School of rock: new creatures are invading local, state and national parks--boulderers--who are using the natural landscape as their own playground.

Flashes of red, blue, black and orange can be seen moving in packs through the brush and forest below.

Observing the hurried pace of these odd creatures scrambling around soon reveals their mysterious identity. These colorful swatches of movement are people, apparently hikers, but what are those brightly colored things on their backs? Those large, mattress-like objects are called crashpads and they belong to boulderers, a rapidly growing niche of the rock climbing world.

Distinguishing these rock hounds from traditional climbers, boulderers seek large, free-standing rocks that may possess just enough improbable features to ascend to the top or traverse across its belly. It may only require three or four moves to finish the climb (or "problem" as boulderers call them), but each minuscule sloper, crimp or pinch-shaped hand hold is extremely difficult--requiring tenacity, power and flexibility to conquer; not to mention a hefty amount of will.

Bouldering is rock climbing with no strings attached, literally. Using only shoes and gymnastic chalk for gear (because boulderers are not connected to ropes when climbing) the crashpads are placed on the ground below a problem to protect the ankles, back and head of the climber in the event of a fall. Spotters are also sometimes on hand for the more lofty problems.

Requiring only boulders, large rocks or low cliff bands to enjoy the sport means that many of our local, state and national parks possess the resources needed for the activity. While rock climbing is commonly associated with only our country's Western parks, bouldering happens in U.S. parks nationwide, bringing increasingly larger numbers of people into the areas.

"It is a very low-impact sport that is accessible to all ages and socio-economic groups," says Luke Cudney, a boulderer for many years in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah. "There is very little trace left from bouldering as compared to off-road vehicular recreation, mountain biking or even roped climbing."

States without large mountain ranges can still offer world-class bouldering opportunities in their parks due to ancient boulder fields created from glacial deposits, and early geological shifts in the earth that left large amounts of rock in its wake. Thus, "lowland" parks in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Georgia and even Kansas have the necessary rock resources to support recreational bouldering.

With the growth in popularity and discovery of more climbing opportunities, park and recreation managers should be aware of what can be expected from this activity, and the land use associated with bouldering.

Bouldering's roots and origins go back to the beginning of rock climbing and perhaps even earlier, because no technical hardware is required. In the minds of many, bouldering was once seen as merely strength training for roped rock climbing, but through the years it has evolved into an entity of its own with guidebooks and competitions designed exclusively for the sport. A quick glance at today's leading climbing magazines emphasizes this point with several articles and photos dedicated solely to bouldering.

Competitions, both indoors and outdoors are happening monthly around the nation, and bouldering areas such as Queen's Creek Canyon in Arizona and Horsepens 40 in Alabama have hosted incredibly successful events.

Bouldering in Our Parks

City, state and national parks around the country have fantastic bouldering opportunities on their land. The U.S. park system is an invaluable resource for many outdoor pursuits, and climbers sincerely understand the wonderful privilege that is granted by being able to climb the boulders, crags and cliffs that dot the landscape. By keeping the parks free (or with reasonable fees) and accessible to climbers, the beauty of our preserved and maintained land can be enjoyed by yet a whole other group of outdoor enthusiasts. This gift is not taken for granted by the climbing community. Cudney explains, "Many boulderers are coming from an older generation of climbers. We have the benefit of passed-on hindsight. We can look at what previous generations have done incorrectly, what mistakes they have made in the past and avoid them. There is a very strong push for pure ethics among boulderers."

Holly Huenemann, a state park ranger for Castle Rock State Park in Northern California, says she has seen an increase in environmental awareness among climbers as well. "I have been very pleased by the commercial use of the park. The instructors who bring young or new climbers from the gyms in the Bay Area really drive home the importance of leaving the place better titan they found it." Site adds, "They even pick up litter that wasn't theirs before they leave."

The quality and type of rock in these parks contribute to the diversity essential to the climbing experience.

The igneous-pocketed boulders of Hueco Tanks State Park in El Paso, Texas, the high friction sandstone of Flagstaff Mountain in Boulder, Colo., and exceptionally featured volcanic tuft of the Happy Boulders in Bishop, Calif., create a unique palette of challenging boulder problems across the country, many worthy of a road trip.

Even more fascinating are the stellar boulder problems found in unlikely places such as Central Park in New York City and on the beaches of the California coastline. Huenemann described Castle Rock State Park as a world-class climbing destination, and said that a large part of the appeal can be credited to the quality of rock. "The vacuous sandstone of the park is very appealing to climbers," she explains.

A good bouldering area is generally defined by the quality and quantity of the rock and the varied routes that define them. The aforementioned Bishop, Calif., and Hueco Tanks State Park, Texas, bouldering areas have become destinations for top climbers from around the globe to come and test their skills on the hundreds of difficult problems. In recent years, high quality bouldering areas have been discovered and developed around the Southeast in Boone, N.C., Rocktown, Ga., and Seneca Rocks, W.Va., to name only a few. The Midwest has also seen a rise in bouldering traffic with the much-praised sandstones areas in Southern Illinois near Carbondale.

Climbers are typically drawn to areas loaded with plenty of problems at varying difficulty levels to accommodate the different climbing abilities in their group. The boulderers also occasionally look for areas with easier problems that offer "warm-up" opportunities. Ben Greenwood, a longtime climber from Boulder, Colo., declares, "It is not uncommon for climbers to travel long distances to a location with only a few boulder problems if the route is worthy of 'project' status or difficult enough to spend hours, days or months trying to finish."

A Conscious Bunch

Boulderers, like most traditional rock climbers, tend to be ethical and conscious of the resources they share with other park users. Through the years, climbing restrictions and closures in parks around the country have reminded climbers of the importance of "leaving no trace" and abiding by the rules dictating seasonal closures due to raptor 

nesting, Native American spiritual times or trail maintenance.

In fact, trail maintenance projects are often spearheaded by climbing organizations. "Rock clean-up" days, for example, are an annual event in many parks, conducted by the thankful climbers who use those resources. Cudney says that his experience with the clean-up efforts of climbers has been overwhelmingly positive.

"It is my experience that climbers clean up and restore urban-peripheral areas like Little Cottonwood Canyon," he says. Many areas in the canyon traditionally used as party spots were littered with beer bottles, trash and graffiti. Climbers do much to remove the trash, clean the area, and discourage partying locals from further trashing the area."

There are several "unwritten laws" that govern a boulderer's behavior when on public land or in the park system. Some of these laws include:

* Leave the ground or "landing area" at the base of a boulder in its natural state. Use crash pads to cover roots, rocks, etc. Don't remove these objects to accommodate your landing.

* Don't litter. This includes: energy bar wrappers, athletic tape, etc. Pick up trash others may have left behind.

* Don't damage the rock in any way. This includes chipping, drilling, etc. If you are unable to climb a problem, leave it for someone that can. Don't take liberties to damage the rock. (This topic is frequently discussed, because oddly, the practice of chipping and drilling by climbers is common in Europe and other parts of the world. That's not the case in the U.S.).

* Stay on designated trails while approaching the boulders whenever possible.

The park departments also often request that the boulderers in their parks follow a few simple rules.

"We ask boulderers to carry their crash pads instead of dragging them and to try and use rock-colored or light-colored chalk if possible," explains Huenemann.

Many climbers are environmentalists by nature, so the concept of preserving our natural park resources is almost instinctual. Cudney explains, "Boulderers are a peaceful, fun-loving tribe dedicated to enjoying the outdoor experience and each other's company. Ninety-nine point nine percent of all boulderers I've encountered feel strongly about preserving outdoor recreation and wilderness areas for the future, and the tiny percent that choose not to adhere to this suffer more from lack of education than from any sort of ego-driven disregard or malice."

He continues, "We are by and large, a very low-impact group. Our only traces are chalk on the rock, which washes off. More than anything else, we clean and promote access." With the growth and popularity of bouldering expected to continue, it is more important than ever for climbers to continue their proud history of high standards and ethical behavior in the natural world to ensure that the strong relationship with the U.S. park system continues.

Looking Ahead

In most cases, park staff can expect a responsible and generally courteous attitude from the climbers that visit their parks. The climbers gain a great deal from the outdoor experience and other park users are intrigued by the amazing combination of power and grace that bouldering displays. While the experience that Huenemann has had with boulderers and traditional rock climbers through her many years working at Castle Rock State Park has been positive, she emphasizes the importance of instructors and elders continuing to educate younger climbers. "Gyms are bringing more young boulderers to the parks who have little or no outdoors experience. It is more important than ever for young climbers who have never bouldered outdoors to be taught the positive ethics of wilderness activities."

Bouldering in our nation's parks and wilderness is something that climbers cherish. With its rapid growth, it is vital that climbers and park departments continue to work together to preserve this beneficial form of recreation, and ensure that future generations of climbers can enjoy the experience as well.