Jared Roth treads delicately Bishop, CA - Tim Kemple Photo
Standard outdoor bouldering is generally a very low-risk endeavor. Falls are rarely more than ten feet and crashpads and spotters do much to alleviate the force of impact. One can try to climb something far out of one’s ability range with little or no physical consequences for failure. In contrast, highball bouldering—climbing boulder problems in excess of 25 feet tall, in which the consequences of falling include broken bones, paralysis or death—places the stakes much higher. This isn’t the realm of casual attempts; this is the realm of put up or get messed up. Read More …