Bouldering - ...high above, checking out the crux, you might realize why other climbers are looking for their key moves near to the ground.

2002-02-12 18:59:00 - There are indeed climbers to whom the real alpine targets, like "Alpstein, Wedenstoecke or even the Matterhorn-Northface", aren?t appealing any longer. Even in a stable high-pressure system, they leave harness and rope at home, in order to set themselves into the dust in front of a three-meter high boulder. Red faced and with enormous effort they jump to the next, hopelessly faraway grip.

Is it not to simple to reduce mountain climbing to just a few square meters of rock and to handholds that are ever getting smaller?

Surprisingly, even amongst mountain pros also those that are well known for alpine pioneer performance on ice and rock are increasingly focusing on the big problems on small rocks. Is it there where they hone on climb technique and strength? Maybe we can find them there, at the mini rocks, the concentrates off the alpine hammers.

Not every climber is comfortable with the adventure of being far away from the next bolt. Heroism can be distracting. The interest of the boulder is first of all focused on the rock. On the journey through all the facets of the mineral reality of granite, limestone or sandstone, he/she is encountering parallels to our own being.
Is bouldering now weird and incomprehensible or simply brilliant?

If you are still looking for the next safe bolt, you should read the article about Ciolo. Most of the routes in the south italien area, close to Galipoli, are spoiling you with good bolting and an interesting mix of conglomerate and limestone. High above, hanging in the rope and checking out the crux, you might realize why other climbers are looking for their key moves near to the ground.