Is it safe to boulder during a pandemic?

Bouldering turns out to uniquely compatible with social strategies for staying safe during a pandemic.

Like everything in 2020, it was surreal to venture out to your projects at the height of lockdown. In our mountain town, even the slight possibility of injury was too much to risk while our rural hospital was at capacity and dealing with covid. But we have adapted.

Climbing gyms in many places are opening back up or already have. And, climbing with a mask on is not that big of deal. After more than a year of doing everything with a mask on, it has come to feel normal enough when spending time in enclosed spaces with others.

At the crags, bouldering lends itself to social distancing even more than roped climbing. Popular sport climbing areas like Shelf Road or Indian Creek can become overwhelmingly crowded in concentrated areas. Bouldering, by nature, is easy to adapt. Just pick up your pad and scoot over to a now spot whenever you feel the need.

Keep climbing and stay safe. Make bouldering a welcoming sport.