Page 35 - 2020 AMA Summer

athletic seems to matter less and less as priorities change, and no one wants to be reminded that they’re unfit or unathletic. If you’re a bit of a rope nerd you can get up a V diff with zero climbing talent, you’ll still have a great adventure, but physically, and technically in terms of movement, have you really tested yourself? Whereas on a boulder problem, even some of the easier problems will require a level of athleticism, and a smidgen of technique.
If you’re a bit of a rope nerd youcangetupaVdiffwith zero climbing talent
Hopefully this article has promoted the cause of bouldering against where it sits within the military aims of AT, however I suspect that’s not the reason it’s not in favour. I personally believe the biggest reason (and this is conjecture) is the snobbery that is inherent in all disciplines of climbing, Sport climbers look at boulders, and think “that’s not real climbing”; trad climbers look down at sport, and think the same; winter climbers scowl with disdain at fair weather climbers; guides manage to have a unique look of both aloofness and pity when they come down to see us mere mortals, from their lofty heights. For me it’s always been a set of different disciplines, that shouldn’t be subjected to such scrutiny. The separate climbing disciplines should be compared with each other in the same way that some sports are, i.e. yes the skills cross over, and playing one would put you in good stead for the other, but rugby union, and rugby league, are
separate entities and unique disciplines. They benefit each other of course, but there’s no loss in value for doing one and not the other. Bouldering has a slightly elitist appearance from the outside, and people are put off by it, as with almost all closed mindsets. It comes from a poor first experience, down to maybe poor instructing, poor venue choice or possibly poor feedback. Bouldering in the indoor wall can be intimidating enough with good climbers strutting their stuff. Climbers will contract an inferiority complex just from proxy, and this can be compounded by the fact that often the good climber is younger than your dog! The indoor bouldering wall is often used for poor instructors to demonstrate their prowess rather than encourage people into the sport, and added to this the curse of almost every climber, which is poor route choice. These will all lead to a poor bouldering experience. If you sandbag and flash pump yourself on the first sit down start you’ve ever done, which your instructor has just flashed, whilst a 7 year old dynos past you on a 7a, it’s all going to contribute to a pretty poor first experience. The variability of grades as you move outside, makes trying to find a decent outdoor venue for first time boulders even harder, as they will find they can’t match their indoor grade; in some instances they can’t even come close to it, or navigate the difference between font or V grades - this will feed a negative cycle which can be hard to break.
There are good venues out there though and good instructors should find them. Although not that imaginative, the RAC
boulders are a fantastic beginners’ venue and linking several venues in the Ogwen Valley would help you locate a wealth of beginner routes. Further afield, Font itself has an infinite amount of routes at all grades: they are out there.
I could also extol the virtues of bouldering in itself, the benefits for strength, flexibility, head game, technique, and problem solving, but there are many more eloquent examples of this, not least the fabled book ‘9 out of 10 climbers make the same mistakes’ by Dave Mcleod. Another is the excellent Eric Horst’s ‘Climbers Exercise guide’, to name just a couple.
Bouldering has a slightly elitist appearance from the outside, and people are put off by it
So next time you’re in the wall with your soldiers, don’t avoid it: watch the boulderers work; learn from them; get involved with it; dedicate a session to it; and if you think it’s not adventurous enough, come bouldering with me in Colorado! Or, if it’s not for you or if you think its elitist, get yourself to Font; if its not scary enough, come and do a high ball at Porth Ysgol, or you may just want to start out at The Roaches, or the RAC. Either way, you can leave all your trad tat behind and enjoy the freedom of bouldering.
Disclaimer: other types of climbing are available.
ARMY MOUNTAINEER / 35