What is bouldering?
- posted: 04 Dec. 2007
- scrollsports@byui.edu
Bouldering is not something many BYU-Idaho students are familiar with — to prove it, here’s what they said.
“It’s getting on top of boulders and throwing rocks. Bouldering is dangerous,” said Adam Luke, a freshman studying communication.
“Does it have to do with geology?” said Brooke Christensen, a junior studying art.
“Bouldering is the process of pushing. It comes from the root word, boulder, which is the means of pushing a boulder. So when someone says, ‘I am bouldering you,’ it means that they are pushing you,” said Doug Guptil, a sophomore studying business management.
Though some of these guesses may seem logical, not many people seem to know what bouldering really is.
Bouldering is rock climbing without ropes.
Sticks and Stones, a sports merchandise store on Main Street, holds bouldering training every Wednesday at 4 p.m. During this time, students help other students learn how to climb the wall inside the store.
“Bouldering is a cross-training [for rock climbers] during the winter,” said Jennilyn Eaton, a senior studying English.
People who show up to bouldering usually range from beginners to the advanced.
Ashley Young, a sophomore studying exercise science, said that her experience of bouldering was quite a workout.
“You have to use every muscle in your body and trust yourself that you won’t fall,” Young said.
Ben Eaton, former BYU-Idaho communication student, said that he has been bouldering for the past two years. Eaton was an avid rock climber before his wife introduced him to bouldering.
Now, he and his wife, Jennilyn, teach the beginners how to boulder every week.
“Bouldering challenged my abilities and helped me to accelerate my skills,” Eaton said.
Sticks and Stones plans to continue the workshops every Wednesday at 4 p.m. throughout next semester. 
