I love to climb. I love it outside, I love it inside, I love it on rocks or plastic or concrete or pretty much anything with friction. But bouldering has a place all its own. Bouldering is unique in that it is both extremely powerful and physically demanding. And at the same time, it is one of the most creative activities I have ever pursued. A boulderer can stand in front of a giant chunk of rock and do anything he or she wants. He has the basic pieces given him in the structure of the rock, but she can do anything imaginable with those pieces.
Last week I took a trip to Joe's Valley for some bouldering, and I learned that bouldering is more than just climbing. It is an experience. Because bouldering requires only short bursts of your time, much of a bouldering trip is not even spent bouldering. It is spent skinny dipping in a river. It is spent sitting on top of the rock you conquered, just feeling cool. It is spent chatting with the wonderful people you made the trip with.
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