In terms of sheer intimidation, your first day at a bouldering gym is on par with starting a new job or meeting a significant other's parents. It may actually be a bit worse—for starters, it's the only one in which the thought “Everyone can see my balls right now” is not completely irrational. Add to that the overwhelming sensation that everyone else seems to know exactly what they're doing, and you've got a nearly infallible recipe for sweaty palms. We say nearly infallible specifically because of the Aesthetic Climbing Gym, where veterans happily assist newbies in both top roping and bouldering. For the uninitiated, top roping includes a harness. It's comparable to long-distance running—strategy and endurance—whereas bouldering is a sprint. There are no harnesses, and the paths are much shorter. The color-coded levels range from V-B (basic) to V-14, and the top-out section—the area you reach at the top of the wall—is spacious and expansive.
