Top 20 Bouldering Spots around the World

Some climbers forgo the ropes, harnesses and tall walls and opt for bouldering, designed for extreme rock-climbing adventurers. At the heart of bouldering are extra-large boulders, starting at 10 to 15 feet (3 to 4,5 meters) high and "high balls" exceeding 25 feet (7,5 meters) high.

The true challenge is that bouldering is done without any ropes or harnesses. Climbers must rely on their skills and fearlessness to keep them on the rock and off the crash pad, the portable cushion that is placed at the bottom of the boulder to soften the blow when boulderers tumble back down to Earth. Aside from the foam crash pad, you'll also need good climbing shoes and chalk.

While traditional rock-climbing focuses on an individual's endurance, bouldering is a more social sport that emphasizes strength and powerful moves. The bouldering community often sets off in groups to conquer the big rocks, so grab your pals and set off on an adventure at these top 5 bouldering spots around the world.

Fontainebleau, France

For many people the favourite climbing area in the world is Fontainebleau.

It is located a mere forty-five minutes south of Paris and is home to some of the best climbing in the world. The rock is a dark grey sandstone packed with incredible features. The climbing ranges from very easy to extremely hard, and there are hundreds if not thousands of problems at every single difficulty level.

Font and climbing have a long history. People have been climbing here for about a century, and the sport has become engrained into the culture. It is not uncommon for entire families to be seen out at the boulders on the weekends, trading attempts on boulder problems throughout the forest.

Much of the climbing is located around the towns of Fontainebleau, Milly la Foret, and Nemours. The landscape is very flat and many of the towns are based around agriculture. There are hundreds of farms that line the roads as you drive from area to area. The scenery within the forest is incredible too. Trees, ferns, and moss reflect the light differently at all hours of the day. There is also a ton of wildlife--if you are lucky, it is possible to see a wild boar during your climbing day.  

The best season for Font is between late October and the middle of March.  The winter can be rainy, but it’s the best season for friction on the extremely friction-dependent sandstone.

Yellow Circuit, Rocher Aux Sabot, Fontainebleau, France, is the place for beginners. Fontainebleau is a climber’s paradise – perfect sandstone boulders above flat, sandy landings, set amidst a beautiful forest only an hour from Paris. Climb in the steps of the bleausards who marked the bouldering circuits with small arrows that you can still follow today, safe in the knowledge you are never too far from a boulangerie. If we had to pick one of the many great circuits, it would be the yellow at Rocher Aux Sabot. It lacks the cold and misery of mountaineering, the terrifying falls of rock climbing, but never fear if you like it spicy, things can go wrong in Font – someone could kick sand in your baguette.

You can climb all year round in Fontainebleau; the warmer months are more pleasant, although purists might prefer winter when friction is best.

 

Albarracin, Spain

Albarracin has the reputation as the best bouldering area in Spain and is often described as the next best in Europe behind Fontainebleau, and is very popular with Spanish climbers. Like Fontainebleau, Albarracin has many huge ancient sandstone blocks that are solid, well-weathered and situated in a forest. There are a variety of problems to climb from quality slabs, amazing arêtes, overhanging walls on crimps and cracks, to huge roofs. There is a good spread of grades at Albarracin ranging from Fontainebleau 3 to 8b+, with the majority in the 5 to 7b range.

One of the main advantages of bouldering at Albarracin as opposed to other bouldering areas within Spain is the temperature. Albarracin is at an altitude of over 900m above sea level, making the air cool enough to climb throughout most of the year except high summer and is generally very dry.

Ticino, Switzerland 
Located only an hour and a half north of Milan, Italy, the canton of Ticino in Switzerland has some of the best bouldering on the planet. Gneiss lines nearly all of the valleys Ticino has many bouldering areas, some of the most famous being Cresciano, Chironico and Brione.  All of the areas in Ticino are named after the towns in which they are located, and all are world-class.

The rock in Ticino seems to be featured just enough to make climbing possible.  Most of the climbing in Ticino is at the more difficult realm of the spectrum, but there are also quite a lot of moderates that are just as impressive.

Driving to many of the climbing areas in Ticino truly feels like going back in history. The towns that make up Ticino are small and extremely old, and littered with stone buildings and frescos painted hundreds of years ago. The scenery is amazing and the steep river-cut valleys are breathtaking in the fall when the leaves change.

The best time to climb in Ticino is between October and late March.  The winter can be bitterly cold, but lends itself to great conditions if there is not too much snow.

 

Petrohrad, Czech Republic 

Petrohrad is the best bouldering area in the Czech Republic, situated 50km northwest of Plzen and 80 km west of Prague. Much like Fontainebleau, the area is divided up into many sub-areas, and offers thousands of problems (routes) and an enormous potential for the future.

At present there are circa 3000 boulder problems (routes) and since every week new ones are added, even the local climbers find it difficult to keep up with the development. The boulders are located in scenic natural surroundings, predominantly deep in the mysterious forest but some are also to be found in open fields surrounded by a wild, hilly landscape.

The boulders are comprised of a rough, often rounded granite which offers excellent friction. While the vast majority of problems are relatively easy, there are over 60 problems (routes) harder than Fb8A, with the hardest at present being Fb8b+. There is pretty much something for everyone and at the end of the day all climbers head to the village Petrohrad with its nice pub, good food and excellent beer... 

Getting there: Petrohrad is situated about 80km west of Prague. From Prague take the main road (toll route) no.6/E48 west towards Karlovy Vary and reach Petrohrad. Exit for the village and reach its center after 1.5km.

Food and accommodation: Wild camping is permitted at the Josemit area, otherwise head to the campsite in Jesenice.

Bouldering in Greece

The map shows some of the bouldering areas that have recently been developed in Greece.

The island of Tinos is the most extensive bouldering area in Greece, with a wide range of routes on excellent granite rock.  The excellent “Tinos-Bloc” guidebook that covers the bouldering on Tinos Island describes nearly 600 routes across a wide range of grades.  The bouldering described in this guidebook is situated in the north east of the island though there is the potential for 1000’s of more routes to be developed.
 

The island of Kos also offers some excellent bouldering on granite rock. Most climbers only visit Kos on their way to Kalymnos, but a bouldering trip here in its own right is very worthwhile.  The bouldering at Kos is detailed in the guidebook called “Olympic Blocs”, which describes approximately 300 routes across a wide range of grades, plus there is lots of potential to open up new routes and sectors.
 

In the north of Greece there are 2 other granite bouldering areas, called Pinovo and Maronia.  The bouldering at these areas is again detailed in the guidebook called “Olympic Blocs”, which describes approximately 150 routes at Pinovo and approximately 100 problems at Maronia across a wide range of grades.  Again there are lots of potential to open up new problems and sectors.
 

The sandstone bouldering at Rizoma is situated close to the climbing at Meteora and it is possible to combine an excellent trip of trad/sports climbing and bouldering in this compact area.  The bouldering here is detailed in the guidebook called “Olympic Blocs”, which describes approximately 100 routes.  Click here for more information.
 

The limestone bouldering at Varasova (close to Patras) is limited to the boulders that are scattered beneath the main wall, with around 50 routes.  Click here for more information.

The best time of the year for bouldering in Greece is generally from the autumn through until spring.  In summer it is just too hot.
 

Bouldering Guidebooks for Greece. Currently there are 2 guidebooks available that cover the bouldering to be found in Greece, which have been used to extract the above information.  These are: 
 

Tinos Bloc. The island of Tinos is the most extensive bouldering area in Greece and such has its own dedicated guidebook.  Tinos Bloc describes over 600 problems across a wide range of grades.  All the problems are shown on colour photo-topos with Fontainebleau grades used throughout.  
 

Olympic Bloc.This guidebook describes all the developed bouldering in Greece, except that found of the island of Tinos.  Olympic Bloc describes over 750 problems at the island of Kos, Pinovo, Maronia, Rizoma (near Meteora), Varasova (near Patras), and Bollywood (near Volos). All the problems are shown on photo-topos with Fontainebleau grades used throughout.  
 

Further information about bouldering in Greece can be found on the guidebook publisher’s own website.

   
Rocklands, South Africa

Climbers who make the trek to Rocklands, South Africa, are rewarded with a panoramic view of boulders as far as the eye can see, all of which are options for climbers looking to hit the rocks. Rocklands is about 3 hours north of Cape Town in the Cederberg Wilderness Area. There are clusters of boulders in fields at the Roadkill Cafe and the Fields of Joy that make up challenging bouldering courses.

After passing through the small town of Clan William, it is another thirty minutes to the climbing and accommodations: camping for the thrifty and old farmhouses for big groups who want a roof over their heads at night. Both forms are incredibly inexpensive.

The climbing in South Africa is like a dream. The rock is bulletproof, orange-and-grey sandstone and is generally very featured, with plenty of hand holds. The problems range from extremely easy to very difficult, but lend themselves more to moderate and easy climbing. 

Living in Rocklands is very relaxing and feels very much like a vacation. If you’re not climbing, you can watch incredible wildlife, visit the beach and hang out in the sun. I start most days with with a long, relaxing morning, followed by a great session of bouldering, and ending with an incredible “braai” (South African for BBQ) feast of amazing local meat and vegetables. The nights are generally mild, and the lack of a large population lends itself to some of the world's best stargazing. 

The best time to go to Rocklands is between May and early September, as these are their winter months and tend to have the coolest temperatures, between 45 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

Squamish, British Columbia, Canada

Located just an hour north of Vancouver, Squamish, British Columbia, is a North American climbing hot spot when the cool temperatures welcome climbers from the south looking to escape the heat. Squamish appeals to boulderers and traditional route-climbers with plenty of great angles across more than 1,500 routes. The boulders are scattered throughout a forest that sits in the shadow of The Chief, one of the largest granite monoliths in the world.

Hampi, India 

Whether you are amateur boulderer or a veteran looking for new problems off the beaten routes, Hampi will not fail to satisfy your hunch. In Hampi you can spend a lifetime do bouldering and still left with many problems yet to be attempted. 

For long Hampi has been in the list of those places secretly shared among the old hand boulderers. Not anymore, especially after the 2003 sensational climbing video Pilgrimage featuring Chris Sharma with his friends Katie Brown and Nate Gold. 
 

This movie, shot by the renowned climbing movie maker Josh Lowell generated special interest among the bouldering fans across the world. 
 

Along with some serious bouldering actions, the movie succeeded in capturing the very essence of the holy nature of Hampi. Therefore the name Pilgrimage! A beeline of climbers lugging their crash pad to the boulder-strewn Hampi was the result.
 

The purists among the boulderers may not to like to see it, but Hampi has a large number of giant boulders that is split apart vertically. As a boulderer sometimes these create campus board like problems for you. 
 

November and December are the best season of the year for Bouldering in Hampi. Avoid the rainy season and the peak summer.
 

Hampi is hot and dry. I mean the summer temperature can go past the mark – 40 deg C ( 104 degF). Summer pickups momentum from February onward. March to June is really hot. Then the monsoon (rainy season) arrives, making the boulders wet and slippery. By August monsoon recedes but the heat still persists, though on the decline. 
 

November and December are the coolest months for Hampi with pleasant weather.
 

You may stretch your plan on either side of this ‘season’ a bit, if you don’t mind a bit of the hot climate.
 

One way of managing this is to start early (say by sunrise) to the boulder fields. Retire when the heat reaches beyond your tolerance. Take a long mid-day break. Start again in the evening, till sunset.

 

Stoney Point, Los Angeles, California, USA

The local area for the climbers of Los Angeles; Stoney Point can boast to be one of the very first bouldering areas anywhere. It’s historic significance should not be underestimated – many of America’s luminaries cut their teeth here; Royal Robbins, Yvon Chouinard, Bob Kamps, Ron Kauk, John Long, and John Bachar to name but a few.

This sandstone crag is surrounded by many fine boulders and there are some great top rope problems on the walls, and in the canyons. At its best, the rock is fine grained and quite compact, which makes it very kind on the hands and enables long bouldering sessions. There are also many flakes, which break easily, especially after prolonged rain, so take great care after such weather. Because of this, the bouldering at Stoney Point does take on a kind of ephemeral state; as holds break off you’ll find your recent send to be a thing of the past. This raises another issue as some “climbers” have resorted to chipping and otherwise modifying the rock – needless to say this is utterly unacceptable. There’s a lot of variety here and one can put together quite an eclectic cocktail of boulder problems for an excellent training session.

The climbing season lasts all year long – although in the summer it can get very hot, and of course, as stated earlier, rain stops play.

There’s a lot of trash and graffiti at Stoney Point, and it’s a bloody crying shame. There’s usually a clean-up effort at least once a year and local climbers are encouraged to attend and contribute whenever possible. Stoney Point is a city park – granted mainly through the efforts of climbers.

Buttermilks, Bishop, California, USA 

Located on the eastern slope of the lower Sierra Nevada Mountain range, the small town of Bishop, CA, is surrounded by some of the country's best bouldering spots. 

The 3 main bouldering areas (Happy Boulders, Sad Boulders and Buttermilk Country), with more than 2,000 problems spread offer climbers a diverse bouldering experience, including high-ball granite boulders and pockety volcanic boulders. The Happy and Sad Boulders offer similar terrain tucked into canyons with interesting routes, referred to as problems in the bouldering world, and a range of ratings from easy to difficult. The Buttermilk region has a selection of freestanding boulders called highballs or eggs, with unusual names including A Birthing Experience, The Beekeeper's Apprentice and Jedi Mind Tricks.

These being the volcanic rock at Tableland and Sherwin Plateau that is very pocketed, and the quartz monzonite rock at Buttermilk Country that is generally crimpier.

The best season for the Buttermilks is between October and late April. The rock in the Buttermilks is sharp and if it is too hot out it will chew your skin up quite quickly.

Yosemite Valley, California, USA

No list of bouldering haunts would be complete without a nod to Yosemite Valley. The area hosts some of the world’s best granite bouldering. Take your pick between sublimely name problems including Cathedral Boulders, Candyland, Yabo Boulder, Curry Village and Knobby Wall. Try not to get too distracted by the dazzling views of forest, glaciers and waterfalls, and keep it clean.

Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA 

One of the most iconic corners of the United States, Joshua Tree National Park lies just east of Palm Springs, on the border between the Mojave and Colorado deserts. The park spreads 1,234 square miles, about three-quarters of which has been designated as wilderness. It was established as a national monument in 1936, designated by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve in 1984 and became a national park in 1994. Rugged bare-rock ridges of gneiss and giant granite boulders form a dramatic backdrop that pans out as some epic climbs. In fact, the park has over 400 climbing formations and 8,000 climbing routes, including innumerable boulder problems. Cue a regular influx of bouldering enthusiasts from around the world. The fee to enter Joshua Tree is $15 per vehicle, which is good for 7 days from the date on your receipt.

Ozark Mountains, Arkansas, USA 

The climbing areas of the Ozarks are situated deep within the forests of Northwest Arkansas. The rock is impeccable sandstone that seems to have been built for climbing. 

Much of the climbing is located in and around the Horseshoe Canyon Ranch. The ranch is an amazing place to call home base as it offers cabin accommodations and a truly relaxed southern lifestyle. The problems range from very easy classics to some of the hardest and best climbs in the country. This is not to say that the easy climbing is not amazing either. There is also incredible potential for development of new areas.

As the Ozarks are located in an area with a very low population density, it is uncommon to see more than one group of climbers out at the boulders on any given day. The town of Jasper hosts some fun restaurants and the local climbers are extremely friendly. The Ozark Cafe in downtown Jasper is great for a warm bite to eat after a long day of climbing. They also have an excellent breakfast menu with low prices. 

The best season for the Ozarks is between October and March, when the temperatures are cool, the friction is perfect, and there are no bugs.  

Horse Pens 40, Alabama, USA 

While there are great international spots for climbing, you don't need a passport to experience some hard-core bouldering. Horse Pens 40 Park, or HP40, is packed with sandstone boulders in Steele, AL, just 1 hour east of Birmingham. This historic park is tucked into the foothills of the Appalachians. There are numerous big rocks at sites including Ten Pins, Ghetto Superstar and more difficult problems at Mortal Combat. Bring a tent and head lamp, and plan for some nighttime bouldering and camping, which is also permitted in the park. If you plan your trip accordingly, you may be able to combine some bouldering with the park's popular annual events, including the Alabama leg of the Bouldering Triple Crown competitive series, bluegrass music festivals, American Indian Powwows and motorcycle rallies.

 

Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site, Texas

This state park lies some 30 miles east of El Paso, Texas. This bouldering hotspot situated in El Paso County, Texas, lies in a high-altitude desert basin between the Franklin Mountains to the west and the Hueco Mountains to the east. 

Most rock climbers who have been there all say that Hueco Tanks is one of the best bouldering sites in the world. 

The 860-acre zone boasts over 2,000 problems, making it one of the world’s best places to climb without rope. The place’s Spanish name rubs in its credentials. Hueco means “hollows” – a nod to the legion of water-holding depressions in the boulders and rock faces that pepper the region.

The formations here are low enough to climb without ropes, so it's a good practice ground for beginners. However, the locals have raised concerns about the impact climbing has on these formations and their ecology, so the Texas Parks and Wildlife have limited the access to the park. To go rock climbing at Hueco Tanks State Park, you have to join a guided group. But if you don't want the hassle of group climbing, you can try getting permission to climb the North Mountain, which is the only rock formation open to unguided climbs in Hueco Tanks State Park. North Mountain is a very easy climb with a couple dozen possible approaches. 

October to April is the best time for climbing at Hueco Tanks State Park. Hueco Tanks is one of North America’s most popular climbing destinations every winter from November to March.

Joe’s Valley, Utah, USA

Set outside of the town of Orangeville, Utah, Joe’s Valley feels specifically designed for bouldering. The approaches are usually five minutes or less from the car, and Joe’s Valley presents hundreds of intriguing boulder problems of every grade. The vibrant boulders arranged against the sagebrush and high desert greenery constitute lovely scenery – particularly during the fall when the leaves blaze with color. Joe’s Valley has every feature imaginable. It has been near impossible to chronicle every hunk of rock climbed by locals and random travelers.