UKC

Firstly i'm not really a fan of indoor climbing but with two new walls open near me it was hard to resist.
Normally i just go with mates and clip bolts but yesterday went on my own and bouldered.
The whole thing just seemed to lack any soul and i was very bored within an hour! there were alot of people there obviously enjoying it so what am i missing??

In reply to Steve Humm 4395:

Missing anything?

Not really, training indoors is training indoors. You can either climb vertically or traverse inches off the floor.

I'm of the climbing vertically camp.

In reply to Steve Humm 4395:
Did you take your shirt off? That seems to help
While in theory bouldering can be done on your own, I find it gets boring very quickly. You need a partner, or better still a group, of a similar ability to you so that you can work on problems together.

In reply to Steve Humm 4395:

I don't really get much out of bouldering indoors either. I can either do a problem, in which case it's all over in a couple of moves and quite boring or can't, in which case I try a few times and get bored with failing. That probably says more about my boredom threshold than bouldering though. :0)

You say two new walls have opened up near you, whereabouts are you? I only ask as there is a new wall at Milton Keynes and another at Hemel Hempstead near me and it's always handy to know more people that want to partner up for lead climbing training sessions mid week.

In reply to Steve Humm 4395:

I went for the first time last night and it wasn't the best of fun but I'm using it to toughen up my fingers and build on my strength as they both need work.

It was quite freaky for me - so used to be roped up and belaying / being belayed.

In reply to Steve Humm 4395:

If you really want to find out what you're missing go to fontainebleau and spend a couple of weeks climbing boulders.

In reply to Steve Humm 4395: I can spend all day pissing about in a quarry but I'm bored in 10 minutes at a wall.

In reply to Steve Humm 4395:

It's dull! There's no scope for variation in solution like bouldering on real rock... Eventually it boils down to either being able to pull on a certain hold or not!

Don't expect too much from it unless you're dedicating yourself specifically to indoor bouldering improvement and going at it constantly... And lets face it; who the hell would want to do that???

For me, it's only for when it's very wet outside and I'm partnerless for routes, as a last ditch opportunity to pull on summert.

In reply to Cragrat Rich:

Ditto. That's what I'll probably end up doing tomorrow, boring.

In reply to Steve Humm 4395:

A bridge?

In reply to Steve Humm 4395:

I guess it's like anything - some people like it, some people don't.

I happen to be one of those people who really enjoy most types of climbing, and I am often very happy when bouldering alone. In fact, I actually prefer it to bouldering in a group most of the time.

Bouldering is about the movement and pushing yourself to find out what is possible. I don't want to sound elitist, but at many indoor walls your enjoyment is likely to be related to your ability to an extent - most lower grade climbers I know prefer routes to bouldering. Indoors, most surfaces are overhanging which means that the easier routes are usually quite uninspiring jug hauls. You generally have to be climbing 5b/fb5/V1 or higher before walls start to set interesting problems, often higher (depending on the wall). I don't know if this matches your experience or not.

In reply to Steve Humm 4395:

Friends!

Bouldering, for me, is essentially a social activity - the physical side of it is just the excuse for getting together. Seriously though, it's much more fun bouldering in a group. Going solo isn't nearly as satisfying or edifying.

In reply to Steve Humm 4395:
I actually quite like bouldering on my own...

I think for me the attraction is the amount of time that you spend on moves that are at your limit - my experience of indoor routes tends to be that if I can't immediately do a route I go up, climb, hit a hard move, can't do it, hang for a minute, try again, fail again, lower off, try a different route. I can't really be bothered hauling back up loads of moves I can do just to get to the one that I can't, and it seems a bit harsh on ,y belayer to hang around up there and have a whole series of attempts with five minute breaks in between while they're stuck holding my rope.

Whereas bouldering, I get on, get to the hard move, fall off, recover, get back on (maybe skipping the start), get to the hard move, fall off, recover, get back on... I spend a lot more time working on a given move that I can't do, and as such have to think a lot more about how I could be improving on what I'm doing in order to make it work. I had a really satisfying bouldering session last night because, even though I didn't finish any of the routes I've been working on, I managed to complete a couple of moves on them that I really had to think about.

Also, I find the flexibility and lack of faff a bonus - people take turns, so you don't have to pick a route based on what's free, you can move to a different bit of wall quickly and without consulting anyone, and you don't spend half the time hanging around holding someone's rope.

In reply to Steve Humm 4395:

I find bouldering incredibly boring, but that's probably because I'm crap at it*. Give me a long mountain trad route anyday.

*The only exception to this is a long Font circuit, but that's more about the variety and being outdoors than the individual moves. I'll perservere on a particular move up to a point, but if it continues to spank me I'll move on to another before I get totally knackered. It rather do 90% of 40 or 50 problems in a few hours than work endlessly at one.

In reply to Trangia:

Well, me too, but there's a bouldering wall between my work and my house whereas it's about 5 hours drive to the nearest mountain trad...

In reply to Steve Humm 4395: I go bouldering because I don't need to rely on anybody to go.

I don't have any mates who are into climbing, so the only real time I get to do anything roped is when I catch up with my old man.

I would say that I'd probably find it slightly more fun if I did have people that came with me, if not only for the positive reinforcement that a group of friends can bring to the table. I often find that while bouldering indoors, I will just plough through problems, usually without putting any real thought into it. So I think from that perspective I am lacking something by going on my own, I probably would push my boundaries more if I had people egging me on.

Alas, if bouldering is the only option available I'll take it for the time being, until I pluck up enough courage to try and find someone to go for roped stuff that is, in which case I may find a bit of diversity will lead to me turning my back to it.

Either way, it is what you make it. I see plenty of people come in and end up walking out 30 mins later frustrated or bored. I also people that spend half a day working on the same 4 problems tweaking their posture and technique until they nail it. Personally, whether I'm topping out on a nice roped climb, or just putting together 6 moves that pushes my strength to the limit, I'm just glad that I'm achieving something. Little victories are always the best ones.

In reply to Steve Humm 4395:

i enjoy bouldering indoors since indoors is training. i would never boulder over climbing routes outdoors

indoor bouldering can be pretty brutal... there will just be some holds and moves that your body cannot do. so you basically keep flailing at it every session till you get it or do a similar move on a slightly easier problem

grades are pretty meaningless/hopeless when it comes to problems that become body type specific... that v3 may be easier for someone with reach and much harder for someone with short reach.

being persistent pays off because the most interesting problems will be the ones you can barely do, the ones that take you forever to solve, or the ones you cannot do but feel like you are almost there.

since the problem is only a few moves long, it will get repetitive... so it is good to have a few problems that you are working on

In reply to Steve Humm 4395:

I think it's safe to say yes, you are missing something!!

In reply to Steve Humm 4395: I much prefer bouldering indoors to leading indoors, the moves tend to be better, you can do link up to train endurance, you don't need anyone to climb with. However the other night I went to my local wall when I am at home in Devon and it was obvious that the quality setting I find in the Indy in North Wales is not found down here. (Except in the Barn)

If the problems are not thought out to flow well, then it can be a frustrating and boring thing. It also makes it more likely to injure yourself!

Out of interest where do you live?

Dunc

In reply to Steve Humm 4395:
Indoor bouldering is definitely a mindset, that you either have or don't. Sometimes I'm super motivated and will spend 4 hours ticking off easy probablems with an hour of working harder stuff thrown in but at the moment I can't be bothered with it.

In reply to Hooo:

Quite the oppositi for me -I prefer bouldering alone but still go with friends now and again

However the plywood palaces become dull very quickly imo. They have to be very well set to be remotely relasitic enough for me

In reply to Steve Humm 4395:

I think the problem lies with the broad scope of difficulties covered by our sport. Higher grades demands athletic ability which takes many years of training (failing on things too hard). Lower grades are just steep walks which just require basic fitness. If you just like a steep walk then a 2 metre high steep walk isn't go to float your boat, therefore dont go bouldering you wont see the point and wont like it. If pushing your physical limits to new levels by hard work and dedication is an interest to you(therefore enabling you to realise the dream of climbing some of the most inspiring routes our fine country has to offer) then go bouldering. It really is that easy.

In reply to owennewcastle:

Nicely put.

In reply to Steve Humm 4395:

I think you have to have a bit of OCD. I prefer climbing outdoors but don't mind bouldering/routes indoors if they are good quality.

I've spent around 4 hours working a single boulder problem indoors before, it seems like many wouldn't. Which makes me weird I guess..

In reply to Steve Humm 4395:

When you listen to Rock music do you expect to hear classical? You are not going to get the same experience boldering as you are trad climbing but different does not have to mean worse.

Try coming to the bouldering wall with an open mind; don't look for the things you enjoy from other types of climbing look for new experiences.

The main attractions are:

Climbing hard
Fast improvement
Problem solving: working out a problem with you head rather than just using brute force and ignorance.
Shared experience: You and your friends will each have a different interpretation of the same problems, sharing ideas and working together so that you all can complete the problem is a great experience.
Social interaction: Arrive at the wall on you own, get chatting with people about the best way to solve problem (see above) and leave the wall with a collection of new outdoor climbing partners.
Simplicity: shoes on, chalk up, climb.

After a month or so you'll be shirtless displaying your new physique laughing with your new bouldering mates at the bumberling route climbers and their dull ladder style of climbing.

In reply to Steve Humm 4395:
I am a thing of the midlands, as such I have never laid my hands on a real life rock.
Bouldering is really just the most practical solution to a life which needs climbing when there aren't an awful lot of alternatives. Specially not if you're skint, have a family, lack of time etc.
One day I may start doing roped stuff but I cant help but want to selfishly have it be my turn all the time and to be talking and mucking about while I do it.
Bouldering just makes climbing more of a playground thing where you can face off against your mates trying to prove a point. You sometimes get your little bit glory when you send something hard and people're actually watching and surely most people would like someone to see them do well.
Eventually, if I do move into roped stuff, there will be an awful lot of routes that seem all the easier for having done similar moves on boulders.
I guess its like anything, some people sprint, some people run marathons. You dont always end up being the best at both or even wanting to do both despite the fact they are effectively the same thing.

In reply to Steve Humm 4395:
Bouldering is more fun with company, allot more fun in fact.
But I find the fun of Bouldering is fully pushing your limits, with falling nor clipping bolts etc to be hindering you.

Also, it looks cool climbing upside own...

It is good for people like me with no freinds though.

In reply to Evilllamas:

I'm kind of the opposite here, I find something really satisfying about bouldering on my own, just slowly working at getting my technique spot on on the hard moves, really focussed on the route I'm working on, not having to think about other people apart from waiting my turn on the wall...

In reply to Steve Humm 4395: you need someone to show of to ,and strutt along with .preferably without shirt and some fake tan ..

In reply to Cragrat Rich:

Eventually yeah, but a good problem should have you playing around with body position and sequence for a while.

Some walls are much better than others. Broughton and Rockover are good.

In reply to Cragrat Rich:
... Eventually it boils down to either being able to pull on a certain hold or not!

It's funny you say that because for me it is almost the opposite. Of course there are some holds that I simply can't pull on but more often than not it boils down to very small shifts in body position. Discovering these nuances is what gives indoor bouldering its appeal. In a well set problem there are often small tricks.

OK, as an example there was a problem I was trying last week with a huge sideways lunge to a small crimp. It was almost a dyno as the feet had to come off to get the hold (one hand stayed on another small crimp). Getting the power to launch was really hard as the footholds were positioned really badly to jump sideways. In the end I managed to generate momentum by pulling one leg in the opposite direction of the hold and letting it swing forward, when it neared the apex of its swing on the other side, I pushed off with the other foot and landed the crimp. When I learnt this trick I could do the move more times than not. For me this is the joy of bouldering. Add this to the social aspect of trying to unlock a problem with friends and I would take indoor bouldering over indoor rope climbing most days.

I can't really see the appeal myself, if I'm going to work something, or solve a particular move, I'd rather it was on a real bit of rock and I have a route to tick afterwards. Plus, I really resent paying to climb on plastic when real rock is free, affords better views and fewer pretentious people lol... ok, so that's a pretty string personal opinion, so I'll just answer the question - no, you aren't missing somethin, indoor plastic bouldering is poo

In reply to Legionreturns:

I can't really see why indoor bouldering on plastic can't be almost as good as outdoor in terms of the climbing. It's just that the view and number of people around might be different. Most people live closer to a wall than they do to real rock and the weather isn't always great.

In reply to philipivan:

Ah its just a personal thing, I'd rather spend the £8 on diesel getting to a crag. I'm also very much not the same size or shape as most route setters, being 6'6"!

There are a fair number of wet weather crags around too, I'll climb indoors if I have no other choice, but I would almost never pay to boulder only. Then again, I work near the Bridestones... so if I want to boulder, its worth waiting for the right conditions.

In reply to Legionreturns:

Thanks for all your constructive comments,I think i'll continue to work at it for awhile and try to persuade partners to boulder instead of clipping bolts for a more social aspect and to offer motivation.

By the way i use Bear Rock in MK and The Pinnacle Northampton.

In reply to Legionreturns: Why does that apply to indoor bouldering vs indoor routes, though? The original question wasn't really about indoor bouldering vs outdoor bouldering...

And if you can recommend a wet weather crag that I can get to after work in East Anglia then I'd be interested to hear about it!

In reply to Legionreturns:

A valid opinion if you happen to live anywhere near rock. I would always choose real rock over plastic, but often don't have that as an option.

The other factor that I don't quite agree with is the assertion that you are less likely to get hurt bouldering. I've seen more people injured by bad landings on mats, even big indoor ones, than on routes. If you are clipping bolts, indoor or outdoor, then unless your belayer is a muppet, you shouldn't deck, so why would you not try hard moves? Personally, if I trust my gear on trad routes, then I'll go for hard moves even above it!

As I said before though, this is all opinion. The op can't have a definitive answer to his question, as there isn't one!

In reply to Monk:
Valid point, I accept that I am lucky in both work pattern and geography, and that not everyone else is as lucky. If forced to choose, I would still clip bolts or rope up even indoor, I can still try hard moves and work routes, and I get some free falling practice into the bargain!

In reply to Legionreturns:

For me, the 'hard moves' thing is less about fear of injury, and more about being able to keep trying the same move or short sequence over and over again with slight variations in body position or technique and with good long breaks to recover in between and occasionally wandering over to climb something else when my concentration starts lapsing before getting back to the original project. I suspect that if I did this on routes my belayer (girlfriend) would end up getting bored or annoyed and I'd spend loads of time faffing and queuing and stuff - on boulder problems it's easy and efficient.

To put it another way, the logistics meant that an 'onsight ethic' seems more suited to routes, while a 'redpoint ethic' seems more suited to bouldering.


I'm not at that stage yet, I have to admit...


Well, yes...

In reply to jas wood:

Somebody give this guy an award for summing it up!

That photo of Cornelius is one of my favourite. And Kudos to Mirf for putting up such a inspiring line.

In reply to Legionreturns: fall practice is one thing and yes can be liberating, staring a 6B move in the face with a dodgy RP 15 ft below you is quite another thing !

Bouldering gives me personally the chance to try in relative safety moves at the very limit of my current ability WITHOUT the headgame or danger(sometimes) to contend with also. As you get stronger/more technical a climber the moves then feel in relation to past levels "easier".

In reply to Steve Humm 4395:

Where was it that you bouldered? I don't really like Pinnacle's bouldering. Not enough variation in the problems and because it is quite small, there isn't going to be many problems that are challenging but obtainable.

Big Rock is better for bouldering but still nowhere near as good as some of the dedicated bouldering centres or outdoor bouldering.

And being in a group is better in my opinion. You can work through problems together and bounce ideas off each other and it gives you more rest time so you don't burn out after an hour.