UKC

Hope you guys can help me.

is a bouldering problem defined by the line you take up the rock or the hand and foot holds you use?

could you start at the bottom and just climb up however you wanted and claim you have completed the problem?

Can a potentially easy rock to climb up have a much harder grade due to a decision on what holds are allowed for that problem?

hope this. Makes sense.

thanks 

Some bouldering problems are obvious lines and all holds can be used. Others have ‘rules’ on which holds you can use and are called eliminates.

It's problem-specific. Sometimes the problem IS to use certain holds only. Sometimes better sequences are found after a first ascent and a problem effectively gets redefined.

Bouldering is as much a social construct as a mathematical one, so you can't rely on any particular pattern or convention applying universally.

If a boulder falls from a crag, and no one is around to chalk it up, is it really a boulder?

When using a guidebook, if no specific rules are given I assume anything goes in terms of holds. 

If you prefer detailed rules then look at the limestone problems in Peak Bouldering.  Every single hand and foothold numbered with the specific sequences needed for each grade.  That is unusual though.

Usually, at most, you might get some rules such as don't use the arete.

All of those. 

Sometimes only specific holds are in, other times anything goes. 

It depends.

Buy half a dozen bouldering mats then it will all seem like a walk over.

One small thing that can make a difference is whether the problem is supposed to be started seated. This can make a small difference to the difficulty, or be the hardest move by miles. The abbreviation 'SDS' is sometimes used in the name to indicate a Sit-Down Start, other times it will be mentioned in the description.

I quite liked this little film about it all..  youtube.com/watch?v=ta-bOmMCOvE&

Never mind understanding bouldering problems I'm still trying to understand bouldering