For those who have been practicing the sport for several years, the outdoor climbing experience is taken for granted. For others, considering the big increase in new climbers in the past few years, the transition from the gym to the crag can feel intimidating. Now that deconfinement has started, our longing for nature will be difficult to contain. Climbing, more than ever, now appears as an obvious solution to our feeling of confinement that has been growing for a few months.

With the growing popularity of bouldering, there is certainly a need to adress in terms of educating the next generation of outdoor climbers. At Bloc Shop, you will find grades on each problems and the landing zones are ideal. Outside, there will be rocks; nothing else ! I remember my first outdoor session: we used small bed mattresses wrapped in garbage bags to protect our falls. Rather embarrassing, isn’t it? Here I will try to give you some tips and advice that would have served me well at the time. For regulars, a little reminder on ethics and good habits never hurts.

THE BASICS

Let’s start with the required equipment. If the necessary climbing equipment appears meager in comparison with other sports, a mere oversight could still ruin your day of climbing. The landing surfaces in Quebec are usually uneven and rather dangerous, so you’ll need a crashpad (or many crashpads, if you we’re honest.) Several options are available to you: large, small, thick, thin . In addition, in terms of quality, some are much more durable than others. We sell different crashpads on the online store. They sell rather quickly, so you have to be ready for the new arrivals.

Obviously, you will need to bring a chalkbag. Also, there won’t be 12 feet brushes waiting for you. Bring yours, you will not regret it ; holds quickly become slippery without brushing. The more motivated will bring their own pole, others will simply tape their brush on a long branch to reach holds that are too high. Needless to say, you will also need tape to take care of your poor fingers (yes, your skin will get worn out very quickly at first).

Given our proximity to the region, your first experience will probably take place in the Laurentian Mecca : Val-David. The Parc Dufresne often appears as the obvious destination, since it offers the easiest access as well as a plethora of boulders in good conditions. In addition, a well-written guidebook will provide you with all the information required about the area and problems available for you.

There are several aspects to consider before venturing deep in the laurentian’s forests. One that overrides everything: LEAVE NO TRACE. When you leave a climbing site, it should be cleaner than when you arrived. You bring your waste back, and you’re more than welcome to bring back more. In this way, nature remains clean and the climbing access is not constantly threatened. If you have friends that take you in a more underground area, keep in mind that the vast majority of boulders outside of Val-David is on private land. So be aware of two things: you probably do not have the right to be there. Second, you probably do not have the right to be there. This will be my only explanation about the delicate access problems in the region (it is a complex subject and usually fuels controversy), but it is something to keep in mind.

PARTICULARITIES

Now that we went through the basics, we will skim through the peculiarities offered by ” the great outdoor ”. If you are used to follow the colored holds and finish on the final jug to complete your project, let’s say it goes a little differently outside. You probably knew already, but your brain will take some time to adapt. Regardless of the level that you climb indoor, you will probably find yourself climbing a few grades lower for some time. Various factors come into play: the holds are harder to see, more complex to use, less positive, the movements are more difficult to understand or imagine, and footholds are much more subtle, among others . Considering the tangent on which indoor climbing has been evolving in the last decade, which has the effect of greatly differentiating it the from outside experience in terms of style, the transition between the two worlds is not always easy.

Initially, it can be difficult to understand the difference between commitment and difficulty. Is a particular movement difficult because it requires an important commitment (eg a jump, bad feet, unusual height) or because it is simply physical ? Thus, a V2 topout at 20 feet above the landing might seem as difficult as a V4 movement three feet off the ground. You need to accustom yourself with these kind of situations, and it is far from instantaneous.

In addition, due to the uncertainty that provide small footholds, inexperienced climbers tend to look for larger footholds rather than the ones that are better positioned. The results are often tenuous body positions lacking any effectiveness. In this case, you’re climbing level will vaslty improve when working with well-positioned precarious feet. Climbing outside forces you to improve your technique. The unknown usually causes anxiety, so you’ll be less confident in your abilities than usual. In any case, a good dose of humility never hurts.

After climbing in the gym for a while, our brain gets used to climb using relatively comfortable hold, that is to say, organic and rounded shapes. Outside, it’s mostly the opposite. You’ll trade huge volumes for small, complex, and abrasive grips. Whether because of the aggressive texture, sharp edges, or unnatural finger positions, all aspects of climbing outside force will force you to reconfigure your knowledge of climbing. Pulling hard on a painful crimp demands a well-developed psychological ability, as well as some experience to recognize your limitations. Moreover, the type of callus formed by the plastic is totally different from the one formed by the rock; the transition between the two requires a few sessions! All these small details, which immediately appear innocuous, mark a notable difference between the two types of climbing and make their practice quite distinct.

SECURITY

The most important aspect is always your own security as well as your partner’s. Obviously, while bouldering, you’re not holding your partner’s life in your hands like when you’re climbing routes. On the other hands, inattention or a lack of precaution can quickly result in serious injuries.

First, be sure to bring enough crashpads in order to protect the landing zone of the boulder you want to climb. You will need at least 2 or 3 pads for a boulder of moderate height with a secure landing (meaning, without great denivelation or rocks). Depending on the boulder you choose to climb, you could need from 5 to 10 crashpads in the most extreme cases. For this reason, if each friend brings 1 or 2 pads, it’s rather easy to climb safely.

It’s not everything to lay pads under a boulder, you still need to do it well. A twisted ankle can happen quickly. Be sure to remove the holes between the pads. Also, make sure that the surface under the pads is as uniform as possible. A medium-sized rock under a pack can seriously alter the safety of a fall. Most crashpads have a fold or two. In certain cases, it’s better to use a pad “upside-down”, for example to cover a sharp rock. This way, the crashpad will form a more natural landing.

You will need to take into consideration the type of movement you want to protect. Is it a lateral dynamic movement? A high and committing heelhook ? This axis of you potential fall is the most important element to consider. Even the most experienced climbers cannot predict everything. If you’re not confident you can protect a specific fall, it’s better to wait to be more experienced, to have more friends, or more crashpads.

Lastly, the approach is another element to consider. You will have to take a certain amount of risks at some point in your climbing career. It’s better if you take these risks on a boulder not too far from your car. After an hour approach on rocky terrains, risk taking becomes more difficult to justify.

ETHICS

Ah! The crunchy part at last! As in all communities, we do have has a ticklish ethic. It is usually better to be informed in advance than to learn from a grumpy climber. I could write about climbing ethics for several pages, but it will suffice to present a short and non-exhaustive list of elements to consider. If they seem trivial to some, they are of crucial importance for others. Please use this information in combination with good judgment.

Using tickmarks is very common outside. These small chalk marks below holds are used to improve the precision of movement and to increase chances on low-percentage ones. We try to stick to small and subtle marks that will be easy to erase with a brush. Moreover, it is important to erase them when leaving the problem. It is a matter of aesthetics, and some purists climbers like to find solutions without outside help ; we try to respect that.

When climbing with a group of unknown climbers, try to be polite and let everyone climb equally. Furthermore, and this is quite important, if another climber brushes all the holds, it is generally not advisable to get on the problem before him. Don’t do it. On this point, don’t touch the holds without chalk on your hands.

When climbing in already developed areas, the accepted brush types are limited. Stick to the bristle or nylon brush to avoid degrading the holds. The different types of rock react differently to brushing. For example, sandstone is much more fragile than granite. Also, metal brushes are only used to remove moss when opening new climbing areas and problems. Therefore, you shall leave these kind of brushes at home if you’re visiting a crag that is already well-developed.

More generally, just try to be respectful. It seems rather simple, but sometimes we forget about the simple stuff. Communication is key. You have the perfect beta to help another climber? It is best to ask before giving unsolicited beta. Want to spot another climber? It’s always good to ask before. Having seen many awkward situations in the past, the golden rule seems not to make assumptions about the expectations of others. Better safe than sorry.

Don’t bring your music at the crag. It’s a controversial subject, but most people agree that it’s not an acceptable practice, especially if there are other climbers at the same area.

Have fun, do not take yourself too seriously, and take time to discover the beautiful subtleties offered by the practice of outdoor bouldering.