Bouldering For Beginners: A Step-By-Step Guide To Get Started

Bouldering is a sport that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities. It’s a great way to get fit, have fun and meet new friends. 

However, if you’re new to the sport there might be some things that you don’t know about it. So here’s an easy-to-follow guide of everything you need to know about getting started with bouldering!

Takeaways
Don’t believe common myths about bouldering.
Research and visit stunning bouldering spots around the world.
Get started with rock climbing with our beginner’s guide.
Improve your bouldering skills with tips and tricks from the experts.
Learn the best bouldering techniques for your skill level.

Take a Class

When you are just starting out, it’s a good idea to take a class or two. Climbing is a skill that requires practice, so taking classes in your local climbing gym can be extremely helpful in getting started. 

You will learn how to properly use the equipment, proper safety techniques and etiquette for climbing gyms as well as get re-familiarized with the basics of climbing itself.

If you’re starting out on your bouldering journey, it’s important to dispel any myths you may have heard about the activity. Check out our guide on bouldering myths to learn the truth about this exciting sport.

Choose Your Climbing Location

You have several options for where to go bouldering. First, you’ll want to choose a place that has a good mix of easy and hard routes. If you are just getting started, choose somewhere with intermediate-level boulders (yellow and orange). 

You could also go somewhere that has lower level routes (green) so you can work on technique without having to worry about falling off the wall or missing holds too much. 

Finally, if you are up for it, pick out a few harder walls (blue and red) so that as your skills improve over time they will be able to challenge yourself in ways not possible before without risking injury from falling off the edge of the wall!

Climbing Location Recommendations

Location	Difficulty Level	Description
Joshua Tree National Park	Intermediate-Advanced	Famous for its granite formations and challenging climbs, this park located in California has been a climbing destination for years.
Fontainebleau	Beginner-Intermediate	Located just outside of Paris, France, Fontainebleau offers a wide range of boulders that are suitable for climbers of all skill levels.
Red Rock Canyon	Beginner-Intermediate	Near Las Vegas, Nevada, Red Rock Canyon has a variety of routes for all skill levels, along with stunning desert scenery.
Bishop	Intermediate-Advanced	Located in the Eastern Sierra of California, Bishop is known for its challenging granite boulder problems and highball routes.
Hueco Tanks	Intermediate-Advanced	This state park in Texas offers some of the best bouldering in the country, with unique rock formations and a variety of difficulties.

This table provides recommendations for climbing locations based on the difficulty level and some brief descriptions of why the location is worth visiting.

Gear Up Properly

First, you’re going to want to make sure your shoes are comfortable. If your foot feels good in the shoe even if it’s worn down then it will be okay for climbing. 

You also need to make sure that the shoe fits tight enough so that it stays on your foot while climbing, but not so tight as to cause discomfort or pain.

Next, you should wear a helmet when bouldering. Bouldering falls can happen just as easily as they do on top rope climbs and even lead routes where protection is present! 

A helmet can help prevent injuries from these falls because of how light they are compared with other types of head protection like baseball caps or beanies which can be knocked off easily by falling rocks or by simply getting caught up on something while moving around on route at times when we need them most (such as during those moments when we forget where/how we’re supposed to place our hands next).

Bouldering offers the opportunity to climb in some of the most beautiful places in the world. Check out our guide to the most beautiful bouldering spots to add some of these breathtaking destinations to your bucket list.

Warm Up Properly

Warming up before climbing is crucial to avoid injury. It’s important to properly warm-up before climbing, especially if you’re going to be bouldering. 

To get the most out of your warm-up, do a few stretching exercises and focus on specific areas that are often injured in climbers: ankles, feet and hips.

Stretching should help loosen muscles that could be tight from sitting down or inactivity particularly those in your lower body as they’re prone to cramping due to low blood flow while sitting still for long periods of time. 

A good rule of thumb is that if you feel pain while stretching then stop immediately; try not to force anything too much when it comes to stretching!

If possible try doing some simple exercises such as squatting with arms raised above head (as shown below), lunging forward and backward with one leg only extended back behind head (also shown below). 

These simple movements help improve balance which will come in handy when bouldering because balance plays such an important role during this type of exercise activity!

Warm Up & Stretching Exercises

Exercise	Purpose	How to Do It
Jumping Jacks	Full Body	Stand with feet together, then jump and spread your feet apart while raising your arms over your head. Jump back to starting position and repeat.
Arm Circles	Upper Body	Stand with your arms out to your side and make circles with your arms in a forward motion. Switch direction and repeat.
Walking Lunges	Lower Body	Take a large step forward and bend your front leg into a lunge while keeping your back leg straight. Push off your front foot to stand up and repeat with the opposite leg.
Wrist Flexor Stretch	Hands & Wrists	Stand with your arm extended and your palm facing down. Use your opposite hand to gently pull your fingers back towards your wrist. Hold for 10-15 seconds and repeat on the other hand.
Cat-Cow Stretch	Full Body	On all fours, alternate between arching your back up and taking it down as you inhale and exhale.

This table provides different exercises for warming up and stretching before bouldering or rock climbing. Each exercise is described in terms of its purpose and how to properly perform it.

Identify Your First Route

As you begin to look for routes, it’s important to consider your abilities and choose a route that is within your ability. If a route has four stars, it means that it’s pretty difficult. 

On the other hand, if you see a rating of V0 or V1, this means that the route isn’t too challenging. This may sound intimidating if you’re just starting out in bouldering but don’t worry you’ll get there!

The easiest way to categorize climbs is by their ratings (e.g., V0-V5). Each number corresponds with its level of difficulty: 

A lower number indicates an easier move while higher numbers indicate more advanced techniques and harder movements required for success. 

For example, if a climb rated as V0 requires one move where your foot can be placed on top of an edge while balancing on another rock surface below your hands (like in our photo above), then this would be considered “easy” 

Rock climbing can seem daunting at first, but with the right guidance, it’s a thrilling activity that can be enjoyed by anyone. Check out our guide on rock climbing for beginners to learn more about how to get started.

Analyze Your Problems and Solutions

Once you’ve chosen the problem, it’s time to analyze it.

Look at the color of the holds and where they are on the wall. If a hold is right above your head, try using an undercling a gripping technique that involves curling your fingers around a hold with your palm facing up to get extra purchase as you pull up.

If there are no obvious solutions for what looks like an easy route (a lot of problems will have some combination of feet and handholds), think about what could be possible if you were to climb down from where you’re currently standing, which would give yourself more space to move around.

You can also look at how other climbers have approached a problem before settling on one solution; this might help spark ideas on how best to tackle yours!

Once you’ve decided which method works best for getting past each obstacle in your way, don’t forget about stretching afterwards! 

Bouldering is incredibly intense work out; stretching helps prevent injury by keeping muscles limber and loose throughout long sessions at the gym or outdoors.”

Remember What You Learned in Class.

One of the most important things to remember is what you learned in class. It’s easy to get caught up in climbing and forget how to use any of the techniques you were taught. 

Even if you’re able to do some moves, but are having trouble with others, make sure that you’ve got all of the information fresh in your mind so that when it comes time for an exam, everything will come back to you easily.

Remembering this information can be critical later on when trying new climbs or doing problem solving on a climb that seems impossible! 

By keeping all this information fresh in your mind, not only will it help increase your chances of success but also allow for greater confidence going forward as well!

Whether you’re new to rock climbing or you’re a seasoned pro, it’s always helpful to get tips from the experts. Check out our guide on rock climbing tips and tricks for advice on how to take your climbing skills to the next level.

Plan Your Moves (And Rest) Carefully

Planning your moves: This is one of the most important steps in bouldering. When you’re climbing, it’s important to plan out where you want to go and how much time each move will take. 

If you’re climbing a V1 route, for example, some of your “moves” will be as simple as grabbing onto a jug or feature on the wall. Other moves may involve using multiple spots on the wall or being able to reach just high enough to grab onto something without losing balance. 

If a climb has four or five different features that need to be used, it’s best not to try all of them at once you’ll probably end up falling off before reaching any other holds!

Resting between climbs: You don’t want overexert yourself when first starting out with bouldering because this can lead towards injuries later down the road when trying harder routes (which we’ll talk about later). 

Most people recommend taking 30-60 seconds in between routes depending on difficulty; however if it feels like too much time passes before attempting another route then rest for longer than recommended so that your muscles aren’t fatigued when trying harder climbs.

Knowing what kind of rest works best for you: As mentioned previously there are different types of rests that climbers use depending on their personal preferences and comfort level with certain movements; however these methods are not necessarily better than others depending on individual abilities/skill level so experiment with each type until finding which one works best for *you*.

Don’t Be Afraid to Try, and Fail.

The first step to learning how to boulder is believing you can do it. If you don’t believe in yourself, why should anyone else?

The next step is getting over the fear of failure. We all have that voice inside our heads that says “I’m not going to make it,” or “I’m not good enough.” 

This voice can be a helpful challenge for overcoming our limitations and achieving greatness, but sometimes it’s just self-defeating noise we need to silence.

A third step is asking for help when you need it and knowing how best to ask for help if someone asks you! 

It’s easy enough for a beginner climber (or even an experienced one) to spot someone struggling with a move on a boulder problem and offer assistance without feeling like they’re being presumptuous or insulting another person’s skill level by offering advice before being asked outright. 

But there are also lots of times where people won’t even realize they’re stuck unless someone points out their error so always keep an eye out!

Bouldering is an activity that can be enjoyed by people of all skill levels. Check out our guide on the best bouldering techniques to learn how to improve your climbing skills and take your bouldering to the next level.

Keep an Eye Out for Safety Concerns

As with anything in life, safety is paramount. You want to be sure that you’re climbing in a safe environment both indoors and outdoors. If you don’t see any signs of wear or tear on the walls of your gym, it might be time for them to do some maintenance work on their equipment. 

On the other hand, if there are loose rocks around your crag (or moss growing on them), they might have been there since before you were born and pose no immediate threat to your life but they could still fall down at any moment! 

If there’s evidence of animals having used that wall as a scratching post or perch over a long period of time, it may be best not to climb those routes until they’ve had more than just a little bit of elbow grease applied by an expert climber who knows what he’s doing (and has plenty of experience).

Don’t Forget to Stretch Afterwards!

After a climbing session, it’s important to stretch your muscles to help prevent injury and speed up recovery.

 Here are some stretches you can do:

Neck/Shoulders – Tilt head back as far as possible, then drop chin forward until you feel a gentle pull in the back of your neck. Repeat 15 times.

Triceps – Extend arm straight out to side, palm facing forward; bend elbow 90 degrees at shoulder level and place hand on opposite shoulder blade with fingers splayed wide; lean forward while keeping elbow bent at shoulder level until you feel a stretch in the back of the upper arm (triceps). Hold for 30 seconds before switching arms and repeating two more times for each side.

Back – Stand tall with feet together, knees slightly bent; raise arms overhead without locking elbows; hold for 15 seconds before lowering arms slowly down by sides to starting position and repeating three more times for each side (this one should really get into those lower-back muscles).

Conclusion

I hope that reading this guide has been helpful in helping you to get started on your bouldering journey. 

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of conquering a route that seemed impossible to you before and knowing it was all possible thanks to your own hard work and dedication. If you feel like I missed anything important, let me know in the comments below!

Further Reading

Here are some additional resources to help you get started with bouldering:

10 Bouldering Tips for Beginners: This guide offers tips and tricks for newbies to the sport, including advice on finding the right bouldering shoes and techniques for improving grip strength.

What is Bouldering?: If you’re still unsure about what bouldering is, this guide provides a comprehensive overview of the activity, including its history and the different types of bouldering.

The Benefits of Bouldering and Rock Climbing: This New York Times article explains the many benefits of bouldering and rock climbing, including improved strength and mental health.

FAQs

What is bouldering?

Bouldering is a sport that involves climbing on large rocks or boulders without the use of ropes or harnesses.

Do I need any special equipment to go bouldering?

While you don’t need a lot of equipment to start bouldering, it’s important to have a good pair of climbing shoes and a chalk bag to help improve your grip.

Is bouldering safe?

As with any physical activity, there is always some level of risk involved with bouldering. However, by taking proper safety precautions and following best practices, bouldering can be a relatively safe activity.

What are some common bouldering techniques?

Some common bouldering techniques include the mantel, the dyno, and the heel hook. These techniques can be used to help you climb more efficiently and effectively.

How can I improve my grip strength for bouldering?

There are many exercises and training techniques that can help you improve your grip strength for bouldering, including fingerboard workouts and grip strength training tools like grip trainers and grip balls.