Published on July 5, 2025 | Last Updated on September 20, 2025

What Is Bouldering In Rock Climbing Terms?

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Getting started with a new sport is always fun, rock climbing is no different. The thrill of chalking up your hands and getting ready to challenge your body to complete a new route is enough to get rock climbers going. While there are a few styles of rock climbing, bouldering is probably my favorite. Whether you just moved to a new city and are looking for community or you are trying to pick up a new hobby, bouldering is a fun way to get active.

What Is Bouldering?

Bouldering is a form of climbing that involves climbing short, intense routes on small rock formations or artificial walls without the use of ropes or harnesses. When bouldering, you can forget the ropes and harness at home because all you will need is your rock climbing shoes, your chalk bag, some chalk, and your pure will to challenge yourself. It focuses more on techniques and problem-solving to complete the routes. When going climbing, be sure to know the difference between bouldering and top rope because while similar, they are also very different.

You can find a full list of our recommended rock climbing essentials in our guide.

Benefits of Bouldering

There are many benefits that you can find when you start bouldering. To be honest, since bouldering takes climbers through the fundamentals of rock climbing many beginners find themselves starting here.

1. Increased Fitness Ability

Before getting into the other benefits of bouldering, it’s hard to start without mentioning the fitness aspect. Bouldering in rock climbing will yield many benefits to your body. Rock climbers tend to develop strong backs and arms to help with grabbing climbing holds and carrying themselves up walls. At first, it may be tough but wait until you start seeing the gains. Not to mention that some bouldering gyms also have other forms of climbing, yoga, etc. Of course this will vary by location but it is not uncommon.

Bouldering in rock climbing can be done by anyone regardless of your fitness level. Just remember to always be safe and patient. While the fitness aspect is great, you don’t want to overexert yourself and accidentally get hurt.

2. Increased Problem-Solving Skills

Bouldering is great for strengthening your problem-solving skills. I can’t tell you how many times I started a climb without “reading” the route and had to figure out where to put my hands and feet. Not only that, but the constant thinking can help pull you out of a creative slump because it forces you to you a different part of your brain. Each climbing gym typically will rotate routes in and out throughout the month or weeks which can be helpful for keeping you “on your toes” pun intended. New climbing routes may make you climb in different ways. While you are having fun and working on your fitness, you are also working through a game of connecting the dots in real life.

Since you are constantly moving on the wall, I would recommend “reading” the wall or thinking about ways to climb the route before you start. Just try not to give away the solution to people around you unless they ask, a.k.a the good old “Beta Spray”.

3. Various Levels of Climbing

There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to climbing so come as you are. Bouldering is like an adult-sized playground with various levels of climbs available. Always be careful of course so you don’t get hurt, but there are various levels for everyone. Depending on your gym you will either find VB and up or 4C and up. Regardless you can always ask someone which levels are best for your skillset.

V Scale (Hueco Scale)

The most common bouldering grading scheme is the V-Scale ranging from V0 to V17. The general difficulty levels are:

• V0-V1 – Beginner
• V2-V3 – Novice
• V4-V5 – Intermediate
• V6-V8 – Advanced
• V9+ – Expert

The V grade measures the hardest single move on a boulder problem, assessing its technical difficulty. Each level increase will likely require an improvement is various climbing styles. Whether you are learning crimps, smears, drop knees, toe hooks, or anything else, moving up a grade will require improvements in some form of climbing.

Fontainebleau Scale

This type of bouldering grade is France’s Fontainebleau circuit scale. It uses numerical grades of 1 through 9, further subdivided with letters A through C. An approximate conversion is:

• Font 4C ~ V0
• Font 6A ~ V3
• Font 7A ~ V5
• Font 8A ~ V9

The Font scale distinguishes between the technical skill needed versus pure physicality. For example, a Font 7A may require less grip strength than other V5s but more balance finesse. Font grades help assess technique mastery.

Understanding grading systems allows climbers to assess the degree of finger/arm strength, flexibility, and mastery of body positioning required to stick a sequence of ascending moves. Hard problems also demand a high level of mental focus and may challenge you in different ways.

4. Climbing Community

The climbing community is great and people are more than likely willing to talk or help you. I often find myself running around the climbing gym to other areas and talking with strangers. This is common, especially if you are climbing similar grades as others.

There are also apps like Meetup, local run clubs, and other local businesses that sometimes organize events and gatherings for the community. Feel free to ask your local climbing gym if they know of any or anyone that may be open to climbing together. Personally, I love going to the climbing gym because I live alone and it helps me to leave my apartment.

Types of Bouldering

Indoor Bouldering Walls

Indoor bouldering is commonly found in your local climbing gyms. They use sculpted holds that are routinely changed or “problems”. They allow for climbers to have various grades and climbing styles added to walls. Not only that, but it also allows for the routes to change over time.

Some common indoor climbing features include overhangs, vertical slab walls, caves, traverse-style routes, and of course, the plastic holds themselves.

Outdoor Bouldering

Outdoor bouldering is done when climbers take advantage of the natural outdoor rock formations. These can be found anywhere in nature so long as there is a will and a climber willing to attempt the climb. Of course, there are ways to find popular climbing spots in the US or near your location. AllTrails, for instance, is a great option for finding trails and potential climbing locations.

Is Bouldering Safe?

Like any sport, there are going to be safe and non safe instances depending on how hard you push yourself. Bouldering is relatively safe compared to other forms of climbing, but I would recommend that you always be mindful of rules and your surroundings. Some gyms will have spotters but they can help prevent injuries but cannot eliminate risk entirely from an inherently dangerous sport. Some people prefer top rope climbing since you have a harness and rope connected to you. There are differences in the type of climbing styles and grades between bouldering and top rope climbing though.

Things to look out for that could potentially lead to injury include:

• Inadequate crash pads increase chance of collisions with the ground.
• Poor technique like uncontrolled dynamic movements can lead to finger tweaks or blown shoulders.
• Overtraining and trying to progress too quickly often ends in finger pulley issues or popped tendons from large loading.
• People walking by since many gyms will have kids and other climbers that walk by.