A good bouldering session starts on the ground, with the right gear to wear and to take with you to the climbing wall.
Hiring or Buying Climbing Shoes
Many gyms and indoor climbing walls have climbing shoes for hire so it’s worth hiring a pair until you know if you’ll be going back to the wall for further climbing sessions. Climbing shoes should be snug fitting with no unnecessary space between the toes. Some amount of toe curl is normal as this allows for a good grip of the holds with the toes.
How Chalk Works
The liquid chalk needs to be applied first to the hands as a base layer which will then dry very quickly and then the chalk bag can be used to ‘top up’ throughout the session. It is best to apply the chalk to the palms and the tips of the fingers only.
What to Wear on the Wall
Loose, stretchy clothing is best for climbing, for example joggers, climbing tights, shorts and a fitting top. The main area of the body that you use for climbing are the hips and shoulders, so make sure you can move them freely.
What to Leave at Home
Remove your jewellery (rings, watches, bracelets, etc) before you go for a climb as it can get caught on holds and potentially cause harm to yourself or others. Bare feet are okay to be on the mats between problems, but no climbing in socks!
Protecting Your Fingers and Wrists
Finger tape is very useful if you have minor cuts and scrapes to your fingers or have joints that are tweaky. A simple roll of climbing tape can cost a few pounds and is worth investing in. If you are looking for Bouldering Gloucester, see https://www.270climbing.com/.
With a few basic bits sorted out before you go, you can get straight on with climbing at your chosen wall.