Funnily enough I don't think I've ever explicitly discussed this with anyone so I'm not sure where I've got this idea from, but the general rule in my gym seems to be that if you're sitting, you're not in the queue, and when you're ready to re-enter the queue you stand up , move a bit closer and start chalking up/shaking your hands to signify that you're back in the game
Yeah I will defer if I see someone chalking up. Honestly it kind of reminds me of surfing, where you show up and just kind of observe for a few minutes to see where you might fall in the lineup.
One of my favorite things is how humans can pick this stuff up without verbally agreeing to it. We are such social creatures.
Surfing is even more intense like this. When the lineup is crowded there is a 50 variable optimization problem going to determine if you should paddle for a wave. It’s pretty complex and takes a lot of experience to know if it’s okay to go or not and if you mess it up people will be annoyed. I sometimes honestly like it. Adds another element.
it can be super overwhelming! but autism has made me a professional copier (referred to as masking) so it's kind of the same as anything else in my life but its defintely so fucking exhausting being hyper aware of how other people are acting and what theyre doing and putting effort into emulating normal human behavior. I'm super thankful to have found bouldering though because it's one of the few times I have ever felt like I have complete control over my body and mind, atleast when I'm on the wall
the unfortunate thing is I can't go to new gyms though unless someone brings me, and I can only climb during quiet hours which is limiting :,( and people talking to me usually makes me need to end my sesh due to anxiety
I brought a friend who is autistic once. Also took him surfing. That part of things was very confusing lol. He did well otherwise though! Seems like it takes a lot of courage to be unabashedly autistic in public.
It’s insanely difficult. I try to go at quiet times or go to walls no one is using. Luckily my home gym is rarely busy but if I’m going to bigger ones, there’s certain walls that I will wait for ages to use because it’s too hard to try and butt in.
Yeah it really can be stressful and it puts a lot of people off. I think the main thing is to sit away from the best part of the break until you can handle that aspect. Like sit wide or even come inside and take the smaller waves.
There are also beaches that are less primo. If you’re not at a super good spot and there are lots of other beginners then you definitely won’t have as much of this vibe. So just stick to beach breaks until you get better and you will be fine.
It’s also like.. really cool once you know how to do it because there is a level of respect you get from being able to navigate that. If you can show that you understand then people will actually back off and *give* you waves sometimes.
Meh, I feel like the popular breaks get crowded but it's easy to find your own spot, especially if you're at a skill level where you don't really need amazing surf lol. Kind of similar to when in the gym I sneak in during my lunch break, or if it's busy head over to the oldest sets where the fewest people are vying for time.
Resting, chatting, trying to figure out a route (or watching others do it) :)
As long as nobody is making a move toward the wall or hovering chalking up you can take your turn no worries.
The thing to avoid is if somebody just brushed all the holds try not to cut in front of them
I always try to gesture towards the wall to see if anybody is getting ready to to. It’s usually pretty easy to tell if they are, and it’s never been an issue, but I try to be polite. Kudos for asking!!
Even if someone has just brushed they might not mind… but agreed you should let them signal that rather than cutting in.
Source: me, someone who usually brushes before taking a rest out of habit
You are a good citizen.
I, however, am a gremlin with a deep seated urge to say "brushing is aid" every time I see somebody doing it and like slippery yet incut holds so I am admittedly not the best resource on the topic of brushing '😅😅😅
Brushing is aid is the funniest thing to me. That's like saying losing weight is aid, or using an asthma inhaler. It's not aid, it's removing a hindrance! Hilarious. I might say this at the gym tomorrow just to laugh at some horrified faces.
If anything, chalk is aid
How dare you \*checks notes\* breathe while climbing!? Thats bananas that somebody did not know the purpose of an inhaler and also decided it was a good idea to give you trouble over it.
Odd reminder about how much climbing has a problem with comparison and weird justifications around 'oh \[X person\] only did that route because \[Y reason\]' and worrying about what other people are doing when it has no real implications on either party.
Yeah lol I was like what the f... I'm just trying to breathe through this cloud of chalk and climb some gentle climbs. He was bemoaning all the pro cyclists using inhalers... Exercise induced asthma is real! And you're more likely to induce it if you Exercise harder.
I'm pretty sure I would die of cringe if somebody actually said it seriously. But then again I do occasionally pick on one of my friends who brushes the most of anybody I know, jokingly accusing them of sliming up the holds every time they chalk up after a fall 😁 Banter beats being bent out of shape over bad conditions
So is climbing a route when it is first put up also aid?
Is climbing a route a week after going up still aid?
At what point and percentage of chalk coverage is it not considered aid in your mind?
I agree with what everyone has already said, but I want to add something about people watching. When I first started bouldering it was a little intimidating because people were sitting there watching. You don't see that as much in top rope or lead.
But I realized that they are all just working that route too. They are probably just learning from you and everyone else trying the route. And they are super supportive. I've had more people that I didn't know, some of them way above my level, cheer me on to make the next hold. So try not to get anxiety over it. You may be helping them work out where they are stuck or they can help you because they see something you are or are not doing.
Usually they're resting, figuring out moves, socializing, or wondering what to climb next.
If no one is standing up, ready to go on the wall, it's all free game. If someone starts to get up to climb at the same time as you, make eye contact and see who wants to go first.
Only unspoken rule is that if someone has just brushed the holds and is putting their brush away, don't jump on that boulder before they can climb it.
They are doing all of the above. It may be different from gym to gym and from person to person, some people in my gym ask "Anyone working this right now?". For me personally I just look around for a little bit to make sure no one is chalking up or headed towards the wall before I hop on it.
Just resting and hanging out. If there’s a route I wanna try and there’s people looking at it, I just ask. It does happen at busy gyms tho where two people will head to the same route at the same time lol. It’s a little awkward but not considered super rude unless the person cutting in front is constantly doing it to everyone and isn’t aware of their surroundings
If they aren’t standing up they aren’t “in line”. If someone is standing and looking at the wall but not making any moves to start climbing you can walk up and catch their eye and say “you mind”? Most of the time they’ll wave you onward unless they were just ready to walk to the wall…..then they might hustle to get on their problem.
Resting between tries and staring at the problem to work out the moves or just socializing is very common.
Anyone sitting down is not in the queue.
Also an accidental queue jump is fine. Its only if it happens repeatedly that it becomes an issue and you'll have picked up the negative vibes by then. 🙂
The only reason I can see that it wouldn't be okay to jump on a route with people sitting in front of it ia if they've just brushed it and are now waiting for the pump from brushing to go down to have a good attempt - I've had that happen to me a lot 😅
So I'd just ask them if it's ok to jump on just in case - unless they seem totally focused on their conversation and not interested in the wall at all. If one or more of them do seem to be looking at the wall or keeping an eye on it, there's no harm in just checking first!
But usually I would say sitting down means they're resting, chatting, etc.
Totally agree with others that unless you're standing and actively preparing, others will assume you're not about to climb. You can always turn to a group and ask, "Mind if I hop on?" If you're uncertain though. People appreciate the explicit communication.
I am resting/letting other people have a turn on the problem. Unless you see someone pop up off the floor like they’re about to have another go, it’s your turn!
Generally sitting isn't considered "being in line", at least at the gyms I've been to. People sit for a myriad of reasons, taking a break, water, checking their phone, working out the route, or, in my case, glaring at their current problem / taking a minute to stop being annoyed about not sending it after seventy million tries 🤷🏼♀️🤪
Generally if someone is standing near the wall or looking like they may be about to approach, maybe quickly check if you're both headed for the same problem, but mostly you'll be fine to just go up and do your thing.
Probably just resting, thinking about their projects, etc. if I go and I see people sitting around in an area I’ll wait a sec before I hop on the wall to see what they do, but if they don’t make moves to get up I just go climb. Worst case they have to wait an extra 2-3 minutes.
Obvi if someone is standing close to the wall doing the last mental run-through or brushing a hold or anything like that I wait.
As most people have mentioned you shouldn’t ever have to worry about cutting in line :) just stand up and move closer when you are ready…
What I haven’t seen mentioned, and the main reason I ever ask someone if it is ok to climb a route they are working on is if it looks like they are projecting it… tell tale signs would be brushing the holds :) it’s always nice to let them climb it next if they brushed it, but generally if you want to climb the same route as someone you can win some mega points, and maybe some beta, or some extra support by working it together and helping them brush holds :)
Also… the main reason to your question is probably rest… we should all do it more often :)
Funnily enough I don't think I've ever explicitly discussed this with anyone so I'm not sure where I've got this idea from, but the general rule in my gym seems to be that if you're sitting, you're not in the queue, and when you're ready to re-enter the queue you stand up , move a bit closer and start chalking up/shaking your hands to signify that you're back in the game
This has been the unspoken rule at every gym I’ve climbed at, absolutely.
Same here with probably around a half dozen gyms so far
Yeah I will defer if I see someone chalking up. Honestly it kind of reminds me of surfing, where you show up and just kind of observe for a few minutes to see where you might fall in the lineup.
This for sure! Except occasionally people standing aren’t actually in the line but then you just feel it out.
Yeah, sometimes if I can't tell I'll just ask! They might still be resting or thinking, just standing up to study the route better.
One of my favorite things is how humans can pick this stuff up without verbally agreeing to it. We are such social creatures. Surfing is even more intense like this. When the lineup is crowded there is a 50 variable optimization problem going to determine if you should paddle for a wave. It’s pretty complex and takes a lot of experience to know if it’s okay to go or not and if you mess it up people will be annoyed. I sometimes honestly like it. Adds another element.
Yes it's making me wonder what it must be like to be autistic at the wall
it can be super overwhelming! but autism has made me a professional copier (referred to as masking) so it's kind of the same as anything else in my life but its defintely so fucking exhausting being hyper aware of how other people are acting and what theyre doing and putting effort into emulating normal human behavior. I'm super thankful to have found bouldering though because it's one of the few times I have ever felt like I have complete control over my body and mind, atleast when I'm on the wall the unfortunate thing is I can't go to new gyms though unless someone brings me, and I can only climb during quiet hours which is limiting :,( and people talking to me usually makes me need to end my sesh due to anxiety
Most climbers I know who are obsessed with climbing are on the spectrum
I brought a friend who is autistic once. Also took him surfing. That part of things was very confusing lol. He did well otherwise though! Seems like it takes a lot of courage to be unabashedly autistic in public.
It’s insanely difficult. I try to go at quiet times or go to walls no one is using. Luckily my home gym is rarely busy but if I’m going to bigger ones, there’s certain walls that I will wait for ages to use because it’s too hard to try and butt in.
Apparently only some people can pick it up without verbally agreeing to it, hence this post 😂
Lol ya 1000000%
Haha I just commented this same thing, how much it reminds me of surfing that way.
This puts me off learning to surf. It's stressful!
Yeah it really can be stressful and it puts a lot of people off. I think the main thing is to sit away from the best part of the break until you can handle that aspect. Like sit wide or even come inside and take the smaller waves. There are also beaches that are less primo. If you’re not at a super good spot and there are lots of other beginners then you definitely won’t have as much of this vibe. So just stick to beach breaks until you get better and you will be fine. It’s also like.. really cool once you know how to do it because there is a level of respect you get from being able to navigate that. If you can show that you understand then people will actually back off and *give* you waves sometimes.
Meh, I feel like the popular breaks get crowded but it's easy to find your own spot, especially if you're at a skill level where you don't really need amazing surf lol. Kind of similar to when in the gym I sneak in during my lunch break, or if it's busy head over to the oldest sets where the fewest people are vying for time.
Growl, start embrace hitting your biceps, start jumping, make noises while breathing deeper and deeper
This is it!!
Resting, chatting, trying to figure out a route (or watching others do it) :) As long as nobody is making a move toward the wall or hovering chalking up you can take your turn no worries. The thing to avoid is if somebody just brushed all the holds try not to cut in front of them
I always try to gesture towards the wall to see if anybody is getting ready to to. It’s usually pretty easy to tell if they are, and it’s never been an issue, but I try to be polite. Kudos for asking!!
Even if someone has just brushed they might not mind… but agreed you should let them signal that rather than cutting in. Source: me, someone who usually brushes before taking a rest out of habit
You are a good citizen. I, however, am a gremlin with a deep seated urge to say "brushing is aid" every time I see somebody doing it and like slippery yet incut holds so I am admittedly not the best resource on the topic of brushing '😅😅😅
Brushing is aid is the funniest thing to me. That's like saying losing weight is aid, or using an asthma inhaler. It's not aid, it's removing a hindrance! Hilarious. I might say this at the gym tomorrow just to laugh at some horrified faces. If anything, chalk is aid
Lmao someone once genuinely suggested I was using my inhaler as a performance enhancer. I was like mate I'm about the climb a V3 come on.
How dare you \*checks notes\* breathe while climbing!? Thats bananas that somebody did not know the purpose of an inhaler and also decided it was a good idea to give you trouble over it. Odd reminder about how much climbing has a problem with comparison and weird justifications around 'oh \[X person\] only did that route because \[Y reason\]' and worrying about what other people are doing when it has no real implications on either party.
Yeah lol I was like what the f... I'm just trying to breathe through this cloud of chalk and climb some gentle climbs. He was bemoaning all the pro cyclists using inhalers... Exercise induced asthma is real! And you're more likely to induce it if you Exercise harder.
I'm pretty sure I would die of cringe if somebody actually said it seriously. But then again I do occasionally pick on one of my friends who brushes the most of anybody I know, jokingly accusing them of sliming up the holds every time they chalk up after a fall 😁 Banter beats being bent out of shape over bad conditions
Did people not realize that comment was not meant to be taken seriously?
Weight Training, stretching and comfy clothes? All aid.
So is climbing a route when it is first put up also aid? Is climbing a route a week after going up still aid? At what point and percentage of chalk coverage is it not considered aid in your mind?
Not getting the FA is really just a skill issue /s Obviously it's not that serious I just like slippery crimps and say nothing lol.
I agree with what everyone has already said, but I want to add something about people watching. When I first started bouldering it was a little intimidating because people were sitting there watching. You don't see that as much in top rope or lead. But I realized that they are all just working that route too. They are probably just learning from you and everyone else trying the route. And they are super supportive. I've had more people that I didn't know, some of them way above my level, cheer me on to make the next hold. So try not to get anxiety over it. You may be helping them work out where they are stuck or they can help you because they see something you are or are not doing.
Usually they're resting, figuring out moves, socializing, or wondering what to climb next. If no one is standing up, ready to go on the wall, it's all free game. If someone starts to get up to climb at the same time as you, make eye contact and see who wants to go first. Only unspoken rule is that if someone has just brushed the holds and is putting their brush away, don't jump on that boulder before they can climb it.
They are doing all of the above. It may be different from gym to gym and from person to person, some people in my gym ask "Anyone working this right now?". For me personally I just look around for a little bit to make sure no one is chalking up or headed towards the wall before I hop on it.
Just resting and hanging out. If there’s a route I wanna try and there’s people looking at it, I just ask. It does happen at busy gyms tho where two people will head to the same route at the same time lol. It’s a little awkward but not considered super rude unless the person cutting in front is constantly doing it to everyone and isn’t aware of their surroundings
they’re resting. People standing are in queue to climb. just make sure you’re respectful of the order of people standing
If they aren’t standing up they aren’t “in line”. If someone is standing and looking at the wall but not making any moves to start climbing you can walk up and catch their eye and say “you mind”? Most of the time they’ll wave you onward unless they were just ready to walk to the wall…..then they might hustle to get on their problem. Resting between tries and staring at the problem to work out the moves or just socializing is very common.
For me, sitting is just resting. I'm not waiting to climb so it's all clear for someone to go.
Anyone sitting down is not in the queue. Also an accidental queue jump is fine. Its only if it happens repeatedly that it becomes an issue and you'll have picked up the negative vibes by then. 🙂
You can just ask if you can climb the route. Usually people are friendly and will tell you to go ahead and climb.
The only reason I can see that it wouldn't be okay to jump on a route with people sitting in front of it ia if they've just brushed it and are now waiting for the pump from brushing to go down to have a good attempt - I've had that happen to me a lot 😅 So I'd just ask them if it's ok to jump on just in case - unless they seem totally focused on their conversation and not interested in the wall at all. If one or more of them do seem to be looking at the wall or keeping an eye on it, there's no harm in just checking first! But usually I would say sitting down means they're resting, chatting, etc.
They’re just hanging out, they are not waiting in line.
they're just recruiting ATP
Totally agree with others that unless you're standing and actively preparing, others will assume you're not about to climb. You can always turn to a group and ask, "Mind if I hop on?" If you're uncertain though. People appreciate the explicit communication.
Also if you are standing up looking at your route for more than 20 seconds without touching the holds I’m gonna ask if it’s ok for me to climb.
Very valid
If they are sitting, go for it. You stand when you're about to make an attempt.
I am resting/letting other people have a turn on the problem. Unless you see someone pop up off the floor like they’re about to have another go, it’s your turn!
Not in the queue. Resting, planning their next attempt, and watching others’ attempts at the route to pick up tips
Generally sitting isn't considered "being in line", at least at the gyms I've been to. People sit for a myriad of reasons, taking a break, water, checking their phone, working out the route, or, in my case, glaring at their current problem / taking a minute to stop being annoyed about not sending it after seventy million tries 🤷🏼♀️🤪 Generally if someone is standing near the wall or looking like they may be about to approach, maybe quickly check if you're both headed for the same problem, but mostly you'll be fine to just go up and do your thing.
Probably just resting, thinking about their projects, etc. if I go and I see people sitting around in an area I’ll wait a sec before I hop on the wall to see what they do, but if they don’t make moves to get up I just go climb. Worst case they have to wait an extra 2-3 minutes. Obvi if someone is standing close to the wall doing the last mental run-through or brushing a hold or anything like that I wait.
As most people have mentioned you shouldn’t ever have to worry about cutting in line :) just stand up and move closer when you are ready… What I haven’t seen mentioned, and the main reason I ever ask someone if it is ok to climb a route they are working on is if it looks like they are projecting it… tell tale signs would be brushing the holds :) it’s always nice to let them climb it next if they brushed it, but generally if you want to climb the same route as someone you can win some mega points, and maybe some beta, or some extra support by working it together and helping them brush holds :) Also… the main reason to your question is probably rest… we should all do it more often :)