Bouldering Ground Up

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The cold weather, perfect conditions and slightly longer days means bouldering season has struck again. There's a ton of new problems to try and with the addition of Touchstone's latest gym, Climbing ground up, having to onsight sections of high boulder problems, provides one of the best challenges in places like Dogpatch, Yosemite and Bishop. Check out these videos of Berkeley climber Ingar Shu climbing high and well off the ground.

Relax

Take a few moments before you pull on your shoes. Breathe again before you start climbing. When pull off the ground, move with confidence. Often, there are committing moves on high problems, points where it is safer to top out then to drop off. If you are nervous at these moments, breathe and relax. Use your feet and climb well.

If you fall, being relaxed helps. A tense body will transfer more force to your spine or ankles. A relaxed body absorbs falls better. Remember to squat into a fall to absorb the impact. Keep away from bracing falls with a stiff arm, as this often leads to wrist injuries.

Practice

Dogpatch provides a great opportunity to climb above the ground. Check the pads, make sure you are well spotted and then jump in a safe environment. Bellyflopping fifteen feet off the ground on High Plains Drifter in Bishop is a bad idea. Practice coming off from high points on a wall. Experience helps. When you need to bail from a climb you can do so safely.

Climb within your Comfort Zone

Getting on an extreme highball without experience often proves to be disastrous. Pushing your limits is always good but pushing them too far leads to injury. Have a good idea of what you're getting into before you leave the ground.

Have Fun

In the video of Ingar climbing Merganser and Cookie Monster, he does one thing really well- he has fun. Everyone climbs best when they're having a good time.

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Tags: Yosemite bouldering, Ingar Shu, onsight climbing