WHY BOULDER PLANET ROUTE SETS THE WAY WE DO

Our modern society is beset with options for instant gratifications and a desire for instant results. Yet, like any worthy artistic, intellectual and physical pursuit, we know that no goals worth achieving are ever easy.

And that forms the basis of our Route Setting at Boulder Planet – We set our routes to get you started, to keep you engaged, and to help you grow as a climber.

Engaging the Mind

There are few sports in the world as bewildering as climbing. At Boulder Planet, you may be climbing a steep Grade 7 boulder effortlessly and yet be unable to get off the ground on a slabby technical Grade 5.

And it would not be because you lack the strength, but possibly because you could not figure out the “beta” - information on the moves, sequence, or holds on a climb. If someone asks you for the beta on a climb, they want to know how you did it.

In World Cup competitions, the finals are always climbed “onsight” - climbing a boulder problem “clean” in one go without getting beta. That is, you may get five minutes of observation time, but you will be held in isolation until your turn. So you do not get to see how the competitors before you climbed it – the way they held the climbing holds, their body position while they climbed, where the climber rested, what technique they executed at different points, etc.

And it is the same at Boulder Planet – Our boulders are curated to be unique, educational and most importantly, fun. So if you need the “beta”, there will be others around to share it with you, or you can ask our friendly Head Setter, Hilman.

But it can be so much more fun to be figuring things out yourself, mainly because we are all unique in size, in our strengths and our skillset.

If you want to progress faster with a coach’s assistance, do look out for our Personal Coaching programmes that will soon be available.

Engaging the Body

Climbing ≠ pulling. If you have climbed at Boulder Planet, you would realise that our boulders emphasise footwork, core tension, skills and flexibility.

From Grades 1-4, you will find problems that require (or teaches) a specific skill, e.g. dynamic movement, foot matching, smearing, heel-hooks, gaston, etc. These skillsets then become the building blocks of your climbing vocabulary, which you will ultimately use to “read” the different (and often cryptic) boulder problems at Boulder Planet.

That is why on the same moves, you can often use different skills to overcome it. And it is because of your climbing vocabulary that you will be able to express yourself differently: the more extensive your vocabulary, the more possibilities.

Hence come prepared for a full-body workout!

Get Better with Boulder Planet

In the previous two articles on Route Setting at Boulder Planet, we talked about the “What” and the “How”. In this concluding article, we talk about the “Why”.

At Boulder Planet, we set our boulders to engage the mind, the body and to help you grow as a climber. (And eventually, to introduce you to the beautiful outdoor climbing places around Southeast Asia and the world.)

Thus, circling back to “Why” Boulder Planet sets the way it does… the answer is YOU, the climber.

You are the reason we put so much emphasis on getting the right tools, on hiring properly-trained professionals, on ensuring quality and consistency.

So join us at Boulder Planet as we embark on this exploratory journey of the mind, body and beautiful climbing places worldwide.