How to Start Bouldering in Cheltenham

Bouldering is a style of climbing that requires no ropes or harness, just your body, some grippy climbing shoes and a big padded floor to fall onto. Below is a step by step guide to your first visit to a bouldering wall in Cheltenham.

Sign In and Complete a Waiver

Most bouldering walls require new visitors to sign up for a visit and complete an online waiver before they can start climbing. This usually takes around 5 minutes to complete online or at the desk. It outlines the basic rules of safe conduct whilst climbing at the wall and what to do in the event of a fall. The British Mountaineering Council publishes information for beginners on safety and etiquette for climbing at indoor walls which is also worth a read before your visit.

Hire Shoes and Sort Your Chalk

There are bouldering shoes for hire at the bouldering wall reception area. You can expect to pay a few pounds for hire. These need to be snug but not uncomfortable – basically toes flat. You will also need to purchase some chalk for your hands – small bags of chalk cost around £2 to £3. Many bouldering walls also hire out chalk bags or offer liquid chalk which is better for the wall than traditional dry chalk as it produces less dust.

Understand the Wall Layout

The floor will be covered with a large number of thick crash mats. Routes on a bouldering wall are referred to as ‘problems’, and are marked with coloured tape or holds, of the same colour. Problems are grouped together in a ‘zone’ by grade, and can start from a low grade on the floor. The problems are colour coded for beginners to find a starting point.

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Choose the Right Starting Grade

Begin with the lowest graded holds, which will probably be the holds of the lowest colour. These holds are designed for new climbers to complete using basic movements and not by relying on strength. White holds and Yellow holds are a great place to start.

Focus on Your Feet First

When climbing as a beginner, many new boulderers find that they pull themselves up with their arms rather than using their feet to ascend. The hands are placed on a hold and then a lot of force is put through the arms in order to pull themselves up. In order to move around on the wall in a suitable manner, the feet must be placed on a hold first and then the hands. As the climber reaches up for a hold with their arms, they should keep their hips close to the wall in order to put as much weight as possible on their feet. This will help to reduce the amount of strain put on the arms and will allow the climber to move more easily around the bouldering wall.

Cool Down and Note What You Tried

Finally after your bouldering session, make sure to stretch your forearms, shoulders and your lower calf muscles for 5-10 minutes. It’s also a good idea to write down the problems you completed and the ones that defeated you. Returning to a problem a week or so later to complete it is one of the best feelings you can get from bouldering.

Your first bouldering session will probably last around 90 minutes in which you will learn the basic movement and have plenty of time to return to any problems that you could not complete and do them again next week.