[AliJ]

My first post and just wondering if there's an average boulderer. I'm not talking about ability, but temperament.
I've been climbing routes and bouldering for about five years, often irregularly, at most 2/3 times a week. These days I mainly boulder and just once a week (Have 6month old baby) and I love it.
I get as much enjoyment from an easy circuit as I do from working a problem. I only climb in the low to mid 6's probably at least in part because I can't be arsed working a problem for hours on end.
The point of bouldering is so often seen as difficulty, ever since John Gill started the ball rolling.
But how many boulderers are actually that serious? Someone lighter/stronger/more talented than me might climb a 7b with the effort it takes me to get up a 6b.
I suspect most people, dare I say it, boulder for fun and the training/diet obsessed are a small minority.
Am I completely off the mark?

[Andy B]

I don't boulder for fun. I boulder for power.

[slackline]

Bouldering is just training for "proper" climbing! 

[Drew]

I boulder when I'm tired of watching the telly.

[robertostallioni]

This isn't a proper poll.

This is a proper Poll

[Paul B]

almond croissant? or maybe pink anasazi? 

[lagerstarfish]

Someone lighter/stronger/more talented than me might climb a 7b with the effort it takes me to get up a 6b.

Nope.

You are forgetting how much effort is involved to get/stay stronger and lighter.
I have done the occasional 7b, but after 23 years of bouldering I am now puntering around the lower to mid 6s. I know how much effort I need to put in to get back to 7b and it is a lot more than is needed to do a 6b.

I am having a lot of fun though - bits of bouldering in between work, eating, reproducing etc 

The real satisfaction is to be had by flowing up a nice piece of sedimentary rock that a stronger, lighter climber who has trained ten times more than you has just fallen off (obviously wait until he has left before doing this  ).

[Jaspersharpe]

Where's the poll?

[slackline]

Where's the poll?

[tomtom]

I prefer Hay. A subtle difference, but important....

[shark]

Where's the poll?

There you go.

[GCW]

This is interesting, as I've had conversations with the Beardy One about grades etc.

I have a theory that almost anyone can climb font 7a within, say, a year of starting if they put some effort in.  He maintains that 7a is "hard" and that quite a high proportion of boulderers never climb a 7a.

It comes down to the question of what level requires a degree of talent (technique?) rather than just being stronger I suppose.

I don't boulder for power (as I haven't got any to start with), I boulder for fun.  BUT doing something challenging makes the whole thing that little bit more than the sum of its parts.

Not that any of the above makes any sense whatsoever.

[Jaspersharpe]

Where's the poll?

There you go.

Invalid. No pink Anasazi or Pain Aux Chocolate options.

GCW - 7A is quite hard relatively speaking and I would say the vast majority of climbers who boulder (be it occasionally or exclusively) will never get anywhere near that level. I think you're right that with a bit of effort and commitment it SHOULD be within most people's capabilities to climb 7A but most people only do climbing as a bit of fun and most climbers who boulder only do so occasionally and climb VS when doing routes (which bouldering wise means they are normally doing 2B moves).

[GCW]

Sorry you're right, should have been clearer.  I wasn't referring to people who nip down to the boulders at Burbage South after a day at the crag.  I'm talking about people whose sole (or main, >80% of time) discipline is bouldering.

As you say, not all of them will ever climb 7a.  Anyone care to suggest what percentage will do one 7a?  I've no clue.

[Richie Crouch]

My personal outlook is a combination of most of the poll: To climb hard moves with my mates that involves minimal faff and I am also scared of heights 

I'd say most people who boulder maybe 2-3 times a week will hit 7A within 2 years provided they are working on moves & problems they find difficult whilst getting the necessary volume of easier problems in to build fitness and skill sets/ability to read moves 

I'd say the best way to improve is to climb with a few different people who can climb a bit harder than yourself, and as I hate getting burned off it inspires to pull/try/train harder to get up things

[dave]

I boulder for lazyness.

[SA Chris]

I do it for the chicks.

[shark]

I boulder for lazyness  and the best problems have lie down starts.

[Drew]

If we're going to apply some SCIENCE then we're going to have to take into account the fact that (generally speaking) women don't climb as hard as men. There are some very strong ladies who burn me off regularly, but there are considerably more men who do the same. Therefore the 7A benchmark is going to be harder for women to get to than men.

We've also got to take into account local variance. Firstly grades will be soft in one area (Peak?), and tough elsewhere (Northumberland?). Also the climbing styles will vary massively. On grit there's far mor technique, and balance required. You can do some 7A's where you don't have to pull with your arms at all, and conversely lots of other places (North Wales, Lakes, Northumberland, Limestone) seem to be more arm and finger strength dependent.

I'd say as long as someone climbs predominantly in one area (not a Londoner traveling to wherever they want for a weekend), then they will acclimatise to one style of climbing, then the training (even if it's not proper training) will reflect that. Then I'd agree with the 2 years estimation, assuming they put in the time, and effort, and they have the boulderers mindset (willing to go back and try the same problem on several occasions).

Overall I'd say that over half the male climbers who spend a lot of time bouldering, should hit 7A. Maybe 70%? For women I'd reckon on about 40%?

I'm basically using my wandering around the Works as a guide, and obviously have no idea how long each individual has been climbing. All the above in guesswork too.

[Stubbs]

That post didn't have and SCIENCE in it at all, perhaps it bordered on 'social science'.

[Drew]

Sorry, I'm not a proper SCIENCEtist. I'll let other do the real SCIENCE 

[shark]

If we're going to apply some SCIENCE then we're going to have to take into account the fact that (generally speaking) women don't climb as hard as men. There are some very strong ladies who burn me off regularly, but there are considerably more men who do the same. Therefore the 7A benchmark is going to be harder for women to get to than men.

Overall I'd say that over half the male climbers who spend a lot of time bouldering, should hit 7A. Maybe 70%? For women I'd reckon on about 40%?

I'm basically using my wandering around the Works letching as a guide, and obviously have no idea how long each individual has been climbing. All the above in guesswork too.

Its not that clear cut to me. There are less women boulderers than men. Of that proportion I'm not sure that at 7a and below men do climb better than women for their respective logged climbing time. Lack of muscle/shorter is to some extent compensated by lower mass and not all 7a boulder problems are overhanging. Although its hard to tell the comparative performance between the girls and boys and in the younger age groups in the British Youth Climbing Series (obviously more route biased though does have a bouldering component) isnt especially obvious and my impression is that there as many girls as boys get involved in climbing at a younger age. Any route setters out there know for sure ?

[Jaspersharpe]

We've also got to take into account local variance. Firstly grades will be soft in one area (Peak?), and tough elsewhere (Northumberland?).

WTF?

[Lund]

I'm not sure that font 7a is the correct benchmark.  Maybe it seems a little high?

If we group it with other sports it may be clearer:
- Marathon: anything over 4 hours is a bit gay
- Transit time central London <> Snowdonia; 4 hours outside of the traffic zone; anything else and you're reckless, anything more and you're in a van
- Trad climbing: no excuse to climb less than HVS
- Swimming: 25 second 25m lengths achievable by all, 30 seconds should be the target average for distance unless you're made of bricks
- Font: Anything less than 7A and you're a wuss

Hmm.  Seems high.  Maybe should be 6b.

[Drew]

We've also got to take into account local variance. Firstly grades will be soft in one area (Peak?), and tough elsewhere (Northumberland?).

WTF?

Just my personal experience. Maybe I didn't pick the right problems, but I struggled massively. Maybe I'm just weak.

[Stubbs]

Maybe you're just a victim of
 

acclimatise to one style of climbing, then the training (even if it's not proper training) will reflect that.

I assume that means your training is based around grit climbing? Or do you consider The Works your climbing area, and only train for humping volumes?!

[Paul B]

there's a glaring ommision in the poll (apart from pink anasazi):

"Because the weather gets cold and shit at a certain time of year and its a hell of a lot more fun than the alternatives would be"

[AliJ]

Quality. So much info so little time.

[rodma]

We've also got to take into account local variance. Firstly grades will be soft in one area (Peak?), and tough elsewhere (Northumberland?).

WTF?

Just my personal experience. Maybe I didn't pick the right problems, but I struggled massively. Maybe I'm just weak.

The Crack is soft for the grade, as are a couple of other things, but I think for the most part that the bouldering in the County is tough for the money...............but that's the way I like it 

[shark]

there's a glaring ommision in the poll (apart from pink anasazi):

"Because the weather gets cold and shit at a certain time of year and its a hell of a lot more fun than the alternatives would be"

The pink anasazi? 

Good point about the seasonal aspect - bit late to add it now though.

[Jaspersharpe]

The pink anasazi? 

Keep up shark. 

[Jaspersharpe]

Lagers, are you the one vote for option 3?

[GCW]

I think all that is proven by that poll is that us boulderers don't have any "mates".

[rginns]

I have a theory that almost anyone can climb font 7a within, say, a year of starting trying to if they put some effort in. 

Shit I've just remembered I've only got 4 months left!

[GCW]

Time to MTFU then.

[slackline]

I'd wait for the hand to heal first though.

[rginns]

erm.. oh yeah.

[Fultonius]

I boulder so I can burn off outsiders at Dumby. 

[Fultonius]

erm.. oh yeah.

It's alright, when the year is up there'll be a fourth official waving a board with "3 months" of injury time on it.