to be much more motivated to finish my work after I’ve got a workout in.
In my few years as a rock climber, one important factor I’ve noticed is how close-knit the community is. I rarely ever climb alone, and meet new people frequently. You can often get a few pointers, people cheer you on when you’re in the middle of a climb, and everyone’s got chalk if you’re short. “Once I started climbing, I became addicted,” says Foster. “This is something I want my kids to do in the future.”
