Better Bouldering

307 Pages·2011·224.682 MB·English

by  John Sherman

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FALCON T
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GUIDE® L
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Better Bouldering
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Bouldering legend John Sherman
shares his techniques and tricks—
plus more than 300 color photos
from around the world
B
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E PRAISE FOR THE FIRST EDITION t
s “The most sophisticated ‘how-to’ book I’ve seen on any climbing subject.”—Climbing magazine t
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e e
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ti This thoroughly revised and updated edition of Better Bouldering presents all the techniques and r
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l tricks gleaned from the thirty-six-year bouldering career of John Sherman, America’s most noted
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and notorious bouldering guru. Sharing the most recent trends in techniques, equipment, and inju- B
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a ry treatment and prevention, Sherman imparts his insider knowledge of the sport through colorful
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instructional text and “combat” stories from his own bouldering career—allowing both beginning o
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o and accomplished boulderers to learn from the author’s experiences rather than their own mistakes.
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e Among the guest contributors for this new edition are top boulderers Paul Robinson, the 2008
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e ABS national champion, writing on gyms and competitions; Angie Payne, the first Ameri- l
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y can female to climb V13, who shares a woman’s perspective on bouldering; and Dave MacLeod, d
a Scottish ubertrad leader, exercise physiologist, and V13 boulderer, imparting his take on
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bouldering-specific training. More than 300 new color photos taken at the most popular bouldering e
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e locales in the world—including Bishop, Hueco Tanks, Rocklands, and Fontainebleau—clearly and
n dramatically demonstrate the concepts explained in the always entertaining text. r
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u
i
r John “Verm” Sherman is arguably America’s most prolific and experienced boulderer, having
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: visited over 600 areas and climbed an estimated 20,000 problems, thousands being first ascents.

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The foremost developer of bouldering at Hueco Tanks, Sherman penned the first Hueco Tanks
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bouldering guide while climbing all but one of the 900+ problems in the book and introducing
t
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i the V-system of grading boulder problems. He’s known for his ground-up highball first ascents.
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Y Sherman’s books include Sherman Exposed and Stone Crusade. Recipient of the 2005 American
o Alpine Club Literary Award, when inspired he blogs for DeadPoint Magazine.
FALCON
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GUIDES®
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® Front cover photo of Henry Schlotzhauer sending Atari (V6), Ed
Happy Boulders, Bishop, California © John Sherman dit
Back cover photo of Pat Goodman bouldering at Cirque of the FalconGuides ® io John Sherman
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Unclimbables, Northwest Territories, Canada © John Sherman is an imprint of
Printed in the United States of America Globe Pequot Press
BetterBouldering_mech_siz.indd 1 8/15/11 11:15 AM
Better Bouldering
The long, sloping
hand traverse
of Grain de
Poussiere (7b),
Fontainebleau.
JO MONTCHAUSSÉ
H O W T O C L I M B ™ S E R I E S
Better Bouldering
Second Edition
John Sherman
FFAALLCCOONNGGUUIIDDEESS®
Copyright © 1997, 2012 by John Sherman
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and
retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing by the publisher. Requests for permission
should be made in writing to Globe Pequot Press, Attn: Rights and Permissions Department, P.O. Box 480,
Guilford, CT 06437.
FalconGuides is an imprint of Globe Pequot Press.
Falcon, FalconGuides, and Outfit Your Mind are registered trademarks of Morris Book
Publishing, LLC.
All interior photos by John Sherman unless otherwise noted.
Text design: Casey Shain
Project editor: David Legere
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data is on file.
ISBN 978-0-7627-7031-1
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Warning: Climbing is a dangerous sport. You can be seriously
injured or die. Read the following before you use this book.
This is an instruction book about rock climbing, a sport that is
inherently dangerous. Do not depend solely on information from
this book for your personal safety. Your climbing safety depends on
your own judgment based on competent instruction, experience,
and a realistic assessment of your climbing ability.
The training advice given in this book are the author’s opinions.
Consult your physician before engaging in any part of the training
program described by the author.
There are no warranties, either expressed or implied, that this
instruction book contains accurate and reliable information. There
are no warranties as to fitness for a particular purpose or that this
book is merchantable. Your use of this book indicates your assump-
tion of the risk of death or serious injury as a result of climbing’s
risks and is an acknowledgment of your own sole responsibility for
your safety in climbing or in training for climbing.
Globe Pequot Press and the author assume no liability for acci-
dents happening to, or injuries sustained by, readers who engage in
the activities described in this book.
Jeff Johnson on Tarface, Swimming Hole,
Southern California. This problem is only for
the best boulderers—a fall from the delicate
crux here will deposit the climber into the
creek below with a high risk of being sucked
under the boulders and drowned.
Contents
Preface ix
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Introduction xi
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1 Gear 1
2 Safety 19
3 Bouldering Basics and Static Movement 51
4 The Art of Dynamic Movement 103
5 Jamming 121
6 More Bouldering Tricks 137
7 The Mental Game 155
8 Strategy 171
9 Gym Bouldering and Competitions by Paul Robinson 179
10 Highballs 185
11 First Ascents 193
12 A Woman’s Perspective by Angie Payne 205
13 More Bouldering Games 211
14 Physical Training by Dave MacLeod 219
15 Injuries and Injury Prevention by Nico Brown, PT 241
16 Taking It to the Next Level 259
17 Paths to Success 269
Appendix A: Bouldering Ratings 276
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Appendix B: Suggested Reading 278
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Index 279
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About the Author 285
......................................................................................................................................................................................

Preface
When I wrote the first edition of Better Bouldering Though I learned much of what’s in this book after
back in 1996, the idea of writing a how-to book those formative years, it was the Indian Rock crew
on bouldering seemed ridiculous. Most climbers that taught me the most important lesson: above all,
then considered bouldering a fringe activity, and bouldering should be fun.
the market seemed minimal. It was rare to see more The following people still have my thanks for
than one bouldering pad under a problem. Dedi- their comments on the first edition’s manuscript:
cated bouldering gyms were still years off. Boulder- Jeff Achey, Jim Belcer, Scott Blunk, Chris Dunn,
ing competitions were few and far between. Women Chris Jones, and Neal Kaptain. My thanks go out
were noticeably underrepresented. Bouldering vid- to the following people who made suggestions
eos didn’t exist. And of course there was no money for the second edition: Chad Foti, Adam Markert,
in the sport (some will whine that that’s still the Paul Robinson, Dave Winthrop, Hillary Haaken-
case). Nevertheless, for the few devotees back then son, and Tania Jackson. I also thank all the people
there was an abundance of passion for the sport. who appear in the photos. Thanks too to John Gill,
Take that passion, add pads and V grades, a pinch Jim Holloway, Dawn Kish, Derek Thatcher, Andy
of money, and an eventually enlightened media, and Mann, Lisa Hathaway, John Dickey, Jo and Francoise
the sport has taken off to levels none of us imagined Montchaussé, Pat Goodman, Ben Ditto, Wills Young,
fifteen years ago. Chris Summit, Adge Last, Nico Brown, Steve Woods,
Going bouldering is one thing, bouldering well Paul Robinson, Eric Odenthal, Isaac Pallatt, Shadow
and enjoying it quite another. The time-honored Ayala, Sandra Stuckey, and Arjan DeKock for use
path to bouldering success depends on learning of their photos. To check out more of the pros’ pics,
from one’s mistakes. The more mistakes you make, visit the following sites: andymann.com, erico
the more you learn. A better way is to learn from denthal.com, dawnkishphotography.com, dickey
my mistakes—this book is bursting with thirty-six photo.com, and bendittophoto.com. Yet more thanks,
years’ worth. this time to those who wrote chapters: Angie Payne,
When I first started bouldering, there were no Nico Brown, Paul Robinson, and Dave MacLeod;
books on the subject. There was, however, a ter- and those who shared words and thoughts: Lisa
rific community of boulderers at Indian Rock who Rands, Diane French, Mary Gabrieli, and Fred
befriended and taught me despite my bumbling. Nicole; and to Crusher Bartlett for the illustrations.
The author on Edge Direct, Indian Rock,
Berkeley, California, late-1970s.
ix