Why Do Some Climbers HATE Bouldering?

I enjoy all forms of climbing - mountaineering, adventure/choss new routing, trad climbing, sport climbing and, yes, bouldering.  I get a little something different out of each of them.  I'm not all that strong at any of them, but I am enthusiastic.

I find bouldering (both indoor and outdoor) to be complementary to my other climbing - it is a very efficient way to maintain what strength I have.  Outdoor, I often boulder with only one pad and no spotters.  This encourages accurate assessment of the difficulty of a problem, which transfers to trad route reading.  Solo highball bouldering demands that you know your limits and know when to commit and when to back off.  I find this is very good for my trad lead head.  

I like to travel for climbing, and bouldering can be very accessible when you visit a popular area without a partner or gear.  I have met a lot of friendly people while bouldering, although I hardly match the typical demographic .

After more than ten years of bouldering, up to my current age of 65, the worst injury I have had from bouldering was a bruised heel.  Maybe I have just been lucky, but you do not have to hurt yourself bouldering.

So, I really don't understand "why some climbers HATE bouldering".

I don't really think it's that anyone hates bouldering.

It's that everyone, hates boulderers. 
 

Its pebble wrestling. If you think youre a real climber you are only cheating yourself

Russ B wrote: I don't really think it's that anyone hates bouldering.

It's that everyone, hates boulderers. 
 

Well, scooooooz me. ;-)

Best, H

A funny quote, I think maybe from Tim Toula, ‘I love everything about climbing, except the actual climbing.’

that guy named seb wrote:

If you think you sit around doing nothing bouldering you should try properly projecting a sport route, 45 minutes sat in a harness while the climber barely moves more than 4 meters while he tries moves with all the different beta under the sun. This is also while being somewhat violently jerked towards the wall as the climber falls, again and again and again. 

Bouldering it's like a 5-10 minute break between serious attempts with lots of climbing for everyone while you  all work out the beta. 

45 minute rule bro. Lower after 45 minutes on the wall. Does everyone good. 

Go Back to Super Topo wrote:

45 minute rule bro. Lower after 45 minutes on the wall. Does everyone good. 

I'm more of a three strikes and you're out kinda guy, especially if the climber isn't really going for it.

Boulderers are the Flat Earthers of climbing 

I think I get it now... it’s a predominately male sport and y’all just like to talk shit to each other. Lmfao. Now it all makes sense. Well I’ll see y’all out there. 

If you want to talk more to bouderers about this, visit Boldering.com There you can see what chuffers are and why roped climbing is so hated.

Elena Sera Jose wrote: I challenge any boulderer to jump on a 12 draw sport 10 or a trad 100ft 7 and manage to keep their balls in the sack!

Done! Do I get a cookie?

Wilburn wrote:

Done! Do I get a cookie?

So you have graduated to climber status! From boulder bro to climber man youve come a long way!

In answer to the OP.....because the dream isn't 15 ft. tall.

To me bouldering is just practice for bigger routes.

I no longer boulder because I kept popping finger tendons, which really sucked. I refuse to get hurt and out of the game for some fucking 12 foot high boulder.

m Mobes wrote:

I'm more of a three strikes and you're out kinda guy, especially if the climber isn't really going for it.

That’s harsh man. 

Bouldering is OK, but dangerous.
Watched a guy become a cripple.

I think trad and even sport climbing is more fun, and people who put down aid probably suck at it. When you are good aid takes you places free climbers never see.

But 99% of climbers will never know the thrill and joy of soloing a big virgin route.

Ron O wrote: Bouldering is OK, but dangerous.
Watched a guy become a cripple.

I think trad and even sport climbing is more fun, and people who put down aid probably suck at it. When you are good aid takes you places free climbers never see.

But 99% of climbers will never know the thrill and joy of soloing a big virgin route.

You got that right, Ron. I tried aiding for about 2 years, but to get good at hauling you have to do it a bunch, and I just didn't have that kind of time. Plus the interesting aid routes in my neck of the woods are all just one pitch, so you don't even get a payoff.

I was quick enough on clean routes, but nailing was another story. Sold all the Angles, Arrows, Jumars, aiders and hooks for a song in 2005.

Wilburn wrote:

Done! Do I get a cookie?

Lol, did it make you feel cool to quote and respond to a post made June 8, 2012?

Ron O wrote: Bouldering is OK, but dangerous.
Watched a guy become a cripple.

I hate to ask, but what was the story? I've heard of people breaking their femurs bouldering, which is insane.

I hate to ask, but what was the story? I've heard of people breaking their femurs bouldering, which is insane.

I don't know Ron's story, but about 2 decades ago I was spotting/watching a group of folks doing a dyno on "What's Left of Les" on the Mushroom at Hueco.  

Folks kept peeling off this dyno or sticking it and doing the thing.  It is about v3, but it is a long throw to a ledge about 12' off the ground.

One guy does it, sticks the hold, and then peels.  I hear a loud pop, and I look down and his fib / tib was poking through the sock in his hiking boot.

He got airlifted out and kept the leg and as far as I know he got better.

But damn, I just am not at all comfortable taking short falls to the ground at this point, even in gyms.  

I mean, I've seen people dislocate their forearms popping off a 6' problem.

So, to me, there is a big difference between being okay with falling and not.  I'm still often not okay with falling even on, say, overhanging sport climbs.  But on boulders, nope.  The idea of a crashpad just sounds bad to me... like, as far as I am concerned, you should just never fall.

I understand that's an irrational opinion.

As a freshman at CU a climbing partner's room mate decided he wanted to get into climbing too.

Decided he needed a pair of mountaineering boots.

Now this guy's dad was a pilot on a big international airline so he gets to fly for free. He decides he's gonna buy his boots in Geneva.
Friday afternoon he's off to the airport, and he's in Geneva early the next morning, but,.... oops, he left his money back in Boulder.

Back in Boulder that evening, he grabs his money and flies back to Switzerland.

Monday morning he's back with big boots.

Tuesday afternoon we go bouldering on Flagstaff. Near tree slab he takes a fall and breaks his lower leg so bad that decades later he's still limping.

Never did become a climber,..