Bouldering

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Boulderer with crash pad in Saint Just in the Cantal department , France
The two-time bouldering world champion Anna Stöhr , AUT, at the Boulder Worldcup Munich 2012 (running time 23 sec)

Bouldering ( English boulder "rock block") is climbing without a climbing rope and harness on boulders, rock walls or on artificial climbing walls at jump height ( i.e. up to a height from which you can jump off the wall without risk of injury). Bouldering has been a separate discipline of sport climbing since the 1970s and has seen rapid development, especially since the 1990s. The bouldering world cup has been taking place since 1998. At the 2001 World Climbing Championships in Winterthur , the discipline was present at a world championship for the first time.

origin

As early as 1890 in France, the so-called "Bleausards" climbed the sandstone cliffs in the Fontainebleau forest .

The sport of bouldering was significantly influenced by John Gill (USA) and Wolfgang Fietz (Germany). Gill developed new climbing techniques as early as the 1950s and 1960s, using elements from apparatus gymnastics. He rejected the three-point rule , according to which three of the four limbs should always be in contact with the rock when climbing, and instead practiced a dynamic style of movement. This enabled him to use the momentum of the last movement for the next move, so that a flowing overall movement (so-called "flow") was created.

Gill also introduced the use of magnesia to climbing. This powder is used to dry the hand sweat that occurs and the grip of the hands is increased. Boulder mats are used to protect against fall injuries .

General

Rating systems for bouldering

Bouldering on the rock

There are different rating systems for assessing the difficulty of a boulder.

John Gill first introduced a rating system for the difficulty of individual bouldering problems. This "John Gill B-Scale" was classified in its original form from B1 to B3. The rating B1 stands for a level of difficulty at which the bouldering problem is more difficult than an extremely difficult climbing route in top rope style. B2 should be significantly more difficult than B1. B3 is awarded if a boulder has been mastered once by a climber. This closed evaluation system could not be maintained for long, which led to an opening of the scale and the introduction of new levels of difficulty. This process was also accelerated by the open V-scale developed by John Sherman ("Vermin") in the USA. This is based on the level of difficulty on the B-scale.

The Fb. Scale (Fontainebleau scale) has found the most widespread use in bouldering. This also differentiates a boulder problem according to whether it is a pure boulder problem (Fb.-Bloc) or a traverse problem (Fb.-Trav).

The rating systems are not fixed. As more and more difficult routes have to be mastered, there are regular devaluations and expansions of the rating scales. The individually perceived level of difficulty remains unaffected.

As with lead climbing , it is also seen as a special achievement to flash a boulder , i.e. H. to climb it in the first attempt without trial and error. The climbing techniques correspond to those of other climbing disciplines. Their incidence is different: Because bouldering problems are comparatively compact, they are often associated with a high level of technology or require high physical strength.

Bouldering on artificial climbing facilities

Artificial wall at the Boulder World Cup 2018 in Munich

In bouldering halls or artificial climbing facilities in the open air, a route is usually assessed using handle colors or cards attached to the handles on which the level of difficulty is noted. Nevertheless, it is also common to use the rating from rock bouldering. In order to offer additional difficulty and variety, volumes can also be used in many halls, which are optically often based on natural stone. Usually every boulder is defined by its starting grips: R (right), L (left) and T (top). R and L can also be combined into a single starting handle. As a rule, a problem has four to eight grips, but there are also routes that only consist of a start and a top grip. In competitions the maximum length is set at twelve, but in amateur competitions there are also longer lines.

In bouldering halls, soft mats are laid on the floor to ensure the safety of the athletes, while fall protection gravel is mostly used outdoors . The safety requirements for artificial climbing systems for bouldering both indoors and outdoors are specified in the European standard DIN EN 12572-2

Competitions

A competition is usually played in three rounds: qualification, semi-finals and final. In each round, a certain number of short climbing routes (so-called bouldering) must be completely climbed in as few attempts as possible without rope protection or at least one zone grip can be achieved for a partial evaluation. No boulder should have a jump height of more than three meters. In the competition system specified by the IFSC , the qualification consists of five boulders, the semifinals and the final of four boulders each. The starting grips and kicks are clearly marked for every boulder, as well as the zone grip (previously known as a bonus grip) and a final grip (top grip) or a final position on the boulder that can be reached while standing. The number of attempts that the athlete needs to fully climb the boulder within a specified time or to reach the zone grip for the partial evaluation is evaluated. An attempt is considered to have started when the competitor has left the ground with his entire body. Inadmissible wall contact by the competitor will be counted as an attempt, especially if he touches other than the marked starting handles and kicks before leaving the ground completely. For an evaluation, the final grip is controlled with both hands, i.e. to be held in a stable body position; for the evaluation of the zone grip, controlled holding with one hand is sufficient. For the evaluation of a round, the number of successfully climbed bouldering in this round and, in the event of a tie, the number of zone grips held is decisive. If there is still a tie, the total number of attempts for the completely climbed boulder or for the zone grips reached is used for further differentiation.

For sport climbing competitions on a national level, the national climbing sports associations adopt their own sets of rules, which, however, are closely based on the IFSC rules or refer to them (see e.g. the rules of Germany and Austria).

On August 4, 2016, the IOC decided that sport climbing as an Olympic combination will be part of the program at the 2020 Summer Games , the competition consists of speed climbing , bouldering and difficulty climbing .

equipment

Major items of equipment are bouldering climbing shoes , Magnesiasack , Boulder mats ( Engl. Crashpad "crash pad"), brushes purpose handle cleaning and a scraper to clean the shoes. In addition, a tape bandage can be applied to prevent or treat minor injuries such as cuts in the skin .

Ridicule

"Ridicule"

Since there is no backup , the help of a spotter can be enlisted. This should (for example, in strong overhangs ) control the fall of the climber with his hands in order to turn him into an upright position, which enables him to land on his feet. The aim is not to “catch” the climber, but rather to prevent uncontrolled hitting of the back and head on the ground. The aim is not only to prevent injuries to climbers, but also to protect inattentive spectators, for example in halls, on whom the climber could otherwise fall. If necessary, the help of several spotters is called in; this can be the case, for example, if the direction of the fall is difficult to predict.

Well-known bouldering areas

It is considered the oldest bouldering area in the world. The bouldering course was also invented in the sandstone area in 1947. This sequence of individual bouldering problems shows a fairly homogeneous difficulty. The course is numbered, color-coded and climbed through one after the other. Some courses are designed in such a way that the ground does not have to be walked on, but it is possible to stay in contact with the rock by climbing down, crossing and jumping over.

The bouldering rock on the Zillergrund is threatened by the planned expansion of block stone mining.

Famous bouldering problems

  • The first boulder in grade Fb. 6a in Fontainebleau was La Marie-Rose in the Cuvier sector. The boulder was first climbed in 1946 by René Ferlet.
  • Perhaps the world's best-known single bouldering problem is located in Yosemite National Park (USA) and is called Midnight Lightning (V8). It was conquered for the first time in 1978 by the American climber and boulderer Ron Kauk .
  • Rainbow Rocket (Fb. 8a) Fontainebleau , one of the most famous dynos
  • Trice (8a +), Flagstaff Mountain, Colorado , USA. Trice was the first boulder of this grade (1975, Jim Holloway), the second ascent took place 32 years after the first ascent.
  • Tonino '78 : At the first ascent in 2004 the first boulder for which the grade Fb. 8c + was suggested. Meschia, Italy, three visits: (1st Mauro Calibani, 2nd Julien Nadiras, 3rd Antoine Vandeputte). The level of difficulty was not confirmed by the repeaters.
  • La Danse des Balrogs (color 8b), Branson, Fully , Switzerland: the world's first boulder in grade 8b . First ascent by Frédéric Nicole in 1992.
  • Dreamtime (color 8b + or 8c), Cresciano , Switzerland
  • Gioia (8c), Varazze , Italy. First ascent by Christian Core 2008. The first repetition was done by Adam Ondra , who suggested an upgrade to 8c +. In 2015, there was a controversy between the first climber and some US boulderers due to a new method, a kick breakout and sticking the broken kick on.
  • Neverending Story (Fb. 8b +), Magic Wood , Averstal , Switzerland.
  • The Game (Fb. 8c) Boulder Canyon , USA, is one of the most difficult bouldering problems; first ascended by Daniel Woods
  • Burden of Dreams (Fb. 9a), is the first bouldering problem in the world for which the previously unconfirmed level of difficulty Fb. 9a or V17 was suggested. It was first climbed in 2017 by Nalle Hukkataival after countless attempts that dragged on over years.

literature

See also

Web links

Commons : Bouldering  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files
Wikibooks: Climbing  - Learning and teaching materials

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ National regulations 2011 (PDF; 526 kB) of the German Alpine Club - p. 32: 5.1.2, 5.1.6 - accessed on May 23, 2012.
  2. ↑ DIN EN 12572-2: 2009 Artificial climbing systems - Part 2: Safety requirements and test methods for bouldering walls . Beuth Verlag , Berlin 2009, p. 24 .
  3. ↑ Rules 2018. (pdf) IFSC, April 2018, pp. 33–44 , accessed on September 26, 2018 (English).
  4. ↑ Climbing - National Regulations, Version 18.1. German Alpine Club, May 2018, accessed on October 2, 2018 .
  5. ↑ Austrian regulations. Climbing Association Austria, March 5, 2018, accessed on October 2, 2018 .
  6. ^ IOC approves five new Olympic sports . spiegel.de. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Spotten - that's how it works" http://www.klettern.de/besser-klettern/sicherheit/spotten-so- geht-s.284207.5.htm - accessed on May 25, 2012
  8. ^ Magic Wood, bouldering. Retrieved November 23, 2019 .
  9. ↑ Climbing scene worries about bouldering rocks orf.at, November 13, 2018, accessed November 13, 2018.
  10. ↑ http://bleau.info/sablons110/1460.html - Accessed April 1, 2013.
  11. ^ A Chip off the Old Block: The Aesth (Ethics) of Rock. UKC, April 8, 2015, accessed February 27, 2018 .
  12. ↑ Nalle Hukkataival: 9A boulder first climbed? In: climb . ( klettern.de [accessed June 6, 2017]).