BOULDERING

The complete boulderer’s manual: techniques, safety, ethics and exploration

This manual is designed to be a valuable tool for the practice of bouldering on the rock, both for beginners and experts who want to deepen their knowledge.

The first section of this manual provides essential information about bouldering on the rock, taking into account several important aspects: the meaning of bouldering, its “rules” and the measures that must be taken for a respectful and sustainable practice, the fundamental jargon, the technical movements that must be learnt, the grade system and the different types of rock.

An entire chapter resumes the long history of bouldering, starting from the first steps at the end of 1800 up to nowadays. A detailed analysis of the needed gear follows: climbing shoes, types of crash-pad and how to choose it, brushes, chalk and tools for a more “advanced” practice. An extended chapter is devoted to safety, giving complete information on how to use and to place the crash-pads effectively, how to spot correctly in different situations and how to approach high-balls.

The second section of the manual provides important tools for exploring and developing new boulder areas: the extra gear needed, how to start searching for new boulders, how to clear the access paths, prepare the landings and clean the rock, the ethical principles for setting new lines and how to grade and communicate them.

Alberto Milani, born in 1980, started climbing at the age of 13. During the first years, he spent most of his time doing sport climbing and mountaineering, then by end of the ‘90s he focused mainly on bouldering. Together with rock climbing, from 2003 to 2010, he participated to the main Italian boulder competitions. Since the beginning of the 2000 he climbed several 8a+ boulders, flashing the 7c grade. He visited all the main boulder areas in Europe and outside. Since the beginning of his activity he engaged in the exploration and development of new areas, such as Valbondione and many others. He made more than 500 first ascents up to 8a. From 2017 he is a FASI climbing instructor, currently teaching at the indoor climbing wall “Manga” in Milan.
In 2002 he started to practice yoga once he realized its close connection with climbing. Since 2007 he has practiced yoga regularly and started a multi-annual training, becoming yoga instructor in 2010 at the school Jiva Yoga of Como. In 2014 he completed the training, officially graduating as a yoga instructor recognized at the national (CSEN) and international level (E-RYT®200/RYT®500/YAC EP®). From 2019 he is an ordinary member of the YANI (Yoga Associazione Nazionale Insegnanti). From 2014 he teaches yoga and yoga for climbing, giving lessons weekly and organizing seminars, workshops and retreats all around Italy. Moreover, he is one of the responsible teachers for the multi-annual training course for new teachers at the Jiva Yoga Academy (www.jivayoga.it/). He published several articles on yoga and climbing on specialized magazines, he is one of the editors of Up-Climbing.com and from 2015 he collaborates with Versante Sud and Climbing Radio. In 2015, he published the first edition of Yogascent (Versante Sud) and the two following editions, and in 2020 the guidebook Valtellina Bloc (Versante Sud). He is editor of Up Climbing Magazine Yearbook and one of the editors of Up Climbing Magazine.