Bouldering

The sport was originally a method of training for roped climbs and mountaineering, so climbers could practice specific moves at a safe distance from the ground.

For example, granite often features long cracks and slabs while sandstone rocks are known for their steep overhangs and frequent horizontal breaks.

[3] Europe is also home to a number of bouldering sites, such as Fontainebleau in France, Meschia in Italy, Albarracín in Spain, and various mountains throughout Switzerland.

[6] Some problems use steep overhanging surfaces which force the climber to support much of their weight using their upper body strength.

Historically, the most common method route-setters used to designate the intended problem was by placing colored tape next to each hold.

[18][19] In 2002 Jason Kehl completed the first highball at double-digit V-difficulty, called Evilution, a 17 m (55 ft) boulder in the Buttermilks of California, earning the grade of V12.

[25] In an open-format competition, all climbers compete simultaneously, and are given a fixed amount of time to complete as many problems as possible.

[28] Modern recreational climbing began in the late 19th century in England, southeastern Germany, northern Italy, and France.

[31] He also introduced chalk as a method of keeping the climber's hands dry, promoted a dynamic climbing style, and emphasized the importance of strength training to complement skill.

The visibility of the sport greatly increased in the early 2000s, as YouTube videos and climbing blogs helped boulderers around the world to quickly learn techniques, find hard problems, and announce newly completed projects.

[35] As of November 2022, the world's hardest bouldering routes are Burden of Dreams by Nalle Hukkataival and Return of the Sleepwalker by Daniel Woods, both at proposed grades of 9A (V17).

[38] On July 28, 2023, Katie Lamb became the first female climber to climb an 8C+ (V16)-rated boulder by repeating Box Therapy at Rocky Mountain National Park.

[40] Unlike other climbing sports, bouldering can be performed safely and effectively with very little equipment, an aspect which makes the discipline highly appealing, but opinions differ.

Climbing shoes typically fit much tighter than other athletic footwear and often curl the toes downwards to enable precise footwork.

The front of the shoe, called the "toe box", can be asymmetric, which performs well on overhanging rocks, or symmetric, which is better suited for vertical problems and slabs.

Different sizes of brushes are used to remove excess chalk and debris from boulders in between climbs; they are often attached to the end of a long straight object in order to reach higher holds.

[46] Crash pads, also referred to as bouldering mats, are foam cushions placed on the ground to protect climbers from injury after falling.

[52] Boulderers also keep their arms straight with their shoulders engaged whenever feasible, allowing their bones to support their body weight rather than their muscles.

Static movements are those that are performed slowly, with the climber's position controlled by maintaining contact on the boulder with the other three limbs.