Bouldering is climbing without a rope on large boulders. Bouldering is a pursuit in its own right as well as being used for training by climbers — as pioneered by the British in the 1880s ( according to John Gill's website). It was first pursued as a sport of its own during the 1950s by Mr. Gill, a former gymnast who found the movement of bouldering enjoyable. Bouldering can also take place indoors on climbing walls.

Typically bouldering is a more high impact sport focusing on individual moves rather than the endurance required in traditional climbing. As in other types of climbing there are entire grading systems for bouldering alone, the most commonly used are the Hueco system, ranging from V0- to V15, and the Fontainebleau system ranging from Font 2 to Font 8c. These systems are open-ended, with the upper limit extending 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 ). They may also put a bouldering mat/pad on the ground to break their fall and/or assign a spotter, a person standing on the ground to prevent the climber from hitting his/her head on the ground.

The region around Fontainebleau near Paris is famous for its beautiful and diverse bouldering sites. Other well known areas include: Stanage (UK), Hueco Tanks (Texas), Castle Hill, New Zealand , and Bishop, California.

See also: grade (bouldering), climbing area

External link

• John Gill's Website
• Bouldering in the UK
• Bouldering in Ireland
• Bouldering in the Lake District, UK
• Bouldering in North Wales, UK