THE FELSNACHWUCHS in Silvapark
Normally, children are prevented from climbing everywhere. And yet it is a form of movement that we are truly born with. From an early age, we try to climb objects, pull ourselves up with our arms and get a better view from the top. So bouldering is something that comes naturally to children.
Bouldering workshop in Silvapark with Bernd Zangerl
Learning from a pro - Bernd Zangerl shows how it's done
For several years now, schoolchildren in Paznaun have been moving their classrooms outside to the rocks for a day and being coached by professional boulderer Bernd Zangerl. He shows them the best way to solve a bouldering problem and helps to introduce young boulderers to the sport with tips and tricks.
In no time at all, high-spirited children become focused athletes. Cheeky teenagers become well-behaved (bouldering) students. It's great to see how sport (and a little tact - in the figurative sense - from Bernd Zangerl) can be enough to shift the focus.
Bernd Zangerl goes bouldering with pupils from the Paznaun Valley
Concentration. Coordination. Condition
The kids watch the pro with rapt attention. They soak up everything he shows them and try to do it just as well themselves. The exercise where they try to climb up the rock without their hands is particularly popular. You can literally see how the children's coordination improves as they celebrate their triumph once they reach the top. Then it's back to being teenagers. With shouts of jubilation and show-offs. At the end of the workshop, you can see from the shining eyes and bruised fingers that bouldering not only makes you tired, but also happy.
Pupils hone their bouldering skills such as concentration, coordination and stamina
