3 women climbers tell you all about the sport of bouldering

This weekend more than 120 athletes from 13 countries will dexterously try to traverse tiny rock formations on 15feet high indoor walls without any harness at Vashirsquos CIDCO Exhibition Centre The walls created from artificial fabric panels have been set up especially for the bouldering edition of the IFSC Climbing World Cup 2016 brought to India for the first timeA participant at an earlier edition of the bouldering competition organised by GiriviharGoverned by International Federation of Sport Climbing IFSC a world body for climbing competitions the World Cup championships are held annually in three disciplines mdash lead speed and bouldering The current edition in bouldering is hosted by Indian Mountaineering Foundation IMF and organised by Girivihar a Navi Mumbaibased mountaineering club formed in 1954B for boulderingIn recent times climbing has come into focus after being introduced as a new sport in the Asian Games 2018 Itrsquos also shortlisted to feature in the 2020 Olympics Bouldering is a relatively new form of rock climbing which involves the art of climbing small blocks of rock boulders usually without a rope for protection The specialised climbers also known as boulderers try challenging moves to solve difficult boulder problems close to the ground ldquoThe athletes need to showcase power and technique to climb a maximum height of four metres They can fall back on mattressesrdquo says Abhijit Burman vice president of the World Cup committeeInvolving participation from both men and women the World Cup will feature renowned athletes like Shauna Coxsey from UK and Akiyo Noguchi from Japan World No 1 and 2 rankers in Womenrsquos Bouldering respectively along with male champions Rustam Gelmanov from Russia and Jongwon Chon from Korea Meanwhile the Indian contingent includes 17 shortlisted climbers including one from Mumbai and six from Pune ldquoThe best climbers from each country participate in the world cup IMF handles the team selection and trainingrdquo informs BurmanThe guide speaks with three women athletes currently undergoing intensive training at IMFrsquos South Campus in New Delhi FROM May 13 to 16 AT CIDCO Exhibition Centre Sector 30 Vashi Navi MumbaiLOG ON TO ifscclimbingorgSiddhi Manerikar MumbaiAge 20On the CV First Rank in Girivihar Rock Climbing Competition 2010 Selected for Asian Youth Championship in Singapore 2011 Fourth Rank in Asian Youth Championship in Indonesia 2013Seven years ago Siddhi Manerikar was introduced to the world of climbing when she was selected for a Republic Day demonstration to climb the 43feet high Arun Samant Climbing Wall located at her school playground in Goregaon ldquoThe sports teacher invited participation from those students who may have an interest in climbing trees I thought why not give it a shotrdquo says Manerikar adding ldquoThatrsquos the only wall in India which is built from ferrocement so the feel is very real unlike other bouldering walls which are made from fabric panelsrdquo says the second year Commerce student from Goregaonrsquos Patkar College who has participated in and won many zonal state and national bouldering events In fact she is the only Mumbaikar selected for the World Cup ldquoI hope more people get to know about the sport through the eventrdquo she saysTipsgtgt Warmup is essential Try stretching exercises gtgtPay attention to your footwork gtgtFor bouldering opt for toedown shoes which help with a better grip Rub your hands with chalk powder for a better gripNehaa Prakash BengaluruAge 22On the CV Sixtime Indian national champion in rock climbing Gold medal in lead climbing at Asian Youth Climbing Championship in Kazakhstan 2009 Third Rank in Girivihar Open International Rock Climbing Competition 2013ldquoBouldering is purely between you and the wall You are not competing with anyone You are just conquering your fearsrdquo says Nehaa Prakash who has climbed artificial and natural structures including the rocks in Karnatakarsquos Badami region for over eight years now ldquoIt started as a hobby during summer holidays Then I participated in a local competition and won it so I took it seriously and began competingrdquo says the final year law student who is equally fond of lead climbing ldquoBouldering is integral to climbing as it helps you manoeuvre rocks when climbing with a harness too However lead climbing requires more endurancerdquo she informs Besides physical strength Prakash believes mental alertness and keeping calm under pressure are also integral to the sport Ask if the sport is more challenging for female climbers and Prakash asserts ldquoItrsquos not tougher for women they just donrsquot attempt itrdquo Eager to learn from international athletes at the upcoming World Cup Prakash says ldquoOften we donrsquot have enough money or time to travel abroad to watch such competitions So the event in India is a great opportunity for usrdquoTipsgtgtBe flexible and selfaware Hand leg coordination is important gtgtAvoid climbing in the rains or when itrsquos too sunnygtgtHave a spotter at hand who can help you locate the mattress if you need to fall back on itgtgtAttempt on an artificial wall first before scaling natural rocksgtgtDonrsquot try bouldering without a crash padMayuri Deshmukh PuneAge 18On the CV Gold medal in Singapore Open International Championship competed in World Youth Championship in New Caledonia won four national championshipsWhile the SYJC Arts student is still to figure out her career path Deshmukh is confident about her bouldering strategies ldquoFor lower boulders you need dynamic strength while vertical ones require a lot of balance and mental focus Itrsquos like problem solving but using your bodyrdquo says the athlete who began climbing four years ago Having read about bouldering on the web Deshmukh connected with the climbing community in Pune including athlete Tuhin Satarkar also a participant in the World Cup who helped her search for places to go bouldering in the city ldquoMy first outdoor bouldering experience was in the Plus Valley in Tamhini Ghat near Pune I fell in love with the high boulders and climbing them was funrdquo she recalls Currently undergoing an intensive climbing weight training and cardio training for the upcoming World cup ldquoTaking part in the Singapore competition was an eyeopener While in India we have very few climbers I saw more than 100 women participants there It was crazyrdquoMayuri Deshmukh attempts climbing at Badami KarnatakaTipsgtgtWhen faced with boulder challenges learn movement combinations that work for your body gtgtDonrsquot overthink because itrsquos a relatively new sport in India Just try it