I distinctly remember, the first time I completed the traverse of Scotland’s famous Aonach Eagach, commenting that the many rock steps along the ridge were like little puzzles to solve. I was captivated by these actually very easy bits of climbing and, in considering them as puzzles, I’d glimpsed a little of what makes boulder problems so enthralling.
In reality, boulder problems are much more challenging than the individual rock steps on a scrambly ridgeline, as bouldering is all about technical prowess and piecing almost impossible moves together into a sequence. These difficult problems can take an age to build up to and overcome, often through a long process of trial and error and much physical exertion.
