Bouldering is awesome for a million reasons, and is incredibly easy to try out/get started with. Seriously, if you have ever given climbing a passing thought o

Bouldering is awesome for a million reasons, and is incredibly easy to try out/get started with. Seriously, if you have ever given climbing a passing thought or even just saw a picture once and thought it looked cool, try it out. Find a gym near you, call them up, confirm that they have a bouldering area - not just roped - and ask them how much a day pass with shoe rental is. Put on something comfortable and get yourself there and you'll be climbing the walls within 5 minutes. You can go by yourself - you don't need a partner or spotter - but it's a great social activity, so take your partner/friends/kids if you want. Bouldering is climbing low to the ground over pads, so there are no harnesses or ropes and no required safety training (beyond whatever your gym might require - facility tour, short video, etc.). Most gyms have plenty of problems catering to beginners. It's a novelty-seeking, flow-encouraging activity that will keep you busy physically and mentally. Be ready - your arms are going to be tired.