A
definition: what is bouldering?
Bouldering
is rock climbing stripped down to the raw essentials, frequently demonstrated
by some ripped climbers, stripped to the bare essentials.
“It
is a form of rock
climbing that is performed on small rock
formations or artificial rock
walls, known as boulders, without the use of ropes or harnesses.”
Until
recently bouldering was seen as the poor relation to roped climbing, indoors
and out. There is a fascinating but brief history by John
Gill, in which he notes that bouldering was first documented as an activity
in the late 19th century, and whilst it was used for training for
“real” rock climbing, it was not taken seriously, in its own right, until
relatively recently.
It
is now increasingly popular and fashionable, attracting a whole new target
market and this has led to innovation, aspiration and ambition within the wider
bouldering community.
A
declared interest:
As
well as spending a lot of time thinking about iron and
oak, we devote a lot of our free time to rock; sedimentary, igneous and
metamorphic, not progressive and glam rock. Although a bit of punk is
always a welcome distraction.
Rock
for climbing on, an interest that has been passed on to the next generation and
here is where our worlds collide. Netherton’s first born, Toby, is
a talented (#nobias, #parentalpride) rock climber and boulderer and is
sponsored by WildBounds
to promote their selection of BelmezFace
bouldering gear. Originating out of the cobbled, graffiti-tagged streets
of Madrid, BelmezFace’s collective of artisans and creatives manufacture
gear that as environmemtally sustainable as it is high-performance.
Follow Toby
to watch his climbing and bouldering adventuires.
Oh
yes, Wildbounds also happen to be one of our customers too - what goes around,
comes around.
By
the way, if you look up Bélmez
Faces, you come up with something altogether different – alleged paranormal
activity in a house in Andalusia!
We
have been watching the evolution of bouldering and the facilities on offer with
great interest and enthusiasm. As this
article points out, “Bouldering
isn’t the oldest form of climbing, but it may be the most modern.”
The opening of the Depot in
Sheffield , a brand new, dedicated bouldering wall is a milestone in the
journey of bouldering walls, the way paved by Yonder, Substation and Boulder Hut on
foundations laid in older venues, where bouldering was a lesser part of
traditional climbing walls.
The
Climbing Works Sheffield blazed the trail that others would
follow when it opened in 2006, as they say themselves it is a “World-renowned
bouldering centre of international significance and is the first UK
bouldering centre to be awarded a National Performance Centre status by the BMC.” It
was the industry standard and world’s largest bouldering centre for many years
before others such as Yonder and Boulder Hut further paved the way on foundations laid in older venues,
where bouldering was a lesser part of traditional climbing walls.
And these new venues are winning on so
many levels; they are inviting and accessible, they have the atmosphere and
ambience of a great night club, but with better loos and lighting (the music is
open for debate!), and each has its own USP, be it vegan catering, hot yoga
sessions, decent coffee (a must, in our eyes) or great pizza.
We admire this bold approach, the
breaking of barriers, puncturing of perceptions, the inclusivity and the drive
behind these ventures. After all, bouldering is a truly democratic
activity, appealing to all demographics; you can be young or old; a tyro or a
hero; , you don’t even need to invest in special kit, you can hire a pair of
shoes at the venue while you work out if you are going to come back for
more. Nor is it not ALL about the performance, you are not up against the
clock, or anyone else; it’s about enjoyment and self-improvement.
Everyone is too immersed in their own boulder goals to be watching you!
We are looking forward to seeing more
venues spring up around the country – so much is being debated about
increasingly sedentary lifestyles, the selling off of school playing fields, a
general lack of accessible sporting facilities and we believe that these
centres offer far more than the sum of their parts; a chance to enjoy a
physical activity, be part of a community, make new friends, challenge
yourself.
If you fancy having a go, read this article and let us know how you get on.
Netherton Foundry Shropshire 2019 ©
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