The world of bouldering in the Philippines has enjoyed a steady and expansive growth over the years.

There has been an increase in newcomers. This means more people have embraced being a newbie, which, in any sport and by any measure, is always a good thing. 

Its emergence as both a must-try hobby and go-to sport can be attributed to a host of factors, a primary of which is the establishment of small groups that later become energized communities. 

One way to incentivize this are free beginner-friendly classes that, according to longtime climber Vanessa ‘V’ Manalo, can turn intimidation into keenness, and transform a confusing multicolored wall to a “puzzle we can solve together.”

“The thing about climbing is people sometimes think it's scary, and they think that they can't do it so they end up not walking through the doors of the gym, so we’re making these classes free and we’re creating communities because we want to show them that hey, you can do it!” said V, a programs coordinator at a popular climbing gym in Mandaluyong, in an interview with GMA Regional TV News.

Climbing, from a distance, appears to be about the climber and the wall. One on one. But most of the climbing happens before the very first grip or step (or a combination of both).  

Route analysis– often in the form of a profound stare at the wall followed by abstract arm and hand movements like shadow climbing– is just as, if not more important. 

A good chunk of sending a bouldering problem requires a brief but curious study of the coloured handholds and footholds. This occurs in animated discussions while waiting for turns, with peers who are just as invested.

In essence, learning comes much easier when climbing with a fellowship. One ought to learn from those that came before, one way or another. 

"You don’t have to be (necessarily) strong. For one, if you have the (right) technique… and second, we want to be able to create that sort of bond and friendship because the fun thing about climbing is it’s about “can you help me figure out this problem?” said V, who’s also a bouldering mentor. 

This is one of V’s reasons why she actively engages in free class initiatives for beginners, such as the ‘Boulder Easy’ project held at the Boulder World gym at a mall in Pasay.

“Generally, beginners are intimidated by stronger climbers and they feel like they can’t approach them. Through a class setting where they have people from the same level, everybody is trying the same way as they are,” shared V, who’s tapped by Boulder World to conduct the close-knit workshops. 

The idea of crafting a class curated for enthusiastic and promising boulderers was a result of the team’s observations since the gym opened last year, which, according to Boulder World’s marketing associate Zoe Principe– herself an avid climber –has always been designed for   community-building. 

“We started thinking about this class toward the end of last year when Boulder World was a few months old. We wanted to observe who were regulars, and would climb more regularly. Then we were trying to observe the beginners' struggles,” Zoe explained, emphasizing their objective of addressing the needs of those new to the sport. 

“We don’t want them to be discouraged, so we're trying to build that community by also building their individual confidence,” she added.

In indoor climbing, there simply is no monopoly of style. The means by which a bouldering problem can be solved, also known as beta, varies from one climber to another. 

But the affordances of a support system– the friendly bits of advice in between banters, the chants of ‘allez, allez’ (pronounced as ‘ale, ale’) by fellows from the stands, the immediate post-processing after every failed attempt– defines the sport far better than the individual successes. 

“It’s good to form new groups and formulations because everybody started as a beginner, not knowing what to do with their bodies, not knowing the proper positions, proper techniques,” said Zoe, “and it's probably hard when you see stronger ppl who climb much more smoothly, but you kind of need that push.”

Zoe believes that belonging to a subgroup provides that “reassurance” that there is a lot to learn from better climbers, and that the struggle at the beginning is all part of the process.

As for V, it’s all about honing the culture of teamwork and open feedback, rooted in the hopes of “eventually getting there.”

Amid all the falls, failed grips, jelly arms, and drenched chalky clothes, the mentality must be to figure it out with somebody as if “it’s a puzzle we can solve together.”  

“When we’re in bigger groups like this, a friend might know a friend who knows a friend– then it just becomes normalized that we can learn from these other climbers,” she said. 

V and Zoe, along with their team of climbing aficionados, spend weekend evenings organizing free classes for their regulars. The bordering three-hour workshop includes all the rudimentary notes on indoor climbing, from safety precautions when falling, to tips to climb like a ninja.

So, why try bouldering?

“It’s a workout that doesn't feel like a workout,” said V.

“It's always just trying to figure out a problem or a puzzle, and the good thing about it is wala siyang time pressure. You can just figure it out at your own pace, and there's a lot of different beta, or sequences to finish a problem,” she noted.

“And that's why it's good to talk to other people,” added Zoe, “because one person’s way of finishing a climb may be different than yours. That's what I love about the climbing community– we are really very supportive.”

There is an unmistakable energy that fills a bouldering gym: one that emanates from the climbers’ small talks in between deep and pensive analysis; reflected through their puzzled wall gaze followed by short and sweet chants of support.

For such a blossoming sport with growing communities left, right, and center, the establishment of small groups and free classes go a long, long way.