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Race to the Bottom: The Lowest Lowballs

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Highball bouldering is scary. Just look at this kid. Like him, we’ll oftentimes size up a boulder, think, Psh, that’ll be a cinch, and then find ourselves halfway up praying for dear life.

While there may not be any atheists on highballs, that’s no reason to forsake bouldering entirely. There are plenty of normal sized boulders around.

And if those scare you, too? Well, might be time for you to delve into the world of lowball bouldering.

[Also Read: Top 10 Climbing Tattoos That Went Full-Send]

There are plenty of great, short and low-to-the-ground boulders out there. And for the most extreme low-ballers, it’s a race to the bottom—a pursuit for the tiniest, puniest, least consequential rocks out there that are still in some fashion climbable. We’re talking about boulder problems that give the phrase “pebble wrestling” a whole new meaning.

With that, here’s a look at some of the smallest lowball boulders we’ve found.


Crocodile, V3, Fontainebleau, France

360 Kickflip, V3, Djupviksgrottorna, Finland

Portable V4, V4, Squamish, Canada

No Name, V3, Castle Hill, New Zealand


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