Growing Boulder *I realize that I have probably ripped this title off of someone or something much more clever than myself, but it super works for this article, so I will risk it...

I love sports + the outdoors, but there comes a time, even in California, when you just have to head indoors. Sometimes its too wet, or too cold or windy to bike, surf, play tennis,  or skateboard into the elderly.

So last November as I was trying to decide what hobby I should pursue next that will keep me fit, happy and growing, I found rock climbing. More specifically, bouldering, which is basically rock climbing for people who are afraid of heights. I do my climbing at the Diablo Rock Gym in Concord, CA, which has everything you need to make an ass out of yourself in front of strangers...which, if you haven't guessed yet, is kinda my thing.

Anywho, in bouldering, you free climb (no ropes or harnesses) and the walls are not very high, but you have to follow color coded + ranked routes from the bottom to the top of the wall. Again, the top of the wall is a "pee-inducing" 20 feet off the ground and the ground is squishy and there are crash pads (think of your dorm room mattress...also as gross) so it is extremely safe...apparently I did a lot of peeing for no reason. See example below from #diablorockgym on instagram...

Boulder Pit +Diablo Rock Gym 

So it is not super scary (see Mom) and it can actually be a lot of fun, especially if you enjoy repeatedly falling in front of total strangers. 

What I dig about bouldering, aside from the fact that all you need are shoes and chalk and stuff to scale, is that there is little conflict. It is just you against the wall. You stare at a problem and try to figure out how to pretzel your body into all the right shapes to make your way up the wall on holds so small you can effectively hang a shirt on them. 

I love the challenge. The problems start off at v0 and go all the way up to  v12 or something like that. I think at that point you have ascended to another plane of existence where gravity does not apply to you and if you want to, you can simply will yourself to float straight up in the air. (this may not be true...more research is needed to verify this...) All I will say is that after seven months of climbing, I successfully climbed my first v4 and I basically feel like I singlehandedly saved a boatload of orphans from drowning...Don't ask why they were unchaperoned and on a boat...we are not here to debate such things...My point is that I felt a great sense of accomplishment because climbing as wall as an adult is hard. 

Another reason I like climbing is that everyone on the ground is on your team. The challenge is between you and the wall. You try to gain the strength and technique to make up certain routes/problems, but no one can do it for you, it is totally up to you. People will cheer, root you on, give you beta (climbing-specific advice) and generally befriend you, which is why I have really enjoyed going to the gym three times a week. I have found that the community of climbers is one of near immediate acceptance and that goes a long way in learning a new sport. I have learned a great deal from other climbers and their advice, coupled with trial and error, is the sole reason that I have been able to progress in the sport and have become more comfortable failing and falling in front of others. 

The reasons I keep coming back to the pit are because I get a little better each time, I learn something new about climbing, I stretch what I think I am capable of and I meet wonderful people. I fail, learn humility, grow stronger and I feel a powerful sense of accomplishment when I make it to the top of the wall. All these things make it a place I look forward to going each week. 

We all need a place to play, fall down and get back up again. And bouldering is, quite literally, one of mine...JF

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