May 16, 2018, by brzmjb1

What is bouldering? And the 3 reasons why you should give it go!

It’s true, rock climbing requires some technical knowledge. You need to know how to tie a variety of knots, as well as ways to manage ropes and get down from the top safely. You need to have gear, lot’s of gear!. This can put a lot of people off from getting involved in climbing and if we are losing you already, hang on – There are several other ways to climb!

Bouldering is stripped back to the most rudimentary element – think man versus rock and you wouldn’t go far wrong. In its purist sense it strips back all the equipment and challenges you, your body and mind against the rock.

We take away the need for any ropes, turn our backs on the plethora of carabiners, slings, cams and other equipment and instead we climb shorter routes on boulders – called “problems” as opposed to “routes” – usually under 15 feet and yep, you guessed it – no ropes!  But don’t let that put you off, the problems usually require more nuanced, precise and sometimes powerful movements.

We call this bouldering, and we love it!

Why bouldering?

1. Quick and easy to get started
   

   The entry barrier for bouldering is very low! No equipment and low cost make this a really easy way to master the fundamentals of climbing. Where route climbing requires, at a minimum, a mastery of belay techniques and knot tying, bouldering requires little except an understanding of the basic safety principles – these are easily learned in a very short induction session in a safe and controlled environment.

2. Excellent for working the brain and body
   

   Bouldering offers a significant mental challenge as well as a physical one. The range of moves to complete a problem is dramatically reduced and can be as low as two or three moves. However this can require much greater attention to detail. Each move is an acute calculation of grip, orientation, movement and strength and bouldering offers a unique challenge of the mind as well as the body.

3. It’s fun!
   

   Building up your bouldering experience can lead to exciting adventures as you take your skills on the road and tackle problems in the great outdoors. Problems are there to be solved from the ground up and there’s nothing quite like gazing up at the boulder with a group of friends and working out how you are going to tackle it! You’ll find that you make lots of friends quickly and nothing builds camaraderie like a shared struggle.

   

UoN Sport Members can learn for free!

We run a short introduction to bouldering, our instructors will take you through the basic skills needed to use our bouldering wall. This is for new boulderers – with no previous experience or equipment required. Once completed, this session will allow you to use the bouldering wall unsupervised.

Our Bouldering Taster session is available to non-members for only £3 or £6.50 for members of the public.

To learn more about climbing at David Ross Sport Village please visit www.nottingham.ac.uk/sport/climb or call 0115 74 87000.

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