Beginning Indoor climbing with bouldering?

Hi all,

I was looking to get a membership at a local rock gym and bouldering looked pretty interesting to me. I've never really climbed before, and certainly never bouldered. My question is is it insane to start bouldering on your first day of climbing?

I bouldered for like a year before I ever put on a rope. It's fine, especially if that's what's more available to you, as it was in my case. That said expect to have pretty bad local endurance when and if you start climbing on a rope.

It isn't insane. But how useful/productive it will be does depend on the gym. Some gyms do a good job of having a good range of boulder problems even down to the beginner level -- while other gyms don't do so. And there is more tendency for gyms to have roped climbs down to the beginner level than boulder problems.

I started by bouldering inside. It got me strong quickly but as most problems are slightly overhanging (at the gyms near me) I didn't develop my footwork. Working on slab problems outdoor will help with that though.

Well you are much more likely to get hurt bouldering than TR'ing IMO. But if you like bouldering go for it.

You're not nearly as likely to get hurt bouldering indoors as out so you'll be fine at a gym. Outdoors you're dealing with weather (changing grip) bad landings, stumps, trees, and just finding the easier problems to begin with. Without a spotter and at least one crash pad it's much likelier you'd hurt yourself. Back at the gym, something that will help preserve your ankles and knees is to downclimb your problems rather than jumping off. This is also good conditioning. Even though gym floors are paddded some walls can take you far enough up to snap something by jumping off and landing wrong... like on someone's unattended kid who wandered underneath you unannounced.

Harder bouldering problems are so hard you won't likely be able to even get far enough off the ground to do any damage, so maybe stick to VB-V1 until you're solid on all the problems in that range at your gym. Like someone else said, some gyms cater to more advanced climbers and some provide problems at all grades. That's why I love our gym here in the 'Burgh (Shout out to "The Climbing Wall" in Pittsburgh) - always lots of problems set for us guys who no matter how hard we try stay mired at V2. Maybe one day...

And I agree - top rope climbing is actually much less likely to result in injury, assuming it is done safely. I much prefer falling in my harness to hitting the ground...

Good luck and have fun.

Matthew Williams 1 wrote:You're not nearly as likely to get hurt bouldering indoors as out so you'll be fine at a gym...

Um I totally diasagree. In fact I'm sitting here with a second degree sprain that I recieved in the gym bouldering 40 hours ago. Your foot is just as likley to go between the seem of a crash pad inside as outside.

gription wrote: Um I totally diasagree. In fact I'm sitting here with a second degree sprain that I recieved in the gym bouldering 40 hours ago. Your foot is just as likley to go between the seem of a crash pad inside as outside.

Well I guess it's a good thing all the gyms I've ever been to have no seems on their pads. The entire floor is one huge pad. ;) The only real gym injuries I've ever heard mentioned from people involve getting a foot caught between a pad. Is it uncommon to have the spring-loaded floors and such? That's all the gyms have in my area at least.

As being in the process of opening up an indoor climbing gym there is some unclear ideas going on here but I think we might all be on the same page.
Indoor Bouldering IS safer than outdoor bouldering by far due to the padding.

That being said, bouldering indoor contains the most liability in a climbing facility due to one post about landing on the floor instead of a harness. Rope climbing will be safer than bouldering. Proper mat systems greatly reduce injuries, but there is no criteria for climbing walls to follow at this moment. It is up to the individual gym to do their best. A local gym here just spent over $100k just in flooring to go seamless for a 10,000 sq ft gym. I have seem some gyms only have 8-10 layers of old carpet pad. Which do you think is better?

So if bouldering is an easy way to get started, be very intentional about your movement and technique. Take a few lessons or have an experienced climber help you. Heck you might even offer to buy them a 6-pack of a nice IPA every week just to give some instructions and spot. Once you build some strength, you will greatly appreciate that help and experience.