Most injuries occur because of the climber doing too much too soon, and falling badly. Most of these can be prevented with a little awareness of what is going on.
Finger Pulley and Tendon Injuries
These are the most common injuries encountered by bouldering climbers. In most cases these have occurred when climbers have ‘forced’ a hold prior to their tendons having adapted to ‘crimping’ on small holds. Avoid ‘forcing’ holds and increase grip intensity over weeks not days. Also make sure to complete a proper warm up before starting your bouldering session.
Shoulder and Rotator Cuff Strain
In overhead positions and in dynamic lunge positions, a lot of pressure is put on the shoulder. Doing some simple resistance band exercises away from the wall to work on your rotator cuff will help to strengthen the area. Try not to lock off in overhead positions, even when the move feels easy, as this can cause sudden pain in the shoulder when tired.
Wrist Sprains from Falls
Even more serious, are the wrist sprains caused by falls. Here’s how to practice falling: falling with your arms slightly bent and landing across the mat (opposite to how you would catch yourself in free fall).
Ankle and Knee Injuries on Landing
You can pull an ankle or jump onto your knees in a hard fall from a height to cause significant damage, particularly if the mat has ended before you have time to land safely on it. Most landing injuries occur as a result of a climber dropping off the end of a mat, often in a straight legged position, falling awkwardly onto their knees or ankles. A useful reference for Bouldering is https://www.270climbing.com/bouldering/.
Skin Tears and Flappers
Rough holds can tear skin quickly. New hands will be especially sensitive to the worst holds in a problem. First keep your early sessions short. Then go and file the worst edges of the worst holds with a skin file. Finally, chalk your hands before attempting the holds. This will stop any chalk from running down to your fingers and causing burn.
Overtraining and Fatigue
Tired muscles lead to poor movement and an increased risk of injury. Gradually increase your training load as recommended by the NHS.
Respect the signals your body gives you and you’ll climb far more consistently over time.