First Time Bouldering on Real Rock!! Need Advice!!

Hello everyone, I am new to the site.  Me and my friend are taking a trip this weekend up to New Paltz to try our luck on some real boulders!! We have been bouldering at the gym for the past 5 months or so and we love it.  We are all set with crash pad rental, our shoes chalk and water.  Wondering if there is any tips or extra things we could bring? Basically just lookin for any help we can get!!

For starters, you'll definitely need a bluetooth speaker, a couple of dogs, the loudest weed you can find and at least one hammock.  Given the temps in NY this time of year I'd also bring a beanie.

Jason Katz wrote: For starters, you'll definitely need a bluetooth speaker, a couple of dogs, the loudest weed you can find and at least one hammock.  Given the temps in NY this time of year I'd also bring a beanie.

A decent guidebook can be helpful your first time out, especially if getting to the boulders requires a hike. Also nice to know some of the easier boulders to get started on, though I wouldn’t get too hung up on trying to do the climb strictly according to the book. Just find a line that you think you can top and have fun climbing it. 

Take it slow in ramping up the difficulty of the problems you try.  Take some low, intentional falls to get a feel for pad positioning, spotting and landing technique, and just how comfortable you are with the pads you have rented.  Gradually increase the height you take falls from until you have a sense of the maximum height you are willing to take a fall from, then make damn sure that you are going to be able to pull the move before committing to anything higher than that.

Have fun, just remember that outdoor bouldering is going to be considerably less forgiving than what you are used to in the gym.

Andre Flammia wrote: Thanks Man, I have all the stuff!!

That individual was attempting humor, as I'm sure you are aware. All of those things are examples of poor etiquette and otherwise just subjects of contention. 

A guidebook, good spotters... check for access issues, practice Leave No Trace and enjoy your pebble wrestling session. 

The carriage road is a good place to start and is relatively forgiving as far as pad positioning and such goes. I would recommend renting two pads as it will give you a lot more options and margin for error. In general the areas to the left/south of the stairmaster (East Trapps connector trail) are a lot closer together than things to the right/north. If you head out to the Andrew or Boxcar areas expect to walk a ways without seeing any boulders. It's a flat pathway, though, so no real problem. Also, keep your things together and be ready to move out of the way if a ranger needs to drive by.

FFS
STAY in the bouldering gym!

Don't you have a funeral to start planning for or something Grandpa Dwain??

don't think your v3 prowess in the gym will translate to rock. start with the easiest problems you can find and start working your way up. learning to move over stone is a lot different than following the pink holds at the gym and will take some getting used to. the climbing fitness you've been building at the gym won't pay off until you've got some mileage on real rock under your belt.

and follow mike's advice! it's a lot different when the whole floor isn't a giant pad.

Before you even go up, suss out how you'll get off the thing. Not always great, and jumping off outside is way different than a gentle drop inside.

Check the landing zone carefully. Again, a far cry from inside. Be aware that you can knock your spotter over also, so they need clearance too.

Be aware of how your pads are arranged. They are much, much smaller once you are above them, lol! Be careful of where you have a seam between them.

Boulderers are usually gregarious! Get in with others, if you can, it's way more fun, and safer too. It isn't like waiting for a roped route to be free, and it's always great to have stronger climbers and a mess of pads. You'll get more problems in, and probably try harder, too!

Have fun, be safe, be awesome!

Best, Helen

Move slow and deliberately. Focus on control and precision. Don't start hucking your entire body weight between holds like you do in the gym. You'll just walk away with no skin and no sends. It will take time for your skin to acclimate to rock much like it took time for it to acclimate to plastic.

Thinking some Sage to purify the site, Kimchi and Red Bull for sending energy and one of those thingees to boost your WiFi signal so you can stream live on Insta would round out the list.

Mike Grainger wrote: Take it slow in ramping up the difficulty of the problems you try.  Take some low, intentional falls to get a feel for pad positioning, spotting and landing technique, and just how comfortable you are with the pads you have rented.  Gradually increase the height you take falls from until you have a sense of the maximum height you are willing to take a fall from, then make damn sure that you are going to be able to pull the move before committing to anything higher than that.

Have fun, just remember that outdoor bouldering is going to be considerably less forgiving than what you are used to in the gym.

Honestly, this should have been the end of the thread.  Ignore the nonsense.  Listen to this guy and the others that are saying similar things to him.  Especially the part about bouldering outside being so very much harder than in a gym.

The most important thing to bring with you is low expectations. My first time bouldering outdoors was in Joshua Tree. We learned the definition of 'sandbagged' the hard way.

"How is this V0- ???" - Our whole crew after not sending.

Jason Katz wrote: For starters, you'll definitely need a bluetooth speaker, a couple of dogs, the loudest weed you can find and at least one hammock.  Given the temps in NY this time of year I'd also bring a beanie.

Don't forget the slackline and blankets and toss in a vape pen or two for good measure... or is that a just Northern California thing?

Andre Flammia wrote: Hello everyone, I am new to the site.  Me and my friend are taking a trip this weekend up to New Paltz to try our luck on some real boulders!! We have been bouldering at the gym for the past 5 months or so and we love it.  We are all set with crash pad rental, our shoes chalk and water.  Wondering if there is any tips or extra things we could bring? Basically just lookin for any help we can get!!

Warm up at the Welcome Boulder. Then put your pride aside and try some V0s: i.e. Lazie Mazie and Thneed, and Dr. Ceuse. If those go really well, maybe try a V1: Stained Boulder. Boulder grades outdoors are much harder than indoors. Have fun and don't get discouraged!

5.Seven Kevin wrote: Don't you have a funeral to start planning for or something Grandpa Dwain??

My thoughts:

• Be prepared to be humbled.  Gym ratings are generally much softer than those outside.  Try to focus on fun, safe climbs rather than big numbers.
• Before you start climbing, know how you'll get down from the top.
• Leave no trace.  That means no trash, no altering holds, and ideally no chalk or tick marks.  
• The spotter(s) should be prepared to move pads as the climber moves, and try to minimize open space between pads.  
• Do your research before you go on local customs, etiquette, and how to navigate the area.  

Pad placement and spotting requires a lot more attention outdoors. Keep your tunes at a moderate level and the louder your smoke is the better. Tuck your thumbs in and direct the fall more than catch,  there's a learning curve to spotting  .have a blast 

Scope out your top out every time! Remove all the leaves and twigs and brush off dust from holds. You don't want to blow your topout. I usually bring a corn whisk brush with me for this which is made of natural fibers that won't polish the rock. Get used to falling by projecting something short. When I say projecting keep in mind it will probably be a couple grades below what you climb in the gym until you get used to climbing on real boulders so just have fun and don't worry about numbers to much. Oh yeah did I say  not to blow the topout. i know alot of people who have hurt themselves in the first year of bouldering so be careful and take it easy. Have fun your going to love it.