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Beginner to Baddie Bouldering Series
presented by Arc’teryx in partnership with the Bouldering Project Brooklyn
Course description
This course series will meet once a month for three-months at the Bouldering Project Brooklyn and is designed to help new climbers get comfortable bouldering and taking up space as climbers while also gaining the skills, confidence and community to plan your first outdoor bouldering trip. We encourage participants to climb together and practice the skills we talk about between sessions - maybe you’ll even plan an outdoor trip together by the end of this!
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Session 1
We’ll start the session off by getting to know each other, going over Flash Foxy community norms and creating our own specific group norms to help inform how we support each other during this course - and beyond! This course isn’t just about climbing, it’s also about creating a community that makes you feel good and helps you achieve your goals. Obvi, we’ll also talk climbing - including discussions of gear, gym protocols, common slang, and more. There will be plenty of time to ask questions about climbing, indoors or out.
We’ll spend the second half of the session bouldering! Our instructors will lead you through a full body warm up and then dive into bouldering basics including: route reading, hold types, down climbing, falling techniques, and adaptive techniques for individual needs. Before you go we’ll make sure you have some fun drills and small achievable goals to work towards for our next session!
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Session 2
We’ll get the second session going with a brief discussion about what participants have been practicing, plus time to ask questions. We’ll also talk about taking up space as minorities, discussing fear management techniques, and creating our own climbing goals. We’re here to make sure that you feel both physically and emotionally supported when you’re climbing with Flash Foxy!
Then we’ll climb! You’ll receive specific coaching on your climbing movement and we’ll talk about breaking down problems for projecting. We’ll start thinking about what our longer term climbing goals look like and what steps we can take to get there.
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Session 3
In this session we will go over everything you need to know to about heading outdoors to boulder responsibly. From how to pick the right place for you, to how to pull on once you’re there, we’ll dive into the basics of how to have a great time pebble wrestling and answer all-important questions like: “What snacks should I bring?” and “Is that a mattress on your back?” We’ll discuss the differences (and similarities) between indoor and outdoor bouldering, look at guidebooks for a variety of bouldering areas, and review basic outdoor crag etiquette including Leave No Trace principles. Maybe we’ll even watch a couple short videos to get stoked!
Aaaaand we’ll wrap up the course with a bouldering session, of course! You’ll show us what you’ve been practicing and we’ll give you more technique tips to help take your skills to the next level. We can even provide guidance on outdoor climbing areas that might fit your style. During this session we will discuss spotting techniques and building landings with crash pads. Before you go we’ll make sure you have drills to keep working on your skills indoors - and that you feel prepared to make your outdoor bouldering dreams come true!
Learning Outcomes
Have a working knowledge of key equipment, including crash pads, climbing shoes, chalk, and brushes.
Experience and participate in common practices, including stretching, warming up, reading a problem, working a problem, falling, and getting down from the top of a boulder.
Practice risk identification and management skills, including proper falling and spotting techniques, pad placement, and tools for topping out and descending boulders.
Practice and receive coaching on basic and intermediate climbing movement.
Be knowledgeable about bouldering jargon.
Be knowledgeable about differences (and similarities!) between indoor and outdoor bouldering.
Practice reading a guidebook and selecting outdoor locations and problems based on your experience and climbing goals.
Have a basic understanding of outdoor cag etiquette including Leave No Trace principles.
Connect with other climbers interested in bouldering.
To help participants get outdoors we’re offering 1 Scholarship Ticket to the 2025 Flash Foxy Climbing Festival in Bishop per session! We’ll also have a special discount code for all course participants. Scholarships and discounts are only available to participants who attend all 3 sessions of the Flash Foxy Beginner to Baddie Bouldering Series. We’re with you all the way from the gym to the crag!
Climber Requirements
None, beginners welcome! Need help paying for your gym membership? Check out the Arc’teryx Access Gym Membership at the Bouldering Project Brooklyn.
Course Dates
Round 1: Wednesdays 8/7 + 9/4 + 10/2
Round 2: Wednesdays 11/6 + 12/4 + 1/8/2025
Baddie Meetup - 2/5/2025
Participants from our Round 1 AND Round 2 course series are invited for a final bouldering meetup and trip planning session!