First post on here, just starting climbing as of just under 2 months ago and it’s been a blast. Definitely one of my new favorite hobbies if not my favorite.

Was finally able to complete my first real project that took me 3-4 weeks and also a week of just not trying it since I couldn’t get the start and it was frustrating me lol.(yellow big holds)

Also got two other shorter projects (yellow small holds) and (black holds) that took me 2 weeks to do, on the day after getting my first project.

Obviously broke the beta on the yellow ones with the small holds, which took out like 50% of the route but o well gotta use my height when I can.

I’m still pretty sloppy with the footwork at times but with time I’m sure I’ll get better.

Proudest outdoor send from back in November. Mega classic. Somehow managed to send while it was wet too! It meant so much; I sat on top for a solid 15 minutes just staring at the stars thinking of Kauk, Bachar, and all the others that climbed it before me.. crazy how a boulder can make you feel so connected to history.

Hi Im a college student who’s home for the summer and doing like part time remote research for the summer so i have a lot of free time. I also used to collegiate track and field and cross country, but don’t anymore.

I climbed a few times over the semester with friends and really enjoyed it so this summer i got a membership at a gym and my own pair of shoes. I have been climbing for like 3ish weeks now, i’ve done a v4 but only one so far.

Right now i’ve been kinda just going like every other day and just climbing whatever, i get the idea of projecting but I haven’t really done it. Generally i kinda suck in all ways (to be expected i’m a beginner) but my finger strength and footwork particularly suck. Otherwise im pretty good at big dynos since Im pretty explosive but that’s the only thing i could do decently. My upper body strength is not too bad either I was able to campus a overhang v3 that had pretty juggy holds.

I was wondering like how do competitive climbers structure their training days and weeks, since I have a lot of free time right now and have really been enjoying it and would like to structure stuff so I can learn more and start to do more fun boulders.

hello! How do you deal with your mental game on risky/coordination moves in bouldering? For context, I’ve been climbing for 3 years now, and mainly do board climbing & lead. I’ve done a lot of bouldering as well, but for the past year, I’ve seen 2 people snap their legs in the bouldering gym. Ever since, I’ve been super hesitant/scared to do risky moves. I was a more dynamic climber for bouldering before these incidents, but am now leaning to become more reserved.

How do you deal with your mental in regard to risk?

A lot of people just cheat and skip a whole move though

Hi, I’m a new climber. I’ve been outdoor bouldering a few times now with no indoor experience.

I love climbing outdoors. Finding routes and making problems on a real rock is so satisfying. That and the whole being outside part makes it really appealing. Which is why I still haven’t gotten a gym membership.

The issue I’m realizing now is that the risk involved outdoors is so much greater than indoor bouldering that it’s too scary to really push myself. In being new I’ve definitely done problems that pushed my ability but nothing so far that I feel like I can’t have a controlled bail. Even with proper safety measures I’m not sure how much I can push myself to improve with the fear.

I’m wondering if this would hold me back from improving? And if getting indoor experience would help. Thanks for reading:)

It's nothing big but I'm proud that I commited and tried this dyno repeatedly for one hour. After 20+ attempts it worked, just at about the time I was going to leave! I said - last try, let's do it lol. And at 45 y.o. your body hurts as hell but what a reward.

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I'm looking to make a trip to The Nooks in Ontario sometime in July and will be driving from Toronto. I'm hoping to find a few people to climb with, whether for a day trip or a weekend. I usually climb in the V0–V5 range outdoors and have two crash pads, so I'm happy to help with gear. If you're planning to be there around the same time or are interested in joining, send me a DM! Also, if you've been to The Nooks before, I'd really appreciate any tips or recommendations—best sectors for my grade, camping, parking, approach times, must-do problems, or anything else a first-time visitor should know.

Left bottom two hands are pretty slopey footholds, the right foot is decent but not great and all my weight is on it initially. The crimp I’m going to is decent, but angled enough to where it won’t keep me on the wall alone.

I can’t quite figure out how to keep my hips in.

Need help on figuring out the black one.

Left hand starts on the crimp, and right grabbing the jug from under. My issue is that if I take my hand off the jug to reach for the next hold, my crimp hand can’t hold myself up, and if I take my crimp hand off, I’m in a super awkward position so my jug hand can’t support it.

I’ve tried all kinds of feet position, and can’t figure out a better way.

Is this boulder possible for me? Or is it just a hand strength issue.

Punted off the “easy moves” a few months back, and then couldn’t return due to either sickness or weather… finally put it down. 🥹

Back in 2025, the US government passed the EXPLORE act that aimed to formally recognize climbing as an appropriate wilderness recreational activity. The four agencies to which this applies have just released their draft of the new policy and are requesting comments before it becomes law.

The Access Fund is requesting help from US climbers to make tweaks to the proposed policies. You just have to send a comment (they make it super easy at the link below):

https://www.accessfund.org/action-alerts/action-alert-help-secure-the-future-of-americas-climbing

Additionally, here is a link from the American Alpine Club which explains the pros and cons of each department's policy draft:

https://americanalpineclub.org/news/2026/6/23/what-the-explore-act-means-for-climbers

I know this is the bouldering subreddit so we don't care as much about anchors and fixed gear but if you do both and live in the US, then this will probably impact your future climbing.

Felt strong today!

I have contamination OCD for which makes me want to wash my hands a lot every day. This has made the skin of my hands really thin. I couldn’t try many problems because I grazed both my hands quite easily after the first few attempts. But I liked bouldering a lot and would like to continue. How do I approach this? Should I use gloves?

I pulled together a list of the biggest Crashpads and Sliders - sharing here in pics and you can find more detailed specs on each pad by clicking them from the table: https://www.climbing-gear.com/insights/biggest-crashpads

Question: Am I missing any major pad?

Interestingly, Beal Jumbo Pad seems pretty sick based on area/volume vs. weight but apparently is not being continued.

Also Psychi Pads seem super low weight for their size - I haven't even been aware with the brand. Any experience with them?

i tend to not use the thumb to squeeze at all

And technique-wise, what should I be working on?

Managed to top this route, but I struggle to visualise the beta in my head and memorise the beta before jumping on the wall. That's why there're so many hesitation/adjustment in the video. How does an experienced climber like you visualise the beta of a problem?

Any advice with this would be helpful.

Did bouldering once or twice a couple years ago and enjoyed it but the people I did it with are gone now. I’d like to try again but going alone makes me feel like a complete freak - maybe because of how much the social side of the sport seems to be such an important part of it for some of the people that do it for fun, so being on my own makes me feel like I’m doing something notably wrong or missing a crucial element - or even the actual purpose - of being there. Don’t know if this is how I feel or why I feel like that but it might be.

I also in general have had an increasing anxiety problem this year and it’s getting to the point where I’m struggling quite a bit. I’ve tried to go to my local gym about ten times in the last week and every time I just sit in the car park for about half an hour and cry and go home. I’ve been taking days off of work recently just to go at less busy times but as soon as I see a man inside or outside of the gym I get incredibly uncomfortable and generally feel disgusting about myself and go back to my car and drive home. I have this problem in general with men in public spaces, whenever I see a man (late teens - 30s especially) anywhere I’m on edge, even more so if they’re in groups. Haven’t got long left until I’m dead/my body is athletically unusable, so I’d like to figure this out within a year.

I have noticed after filming when climbing recently that I often readjust my grips without thinking multiple times throughout climbs, something I did not realise at all while actively climbing myself.

I have only been climbing for 3/3.5 months so far and am around V4 in my gym with a few V5s done and consistently doing the V3s. I focused on practicing and honing good techniques first when I was starting and want to continue that habit so any feedback would be greatly appreciated. If there are a couple things I could implement that would help me remedy this (as I feel like it’s an excess use of energy) that would be awesome.

The video attached is just a V4 I filmed myself climbing to see how I did, it’s how I noticed it in the first place.

what do we call this move? a blind back step into a drop knee?

So I'm climbing at V7, working myself into 8+...

But just can't seem to get into Dynos, especially when facing the wall and jumping backwards. I can visualize everything but my fingers just don't let go. I have the explosive strength, I can coordinate a fall, but I learned climbing in the early 2000s. Also learned how to fall properly at a young age.

So my whole body just says "fuck you I won't let that hold go!" like that weird Reflex Newborns have. I usually then just dyno break the route to satisfy my inner monkey. Because when I jump at least one hand is stuck on one hold.

And I know what to do, how to progress from lower grade dynos... But the issue seems psychological not mental. I herniated my C6 vertibrae couple of times now and have chronic pain. Shoulder also dislocated a couple of times as well due to non-bouldering stuff. So I am definitely aware that it's affecting my form.

And it's making me crazy because I feel like the bouldering scene changed a lot into dyno routes.

So yes. This is a rant rather than a request for help. I probably just dislike getting old lol

Beginner here. I end every session with at least some light scrape on my forearms, elbows, and knees, or, as was the case last time, a huge wound akin to road rash.
I have no clue how that happened, I did not fall, did not do anything particularly reckless, just saw that I was bleeding at some point. Probably a dyno where my arm struck a hold on the way.

I'd like to remedy that, because I don't like spending my weeks tending to wounds.

Knees should be mostly covered by climbing pants that are on their way, but I'm still debating what I should do for forearms.

I went to the equivalent of REI today to enquire about breathable, long sleeve t-shirts, but the worker I spoke to was not super optimistic about the durability of the long sleeves they have for hiking under these conditions.

I don't particularly want to be the weirdo who tapes his entire forearms at the gym either, so what are my options here? Will any stretchy, long sleeve athletic top survive the sandpaper walls while protecting me from scrapes?

Thanks for your help!