Soft skills to know bouldering outdoors

I'm planning to boulder outdoors 2-3 times a week for a month in the winter at kraft boulders in vegas (and other areas if I've exhausted everything at kraft). I'm a solid v6 climber indoors (definitely lower outside); I've only gone out once or twice. I'm here to ask if there are some useful tips I should know about to maximize my time and effort? Any tips on how to plan which boulders to try for the day or how to read a guidebook or what I should be aware of out there at the rock? How much time should I spend out there in a session or how many boulders should I try/attempts to give?

Buy a brush and use it.  Something something 3 days...wet sandstone... yer gunna die.

What do you want to get out of it? Want to have fun? Or do you want to push your outdoor grades?

John D wrote:

What do you want to get out of it? Want to have fun? Or do you want to push your outdoor grades?

Both? Have fun while trying hard

1. You actually need to spot others or be spotted outside.
2. Don’t put your pad on living plants
3. Pick up your shit/trash before you leave an area
4. Be respectful of other users (music, swearing, large groups) 
5. Don’t chip, glue or “comfortIze” the rock
6. Know how to get down before you go up
7. Stay on the existing trails

Spotter + pads is minimum, old rag/towel to wipe your feet to preserve the rock, and be mentally prepared if you haven't bouldered outside before. Indoor (at least where I boulder) you just hold the end grip and that's it.

Outdoor there's a big chance you have to climb up top of the boulder, which can be a whole different ballgame high up. 

Other tips: warm up properly, and try to limit hard strenuous moves to 3-5 times at a time and then take a short break to prevent injuries (first time bouldering in Fontainebleau France we didn't last 3 days without some upcoming injuries >.<)

Oh and have fun :)

it's the same as inside only colder and dirtier.

mountain troll wrote:

it's the same as inside only colder and dirtier.

....and windier, wetter, hotter, potentially isolated, more dangerous.

Inside? Maybe sprains.

Outside? Broken bones.

Outside highball? YGD.

Or not. Bouldering is pretty safe, compared to other types of climbing.

Get out with others. More people=more pads, and those pads get mighty small outside!

If you go out solo, make sure someone knows where you are, if it's likely you're on your own wherever it is.

Ditto on all the upthread advice, especially figuring out how to get down, before you go up. Or, choose to stay close to the ground. Landing zones outside, ya get what ya get, often not so great.

And yeah, have fun! 

Oh, and dogs are not any good at spotting, even though they usually love boulder pads.

Best, Helen

Good advice above.  I do boulder solo all the time, so I don't consider spotters mandatory.  If you need a spotter, you're dealing with people's schedules again - part of the reason to boulder is to get out there when you can.  I traverse a lot and don't go very high when alone - there are a lot of boulder problems close to the ground.

bring as many pads as you can carry if alone

Since we're talking Red Rocks... Plumber's crack is 100% worth the cliche pic.  Got so many likes on insta from normies.