Bouldering

This manual aims to provide a reference for the practice of bouldering on rock, both for those who are approaching this discipline and for those who are already experts but want to deepen their knowledge of every aspect. The first part of the book aims to give all the fundamental information relating to rock bouldering, analyzing its fundamental characteristics: what it means to boulder, what are the "rules" and the attention that must be observed for a respectful and sustainable practice, what it is the terminology that it is advisable to know, what are the movements and technical gestures that it is necessary to learn, what is the gradation system and the types of rocks that are usually encountered. An entire chapter summarizes the long history of this discipline, starting from the first steps at the end of the 19th century up to the present day. Then follows a detailed analysis of the equipment required: shoes, types of crash pads and the criteria for their choice, toothbrushes, chalk and tools for a more "advanced" practice. A very large chapter is therefore dedicated to safety, to provide detailed information on how to use and position the pads, how to block correctly and safely in different situations and how to approach highballs. The second part of the book instead aims to provide a reference for the exploration and valorization of still uncontaminated bouldering areas: what additional equipment is required in these cases, with what criteria can we start exploring new boulders, how to conduct all the cleaning phases in create the accesses, prepare the foundations and brush the rock, what are the ethical principles in opening new lines and how we can then evaluate and disseminate our boulders.