Off the Wall

For the last two winters, our method of cross training has been bouldering. We go to the climbing gym - not to climb up, but across the walls. Its loads of fun, great strengthening and an awesome dynamic activity. Propreoception, motor planning and balance are all challenged while hanging on the wall. Or more accurately, trying not to fall off the wall! Skinny armed cyclists with muscles legs tend to stand out just a little among the shiftless convention of the other boulderers. We are rather bottom heavy, which does not make for great climbing. But fun is the point and so is getting out of the house during the winter months.

Bouldering uses a 0-10 scale for rating how difficult the problems are. The smaller the numbers, the easier the problem. So a v0 is like a ladder on the wall and a v10 is like.... well I've never climbed a v10 so I don't know! Harder then most people can do. Us poor cyclists must give the real climbers something to laugh about as we flail about on the v1 and v2 routes. We make it look so hard and awkward, I'm sure. I am always excited when I can clean a v3! Meanwhile the real climbers are dancing about on their heels and fingers, floating along the wall on thier v7s and v8s. One day - maybe we might be that graceful on the v3s. But then again, the real climbers probably couldn't ride down half the trails we call fun!