Bouldering

Let the debate begin! Here are the best 25 boulder problems in America... or 25 of the best... across a wide swath of regions and grades. (From 2021)

A slow, steady, and multi-phased warmup will prepare your body to work hard and make your training safer and more efficient. (From 2015)

Coaches Justen Sjong and Juan Usubillaga offer tips on how to train on plastic to become better climbers both outside and in.

How moving sideways has pushed me up.

For "conquistadors of the useless," climbers sure love getting into bitter disputes about how we enjoy ourselves.

This article was originally published in Climbing No. 380 under the title "Circuit Court."

Your Virgin Island itinerary is simple: send, rinse, repeat.

Because good friction and warm weather have very little in common.

“It only takes a few people a year to really do some damage.”

Those “easy sends” can still leave a mark. 

Improve faster and avoid injuries by climbing just below your limit—roughly 80 percent of your maximum ability—about 90 percent of the time.

In recent years, there has been an uptick in indoor-bouldering injuries among newer climbers. Use these tips to help you boulder safely without getting injured.

“I’ve been scrubbing climbs that are V15 that I’m literally saving for when Jimmy [Webb] or someone comes back in town... There’s a lifetime of climbing here.”

Sit Starts, Drop Ins, and Things No One Has Thought Of Yet

Gyms are great and all. But you can get just as strong by consciously training during your outdoor sessions.

A V16, a V15 first ascent, and a V14 first ascent… in just three days.

We climbers love our labels, but figuring out just what type of climber you really are begs defining.

The first dyno? The longest dyno? A system for grading dynos?

From the first women recorded in mountaineering in the late eighteenth century, to the first 5.15 female ascent by Margo Hayes in 2017.

Bad landings, bad spotters, a fear of falling that makes you more likely to fall—don't make bouldering more dangerous than necessary.

Lucas Uchida, a 24-year-old Canadian comp climber-turned outdoor crusher, just sent “Singularity,” one Squamish’s most iconic hard lines. Check out the story and interview.

Climbing is a jargon-filled sport. And sometimes the jargon isn't even a complete word—it's an abbreviation.

Young and eager for adventure the author and his gang of few pushed bouldering standards higher and higher until the line between bouldering and soloing vanished.

Climbing stinks, really stinks. Knowing this is the first step toward doing something about it.

What bouldering is, how to do it, why, and what the future of bouldering looks like.

Is America’s best bouldering is above 9,000 feet? Some of us think so. Here’s what you need to know to hit the country’s finest alpine areas.

Understanding how to climb a boulder before stepping on is crucial to (a) maximizing the usefulness of each effort and (b) sending fast. Nina Williams shares tips for how to visualize a boulder problem and break it down into small, easily digestible parts.

On June 28, a rockslide occurred on the southside of Hallett Peak, destroying classic boulders in Upper Upper Chaos Canyon.

Like most climbers you probably train by developing your lats, pulling down rather than squeezing or pushing, but climbing often demands a variety of techniques including using "non holds" such as opposing slopers.

Check out David Flanagan's author page.

Naturally, some of Colorado’s hardest are putting up a fight.

A climbing gym isn't your home, so exactly what is cool and not cool to do there?

Climbing takes power, endurance and technique. Here's a simple step-by-step program that's concise, easy to follow and will have you climbing your best practically today.

"The Nooks will be the next big destination for GTA climbers to get a taste of what being ‘disconnected’ and climbing in nature feels like. [Plus] the climbing is GOOD—really good.”

"The South is full of these quiet figures in the climbing community—people who have put up some hard, scary, beautiful, hard-to-find routes and problems. I think there is something special about recognizing these folks."

With public land managers clued in to the existence of us Pad People, it’s time to start bouldering smart and reducing impact.

Chris Schulte's homage to some of the world's most iconic gneiss bouldering zones.

A photographer's journey reveals unimaginable climbing wealth and beauty, and barely scratches the surface of possibilities.

Pro climber Nina Williams shares 4 competition climbing tips.

The first bouldering World Cup of the season took place this past weekend in Meiringen, Switzerland. Here is what you missed.

In May, Salt Lake City will host three IFSC World Cups: Bouldering May 20-22, Paraclimbing May 24-29, and Speed and Bouldering May 27-29.

Ever wonder how the B-Scale relates to the V-scale relates to the Fb scale relates to the Dankyū system? We've got answers. And some history lessons.

Prevent injuries bouldering by learning to fall, place pads, spot, and customize landing zones.

So how does that pink V5 in the gym’s corner stack up against outdoor boulders?

The balancing act of choosing home wall holds, according to one rain-soaked Oregon climber.

Check out Rich Crowder's author page.

Katie Lamb has racked up one of the most impressive bouldering ticklists of all time. But who is she?

The 32-year-old American has over 30 V15 sends and several V16 first ascents.

Climbing gyms are great. But you can also train for climbing by climbing outside. Here are eight tips from veteran crusher Chris Schulte.

Until Gill came along bouldering was regarded as a leisure activity. He brought it front and center, legitimizing what is today perhaps climbing's most popular discipline.

Soudain Seul is the hardest problem in Fontainebleau. But it's unclear how hard it actually is.

Campusing has clear benefits for improved contact strength and explosive arm power. Here's how to get started.

Boulders in Big Bend, near Moab, were defaced with grease over the weekend. Cleanup efforts are underway. 

If you can do a one-arm (or ten) but only boulder V7, it's time to train the technical side of climbing.

Bouldering psychotherapy is gaining traction because the sport is unique in its easy access and ability to draw out emotions.

With a record number of climbers heading outdoors, it’s more important than ever to keep a low profile at the boulder field. Here’s how to bring it up without killing the stoke.

10 years after the inaugural, and still only, bouldering gym opened, local climbers can now tackle the real thing in Valbona Valley. But hydropower plants and unregulated commercial development may muddy it all.

The Preseli stones were all transported to Stonehenge, 140 miles away. Preseli is a climbing area—a bouldering crag. 

Forced to try the routes after the gym hosted a bouldering competition and left them up for weeks, I found one session reignited my stoke.

While highballing isn’t for everyone, its techniques—pad placement, spotting, fall strategies and so on—are.

The first real crash pads came out of Hueco Tanks, right? But that is not where the light bulb first went off.

The Lake Tahoe region has something like 15,000 boulder problems documented in 5 guidebooks. One backcountry boulderer finds Gaia GPS crucial to finding what he's looking for.

Check out Steven Potter's author page.

2022 is just around the corner. Here's a little training inspo.

An honest account by Nate Draughn, a top climber who hit rock bottom.

According to Niky Ceria, “The ideal line [is located] not too far from the water but also not too close to it.”

Check out James Lucas's author page.

The Boulder Farm offers private instructional climbing via toproping and bouldering, along with a WiFi-enabled Airbnb and an outdoor grill. All on the outskirts of Yosemite.

I’m sure we can all agree that the past year and a half has been a steaming hot pile of guano-covered choss for a number of reasons. But I’m not here to bring back painful memories. I’m here for the silver linings.

Salas has lived with blindness since age 14. After climbing for three years, he became the first paraclimber to tick V11. His tips are useful for seeing and blind climbers alike.

Tips for converting from indoor bouldering to the more involved and difficult world of real rock. Learn the common pitfalls to avoid.

Check out Steven Potter's author page.

Check out Climbing Staff's author page.

Check out Steven Potter's author page.

Check out John Burgman's author page.

Check out Gym Climber's author page.

Check out Gym Climber's author page.

Check out Gym Climber's author page.

Against a background of 10,000-foot peaks, icebergs, and the vast Atlantic Ocean, local Inuit kids in East Greenland are growing up stuck somewhere between traditional ways of life and the quickly encroaching modern world. Communities struggle with record suicide, alcoholism, and abuse rates. Four Icelanders and an American asked the question: Can rock climbing help?

Check out Massimo Cappuccio's author page.