Bouldering has become a new and popular trend throughout BSM. Bouldering is rock-climbing without any ropes. The courses go up 15-20 feet tall and have several layers of padding at the bottom. The courses vary in difficulty such as going upside down, descent, incline, etc.
Several students from BSM have recently taken up this unique way to stay active.

There are many different places to climb within the Twin Cities. “I usually climb the Minneapolis Bouldering project. It’s near the North Loop. I have gone once to Vertical Endeavors with Graham Imholte, who is a member there. He’s the person that got me into Bouldering,” senior Teddy Madden said.

Although bouldering has been around for quite some time, BSM students have just begun their bouldering career. “I have been doing it for just under a month but I really liked it right away. The first time I went, I went with a couple of my friends that boulder a consistent amount,” Madden said.

Bouldering may sound dangerous to those that are new to the activity but it is very safe. There are thick mats on the floor in case a person fell during a climb. “I sprained an ankle from bouldering but that was the worst it’s ever gotten,” senior Knute Selke said.

Bouldering is a workout without a doubt, since it requires a great amount of upper body and leg strength. “It’s really good strength training for muscles you don’t normally use. Forearms, core workout, and you’d think it would be a better leg workout than it is,” Madden said.

Bouldering can often be confused with top roping, which is a type of climbing where the person climbing is attached to a rope. They are similar in the way that they both involve an intense workout through climbing. “[In] bouldering there are no ropes and the movements are a bit harder than top roping. It’s a 15 movement course for each run where top roping has about 60. Top roping you can go up to 50-60 feet but there is a rope attached to you and someone is at the bottom belaying,” Madden said.

Endurance is key when it comes to bouldering. It is a very challenging activity to keep up in, so you need to be prepared. “Bouldering is very challenging. The main part is the endurance piece because you aren’t used to using forearm muscles, triceps, etc. for a long period of time. I can only boulder for about an hour at a time, at most,” Madden said.