Tuesday Is Bouldering Day
On tuesdays I go out to Monk Bouldergym in Eindhoven and do some climbing. In my philosophy of pursuing total fitness, bouldering is a great addition to my crossfit training. And it’s fun!
Bouldering is a style of sport climbing, where you use no ropes, but where thick pads cover the floor to break your fall, if you fall from the wall. Maximum height is 4 metres, you only need climbing shoes and some chalk for your hands. You climb routes, color-coded for difficulty level: yellow for kids, orange (level 4), dark green (4-5), purple (5) etc. I currently climb orange and dark green.
In bouldering you use your entire body. For the uninitiated it might look as if your back, shoulders and arm muscles are doing all the hard work, but using your legs is actually what makes you an effective (and good) climber. Of course you train your hand, fingers, grip and underarms too, my fingers are usually numb/sensetive for the entire day and the next.
Technique, balance, and knowing how to shift (read: control) your body weight are some of the aspects of bouldering. Finding the best route to the top, planning a strategy… it’s a puzzle you’re trying to solve, and then you put down the puzzle pieces by climbing up there.
So had a good session today, bouldered for 2,5 hours. Completed most of the orange routes, and a couple of dark green ones. Lovin’ it!
