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girlclimb
Nov 1, 2003, 2:30 AM
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I was just wondering If there has been a topic about bouldering and woman? I feel really strong on cracks, and on walls even when they are sloped. But when i go to boulder at my gym it's like guy dominated, they make all the moves into pull ups barely using their feet, and the reaches are always huge. I can't find many routes i can do there. I was just wondering what woman's experiences with bouldering have been like, is it all about upper body strength, or do you find you can do the same routes as guys???? what has worked for all you woman out there? Thanks
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girlclimb
Nov 1, 2003, 10:49 PM
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Hey my opinion on bouldering might have just changed in a day. lol. i went to petukaway(sp) today for my first time bouldering ever and did some awsome problems, it was really hard and i didn't complete many of the problems I tried but it was still awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait to try it again:)
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climbhigh2005
Nov 2, 2003, 6:34 PM
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Hey! I know how you feel in a way... but here's my scenario... I boulder in the gym more than I climb.. I think its better training andyou can do different problems... I never have really gotten into bouldering outdoor because I tend to like sport better, but I love traverses, and playing around on the rock... yesterday I went to a bouldering competition, and didnt do to great, but I had a blast!! I even topped out a pretty high problem, and normally I'm scared to toprope and just down climb... anyways, just thought I'd share!
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thegogirl
Nov 2, 2003, 9:25 PM
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I consider myself a diehard boulderer, both indoors and outside. I usually "get over myself", look at the routes and see what looks "do-able" to start with as a warm up, make up my own problems or drills or just see what looks like fun. Most of the time guys are pretty good about it-spotters, assists on bouldering attempts and encouragement, some for bouldering games. Yes, at times their testosterone gets in the way and I get all kinds of beta. (usually not helpful). Give it a go!
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climbhigh2005
Nov 2, 2003, 9:38 PM
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topout not toprope! And yes, I agree about guys being great spotters and encouragers!!! I couldnt do alot of problems without the help of Simon, Joseph and Travis!
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ecocliffchick
Nov 4, 2003, 2:50 PM
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If the boulder problems in your gym seem to be too reachy for you, just set your own problems. The great thing about bouldering, is that it can be as much an individual persuit as it is a group outing. Set your own limits and don't allow yourself to be discouraged by others (especially testosterone spewing idiots yelling "dat!" and "hih-uugguhtht!")
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girlclimb
Nov 5, 2003, 3:15 AM
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lol thanks for all your responses it's so nice to her other peoples experiences. I think i may actually start to rather enjoy bouldering after all lol. I can't seem to get the problems i tried this weekend out of my head I seriously dream about sending them it's so funny. I love climbing :)
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rvega
Nov 5, 2003, 8:12 PM
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I really like bouldering for a workout and fun. Its a strange dynamic at my gym however. Most of the hardcore boulders (all guys) group together and make problems and encourage each other. I'm the only girl at my gym who boulders very much at all. I think this is because the hardcores set all the taped routes and they are so hard that only those few guys can climb them. Most of the time I can't even do the first move on their climbs because they are huge moves. So I've started setting my own "girly" routes. Its great to see other people climb them. Start making your own path. Design problems on your own. Don't make them too easy and don't make them so hard you can't enjoy them.
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krestkid
Nov 5, 2003, 11:07 PM
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I really enjoy bouldering and I agree it is dominated by the guys. A great thing that happened was when I sprained my ankle and went to the gym to encourage a fellow climber to send a problem, well I was sitting and she was resting after climbing hard when a group of guys came to boulder. Well, they were working on a problem I had already sent and they were struggling...trying to campus everything. I noticed what they were doing and offered my 2 cents to help and they totally disregarded it. I walked (crutched) away for a few minutes and when I returned they guys were doing what I had already mentioned. I wanted to get up so bad and show them I could do it better than they could!! Oh well...it's probably better I couldn't. Our gym also recently added some lower grade problems...makes me happy. Well I was working on a new problem and they guy that set it noticed that it was reachy. (I'm 5'5 and he is well over 6ft) He took that into consideration and placed an extra hold for us shorter people. I hope to see more girls bouldering...I love it!!
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ginerbiner
Nov 7, 2003, 1:08 AM
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Eeeek! Don't think upper body!! While upper body helps with endurance and in some power moves, bouldering is still about footwork. Think feet. Besides, guys show off with all that natural upper body yumminess. I've seen the most delicate girls tip toe through those same guy power moves. I was one of the judges at the Triple Crown Boulderig comp this past weekend and I saw lots of graceful gals on the boulders. As for the crowded bouldering gym, sit there with the rest of them, stare at the boulder, and step up when it's your turn. It's about you, not them. AND, see how they will want to give you pointers and offer a spot. smiles, g.
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blueeyedclimber
Nov 7, 2003, 2:19 PM
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Hey girlclimb,
check out this thread started by the amazing wonderwoman.
http://rockclimbing.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=29034
Bouldering is more to work on power moves. Guys love to show how powerful they are and it really feeds their ego, so it tends to be more male dominated. But, don't be intimidated, most guys love to see females get right in there. If they don't, then they are insecure about themselves. All the more reason to show them up.
Josh
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girlclimb
Nov 8, 2003, 12:58 AM
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blueeyedclimber,
thanks for the thread I love hearing about other climber's experiences. For everyone else who has responded to my thread thanks again. I love it when people respond:) so i've started bouldering more when i go to the gym it's tough but I think i have started to notice an improvement on my regular climbing as well from working out on the boulder wall. I'm starting to slowly work my way into the circle of guys on the routes but only occasionally I find it better to work on problems a little closer to my level. But most of them seem really supportive which is awesome. I still think that they are all testosterone driven though haha the way they all scream beta to each other and yell stuff like "push it" it's so fun to watch. thanks for all the advice again
girlclimb :)
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girlclimb
Nov 8, 2003, 1:00 AM
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Oh yeah and if anyone has any advice on how to use slopers when bouldering or the holds that require a certin amount of pressure insteed of grip that would be very helpful.
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lollipopchic
Nov 8, 2003, 2:16 AM
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I haven't bouldered much outdoors, but its fun to do in the gym - especially when I can't be bothered getting my harness on! I find the best thing to make bouldering fun, is to make up your own problems. Try and make problems that are just within you limit. Also its always much more fun to boulder with other people, and try their problems too.
Slopers.... I hate them! My hands are small so its hard to get a lot of contact with the hold. The best thing is to try and keep your weight underneath the hold and sort of just let your weight provide the grip on the sloper... does that make sense?!
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girlclimb
Nov 8, 2003, 3:36 AM
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Yeah my hands are tiny as well wich sometimes is a good thing but for a lot of the slopers I use it isn't. I understand what you mean about keeping you weight underneath but I find it hard to do when bouldering, i find it the easiest to use if i am using an undercling with my other hand but then i get my self in a bind cause i can't let go of the under cling haha... I guess i'll just have to keep practicing.
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reddaisies
Nov 9, 2003, 6:49 AM
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i climb in a bouldering gym also, where 99% of the time i'm there, i'm the only woman there. when i started going, most of the problems were set for more advance climbers, and were really reachy for me. I just talked to the manager a lot and told him what i liked, and needed. he soon set more problems at my level, and with the right amont of challenges for me.
about the guys flashing probs that you're having problems with, just ask them to do it again slowly without the campus or other move that they do, but you're not strong on. it has helped me become a better climber. plus, in my experience the guys tend to show less testosterone when you ask them how they do things.
and to repeat what everyone else has said, this is about you and your climbing. don't let the guys intimidate you. they're either trying to hit on you (remember how little boys used to hit you to show you that they liked you?) or are insecure about their own climbing (they might be worried about a girl beating them). you can do it!
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soma
Nov 17, 2003, 3:44 AM
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Cool thread.. Most people are intimidated by new things, guys too. :D
My advice would be to set your own problems. Pick a start and climb to the top of the boulder or bouldering wall. Start removing holds to challange yourself. The problems that my sister sets kill me because of her specific manner of climbing and she hates the long reachy moves I set because she has to dyno (but its good for both of us :D ).
Dave
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blueeyedclimber
Nov 18, 2003, 1:58 PM
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I have been climbing less than 2 years, and in the short time that i have been, i have seen more and more women boulder. I think it's great.
Josh
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rock_diva
Nov 19, 2003, 3:25 PM
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I wasn't interested in bouldering initially, but started getting into it a year ago. Now there's no way anyone could tear me away from bouldering! At first it was pretty frustrating; I was a decent rope climber, but found that my bouldering was lacking. It takes time to build the power necessary; also many of the moves are not ones you would use climbing ropes.
One thing that helped me with technique was watching other women (although there aren't that many) work on problems - or ask them for some beta. I also watch shorter men. I'm of average height 5'5' with a -2 APE index and found that lots of the moves were too reachy. However, I've found that if I try different techniques I can make those reachy moves. Now I boulder with guys all the time, and can hold my own.
As was suggested earlier, make up your own problems -- this is especially fun and challenging if you will make up problems with someone else - like a game really. Sometimes I will take the easiest problem and eliminate as many holds as possible - see how few moves I can use.
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ecocliffchick
Nov 20, 2003, 4:56 PM
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I am so frustrated with bouldering right now. Our gym has a 'boulder night' every Wednesday where around 15 new boulder problems are set on all the main walls (getting us out of the caves). Usually these are really fun. There a couple of easy warm up problems, some intermediate challenges and then some rediculously hard problems that the tough guys hang out and grunt on all night before one of them finally sends.
At least, that's how it's been in the past...
Last night it seems that all the problems fell into the last category. I couldn't get off the ground on most of the problems and the gym was packed with boulderers...so not only was it frustrating, but also embarassing.
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