Question 1

What boulders does Mani the Monkey climb in “A few more cool boulders”?

Accepted Answer

I climb a handful of gym problems in different styles: a burly yellow toe-hook start into a three-finger pocket, a very hard black boulder with a tough gaston and a dynamic volume move, and several blue problems. Some of the later ones are pinch- and sloper-focused, and one finishes with a pretty mental slab-style top sequence. It’s basically a tour of “cool boulders” that felt worth sharing.

Question 2

What makes the black boulder the hardest one in the gym for Mani?

Accepted Answer

For me it’s the combination: a really tough gaston move at the beginning, then a dynamic snap into a second volume that’s super bad. Even though there’s a tiny chip, you still have to hit it on the move and let go of the right foot from the start footholds. And then you still have a sketchy heel hook for the top move—putting it all together took tries.

Question 3

How do you approach a toe hook start on a burly boulder problem?

Accepted Answer

On that yellow one the toe hooks are the whole entry ticket—if they’re sloppy you won’t control the move into the pocket. I focus on setting the toe hook so it actually pulls, then keeping tension while I move into the three-finger pocket. Once you’re in, you still have to hold the pocket nicely before committing to the twisty lock-off.

Question 4

Why do boulders get harder once they’re chalked up?

Accepted Answer

I mention this on a couple of the problems I set: they felt easier right after setting, but later, with chalk buildup, they became really tough. Especially on volumes and certain pinches, that chalk layer can change friction in a bad way. So the same sequence suddenly feels more delicate and more “I’m going to slip off any second.”

Question 5

What is a good way to train for tiny edges and high feet like in the blue edge boulder?

Accepted Answer

That blue edge line is minimalistic: two starting edges, one foothold, then a first dyno to the second edge and a chain of small edges. The key is precision and staying tight when you bring the feet up—especially before the top, where it’s really small and the top is kind of pinchy. I treat it like skill training: accurate deadpoints, controlled high steps, and matching only when I’ve earned the position.

Question 6

How do you use a drop knee to reach a sloper in steep bouldering?

Accepted Answer

On the blue 7B+ line the crux is stepping into that right-hand sidepull/undercling and then using a nice drop knee to open the hips. That position lets you generate to the moon sloper without just cutting loose and hoping. If the drop knee is late or shallow, you’ll feel it immediately because the sloper catch gets way more burly.

Question 7

What’s your coaching takeaway from the minimalistic volume slab top-out?

Accepted Answer

That last one is volumes but still super minimalistic, and I love it because it shows how little you actually need to get on top of a wall. You reset the toe hook, dyno to the edge, then commit to a really high heel hook and basically do a mental slab top-out. The takeaway is: trust your feet, keep it calm, and don’t wait for “more holds” that never come.

A few more cool boulders

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