Bouldering

There are two places climbers go to boulder. The first is outdoors on actual boulders and the other place is at indoor climbing gyms. Let's look at some of the things that you will need. In both cases, you will need crash pads to cushion your falls. Falling is inevitable so protection is required. Indoor gyms will have foamed or cushioned floors but as added protection, they use portable crash pads. For outdoor, you'll need to bring your own pads. You'll also need chalk like the ones gymnasts use. This helps you to hang onto the holds better since sweat from your hands can cause you to slip off.

The most important thing you'll need is rock climbing shoes. These are special shoes that are made with a type of rubber that will help you stick to the wall. The cost of these shoes can range from $40 to over $150 depending on the brand. If you're just start out, I recommend getting the less costly shoes such as the ones from Mad Rock. You're going to be messing up your shoes a lot as you learn proper technique so you might as well get shoes that can handle the abuse as you improve your skills.

There are different levels of difficulty which are rated from V0 and up. V0 is basically like climbing a ladder. The hand and foot holds are big enough to climb without much effort. The current highest level is a V16. One thing you will need to get over is the fear of falling. The height thing can be scary at first but once you're confident that the pads below you as well as your spotters will prevent you from getting hurt, you'll climb better. There are climbing gyms all over the world. Membership cost can range from around $20 to over $100 depending on the size and location of the gym. So get into bouldering today.