r/indoorbouldering

Hey climbers,
I want to talk about a hidden variable in grip physics that almost no one in the climbing industry openly discusses: the massive difference between Rotational Friction and Static Friction at a molecular level.
I’ve spent a lot of time analyzing global magnesium carbonate supply chains, tracking import data, and physically testing samples from different processing plants. I wanted to map out why so many premium climbing chalks feel smooth out of the bag but instantly melt into a slick, slimy paste the second a climber starts sweating on a project.
It comes down to a fundamental market flaw: Most climbing chalk on the shelf today is actually manufactured using a gymnastics blueprint.
Here is the breakdown of the science:
The Gymnastics Blueprint (Rotational Friction)
Gymnasts are constantly spinning around bars. If their chalk has too much static bite, their hands lock up against the wood or fiberglass, causing a catastrophic "grip lock". Because of this, traditional chalk (mass-exported out of factories overseas) is chemically synthesized to have uniform, smooth microscopic particles. It absorbs moisture, but intentionally acts like a dry lubricant to allow a smooth glide.
The Climbing Requirement (Static Friction)
Climbers want the exact opposite. Once your fingers compress onto a crimp or a sloper, any micro-movement means you fall. We need raw, dead-stop static friction.
When climbing brands buy mass-imported synthetic powder, package it in a flashy bag, and call it "climbing chalk," they are selling you a product engineered to slide. Worse, if it's processed or compressed in high-humidity regional warehouses before it reaches you, the powder is pre-saturated. The second you sweat on it, it breaks down into slime.
The Solution: Natural Magnesite vs. Chemical Synthetic
True static rock friction requires bypassing the chemical precipitation process entirely. Using 100% natural magnesite processed in an arid climate in a climate controlled facility preserves a jagged, irregular, and sharper microscopic grain structure. It doesn't create a smooth, rolling layer on your skin; it physically bites into your pores and the holds.
I wanted to share this breakdown because treating chalk like a generic commodity ruins performance on hard projects. Happy to discuss any questions about the chemistry or processing differences.

Anyone from northern know where the best place to start is as a beginner, there is not much options I can see for beginners but if anyone knows anything from Belfast some advice would be great thanks.

Im in my early 20s and I noticed I need to get into a new hobby and exercise. I've noticed indoor bouldering has been on my mind for some quite time, but I wanted to ask if its the right sport for me.

I'm not a fit or active individual, I am an average built female who rarely works out at home and can happily go for long walks/ hikes. I know indoor bouldering is very core and strength based, therefore I'd like to check if theres any exercises I should know or do before I start?

Are there any beginner starting courses, etc? I'm also London based if anyone would like to recommend me some places

Feel free to educate me if I'm missing any information or anything I should know.

Edit: thank you for all the comments :) this really is a chill and solid community

Edit 2: hello everyone !! i just went bouldering and it’s been one of the best decisions I’ve made !! it’s very intense and arm/ shoulder focused, but i love it. Thank you for all the comments again and this is an amazing community !!!

I have been climbing for year now and im interested how good my progression is . and what would you say i could achieve in next year .

When i started i just went down from 78kg to around 64 so i was relatively skinny but also had small amount of muscles .
Now im around the same weight but i gained muscle (i don't go to gym so it wasn't a huge amount, just from climbing and from the little i did at home )

Maybe first 2/5 of the year i climbed once a week but for the rest i climbed twice a week.

i liked board climbing more then majority of boulders gym sets and im pretty sure at least half of the time i have been in gym i climbed on boards with maybe 90% of the time on kilter and 10% on 24 moon board . (now my main board is mb and i warm up on kilter )

i climbed maybe 2 months in rentals and then i bought Ls tarantulas and now little over month ago i bought Ls theory .

i think if i bought my tarantulas one size/half size smaller and it would helped them but they are still good shoes for what they are and i still use them for warm up and some slab climbs. But for overhang, rounded/dual text foot holds they are bad and they held me back on them.

-And now grades i done.

on kilter i have few 7a/v6 boulders in logbook but since all the bs that happened with the new app i climbed almost only on my own climbs and ignored those in app.

on 2024 moon board i done 12 6b+/v4 benchmarks and im relatively close to some 6c/v5 benchmarks .
on 2019 i had only one session but like 2 weeks ago and i done 3 6a+/v3

gym doesn't give a singular grade but a ranges and hardest i done is (6c-7a)(v5/v6) of which i done 5 and curiously none of them in more then like 10deg overhang .

-Now what do you think about my goals for next year .
Do you think they are too high ?

on kilter i don't really care about sanding a grade because of the grading.
on 2024 moon i would want to send 7a/v6 .
and the thing i would be most happy about would be if i get a (7a+/7b+)(v7-v8) gym boulder but with how few of them are set it s more luck depended. if i get one that suits me well when im also strong enough to do it .

Why is everyone and their mother handing out climbing grades on here? It's ridiculous. The confidence with which an entire comment section grades a "v6-7". Guys please touch some grass.

Hey all,

I'm working on a training app and before building anything further, I want to understand how climbers actually track their sessions and progress today.

A few questions if you have a minute:

• How do you currently log your training (spreadsheet, app, notebook, nothing)?
• What do you actually want to track — volume, specific movements, grades, strength benchmarks, something else?
• Do you compare your numbers/progress to other climbers, or is it purely personal?
• What's missing or annoying about the tools you use now?

Not trying to pitch anything here, genuinely trying to understand the problem before assuming I know the answer. Happy to share what I learn back with anyone interested.

Thanks!