Bouldering vs top rope weight reddit. Bouldering V3+ and top rope 5. Feb 21, 2025 · Bouldering is the practice of climbing short and challenging routes without the use of ropes or other safety equipment. Each style fosters its own community and requires different equipment. ) I was able to immediately 5. For example if you are in a strength climbing cycle (bouldering, hard climbing), you could Simultaneously train max strength and power in the weight room. I can only afford membership to 1 gym and was wondering if bouldering or sport climbing would be better to condition my body to get used to climbing again. A lot of people are wondering what weight would be best for climbing or if they need to adjust their calories, so here it is. He’s about 148 lbs. Climbing is incredibly shoulder dominant, and there's going to be a lot of areas you'll need to test yourself on before your 100% comfortable again. How do I improve my technique? bouldering for about 4 weeks slowly working my way up, but I feel like I’m learning some bad habits that won’t help me in the long run, plus can’t wait to buy shoes. Anything related to indoor (and outdoor) goes. Even normal weight people drop pounds to climb higher grades, and yes it can be effective. You won't be discerning enough to tell the difference between it and a tip top Petzl 8mm. Hey everyone! I am looking to acquire my first pair of shoes for rock climbing here soon. 10, so that falls in line with your top rope capability. Compare climbing methods today! I used to do some strength training before or after my bouldering sessions, including a little bit of weight training but I decided to move my cross training in a separated session to maximize my time on the wall. Which is worse for finger joint health? There is a rock climbing gym by my house, that has tons of walls and stuff, along with tons of exercise equipment kinda like a gym area. Jan 29, 2025 · See our guide to the best climbing ropes of 2025, including top dynamic ropes for cragging and multi-pitch climbing from Mammut, Edelrid, Sterling, and more. Given enough weight difference and not enough friction in the TR anchor, you absolutely need a weight sack for top rope, or you'll get pulled up when they let go at the top cartoon style. Tried out bouldering this past Friday as I’m looking for something fun for weightloss. I've been using rentals for months and think it is time for an upgrade considering my membership fees could've bought me several pairs of shoes by now. 5 10 190 lbs. As just mentioned, rock climbing and bouldering have many subtle differences, but the key difference between bouldering and climbing is quite simple: protection and climbing height. 10 instead of 1. Lastly, you’ll meet a great community of people who are way more interesting than the average gym bro. I dislike hanging from a rope hanging from the ceiling / top of a cliff. If that's your SWL, using the 5:1 ratio, you'd want Jun 16, 2021 · The number of opinions about bouldering’s difficulty is probably as many as the number of climbers out there. The physical demands differ, with bouldering emphasizing strength and power, and top roping focusing on endurance. In climbing your max sustained load is going to be approximately body weight, or maybe twice that if you have 2 people hanging from an anchor, say 400lb (2kN). 9s in my gym regularly. So one of the things I decided was not to do top-rope at all, only lead (the only exception is when I do laps but those are always easy routes that I up climb and down climb for endurance). Initially when I was just beginning, I didn't find sport to be very engaging. Bouldering is short, intense climbing. Some find bouldering easier for a beginner, while others think it’s incredibly challenging. Anyway I feel u, I weigh more than usual (5'3, 125 vs 115)but I could get way stronger by just bouldering and hangboarding more first, and taking a break from sport projecting. You can do more hard moves at a building gym and have more control over rest and difficulty. Bouldering definitely is hard at first and the best way to get better, imo, is to watch other people. In this article we explain the pros and cons of each! Bouldering grades vs YDS grades aren't really super comparable all around the globeespecially in gyms. Here is a chart of the most popular professional climbers, their height and weight. I have more endurance than most people who only boulder, and I can make more powerful moves on top and lead than people who never boulder. 2 instances of large falls from near the top of the wall ending with my climber on or near the ground. Can I do top rope in my bouldering shoes, or is that dangerous? At what point (weight difference) does the risk become unacceptable? TL;DR: Climbing with partner 80 lbs heavier. At a rope gym, you are climbing at most 50% of the time (belaying 50%). 11a’s. Also I spend vast majority of time bouldering vs top rope. I did find that I rely on dynamic movements a lot in bouldering when I don’t necessarily have to, so the more static nature of top rope (at least at my gym) was a hard adjustment. I started on top rope and ended up switching bouldering exclusively after a couple months. Is bouldering mainly about weight? Obviously there are so many variables but is weight limiting me this much? Reddit's rock climbing training community. Apr 4, 2025 · We tested 13 climbing ropes from Sterling, Petzl, Edelrid, Mammut, and others to find the best options for you. Firstly: endurance! My forearms just said „goodbye“ mid route. I've been bouldering for about half a year and want to try top rope. Safe working load is usually significantly lower, around 1/5th of the breaking strength. I would say try bouldering after a few months of top rope, just so you have the basics down first. In some places, a V1 is roughly a stout 5. Reply reply Doggosareamazing522 • The front downtown has everything including a sauna and lots of people after work hours. I climb about v3-4’s. They climb exclusively to heights between what would be the first and second bolt, often overhanging sharp rocks. 10b-c, while projecting 5. In this article, we’ll define bouldering vs. Cheap comparatively. This is generally not an issue for top rope, especially if your gym wraps the rope around the pipe at the top of the route, as most do. My buddy just started and he did a v5 first day without even knowing what to do. I think, in general, there a couple different ways to organize your weight training and climbing, each with certain pros and cons. 10d and 5. or people who can climb 12s but can't boulder v3/4s. Yes, people lose weight bouldering, and people do so intentionally to climb better because it's just simply easier to climb up a wall with less weight dragging you down. Endurance built from rope climbing will help teach you and your muscles how to relax and recover for prolonged Bouldering sessions, and power from Bouldering may come in handy for harder rope routes. Jun 15, 2025 · Explore bouldering basics and top rope essentials, from gear to safety, in this comprehensive guide. This is what my Apple Watch reported. Sep 28, 2021 · What’s the Difference Between Bouldering vs Rock Climbing @pablosot1 rock climbing on El Salto. pushing myself bouldering is just not worth the risk of injury for me, especially considering i enjoy sport/top rope climbing a lot more! We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Been climbing for years, but I don't know anything about the rock gyms in the area. I normally do full body at the gym, but I was thinking of going rock climbing along with working out at the gym there. Rocky Gym Pick: Movement vs. Here to offer a different take on top rope (as someone who favors rope). Talk to people who are better than you. What’s everyone’s opinions on rock climbing as an alternative to going to the regular gym, or just to a regular workout? If you are top roping something really tall, you might get a lot of rope stretch out of a top rope, but decking from 15 feet is crazy. By the time you've worn out your first rope you'll know what you want your second rope to do. What Is Bouldering? It depends on so many factors, like what level difficulty you’re climbing at, how long the routes are, etc. Starting bouldering opens a lot of doors to great experiences and personal growth. We break it down with this guide to belaying and climbing on the sharp end. I started bouldering and progressed into top rope indoors, then out doors, then leading outdoors which is so satisfying. Dec 5, 2024 · Bouldering focuses on shorter climbs without ropes, while top roping involves taller climbs with safety gear. As accessory work, I don't do any "program" per se, but I try to identify what my weak points are in bouldering, and focus on strengthening that. But then augment at the rope gym to get route endurance before the outdoor season. Top rope is like endurance running, you’re not climbing at max but you go for a much longer time. Also having it open all the way and not only the top makes access so much better Yes I know top roping isn’t as fun as bouldering but it’s also significantly safer because you don’t have to worry about falling at that weight. I also fell bouldering, and sprained my ankle which meant no physical activity for a few weeks. I like bouldering because compared to my experience with top rope (which was limited to one facility), bouldering seems more like a puzzle. As for endurance, bouldering actually requires less of it than top roping. If you can hang 20 mm edge for 7 seconds at 190 lbs, you could hang it with 16 lbs added assuming no strength loss. For hang boarding I’ll transition into doing 7-3 repeaters, and throwing in a couple max time hangs on an edge and a bar to finish the workout. La Sportiva Skwama (womens): My intense bouldering shoe. rock climbing and discuss the implications in terms of difficulty, training safety, and equipment. And when I fell, I panicked and Started with top rope first, so I am more relaxed roped than bouldering. I have questions about the difference between top rope climbing and lead climbing. P. After four years of only indoor bouldering I’m now transitioning to sport climbing. Wondering how much I should run, how often I should work out vs climb, and how your workouts break down. What chalk should i get? Super chalk, a chalk ball, liquid chalk? And if so which brand and type. I mainly top rope and i boulder with my friends as well, but i prefer top rope. On top of circuits and 4x4s, when I focus on PE I like to incorporate it in other elements of my workouts as well. Basically prolonged low stress (climbing) versus short intense stress (bouldering). 8 routes. Which leads to the question: How do Feb 21, 2025 · The gym juggles the now-usual brand of offerings: birthday parties, youth camps, and adult classes, plus a multitude of top rope and lead routes alongside a small bouldering area. My weight is probably the biggest issue, I am 210 lbs @ 5’9 but a lot of it is muscle (powerlifting background). So I try to stick with bouldering/top roping with climbers, and use "climbing" as a catch all, and with non-climbers I'll just explain that bouldering is like "rock climbing" but with mats instead of ropes. I view bouldering as my focus, and the lifting and calisthenics as accessory days. 1-2 days a week bouldering, 1-2 days a week lifting/calisthenics. For a beginner I would recommend getting the cheapest rope that's climbing rated you can find. You usually do it on boulder formations or artificial climbing walls. Would it make sense to move towards top rope/lead to put less stress on my tendons? As others have said, you’re more likely to get injured bouldering than climbing on a rope. Top rope/lead climbs will test your forearms and endurance more. Top roping tends to be my endurance days. I recently started bouldering at an indoor place close to my home, I've been maybe 8 or 9 times over 6 weeks and I love it. Bouldering grade VS Sport Grade (and what to expect) Stumbled across this article and found it quite useful/interesting as I'm a sport climber who basically uses bouldering as a tool to get stronger. My question/s is what benefits of bouldering set you up, if at all, for outdoor stuff? During these 6 weeks I’ve climbed 3 more 7as on top rope, and in the week following climbed my first 7b on top rope. The weight of the rope doesn't always directly correlate with diameter. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. As the climber goes up, the belayer pulls the rope to keep it tight and uses Bouldering will develop bigger muscles whereas top rope will develop leaner muscles over time. It all depends on the height of the route. The rainbow of walls make for an intimidating but thorough introduction to the sport. 0. Strength to weight is everything -- that's why kids crush and it's why high end climbers starve themselves. Dedicated to increasing all our knowledge about how to better improve at our sport. I feel a mix of top rope and boulder has been the perfect combo of fun and training benefits for me! What I gain from bouldering translates into better strength and climbing past cruxes during top rope. Lets assume you reach a bmi of 25. Whether you’re looking for the dynamic bursts of bouldering or the steady challenge of top-rope climbing, we’ve got routes designed for every skill level. Go for the bouldering gym with day passes at the rope gym. Interesting. I'm torn between Movement and Denver Bouldering Club. A subreddit for the indoor bouldering community. The climber ties into one end of the rope, and to make them safe, the “belayer” uses some equipment on the other end of the rope to support the climber. In this article, I’ll break down the concept of climbing vs bouldering thoroughly so there will be no more confusion. While im still a beginner, im looking for Jul 11, 2022 · For the purposes of the question at hand, we’re separating bouldering from other forms of rock climbing that involve climbing up a crag using technical gear like a rope and harness (Image credit: Jessie Leong) First, let’s establish what we’re actually comparing here – it’s true that bouldering is a type of rock climbing. Some sources say bouldering Why do people who boulder have different physiques vs people who top rope? I've noticed that usually people who top rope regularly are usually thin and lanky, while those who mainly boulder are basically ripped, six packs, muscular. Feb 1, 2022 · Transitioning from top roping to lead climbing can be a big challenge. It's more like low weight high rep sets I did a little climbing back in college, but is there anything specific I should know as basically a beginner? There are about 1000 things I could tell you as a beginner from technique, how routes are rated, climbing gear, gym etiquette, etc. Jun 1, 2025 · Discover the differences between bouldering and top rope climbing, including pros, cons, and tips for beginners to choose the right path. I go to Austin Bouldering Project (both the Springdale and the Westgate locations) and I love it! Between the two, I am definitely biased toward the Springdale location because of the better locker room layout and the sauna. So bouldering and has really made it easy for me to solve cruxes in my I'm the opposite, I love bouldering, but top roping does not spark joy. Bouldering is basically doing the crux of each rope climb. The actual data of competitive climbers: So I split between top rope and bouldering. Your strength to weight ratio would be 1. That would mean losing 16 lbs. Mostly Bouldering, some Top Roping. I would think that top rope poses less risk for acute injury (so long as the knots and ropes are double checked) due to less impact with the ground. According to lattice 20 mm hang data that would probably translate to around one V -grade improvement in finger strength. To avoid manually feeding slack through the Gri-Gri, I personally use a Trango Vergo in its place (in a single strand setup, above a MicroTrax), it feeds automatically while climbing when the rope is weighted. It’ll take some getting used to for sure. But, i and most here like bouldering so if you prefer that you need to learn how to fall. A good way to lose weight would be rope climbing once a week, ideally up down up like on an autobelay. Every kilogram that I lost was immediately noticed on the walls. Both of my children, who weigh at least 100lbs less than me, can successfully belay me on top rope. You simply can't get strong enough to overcome the physics of extra weight and size. I wasn't sure if there was a good rule of thumb about lead climbing adding a certain amount of grades of difficulty or not. Apr 10, 2022 · With the rise of bouldering gyms worldwide, especially in big cities, it’s essential to look at what bouldering exactly is and how it relates to rock climbing. S this is for lead, top rope, and bouldering in a gym. Been bouldering for a couple years (v5 indoor) and have been dealing with tendonitis for about a year on and off. May 15, 2025 · But if you’re new to climbing, walking into a gym like Flip N Fun can raise a big question: Should you try bouldering or top-rope climbing first? Both styles offer unique thrills and benefits, so let’s break down the differences to help you choose the best fit for your next climb. It does require a bit more weight than pure ascenders like the MicroTrax but I still found it manageable, and it avoids having to manually switch in a descender after topping out the The people I know who progress pretty quickly at lower grades on rope split time between bouldering and roped climbing-- progressively shifting towards more bouldering as a percentage of training as their roped climbing grades have gone up. I broke my foot bouldering a month ago - I fell unexpectedly and landed poorly. However that means that I’m always climbing slightly below my top-rope ability. Let’s look at the differences between bouldering, top roping and rock climbing, and whether outdoor bouldering is harder or not. I can see the merit in doing both rope rope and bouldering and how progressing in one would naturally help the other. Both gyms have other cool locations under the same membership. It was rough for a while, and I was getting super frustrated because I had to rest even on easy 5. . Some people at the gym recommended top roping more to build that endurance for all the "problem areas". But I think you'll get these cross-benefits Climbers of Reddit, what is your workout routine? I'm a beginning climber (working on V3s) and looking to get a good routine going. It's really hard to equate the grades of bouldering and rope because if a route is 30 feet, a 5. Being heavy is generally a huge disadvantage in bouldering and sport and far outweighs (pun) the occasional advantage of extra reach. 13 would have maybe v7-8 moves, but a 60 foot 13 would have v4-5 moves. TOP ROPE CLIMBING: Top rope climbing uses a single rope, which goes up and through an anchor at the top of the cliff (for outdoor) or climbing wall (for indoor). If injuries are that scary for you, top rope might be the place to go because it is less risky. Bouldering focuses on power and technique, and allows you to repeat the same movements easily (from the ground, rather than climbing to a crux half way up a route). Bouldering is harder than top roping because bouldering grades start at a much harder levels than top rope grades. Ready to Climb?Stop by Approach and try both bouldering and top-rope climbing for yourself. Is there a reason for this? We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. What is an acceptable max weight difference? Am I irresponsible as a climbing partner and belayer if I belay someone that much Dec 27, 2022 · Most commercial climbing gyms provide lead and top rope climbing. I’ve been wondering if I should quit bouldering and stick with top rope. In top rope im doing consistent 5. I am really into bouldering, especially problems with steep overhangs. And my habits in top roping have made me boulder in a "power-saving" way. If you kept a good steady HR for, say, 3 sets of 10 minutes each, it would be good fat burning cardio and have better specificity since it’s actually climbing. Comparing them is like trying to compare BMX biking and touring the country on a road bike. Bouldering in general is much harder than rope climbing in short bursts, whereas rope climbing is more focused on endurance. The "problems" more often involved figuring out body positioning and were more likely to involve lateral movements and overhangs. Bouldering is the Crossfit of climbing, change my mind (you can't) Its for gumbies that don't understand consequences. The womens version has a bit better of a heel fit compared to my Otaki and are amazing on toe hooks as well. I like to sit and analyze my movements on the wall and come up strategies to defeat the problem. Bouldering requires more strength while top roping requires more endurance. Something else was at play. Feb 2, 2025 · There are significant differences between bouldering and top rope climbing from safety to health and cost. Let's discuss each phrase and why you might lead or top rope. What’s your average? If you track that. ( if anyone knows any good subreddits to ask what shoes to buy, let me know) Let's say a route is set at a certain difficulty for top rope. That said, SWL isn't really referred to in climbing contexts because it's not very relevant. The great thing is I think top roping has made me a better boulderer, and vice versa. Could lead climbing that same route increase its grade in theory? In my gym there are walls where you can climb top rope or lead with the permadraws along the same routes. You might also want to focus on weight training if you’re looking to achieve a bulkier build, which is beneficial for dynos and moves that require more power. "Rope climbing" makes more sense but that's not a term people are familiar with. 10d (top rope), but I was confronted with a whole new set of problems. I think I'm definitely going to want to dry all forms of climbing in the future, in particular outdoor rope assisted rock climbing. My background prior to climbing is in Olympic weightlifting, so I doubt that general or even specific strength is the issue. I’ve also climbed all but 1 of the 6A+ benchmarks, 4 6B BMs, 2 6B+s and 1 6C BM. Some manufacturers/ropes will be slightly fatter for the weight, and others skinny but hefty. I think it's because almost every move requires thought about your technique whereas lead/top rope routes tend to have a lot of filler and you can power through the few tough moves. Denver Bouldering Club? Just got a job that allows me extra money for a rock-climbing membership. I tried researching this online but get conflicting information. Top rope climbing, on the other hand, involves ascending a route while being secured by a rope. There are 2 gyms in my area, 1 specializing in sport climbing/ top-roping with auto-belay, and another specializing in bouldering. I‘m able to figure some things out on my own or with experienced friends (how to belay, how to check etc. I do bouldering, lifting and calisthenics. What is your grade bouldering vs sport vs top rope? I know that some people boulder v4/5s but can't climb 10s because of endurance. Most beginner's at my gym use the maxim equinox because its the cheapest rope that the local MEC carries. Bouldering as a workout is indeed mediocre however bouldering as motivation was the best for me. Is top rope climbing just like belaying or is it different somehow? With top rope climbing, the anchor is at the top of the climb, with the rope going down one side to the belayer, and the other side to the climber. New kid on the block is bouldering project. The fear of taking a bouldering fall is something I still struggle with, especially towards the end of an overhang problem. I did this for a week on top rope before bouldering. I’m assuming as I get comfortable with climbing it will get lower. I’m unsure what the difference in performance is between chunky and fine chalk. Rope climbing is long, steady climbing at a much "lower" V grade equivalent that take insane amounts of endurance and strategy to get through in one shot. Hello all! Ive been climbing in Evolv Kronos and while they are great, im wanting something more for top rope, for the small footholds and overhang/slight overhang. Is this amount of calories burned common? It seems pretty high. From advice on which gym to visit to videos of world cup IFSC climbers, you can find it all here. I preferred the mental and more playful/gymnastic aspects of bouldering. Super soft, doesn't edge well (for me and my weight) but they are amazing for really steep bouldering. For pull-ups I’ll take off the weight and start doing frenchies. So, yes, you will likely improve if you add bouldering to your session. I’ve just started working a 7a lead route and made good progress in one session. I recently took a fall from a bouldering problem in the gym that left me with some mild whiplash - but to be clear, I was pushing myself at the top of a boulder problem that was at the top end of my grade ability. Bouldering is kinda like sprints, you push hard for a short periods of time with a break in between. Reddit's rock climbing training community. I kept losing weight because I wanted to climb longer and harder routes. Momentum in Millcreek is a good alternative. Don't even get me started on lead or trad. The ability to attach the rope to the top and have lots of places to hang gear on loops on the back is marvelous. It is also harder because you cannot rest on the rope and you fall farther if you slip or drop. Mar 1, 2021 · Though it’s true… That climbing and bouldering both require ascending rock in some form but the reality is that they’re entirely separate subsets of the sport. I also recently switched to top rope from bouldering due to a foot injury. If your goal is strength training for climbing, scapular pull-ups, negative pull-ups, and then regular pull-ups as well as core exercises should be your go-tos. mcmn xzxfoi vbyweqmm rwqetw qgy gltn spzpbx vpzvc waw akfeq

Bouldering vs top rope weight reddit. S this is for lead, top rope, and bouldering in a gym.