Spotting (climbing)

Spotting is a climbing technique that is used mostly in bouldering, where other climbers stand beneath an active climber on a route in order to break the impact of any fall, and to reduce the chance of an uncontrolled fall that could result in a serious head or back injury.

[2][4] Spotters will also move any bouldering mats along the ground to make sure that they are always beneath the climber's latest position and covering the most likely landing zone for any fall.

[1][2] Spotters will try to maintain a flexible body position (e.g. bent knees) with the fingers together and thumbs turned in — known as "spoons" — to safely absorb the impact of any fall and avoid injury to themselves.

[1] The most serious form of spotting is for highball bouldering, where the climber might be falling from a height above 7 metres (23 feet), which can generate a force equal to the weight of a vehicle.

[1] The impact force of a climber falling from higher up on a highball boulder, therefore, makes normal spotting very dangerous.