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thecircuit
Apr 27, 2005, 5:38 AM
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So, do you ladies think bouldering is harder that roped climbing? Is it a less approachable area of ths sport for women to get into? Wazzup?
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kimmyt
Apr 27, 2005, 3:39 PM
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I have seen just as many women bouldering as men. For myself in particular, I have issues with bouldering mainly because (at least in the gym) upper body strength is quite a factor. Also, i don't have the technique or hand strength to do the harder problems, but that is just me and I am working on this problem.
Don't be intimidated by bouldering, as I have seen so many women cranking hard. I think so much of bouldering comes down to technique and flexibility, that I think women do really well at it. Watching women boulder is like watching a ballet. When they're really good, it's like poetry in motion.
K.
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tavs
Apr 27, 2005, 4:28 PM
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I don't think bouldering is less accessible to women. However, it can be less accessible to beginners. Many gyms only have a small bouldering area, and it's most likely to be a cave/steep wall, which can be intimidating as well as very hard for beginners. Here in SLC, we've got a gym that's all bouldering, so the wall ranges from slabby to uber-steep. I think this makes bouldering just as accessible as routes for beginning climbers, because there are angles and problems for everyone. In gyms with limited space for bouldering, that can be harder to do. I see tons of beginners--male and female--at the bouldering gym here.
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vertk8r
Apr 27, 2005, 4:30 PM
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I have to say I am absolutely HORRIBLE at bouldering. I don't know what it is but I just suck. It takes me forever just to finally complete the easiest thing. Leading is just way more natural for me. Everytime I see really good bouldering gals they are sooooo ripped. I'm strong but not ripped
:( heheh.. maybe thats why I am so terrible at it. Though the more I do it the better I get (go figure!). It has also helped me on roof climbs when leading. I also found that bouldering with other women helps cuz we understand how our bodies move better than a guy, therefore, better beta. Enough blabbing... :D :D
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maculated
Apr 27, 2005, 5:55 PM
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Registered: Dec 23, 2001
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You "suck" because V1 starts at what . . . 10c?
I think bouldering's the easiest way to get into the climbing scene if you're a woman. Guys will want to help you, spot you, and take you along your trips, and there's no worrying about epicking if you're a beginner.
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stonefoxgirl
Apr 27, 2005, 6:58 PM
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Registered: Jul 15, 2003
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Dang Ladies!
Don't get down on yourselves! I for one was the worst boulderer when I startedoutring. I was used to rope climbing, I thought bouldering was stupid. But, give it some time, put some heart into and it will give back to you, stregnth you never knew you had. Bouldering is a great tool in becoming stronger all around. I love it now. It is my favorite type of climbing. If you want it, there is beta out there and boys can be great spotters(: I always climb harder when there are just guys bouldering, I welcome it, it makes me push myself even harder. Thanks Nathan! -you know who you are...
So ladies, keep it up, you'll get there!
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mtnchik
Apr 28, 2005, 12:29 PM
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i started climbing about a year and a half ago. i originally climbed the top rope stuff but then at the gym i saw all these people doing the bouldering thing. it intrigued me greatly. i wanted to be able to climb without a rope! so i tried it, let's just say i was as graceful as a moose on roller-skates, but that's how everyone starts out. everyone has a different technique to it. i learned from the start that chiks can't climb like men. we need to hit certain holds differently and i definitely don't have enough upper body strength to campus. so what, who cares? if you work on something long enough it'll come. and now after about a year of trying different things i'm getting to the point that i can actually climb in a cave, negative degree walls, and (my fav) dyno. (not to mention i can blow the newbie guys out of the water!) But the best part is when i go back to top rope i actually have technique there as well. it's a win, win in my opinion.
you should definitely try it out. just don't get discourage with it, everyone has a starting place. besides it wouldn't be any fun it you could just automatically do it.
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climbingurlie
Apr 28, 2005, 10:13 PM
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Bouldering, for me, is harder than doing a long, roped route. The pumpy moves often send me flying (or falling) off the wall and in the gym, and I have problems with being able to reach the holds. I don't feel like I can use all my technique, which is the area I excel in. However, bouldering is great fun and it's a great way to get into climbing. When I started to climb, I'd traverse around the gym for hours. I believe that no matter how hard one or the other is, roped climbing and bouldering are both important to build up different things needed for climbing.
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opheliaascending
Apr 28, 2005, 11:41 PM
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Ahhhh. Bouldering.
It is definitely harder for me than roped climbing. I still don't have any idea what the ratings mean for bouldering. Could be because I haven't asked.....
I do enjoy it though. At the gym, I'll just traverse back and forth across the wall and play add-on with the guys at the cave. That's one thing about climbing that I love, that I can flail on the same move 10 times in a row, especially when bouldering with a bunch of guys, but the folks that I'm climbing with never get tired of cheering me on and telling me that I can make it to the next move.
I had a great time last night bouldering at the gym. :D I'm a rock star.
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ecocliffchick
Apr 29, 2005, 1:12 PM
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Registered: Jun 4, 2002
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Ahhh bouldering
- the reason I haven't been able to walk or climb for three weeks -
:!: Make sure your crash pads are positioned well or you may be in my situation yourself :!:
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tavs
Apr 29, 2005, 4:13 PM
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In reply to: Ahhh bouldering - the reason I haven't been able to walk or climb for three weeks - :!: Make sure your crash pads are positioned well or you may be in my situation yourself :!:
Sorry to hear that!! I hope the prognosis is for a quick recovery. Proper pad placement is so important, as is being aware, as the climber, of where you are relative to the pad and how you're likely to fall. My boyfriend was out of walking for three months and out of climbing for about 4-5 months because he was careless with the pads while screwing around on some warmup problems. Narrowly missed surgery and another 3-6 months of recovery.
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gritgirl
May 1, 2005, 1:01 PM
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Registered: Jul 2, 2004
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I love bouldering. I started with bouldering and am beginning to get more into roped. I sometimes find bouldering really difficult and flail away a for ages on some problems but I enjoy it anyway. I have no idea about grades and how they compare, not really sure they do but i figure if you enjoy something, do it. I have seen more girls roping up than bouldering around my area but i'm sure that's not everywhere.
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thegogirl
May 2, 2005, 12:53 AM
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bouldering can be harder than top roping for various reasons:
it plays with your head
it requires powerful moves often, sometimes requires power and severe drive
it works every move you may be weak at; you have your weaknesses exposed
there is no rope to "catch you"..no rest...but:
you will work your weaknesses, you will climb stronger, your head will be better organized when you climb, you will be less fearful and have more drive, you can climb alone or with others, no one will tell you you are "doing it wrong"(or if they do you can work on something else)
and: you will have a better sense of successes.
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girlclimb
May 3, 2005, 1:26 AM
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Registered: Oct 5, 2003
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it wasnt' till a year and a half after i was introduced to climbing that i was introduced to bouldering....
I remember my first time on the step 45 degree wall, not being able to get more then two or three moves up... i had no upper body strength and istantly decided that boulderign wasn't for me! nope i would stick to the routes where i could climb. At my college however the long routes were far away and the boulders close and the temptures rapidly droping... perfect bouldering weather they kept telling me! ha. well sure enough a month or so passes and i finnaly find someone at college with a car willing to take me climbing the form just happened to be bouldering. i was a little skeptical but any form of climbing outside i decided would be great.
Thats when i found my first boulder problem, it was beautiful, i couldn't get the moves right away but watching other people climb it i knew it was possible, i tried again and again each time making some progress, i made up my mind that i wasnt leaving unitll i got it i didn't care how dark it got! I must have tried that problem over thirty times but low and behold i got it what a rush!!! i was addicted, i remeber going back home and dreaming the sequences, every move. I would go to zoology class and my notes soon turned into a move by move boulder guide little stick figures were found every where. I rember going back out to the problem later and getting it on my second or third time and the great satisfaction i got that my body had remebered, and that the work had been worth the effort.
I have been addicted to bouldering since, i'm still in love with all forms of climbing. I find that they complement each other bouldering made me work on my upper body strength which in turn helped my route climbing, and the tecnique i had gained from climbing routes helped my bouldering. I think thought what i love most about bouldering is how the problems get stuck in your head, i just love it!!!!!!!
well just thought i would share my story,
good luck and HAVE FUN!
katelyn :)
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butterflyinthewilderness
May 7, 2005, 6:46 AM
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Registered: Dec 26, 2004
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I love bouldering. I am going through a phase of more bouldering than climbing at the mo. Maybe because I have got used to not having a belayer for a while, my parents don't know how so bouldering takes up a lot of time. Also I am not a very competent socialiser...I am bad with others until I have got to know them and my current partner Holly I am good with but she lives in Oxford... this is a terrible excuse for lack of routes but I like bouldering and i shall be seeing Holly on our anual week in wales in the summer.
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