FALLING 101

FALLING IN BOULDERING

Falling is part of the learning process in climbing. Everyone falls—whether on purpose or not—even after years of experience. It’s completely normal and part of the game. Falling isn’t a failure—on the contrary, it’s a sign that you’re pushing your limits. Each fall helps you progress because it shows you where you need to improve.

In this article, we’ll cover the essential techniques to help you approach your first falls in indoor bouldering with confidence.

Techniques for Falling Safely

Arms in front of you:
Bring your arms in front of your body as you fall. Relax your fists and tuck your arms close to your chest. The key is to fall in a relaxed way—don’t try to stop your fall with your arms, as this could lead to wrist or elbow injuries.

Tuck your head and protect your neck:
Keep your head slightly tucked to avoid hitting it on the mat.

Land on your feet and absorb the impact with a backward roll:
The ideal landing order is: feet, butt, back.
Avoid landing on your toes, as you want to move away from the wall on impact—so shift your weight towards your heels to initiate the roll.

Look at the ground:
Before taking a controlled fall, take a moment to look at where you want to land. This will help you prepare—every controlled fall starts with awareness of the landing zone.

Mentally prepare for the fall:
Visualize the fall from the ground. Take a few moments to imagine a controlled fall onto the mat while maintaining a safe posture. Also, read through the boulder problem beforehand. This helps you anticipate tricky positions and potential fall zones, reducing stress once you're on the wall.

Empty your pockets:
Make sure your pockets are empty and that you’re not carrying keys or anything clipped to your belt.

Managing Fear of Falling

Fear is normal!
Many climbers feel afraid at the thought of falling freely onto a mat. This is a natural reaction. What matters is not letting that fear control your climbing experience.

Fall on purpose
Take small steps to help manage heights: start with easier moves close to the ground. The more you climb and fall safely, the more confident you’ll become.

If you’re climbing with a partner, ask them to watch you and help you improve your fall technique. This will reassure you and give you constructive feedback on how to fall correctly.

Relax and breathe
Feeling a wave of stress? Relax and bring your legs down to a lower hold. That’s right—lower your legs instead of curling up on the wall. This will prevent you from having to unfold your limbs during the fall.

Breathe deeply when you feel fear setting in. The key is to refocus and relax through your breath. This helps your muscles loosen up and reduces anxiety, allowing you to approach the situation more calmly. Take things at your own pace.

Friendly reminder: your head is much higher than your feet, so you're closer to the ground than you think.

Celebrate your progress
Treat every fall as a small victory. This mindset will help you enjoy the process and build confidence even faster.

CONCLUSION

To sum up, falling is an inevitable and normal part of climbing. By taking the right technical precautions and preparing yourself mentally, you’ll quickly overcome fear and climb with confidence. Falling will become second nature, and it will no longer stop you from committing to moves at your limit—because your body will have learned how to fall properly and calmly.