Bouldering is more popular than ever- but what is it?
By Barbara McCarthy
The sport of climbing is reaching new heights in Ireland.
Once the preserve of intrepid mountaineers, it’s more accessible than ever due to the growing popularity of indoor climbing walls. It featured in the Paris Olympics - only the second time since its debut at the Games in 2020 - and it’s so big now, there’s even a rock climbing Barbie.
Climbing is cool - it’s taken off on social media, celebrities such as Jason Momoa and Jared Leto are climbers, and the Oscar-winning movie Free Solo - about climber Alex Honnold, who scaled the iconic 3,000ft El Capitan in Yosemite without a rope- have helped drive its popularity.
Fitness fans who like a sense of adventure, and teens looking for a fun way to exercise with friends are finding their feet with bouldering.
Bouldering is free climbing without a rope or harness on either an artificial rock wall or outdoors on a small rock formation. A padded floor or matt below prevent injury. All you need is a pair of climbing shoes and chalk to keep your hands dry and get a good grasp on the holds.
It has a language all of its own, with “problems” relating to the amount of moves it takes to complete the climb and “traverses” meaning a horizontal or lateral movement.
Climbing gyms, which first arrived in Ireland 20 years ago, allow people of all ages to go climbing safely and without the hassle of buying expensive gear and traveling to far flung places. Some gyms have roped climbing and bouldering, while others just focus on one, so check out what your local gym has to offer. Indoor climbing offers a safe environment where it’s easy to train and improve skills year round no matter what the weather.
Gyms cater for all skill levels from beginner to expert and all ages, from around seven years old and up. Many gyms offer introductory lessons for novices, and people can rent shoes and gear.
It is popular with teens, as it’s social, good for physical fitness and gives them freedom. Best of all, they can go climbing without a parent, once they have done introduction courses at certain gyms, during certain hours. Check your local gym to see if they have that option.
Climbing also offers a vibrant social scene with competitions, classes, and a strong sense of community. It's also great for all round fitness too. You'll use your upper body, core, and lower body, and will especially work your pulling muscles, including your biceps, wrist flexors, and back muscles.
I was bitten by the climbing bug myself in recent years and I’ve become more adventurous with time.
I’ve climbed around Ireland, with instructors including Iain Millar who specialises in climbing sea cliffs in Donegal, where I climbed up the Sturrall and Cruit Island. I've also been out with Wales-based Irish climber Jonathan Redmond, who has climbed the Nose in Yosemite National Park in a day and skied down Mont Blanc.
We were in Glendalough together on a sunny day. He showed me how to tie my rope and enjoys taking people of all levels out on climbing trips. I've also climbed in the Alps and Red Rock canyon just outside Las Vegas. A few of my guides have climbed with Alex Honnold. What I love about climbing is that you can do it in Finglas or Mount Everest and everything in between.
To try out indoor bouldering, I visited Gravity Climbing, a bouldering gym in Dublin’s Inchicore, along with my nine year old daughter.
Gravity is a big, warehouse like building, regarded as having one of Ireland’s best bouldering walls.
It has colour coded circuits, route settings, training areas and competitions. It’s home to a community of climbers and a team of knowledgeable, passionate staff. You can rent or buy what you need from the shop. It has up to 100 visitors a day, while some gyms have up to 300.
Having completed the mandatory an introductory session together, myself and my daughter now pay as we go and climb by ourseIves. I have my own shoes, but my daughter rents hers. We generally go off peak as it's a little less packed. When you bring smaller kids to climbing gyms, it's better when there's no-one overhead. People are always afraid climbing is dangerous and filled with adrenaline. But as Alex Honnold pointed out; "There is no adrenaline rush. If I get an adrenaline rush, it means that something has gone horribly wrong.”
If you want to get started, there are lots of gyms all over Ireland. Gravity offers off peak sessions, adult coaching and teen drop-ins. It’s ideal for you climbers who want to improve their skills and climb in a relaxed session with others of a similar age. This class is free if you are a monthly/ annual member of Gravity. Otherwise it is €16, including shoe hire.
Awesome Walls in Cork City and Finglas has bouldering and roped climbing and offers classes and activities for all ages. It hosts birthday parties and a kids club for children aged 6 to 16 to socialise, make new friends, and develop their skills with our coaching instructors. The National Indoor Climbing Award Scheme (NICAS) is a nationally recognised syllabus, which helps climbers become competent and confident. Pay as you go from €15 for adults and €13 for children.
The Wall in Sandyford
The bouldering gym has a great introductory offer for climbers of all levels. There are kids classes at weekends for children from 8 onwards and for teens, there are 4 instructor lead sessions, run on Mondays and Sundays, focusing on climbing skills and safety. The cost is €25 per session and includes shoe hire. For just €30, you can try out all of the climbs in the center, 7 days a week for as long as you want and it includes shoe hire. This one time offer is only open to people who have never visited The Wall before. Mountaineering Ireland is the National Governing Body for hillwalking and climbing. It is also a great resource for courses and encouraging skills development and training.
