Editing Bouldering (section)

== History ==
{{See also|History of rock climbing}}

=== Modern bouldering ===
Modern recreational climbing began in the late 19th century in England, southeastern Germany, northern Italy, and France. Bouldering on the rocks of [[Fontainebleau|Fontainbleau]] outside of Paris began in the late 1800s, with the first guidebook written by Maurice Martin in 1945. Bouldering as training or a recreational past-time began also in the late 1800s in England and  perhaps elsewhere. [[Oscar Eckenstein]] was an early proponent. 

In the late 1950s, [[John Gill (climber)|John Gill]], who is frequently called "the father of modern bouldering", combined [[gymnastics]] with rock climbing, and felt that the best place to do that was on boulders or small outcrops.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sherman |first=John |title=Stone Crusade: a Historical Guide to Bouldering in America |date=1999 |publisher=American Alpine Club |isbn=978-0-930410-57-5 |series=The American Alpine |location=Golden, Colorado |page=xxxvii}}</ref>{{Sfn|Ament|Gill|1998|p=118}} He developed a rating system that was closed-ended: B1 problems were as difficult as the most challenging roped routes of the time, B2 problems were more difficult, and B3 problems had been completed once.{{Sfn|Sherman|2001|pp=64-65}} He also introduced [[magnesium carbonate|chalk]] as a method of keeping the climber's hands dry, promoted a dynamic climbing style, and emphasized the importance of [[strength training]] to complement skill. His 1969 article in the Journal of the American Alpine Club entitled "The Art of Bouldering" defines modern bouldering.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Gill |first=John |date=1969 |title=The Art of Bouldering |url=https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12196935500/The-Art-of-Bouldering|access-date=20 February 2025 |journal=American Alpine Club Journal|language=en-US}}</ref> As Gill improved in ability and influence, his ideas became the norm.{{Sfn|Ament|Gill|1998|p=22}}{{Sfn|Beal|2011|loc=[https://books.google.com/books?id=Ei5GEfWDrKYC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=strength&f=false chapter 1]}}

In the 1980s, two important training tools emerged. One important training tool was [[bouldering mat]]s, also referred to as "crash pads", which protected against injuries from falling and enabled boulderers to climb in areas that would have been too dangerous otherwise. The second important tool was indoor climbing walls, which helped spread the sport to areas without outdoor climbing and allowed serious climbers to train year-round. As the sport grew in popularity, new bouldering areas were developed throughout Europe and the United States, and more athletes began participating in bouldering competitions. The visibility of the sport greatly increased in the early 2000s, as [[YouTube]] videos and climbing [[blog]]s helped boulderers around the world to quickly learn techniques, find hard problems, and announce newly completed projects.<ref name="Beal2011">{{cite book |author=Beal, Peter |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ei5GEfWDrKYC |title=Bouldering: Movement, Tactics, and Problem Solving |publisher=The Mountaineers Books |year=2011 |isbn=9781594855016}}</ref>

<gallery widths="155px" heights="200px">
File:Gill_on_The_Scab_,_1963_,_The_Needles_of_the_Balck_Hills,_SD.jpg|[[John Gill (climber)|John Gill]] on the Scab in the Needles of the [[Black Hills]], 1963
File:Christian Core on Gioia.jpg|[[Christian Core]] on ''Gioia'' ([[Varazze]], [[Italy|ITA]]), first {{Boulder grade|8C+}} boulder in history, 2008
File:Midnight Lightning yosemite.jpg|Michael Rael Armas on [[Midnight Lightning (bouldering)|Midnight Lightning]], [[Camp 4 (Yosemite)|Camp 4]] ([[Yosemite National Park]], [[United States|USA]]), one of the world's most famous bouldering problems
</gallery>

=== Notable ascents ===
{{Main|List of grade milestones in rock climbing#Boulder problems}}

Notable boulder climbs are chronicled by the climbing media to track progress in boulder climbing standards and levels of technical difficulty; in contrast, the hardest [[traditional climbing]] routes tend to be of lower technical difficulty due to the additional burden of having to place protection during the course of the climb, and due to the lack of any possibility of using natural protection on the most extreme climbs.<ref name="PMEVOL">{{cite web |last=Oviglia |first=Maurizio |date=23 December 2012 |title=The Evolution of Free Climbing |url=https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/the-evolution-of-free-climbing.html |accessdate=4 January 2025 |website=Planet Mountain.com}}</ref>

As of November 2022, the world's hardest bouldering routes are ''[[Burden of Dreams (climb)|Burden of Dreams]]'' by [[Nalle Hukkataival]] and ''Return of the Sleepwalker'' by [[Daniel Woods]], both at proposed grades of {{Boulder grade|9A}}.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Corrigan |first=Kevin |date=2021-04-07 |title=Daniel Woods Spent a Month Alone in the Desert To Send His First V17, He Came Back a Different Person |url=https://www.climbing.com/news/interview-daniel-woods-talks-return-of-the-sleepwalker-v17/ |journal=Climbing |language=en-US |url-access=subscription |access-date=2025-01-05}}</ref> There are a number of routes with a confirmed climbing grade of {{boulder grade|8C+}}, the first of which was ''Gioia'' by [[Christian Core]] in 2008 (and confirmed by [[Adam Ondra]] in 2011).<ref>{{cite web |date=7 December 2011 |title=Adam Ondra, the Pure Gioia Interview |url=http://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/adam-ondra-the-pure-gioia-interview.html |accessdate=4 January 2025 |website=Planet Mountain.com}}</ref> As of December 2021, female climbers [[Josune Bereziartu]], [[Ashima Shiraishi]], and [[Kaddi Lehmann]] have repeated boulder problems at the {{boulder grade|8C}} boulder grade.<ref>{{cite web |last=Walker |first=Noah |date=29 April 2021 |title=Watch Kaddi Lehmann Climb Kryptos 8C/V15 |url=https://gripped.com/indoor-climbing/watch-kaddi-lehmann-climb-kryptos-8c-v15/ |accessdate=4 January 2025 |website=Gripped.com}}</ref> On 28 July 2023, [[Katie Lamb]] became the first female climber to climb an {{boulder grade|8C+}}-rated boulder by repeating ''Box Therapy'' at [[Rocky Mountain National Park]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Potter |first=Steven |date=5 September 2023 |title=Katie Lamb Sends "Box Therapy"—Becoming the First Woman to Climb V16 |url=https://www.climbing.com/news/katie-lamb-box-therapy-v16/ |journal=Climbing |url-access=subscription |access-date=5 January 2025}}</ref> However, after [[Brooke Raboutou]] repeated the climb In October 2023, the boulder was ultimately downgraded to {{Boulder grade|8c}}.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Miller |first=Delaney |date=13 October 2023 |title=Brooke Raboutou Sends 'Box Therapy'—She Called it V15 |url=https://www.climbing.com/news/brooke-raboutou-sends-box-therapy-she-called-it-v15/ |access-date=5 December 2023 |journal=Climbing |url-access=subscription |language=en-US}}</ref>