"The best way to train for climbing in the mountains, is to climb in the mountains." A quote from some famous mountaineer, who's name I can't recall.

PR

I know one group plans on climbing in Squamish until their fingers and toes are frozen solid or it rains/snows/hails etc, or until Olympics shut them out from the Sea to Sky highway. So bring on your Arc'teryx Alpha SV jacket and keep on climbing outside.

I bet they have a 6 bolt maximum too

IF you want to boulder outside you should boulder inside

If you want to climb outside you should climb inside

whats the point in being able to boulder v4 if you cant lead 5.11?

It's a lot less work to gain endurance than to build strength. The most common advice for breaking through plateaus on routes is to designate some time to bouldering.

I'm willing to bet that someone who mostly boulders all winter then trains endurance for a month will make greater gains on routes than someone that just climbs routes.

I'm not sure they would disagree with each other...

I agree... but I think buddy should just get in the gym and mix it up since it's obvious from this thread that different climbers derive different benefits from both routes and boulder problems.... whatever works i guess.

B.S.

Fantastic advice if you are looking to plateau.

In all this 'bouldering' speak, note that there is a difference between standing around and looking at the wall a lot, then doing the odd 5-move problem, and bouldering long traversing routes. While bother are defined as bouldering, the benefits you get will be rather different.

I'm not sure if this is meant to be a stand alone sentence, but I couldn't see any other of reading it. It's a pretty narrow minded view.

It would probably compare to:

"what's the point in being able to skate if you can't play hockey"

Bouldering is a sport in itself. Don't make out that someone is inferior just because they only boulder.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. The general consensus is stick with bouldering and I'll realize a lot of benefits for my climbing.

But...... Here's another thing.. My friend destroys me at bouldering, yet I can climb just as well as him on climbing routes. It's confusing me. There's something else I'm missing, or maybe he's scared of heights.

Anyways, I feel like I'm plateauing around V3 although during the summer I could boulder V4s. Could this be because I've gotten weaker sitting around at school studying, or that I replaced (My technos need resoling) my climbing shoes with my old five ten spires? Either way, climbing better because of better climbing shoes alone, seems like cheating. I should use this as an opportunity for better foot placement, correct?

I have the reverse problem. People I am a similar level to indoor bouldering kick my ass outside. They lead 3 or 4 grades (letter grades) above me....and can top-rope a letter grade or two above me. I put it down to the fact I'm a wuss and i'm really scared of heights. I can never commit at all on lead...and climb well below what i can making 100% sure I know I can get to the next bolt without falling. Even on top-rope...I can rarely push myself like I can indoors cos I can't fully concentrate on what I'm doing cos I'm too scared.

Plus indoor bouldering is very different to outdour climbing. Generally more power and less finesse. Particularly on the footwork required.

If climbing better because of better climbing shoes is cheating....then why not climb barefoot?

At the level you are climbing, good shoes do give an advantage.

For me it's come down to price - at the gym here it's almost half the price for a bouldering pass than it is for a full pass.

Next time you are in a gym walk over to the bouldering wall and have a look at a foot hold..then at the rubber dust. You shouldnt be wearing new shoes in a gym, save the rubber for outside, just pull harder.

Dont get too much sand in there, I said depending on what you want to do outside

If you dont climb then how will you get good at it? Go leading at cliffhanger coq and bouldering at the edge, little yoga some cardio and you will be crankin.

Your making the assumption that he is talking indoor vs outdoor. I understood it to be routes vs bouldering indoors???

Either way, why limit yourself to ONLY using bouldering for climbing in the gym? Do a mix of both. Then you won't need to worry about not being able to climb long routes, or not having bouldering power. Either that or if you only boulder, then do some long easy endurance laps. I try to do as many laps around the gym as I can in both directions on easy holds to warm up, then stretch and hit the harder problems. When your arms need a rest go to the slabby area, which most gyms have and climb up and down and sideway while NOT using your hands. Practice weight transfers and initiating movement with your legs. Hit some over hanging stuff...mix it up. When your fingers can handle it safely after they are used to the stress, finish off your energy reserves with the campus board.

This makes ALOT of sense if they climb outside more than you do. Climb outside more. Outdoor climbing is different. You have to read the holds and find them without a big arrow pointing to them, which takes experience outside.

Also when you climb outside you have to pull on holds that were not ergonomically designed and which are often a lot smaller than inside holds