Is rock climbing picking up as a fitness option in India?

Both mind and body matter in bouldering as it steadily becomes a popular sport in India. We meet the enthusiasts who hone their techniques on outdoor rocks and in climbing gyms

On the first trip to a bouldering gym, apprehension takes over. As you step into your shoes and warm up for your first climb, the feeling persists. But once you conquer your first boulder, the feeling of accomplishment leaves you wanting more.

Indoor bouldering, which is beginner-friendly and easily accessible, is finding more takers as climbing gyms become more common in the country.

“A lot of people are getting into fitness post-COVID and there is an interesting trend of many moving towards movement training including climbing in addition to regular gyms. Bouldering is a fun way to stay fit and it is attracting a lot of climbers,” says Shyamsundar Manoharan, the founder of Chennai’s first climbing gym, Fit Rock Arena.

Some professionals start climbing as a way to stay fit but end up falling in love with it, says Delhi-based climber Keith Peter. A regular in the city’s climbing scene now, Keith says that the accessibility of the sport is alluring. When he started climbing in early 2018, his only option was the climbing wall at Delhi’s Indian Mountaineering Foundation. However, over the last five years, Delhi-NCR has seen a burgeoning of climbing gyms.

Unlike top–rope (where the climber is securely attached to a rope that runs through a fixed anchor at the top of the climbing route) or trad climbing (climbing that involves removable gear) , bouldering requires minimal equipment and can be attempted even by beginners with no climbing experience. Top rope and other climbing sports require larger climbing space than for bouldering which makes boulder gyms perfect for Indian cities that already struggle with space.

Once you are all geared up — stepping into your soft bouldering shoes (which enable you to feel the terrain better) and smearing dusting chalk on your palms to improve your grip — you are ready to climb. Bouldering routes, the various path markings on the wall, are of grades generally ranging from four to nine, where, as a beginner, you start at four or five — climbers who take up routes marked around nine need to undergo rigorous training.

There are no ropes or harnesses though there is a crash pad to break your fall and prevent injuries. Instructors train your fall so that you do not stress your body while you climb back to land safely.