Bouldering is a sport that over the past few years has risen in popularity. With a very sociable environment, it has attracted a variety of different people keen to give it a try. But what exactly is bouldering?
“A fun, physical activity that is challenging and it's rock climbing stripped back to its basics.” This is how Luke Magill, owner of Dynomite indoor bouldering gym at North Wollongong, described it.
Fun? Physical activity? Challenging? It sounded like something right up my alley, so I said why not.
On arriving at Dynomite, the first thing I noticed – before seeing all the bouldering problems I was going to have to solve – was the energy from the people. It felt like a cafeteria in high school. There were hundreds of conversations all going on at once. As a complete novice, I found the smiles, the laughter and the witty banter eased my nerves.
Mahmoud Abdulghani, a member at Dynomite for only three months, told me the gym's community is one of the main reasons he loves it.
“My friends from the past three months have been from this gym,” he said.
“Honestly, the community in this gym is insane, just 'cause all these people are just amazing.
“Everybody is just here to motivate each other. Not actually there to, you know, like when you go to the gym everybody’s like ‘ohh c’mon, how can’t you carry that’. Over here they're just going to help you.”
Now the mate I went with was very tall, athletic and, most importantly, experienced. He swung from handheld to handheld with grace on the difficult courses. Me, on the other hand, I struggled with some of the beginner-level problems and I just couldn’t learn from someone who physically did it a different way.
This is where I saw first-hand the community’s power in the gym. A stranger, who was my size and had years of experience, kindly showed me how to use my smaller stature to my advantage. While it didn’t turn me into a monkey on the wall, his tips did help me improve.
“You can pretty much just rock up by yourself, but you meet like-minded people,” said Luke.
“People just group together and help each other out, to solve problems and unlock the climbs.
“It's a group activity as much as it is an individual activity.”
While sports like basketball and rugby require some sort of athletic ability or physical stature, bouldering is for everyone and it is a socially inclusive sport.
Cerin Loane, who has been a member at Dynomite since it opened six years ago, said it was a sport that involves all types of people.
“It’s something that everyone can get into. As you can see here, there’s people of all ages and all body shapes and all backgrounds – anyone can do it,” she said.
“Everyone is super friendly, I come in regularly once a week with a bunch of women.
“That’s how we have a regular catch-up in our diaries – we come in and climb, chat about work, life and stuff while we are climbing.”
After my first bouldering experience, my body was sore… very sore for a few days.
As it turns out, in terms of fitness, bouldering is one of the best workouts you can have.
Climbing is an intense workout that involves all parts of the body. It also feels therapeutic for the mind – by demanding your attention, it clears your head and helps you focus.
“Massive health benefits – physically it’s really good for your core strength, your upper body, and flexibility,” Luke said.
“Some people compare it to doing yoga on rock.
“Mentally it’s very stimulating. It's very satisfying when you top the problem or unlock a sequence, so it’s very rewarding.”
A few days later, my mate asked me if I would do it again. Great community? Great workout? How could I say no.
For more information on Dynomite Climbing Gym and the sport itself, check out their website and their Instagram page