How to start bouldering

Bouldering is the cheaper and more explosive part of climbing that most climbers will start with first, because all you need is magnesium and climbing shoes. However, there is a big difference between climbing outdoors and climbing indoors. Bouldering outdoors requires preparation and some thought. We at VARP sat down and prepared what a person needs to start bouldering. We have an article for you on how to start bouldering.

How does it work

Bouldering is a fairly straightforward sport. You really only need to have shoes, a mágo and a bouldering mat for outdoor climbing. When you climb inside, he wants to choose what kind of boulderer you want to be and what you enjoy more. Whether to be a modern and gymnastic climber or to be from the "old school", i.e. a technical boulderer (ideal preparation for the rocks). This selection will filter the main climbing walls suitable for you. We recommend it for technical climbing, for example Bigwall, Thirteen and Boulderbar. On the contrary, it is perfect for gymnastic modern climbing, for example Jungle gym or Hangar.

Climbing outside is slightly more expensive, but again without entrance fees. You also need climbing shoes and magnesium, but at the same time you need to invest in your own bouldering machine (or borrow it). Then it is enough to "just" find a good place where you can climb and jump into it head first. We recommend that you do not start climbing outdoors alone. It's nice to have a catch with you to direct the fall onto the bouldering mat. Of course, if you have enough mothers to cover the entire ground around the rock, this won't be too much of a problem. But most of us do not have such advantages.

Gear

The question "how to start bouldering" ssebou carries with it the question "what should I buy?". There is no good answer to this. It can be said that everything. It is definitely necessary to have good climbing shoes. We will not give you instructions for that here, as we have our own article about how to do it climbing shoes to choose and at the same time we also have an explanatory article types of soles on climbing frames. Outside of climbing, it's good to have magnesium. Magnesium is a matter of personal taste, liquid, loose and brands are quite subjective (except for Decathlon, which is the most expensive per bag weight).

What is not immediately clear is the brush and the boulder mat. Every climber should have a brush. Not only do you clean the holds for yourself (which is handy outside), but you also clean the holds after yourself. It is not appropriate to leave behind a dirty path (according to the "leave no trace" ethic). A brush is not a deadly investment, it costs a few crowns and fits everywhere! But what doesn't cost a few crowns is a boulder mat. Here it is necessary to accept a large investment in security. It is advisable to start with one large boulder mat, such as Uncle Moonwalk or Uncle Dominator. They are "basic" boulder mats that are placed under the places with the biggest falls. Then it is useful to have 1-2 smaller boulders, such as Uncle Paddy Sundance. These smaller mats are used to hide stones, stumps and other unpleasant things on the ground under a boulder, or simply to cover a larger area on the ground for routes that are longer.

Where to climb

You can go bouldering in many places in Prague. Among them Divoká Šárka, Devil's Grove and Hlubočepské plates. There are a large number of local guides that cover bouldering in different locations. But the primary source is the internet and the local community. We can personally recommend the site 27 Crags, which works on a subscription basis. In the meantime, VARP has prepared a rough guide for bouldering in Prague and we are preparing (in cooperation with Stonehuggers) TOPOs for bouldering in Divoká Šárka.

How to prepare for climbing

Preparing for climbing is "relatively" simple. Every climber should find a place to boulder and take a look at it first. It's best to check what landing sites are around the boulders (unless you can find it somewhere, of course). Another necessary thing is to prepare all the things around. He stands and falls on that climb. We all know we're supposed to have climbing frames, a magician and a boulderer. But at the same time, we must remember the brush, tape, scissors and file for the skin. It would also be a good idea to bring a bandage and basic first aid (just to be sure), a small waste bag and almost most importantly – Toilet paper.

Bouldering training

Bouldering training is a bit more demanding than rope training. Bouldering is very strenuous. It's based on explosiveness and finger strength (and of course some technique is needed). This is well trained by frequent climbing. In addition to this, strength, flexibility and mobility must be built.

Strong

Strength training for bouldering is mainly about fingers and explosiveness. A climber cannot do without pull-ups, hangboarding and after time I campusing. It is good to do something in the style of calisthenics, i.e. exercises with your own weight on bars (or even without them). Exercises that you should not avoid are push-ups (key for climbers), squats and push-ups. The category by itself is then the belly and "core" as a whole. For this, we recommend practicing as carefully as possible and as often as possible. Application Crimped is perfect for these purposes!

Flexibility

Flexibility is a fairly straightforward matter. Smaller climbers especially rely on flexibility. The ability to stretch somewhere or stand in stupas far apart always comes in handy. Stretching is something that probably all of us know from elementary school and gym. Time to focus on it a little more and reach the goal. The legs and torso are especially important (including the neck), so don't miss it.

Mobility

Mobility, not to be confused with flexibility, is the ability to get the limbs into strange positions. These are leg lifts, shoulder rotations and so on. This is also important, especially if you are new to climbing. We highly recommend sticking to the following video or trying Yoga for example.