If you decide to go climbing on the spur of the moment, it can be difficult to do a full climb because you need equipment, support and so on. One way around this is to go bouldering. It is also a great way to work on your technique and strength.

Bouldering is not going out for the evening in Bouder, Colorado. It is the act of climbing compact surfaces with interesting characteristics. Often, this means a boulder, which is where it gets its name. 10 to 15 foot walls are also popular.

At its core, every climb is a problem to be solved. How do you get from point A to point B? Unlike large climbing formations, bouldering is great because you can define the problem by going up, down, sideways and so on.

At its outset, climbing boulders was seen as a method for training for bigger climbs. While some stick to this view, many now view bouldering as a sport within itself. An interesting boulder can offer many different routes and be climbed for years.

Once you get into bouldering, there is a tendence to forget about safety. How banged up can you get if you are only 8 feet up? You would be surprised. Broken arms and ankles happen. Always use a crash pad to cush the brunt of falls.

The weight your body has to carry in the air is the same at 5 feet or 50. Just because your bouldering, it doesn’t mean you aren’t going to put strain on your body. Warm up to avoid pulling muscles and stessing your joints.

An offshoot of bouldering is buildering. Walk by a fine dining establishment that serves adult beverages and has climbers as clientele and you will see a strange thing. There are people climbing various wall surfaces outside the establishment.

Buildering can be a good bit of fun, but is hardly high in the pantheon of safe climbing. The ground is usually brick, concrete or something hard. Falls can hurt. The local authorities also tend to take a dim view of the activity and arrests are common.

Back to bouldering. Overall, it is my favorite climbing option. Why? You can do it at the spur of the moment, you can really push your skill, the same boulder offers a lot over variations and it is very safe.