Gourt > Recreation > Climbing > Rock Climbing > Bouldering
Bouldering is a type of climbing undertaken without a rope and is normally limited in respect to the height the climber ascends the route so that any fall will not risk significant injury. This variation of climbing can be practiced on large boulders, at the base of larger rock faces/climbing routes, in indoor climbing centres, or even on manmade structures (see buildering). Its documented origins may be found in the United Kingdom and France in the last quarter of the 19th century, according to John Gill's website. The British coined the word bouldering at that time. For many years, bouldering was usually practiced as training for climbers, although, in the 1930s and late 1940s, Pierre Allain and his companions enjoyed bouldering for its own sake in Fontainebleau . However, the first climber to actually make bouldering his primary specialty and to advocate its acceptance as a legitimate sport not restricted to a particular area (1950s) was Mr. Gill, an amateur gymnast who found the challenge & movement of bouldering enjoyable. (See his article, The Art of Bouldering, in The Journal of the American Alpine Club, 1969)
Typically bouldering is a more high impact sport focusing on individual moves rather than the endurance required in traditional climbing or sport climbing. Boulder routes are most commonly referred to as problems (another British appellation), because the nature of the climb is often short, curious, and much like problem solving. Sometimes these problems are "eliminates", meaning certain artificial restrictions are imposed. As in other types of climbing there are entire grading systems for bouldering alone. The most commonly used grading systems are the John Sherman V-grade system, beginning at V0 and increasing by integers to a current achievement of V16 (The Wheel of Life by Dai Koyamada in the Grampians, Australia), and the Fontainebleau system which ranges from 1 to 8c+. Both scales are open-ended at the top, and thus the upper grade of these systems increases as boulderers ascend more difficult problems.
To reduce the risk of injury after a fall, climbers rarely go higher than a few meters above the ground (anything over 7 meters is generally considered to be free-soloing although such climbs might also be termed high-ball bouldering problems). They may also put a crash pad/bouldering mat on the ground to break their fall and/or assign a spotter, a person standing on the ground to prevent the climber from landing badly. The spotter generally works to direct the climber's body toward the crashpad during a fall, while protecting the climber's head from hazards.
More on [ Bouldering ]
Italians Rescued from Nanga Parbat
Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:16:00 -0500
7/24/08 - Nine days after the death of Karl Unterkircher in a crevasse fall on Nanga Parbat, Unterkircher's climbing partners, Simon Kehrer and Walter Nones, have been rescued from the mountain by helicopter.
The Path and Cobra Crack Repeated
Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:52:00 -0500
7/21/08 - Two of North America's hardest traditional rock climbs - both Sonnie Trotter routes in Canada - have been repeated in the past few days.
Patxi Usobiaga Onsights 5.14b/c
Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:00:00 -0500
7/21/08 - The Basque climber Patxi Usobiaga has onsighted Home Sweet Home (5.14b/c) at Pierrot Beach, France, his second onsight harder than 5.14b.
Top Italian Climber Killed on Nanga Parbat
Thu, 17 Jul 2008 10:55:00 -0500
7/17/08 - Karl Unterkircher, one of the leading lights of Himalayan climbing in recent years, has been killed in a crevasse fall while attempting a new route on Nanga Parbat.
Rands Sends South African V12
Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:59:00 -0500
7/16/08 - Lisa Rands sent Nutsa (V12) despite rainy weather at the sandstone mecca of Rocklands, South Africa.
Bleau.info : Bouldering in Fontainebleau - Comprehensive guide to bouldering in Fontainebleau, with area and circuit guides, images and videos.
Bloodyflapper - Central Texas bouldering. Find descriptions of areas, articles, links and a public forum. Also contains photos and general information on the activity.
Boldering.com - Discussion forum with photos and member profiles.
Bouldering in Fontainebleau - Provides a few dates, photos, characteristics of the forest and a bibliography. [French and English]
Bouldering in Romania - Find information on locations, maps and photographs. In English and Romanian.
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Gritstone Bouldering - Offers information on the activity as it relates to a specific type of geologic formation found in the Peak National Park, located in Sheffield, UK. Find information on training and guides to locations.
Lisarands.com - Provides information on Lisa Rands, an accomplished female professional. Find press clips, news and photos.
Meta Description: [ This site contains information about Lisa Rands, one of the world's most accomplished female rock climbers, famous for her groundbreaking bouldering achievements of the last few years. ]
Modump Bouldering - Photos, videos, news, and articles from bouldering areas in the United States
Meta Description: [ Modump stockpiles some of the best bouldering videos, photos, articles, and news from around the world. Get strong from just watchin' ]
New England Bouldering - News. Articles. Photos. Information on bouldering the eastern US. Discussion forum.
Meta Description: [ NewEnglandBouldering.com is your only source for bouldering and rock climbing information in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylavania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Vermont. ]
No Rope Productions - Updated daily with bouldering videos/pictures and includes area overviews, trip reports, shorts, streaming individual problem beta, and a series of feature length productions for DVD and VHS release.
Meta Description: [ No Rope Productions ]
Phoenix Bouldering Contest - Find details on the competition and discover online registration, as well as information on the event's history.
Pils Trips - Features galleries and trip reports from India, South Africa and New Zealand.
Meta Description: [ pils-trips.com: Pils Trip Reports ]
Ridge Photography - Features galleries of bouldering activities from the Austin, Texas area.
The Bouldering Domain - Portal features news, articles, links, and photos.
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The Bouldering Page - Providing excursion articles, trip photos and travel guides, for Californian bouldering areas.
TheShortSpan - Bouldering in Ireland - Information about bouldering in Ireland, downloadable guide, photos, videos and articles.
UK Bouldering - Find photos, videos, reviews, articles, and information on the activity in Meschia, Italy and Wharncliffe, England.
Meta Description: [ ukBouldering is dedicated to the diversity and variety of bouldering in the uk and abroad. Have fun, pull as hard as you can. ]
Yorkshire Grit Bouldering - Guide to Yorkshire in England with information on the various different crags. Also offers local contacts and related links.
Zebloc.com - Offers descriptions and photos of bouldering in France, with one page written in English.
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